A Tough Night...

[240260280]

Your close and vibrant family impressed me when visiting.  I'm glad they are all OK.

It will be a great family get-together conversation for many years down the road.

[rcb280z]

So glad to hear the kids are okay.

Such a bummer Geoff. Sure hope it's repairable. 

[rossiz]

Thanks for all the kind words - and yes, the kids being safe makes it a very lucky event. I don't think the truck even saw them, as the roof of the Z is below the window sill of most large vehicles and it was dark & rainy. At any rate, they never even stopped. The bummer is that since their was no contact with another vehicle and they have no witnesses to ID the other driver, it's considered an "at fault loss of control" and I receive $0. Then, to top it off, the tow truck driver (contacted by the police before I got there) convinced me that I should let him tow it to their yard instead of my house "...because the insurance will pay at our yard, not at your house" and that was total BS. Insurance is paying $0 and AAA is just now bringing it back, after $400 in towing and storage fees at the yard (for 1 night). 

I really don't know if It's worth rebuilding b/c I'm concerned that the frame is all bent and the thought of having a car that shimmies and wanders all over the road is not exciting to me... I can certainly shape/fab/weld sheet metal, but I worry about not being able to get her straight. Also, w/no insurance payout I can't afford the project.

For now it'll have to sit in the driveway until I find the heart/energy to start taking her apart and assessing the damage.

[Zed Head]

Check for security or traffic cameras.  They're everywhere these days.  Maybe even post an ad somewhere asking if anybody saw it.  They'd probably remember seeing a nice looking Z spin out on the Ballard bridge.  You never know.

If the door gaps aren't squeezed tighter and they still open and close correctly, the front of the car can probably be fixed.  Door gaps are my accident "tell".

[rossiz]

I checked w/SDOT this morning: all our traffic cameras are live-stream only, no recordings are made due to the strict surveillance laws in Seattle. 

The pics below show the door gaps: passenger looks exactly as before, but drivers side is opened up at the top - makes me think the rocker is "frowning" a little, which would mean the drivers side front shock tower moved, right?

 

[Patcon]

That means the door hinge area probably moved a little. Like 1/8 or less. Just from the pictures, I would say it's fixable all day long. I really think the front structure can be pulled and straightened. Would probably want a new radiator support though. Like I said, let me know if you need any parts

C

[w3wilkes]

Glad the kids are okay! The car doesn't look beyond repair.

[charliekwin]

I'm always nervous about being small and hard to see when driving the Z (more so even than when I'm on my bicycle); so sorry to see this happened. Fixable or not, it's a shame about the car, but at least everyone walked away.

[Mike]

Ouch, sorry man

[S30Driver]

So sorry to see this happen Geoff.   Best of luck with whatever route you decide is the future of the car.

[Captain Obvious]

Wow Geoff, So sorry that happened. Glad everyone is OK.

I'm gonna stop complaining about my car problems now...   

[rossiz]

Thanks again to all for weighing in, it's great to have some like-minded folks to help get perspective on the situation. Had a great chat w/Patcon and am feeling a little more optimistic. At this point I'll probably pull off and discard all the parts that are beyond repair and then see what it'll take in time/$$ to get her driveable again. Once I get a required parts list I'll post up and see what's available to purchase from the CZC community.

Stay tuned...