Very Bad News and a Word of Warning
Discussion
Think I've written off my 3200.
Joining the M62 yesterday I accelerated hard to get out of the left hand lane.
As the car (it's automatic) changed gear, the back end snapped out to the left and sent me clockwise head on into the central reservation at about 70 mph.
The car whipped round and hit the nearside quarter panel.
It came to rest facing the wrong direction, in the outside lane.
It has major front end damage and surely must be a write off.
Fortunately, I, my wife and nephew were all unharmed and on a very busy motorway nobody else hit me, or was involved in any way.
This in itself is a miracle and I can be thankful for that but I'm very, very depressed.
Paul
Joining the M62 yesterday I accelerated hard to get out of the left hand lane.
As the car (it's automatic) changed gear, the back end snapped out to the left and sent me clockwise head on into the central reservation at about 70 mph.
The car whipped round and hit the nearside quarter panel.
It came to rest facing the wrong direction, in the outside lane.
It has major front end damage and surely must be a write off.
Fortunately, I, my wife and nephew were all unharmed and on a very busy motorway nobody else hit me, or was involved in any way.
This in itself is a miracle and I can be thankful for that but I'm very, very depressed.
Paul
Paul,
Glad to hear you are all ok -
You can always replace a car but not your life so its good news to know you are all ok .
From a fellow PH - Im really sorry to hear about your 3200 - I spun mine last week and I was just cruising at 30! These cars do like to be "trigger happy" .
Gutted for you though - Do hope you get her fixed - Keep us updated as to what happens ?
Fingers crossed for you that the car is able to be repaired - If it isnt what are you going to do ?
will you get another 3200?
Pete
Glad to hear you are all ok -
You can always replace a car but not your life so its good news to know you are all ok .
From a fellow PH - Im really sorry to hear about your 3200 - I spun mine last week and I was just cruising at 30! These cars do like to be "trigger happy" .
Gutted for you though - Do hope you get her fixed - Keep us updated as to what happens ?
Fingers crossed for you that the car is able to be repaired - If it isnt what are you going to do ?
will you get another 3200?
Pete
Thanks all for the kind words.
I had thought about my personal plate and I might nip over before Wednesday to take spare wheel etc.
As you say, things could have been a lot worse.
On the way I passed a 17 car pile up on the M6 and, would you believe, a Ferrari 355 with extensive front damage on the back of a trailer.
Once again, thanks for your kind words.
Considering the speed, and everything, it shows the car was at least well built for a front collision. Nobody has whiplash or anything.
The airbags didn't deploy, which I found surprising.
I will keep you informed of the joys of dealing with the claim.
I had thought about my personal plate and I might nip over before Wednesday to take spare wheel etc.
As you say, things could have been a lot worse.
On the way I passed a 17 car pile up on the M6 and, would you believe, a Ferrari 355 with extensive front damage on the back of a trailer.
Once again, thanks for your kind words.
Considering the speed, and everything, it shows the car was at least well built for a front collision. Nobody has whiplash or anything.
The airbags didn't deploy, which I found surprising.
I will keep you informed of the joys of dealing with the claim.
Chin up mate, I'm sure you're sick to the stomach right now, thinking about all the whatifs etc, but just try and stay on the bright side... you and all your passengers are alive and well; a car is only a chunk of metal,
and hey, you might have good reason to go auto-shopping in the near future...(always a fun time-waster!)
take it easy, and grab yourself a beer, there'll always be a sympathetic ear on PH...
and hey, you might have good reason to go auto-shopping in the near future...(always a fun time-waster!)
take it easy, and grab yourself a beer, there'll always be a sympathetic ear on PH...
Sorry, Mas3200, yes I will definitely get another 3200.
My brother in law suggested that the traction control could have played a part in the accident as something similar happened to Juan Pablo Montoya.
I was definiitely driving in a straight line at the time but, as Dazren says, I've learned that you don't floor a 3200 when the road is damp.
Some people never get a second chance, I guess.
My brother in law suggested that the traction control could have played a part in the accident as something similar happened to Juan Pablo Montoya.
