Look what I've done to my 500
Look what I've done to my 500
Author
Discussion

simoncotton

Original Poster:

408 posts

281 months

Tuesday 28th December 2004
quotequote all
Look what I've done to my pride and joy!!


Somehow I managed to stuff her into the central reservation on Boxing Day. The car went spinning out of control at 60mph in fifth gear on the motorway. The wishbone snapped, but not sure if that was on impact or before hand. I've had the car for over 3 years and would consider myself as an experienced driver but have never experienced anything like it, back end was snake-biting all over the place.

It's my first crash and I'm gutted! Still, lucky to be walking I suppose.




>>> Edited by simoncotton on Wednesday 12th January 18:00

steve1c

341 posts

261 months

Tuesday 28th December 2004
quotequote all
Mate, so sorry to hear and see that. But hey, as you said, your here to tell the tale. Must have been scary as hell and then some. Any idea of repair time or insurance loan car?

rich 36

13,739 posts

295 months

Tuesday 28th December 2004
quotequote all
welcome to the club, and sorry you feel a bit shitty about it now,
but as you are ok,
replace the wheels later, and put it behind you next time youre out
take care

simoncotton

Original Poster:

408 posts

281 months

Tuesday 28th December 2004
quotequote all
I was thinking of getting a Tuscan in the New Year. May be its time to change. I think they will right the car off. All side panels need replacing as well as front end. If they don't then at least they will put it right.

Do you know if the work will have to done by a TVR dealer? or can I request one to do the work. Not sure I want a no TVR garage to do the work. I'm insured with SunningHill.




_dan_

2,392 posts

308 months

Tuesday 28th December 2004
quotequote all
Sorry to hear about that, good to know your OK though.

TVR bodyshop are well respected and do insurance claims to.

I almost went to them last year when I dinked my front end, wish I had have now really, as I've got to take mine back a year later to have it redone/tidyed up at the place I ended up getting it fixed at.

>> Edited by _dan_ on Tuesday 28th December 18:42

steve1c

341 posts

261 months

Tuesday 28th December 2004
quotequote all
Might also be worth thinking about re-sale value, be worth finding out if TVR repair makes any difference. If you don't have to pay, personally, I'd opt for them to do repairs.

shadowninja

80,035 posts

311 months

Tuesday 28th December 2004
quotequote all


simoncotton said:
60mph in fifth gear


bit worrying!

i can see why the guy who lost his maserati 3200 on the ferrari forum lost it (he basically asked the car to change down for more power), but 60 in 5th is not really crash-teasing settings.

simoncotton

Original Poster:

408 posts

281 months

Tuesday 28th December 2004
quotequote all
I know that the 500 has got lots of torque, but not enough to loose the backend at 60 even if floored in the wet. I really don't know what happened, but I'm sure its mechanical or something to do with the tyres. Either that or I can no longer drive and should think about getting a diesel

Phil Dicky

7,194 posts

292 months

Tuesday 28th December 2004
quotequote all
shadowninja said:



simoncotton said:
60mph in fifth gear



bit worrying!

i can see why the guy who lost his maserati 3200 on the ferrari forum lost it (he basically asked the car to change down for more power), but 60 in 5th is not really crash-teasing settings.


Just what i was thinking seems more likely a mechanical failure, which helps the pride to recover..

Phil

Ribol

11,993 posts

287 months

Tuesday 28th December 2004
quotequote all
simoncotton said:
I know that the 500 has got lots of torque, but not enough to loose the backend at 60 even if floored in the wet.


What about ice?

Painey

534 posts

285 months

Wednesday 29th December 2004
quotequote all
simoncotton said:
I know that the 500 has got lots of torque, but not enough to loose the backend at 60 even if floored in the wet. I really don't know what happened, but I'm sure its mechanical or something to do with the tyres. Either that or I can no longer drive and should think about getting a diesel



I dunno, I've spun the wheels on my Griff 500 in 5th before on a soaking wet road. It can happen. What if there was some oil on the road that you didn't see, or ice or something? I know it's possibly hard to believe but not impossible to do.

Al the best in getting it sorted.

Chris.

simoncotton

Original Poster:

408 posts

281 months

Wednesday 29th December 2004
quotequote all
The roads were damp, not wet. It is quite possible that I spun on some oil, but there was no sign of ice. I drove over the same part of the motorway in the Freelander, no more than an hour after the event, trying to rethink the sequence of events.

I think it will be one of those things that I will never know what happened, which unfortunatley will mean I can't learn from it, other than not to take the car out during winter, which is not ideal as its probably the only 'real' time I get off work.

Here's to the summer!

jellison

12,803 posts

306 months

Wednesday 29th December 2004
quotequote all
My ice light was on in various colour yesterday - ice or diesel. Chin up, at least you are oK. Get it fixed and race it!

simoncotton

Original Poster:

408 posts

281 months

Wednesday 29th December 2004
quotequote all
jellison said:
My ice light was on in various colour yesterday - ice or diesel. Chin up, at least you are oK. Get it fixed and race it!


Yes your right. I think I need to get back in a TVR quickly, to get over any nerves. Have been out driving since, but obviously not in a TVR. May go up to Chris neils and take one out on a test drive!

alexkp

16,484 posts

273 months

Thursday 30th December 2004
quotequote all
simoncotton said:
I know that the 500 has got lots of torque, but not enough to loose the backend at 60 even if floored in the wet. I really don't know what happened, but I'm sure its mechanical or something to do with the tyres. Either that or I can no longer drive and should think about getting a diesel



I had exactly this effect in a Volvo once - I had gone over a patch of diesel on the road. It was very scary, and I was very lucky not to have a major crash as it was during heavy traffic on the M1.

It might have been that which you experienced.

Corin Denton

8,762 posts

297 months

Friday 31st December 2004
quotequote all
Could well have been diesel Simon, did you look at the road afterwards?

jem

548 posts

269 months

Friday 31st December 2004
quotequote all
sorry simon,

s*****r, sorry. mine's never done this - road conditions?

J

simoncotton

Original Poster:

408 posts

281 months

Sunday 2nd January 2005
quotequote all
Corin Denton said:
Could well have been diesel Simon, did you look at the road afterwards?


difficult to tell, as there was some diesel marks on the road - not sure if that was there before of not.

simoncotton

Original Poster:

408 posts

281 months

Sunday 2nd January 2005
quotequote all
jem said:
sorry simon,

s*****r, sorry. mine's never done this - road conditions?

J



I've had the car for over 3 years, and have driven it very hard, have even had the back end out at 90mph in 3rd gear before now.

I have never had this done to me before (in any car). At first I thought it was a tyre blow out as it reacted in a simular way.

GRynners

138 posts

261 months

Monday 3rd January 2005
quotequote all
"The wishbone snapped, but not sure if that was on impact or before hand."

How thoroughly did you get to look at it? If you look at the face of the fracture and it's relatively clean, that would suggest it has snapped in the impact. However, if there is even slight surface corrosion on the outer face, it could have been cracked for some time and finally snapped if you've gone over a rut in the road at speed?

Something similar happened to a guy I work with. Not a TVR I'm hasten to add.