I was definiitely driving in a straight line at the time but, as Dazren says, I've learned that you don't floor a 3200 when the road is damp.
Some people never get a second chance, I guess.
This sort of puts things into perspective!- I was a bit pissed off today when my 2 year old decided to projectile vomit all over the inside of my Masser - an hour with a bottle of detol and some bounty doesn't realy compare.
Don't worry about the plate you will be able to keep it at no charge, take anything that can be removed from the car including the Books (if their in it) and spare etc (if worse comes to it you can always sell them on E-bay!!)
Don't worry about the plate you will be able to keep it at no charge, take anything that can be removed from the car including the Books (if their in it) and spare etc (if worse comes to it you can always sell them on E-bay!!)
Paul - Really felt for you mate.
Hopefully you will get her back on the road or maybe the insurance may come up with a good solution! 4200 maybe ? fingers crossed for you.
get the plate transferred onto retention just to be safe as its a great number plate.
Glad to know you are all safe though.
Pete
Hopefully you will get her back on the road or maybe the insurance may come up with a good solution! 4200 maybe ? fingers crossed for you.
get the plate transferred onto retention just to be safe as its a great number plate.
Glad to know you are all safe though.
Pete
Very sorry indeed to hear of your off, but as many have said, the main thing is that all involved are ok.
As a 3200A owner myself, i find the rear traction very poor - subjectively it feels much looser at the rear compared to my old TVR Griff.
Out of curiosity, did you have the ASR off, or were you in sports mode? Pretty troubling if it was fully on, and not much better if in sport, as it shouldn't allow that much slip.
As a 3200A owner myself, i find the rear traction very poor - subjectively it feels much looser at the rear compared to my old TVR Griff.
Out of curiosity, did you have the ASR off, or were you in sports mode? Pretty troubling if it was fully on, and not much better if in sport, as it shouldn't allow that much slip.
Stuff the car, glad to here no one is hurt 
Sideways into a barrier at 70 is not a good look. The airbags only deploy in a head on
Slightly damp roads and a very quick accelerator can make life go sideways very quick.
Kinda makes the undercar re-design my wife did with mine a few weeks back look tame. £580, worth of damge. Nice
Sideways into a barrier at 70 is not a good look. The airbags only deploy in a head on Slightly damp roads and a very quick accelerator can make life go sideways very quick.
Kinda makes the undercar re-design my wife did with mine a few weeks back look tame. £580, worth of damge. Nice
Bloody hell.
Everyones at it.
Paul, my deepest sympathy mate. As Kevin put it, its only a car. You walked out of it.
I have to say its been one of the worst Christmases for car crashes I can remember. Blimey, even my old man got in on the act on Boxing Day. At least my mum is getting a new car several months early (the Bentley was tucked up in the garage, thankfully).
I hope you're back out in something soon.
My best,
Greg
Everyones at it.
Paul, my deepest sympathy mate. As Kevin put it, its only a car. You walked out of it.
I have to say its been one of the worst Christmases for car crashes I can remember. Blimey, even my old man got in on the act on Boxing Day. At least my mum is getting a new car several months early (the Bentley was tucked up in the garage, thankfully).
I hope you're back out in something soon.
My best,
Greg
That's very scary. The ASR on my 3200 has always felt very nannying when in normal mode, but this goes to show that it's not infallable. Perhaps one of the newer stability control systems would have picked up the slide sooner and saved the day.
You must feel pretty down at the moment, but many of us have been there before and bounced back. I managed to put my Griff backwards through a hedge four years ago (same story as yours - power oversteer seemingly coming from nowhere) and learned a valuable lesson about how hard a powerful rear drive car can bite. Main thing is to learn from the experience and get back on the horse asap!
You must feel pretty down at the moment, but many of us have been there before and bounced back. I managed to put my Griff backwards through a hedge four years ago (same story as yours - power oversteer seemingly coming from nowhere) and learned a valuable lesson about how hard a powerful rear drive car can bite. Main thing is to learn from the experience and get back on the horse asap!
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