Wrote off my TVR

[L40JRC]

Last Sunday I wrote off my TVR on The way to deliver my Mother's Day Gift. Basically, somebody misjudged their speed coming around a tight blind corner (waterworks bend in Staffordshire)and were on the wrong side of the road when they hit me head on. After being cut out of my beloved vehicle and whisked off to Hospital under blues and twos; I was later released with 12 stitches in my head and a very very sore battered and bruised body.

Lucky to survive the crash but very sad to see my car in such a state. It was totally restored a couple of years ago with body off and chassis sorted, respray, new interior, engine rebuild etc. of which all totals up to a tidy sum - difficult to find another to that spec' at the right price.

I was looking forward to attending my first Chatsworth meet in April as well! Anyway, it made me think, maybe I should steer clear of cars that have no air bags given the other road users that threaten to kill me, this experience has really shook me up! The other driver was a criminal on the run! It wasn't my fault and yet when they were putting me on the spinal board I heard someone behind me say 'that's what you get when you drive a sports car'! Amazing.

The emergency services were fantastic. Anyway, letting my head rule my heart, I've decided to go sensible, boring etc. and buy a sports car with air bags - a Z4. Needless to say my other half is in full agreement, she hated the TVR.

So, I've posted some before and after pics below and just to say goodbye and many thanks for the advice received from a lot of you on here.

John

BEFORE







AFTER

Edited by L40JRC on Saturday 16th March 14:05

Edited by L40JRC on Saturday 16th March 14:05

[Pvapour]

that's ste mate really feel for you, only advice I can give is to remove that last pic to avoid your day getting any worse

[MADMAX2]

wheres the car now?

[SILICONEKID350HP]

Bloody hell I`m just glad you are still with us ! I would rest for a while ,I had a head injury ,you need time off ..

Thanks daz

[BountyHunter]

really sorry to hear what happened
but glad your ok.

one thing did spring to mind from the photos and thats just how well the structure of the car stood up to the accident. Sure the fibreglass is totally smashed at the front, but their doesnt look to be a great deal of distortion etc.

i wonder did they cut the door off because they didnt know how to open it, or maybe because they dont open too wide ?

[Chilliman]

That sucks, but so very glad you are OK.... Was anyone else hurt? I had a near miss a couple of years back, approaching a blind right hander and travelling at some pace when a car appeared coming from the other direction, losing it as he came out of the bend and slightly sideways drifted onto my side of the road... for a few moments we were head on, then somehow he snapped back onto his own side... I don't think he was running away from anyone though, just going too fast and lost control.. it was hissing it down with rain...

Gutted for you and your p&j....

Chilli...

[L40JRC]

BountyHunter said:

really sorry to hear what happened
but glad your ok.

one thing did spring to mind from the photos and thats just how well the structure of the car stood up to the accident. Sure the fibreglass is totally smashed at the front, but their doesnt look to be a great deal of distortion etc.

i wonder did they cut the door off because they didn't know how to open it, or maybe because they don't open too wide ?

People say they aren't that strong, but I was lucky in the fact that it was. As you say, fibreglass everywhere but engine sustained a lot of the impact as well as the chassis. My cockpit areas was intact. They didn't know how to open the door so I mumbled to them how to, they tried but it still wouldn't open so they ripped it off. Bonnet and roof flew off on impact.

[L40JRC]

MADMAX2 said:

wheres the car now?

With the boys in blue along with the other car, awaiting insurers to collect.

[L40JRC]

The ironic thing is that the other car was an old classic rover (p6 I think), yes you guessed it, it also had a rover v8 in it~!!!!!!!

[jammy_basturd]

BountyHunter said:

i wonder did they cut the door off because they didnt know how to open it, or maybe because they dont open too wide ?

The emergency services will cut you out of a vehicle at the slighest hint of any spinal injury.

There's the infamous story of a samaritan stopping at the scene of an accident, and allowing one of the injured to sit in their car whilst the emergency services turned up. The fire brigade and ambulance crews arrived and then proceed to cut the roof off the samaritan's car to get the injured party out because they can't risk moving the person without the spinal boards in place.

Really sorry to hear about your accident, the main thing is your (generally) OK.

Leave it a few weeks, you might feel different about returning to TVR ownership.

[L40JRC]

SILICONEKID350HP said:

Bloody hell I`m just glad you are still with us ! I would rest for a while ,I had a head injury ,you need time off ..

Thanks daz

Already had a week off work and still feel like sh*te. Just keep thinking about the car that i lost and the work that had gone into it - gutted, pride and joy, headturner. Mrs asked me if i was excited about the Z4 - er no, no guts to it even though it's a 2.5, no sound to it, generally boring, but then it would be wouldn't it. Lotus Elise before the TVR so I seem to be going downhill. Apologies to anyone on here who owns a Z4.

[HarryW]

Firstly glad you are all right. Shirley the compromise must be a Z4M......

[Jonny cobra]

Ho sh*t so sad m8 looked the nut before . Did they get the tosser who did that ???????

JC.

[Don]

Really sorry to hear you were in a prang, John. Take it easy, eh. Your body needs time to heal.

I'm glad the car looked after you.

[kennybgr8]

Whether we have owned a TVR for only months or years the pics are a sad stark reminder what can happen to the cars we put so much time in to, the real consolation is you are not still in hospital, sobering pictures and post ,,,

[L40JRC]

To add further injury, I supposed to be going to the Civic tonight to watch the stereophonics, my other half is now going with her mate.

My daughter rescued the TVR steering wheel horn push for me as a momento!!! Keep looking in the garage at the empty space where the TIV was........... never mind. Might still visit Chatsworth in April, just to maintin the bond so to speak.

[slippery]

Glad you're ok OP. As others have said, I think the car looks like it held up pretty well under the circumstances, although I totally get your desire to move to something newer and German. I think I'd have stuck with the V8 theme and got myself an SLK55 AMG in that situation. Interesting that the crooks were driving a vintage Rover. They weren't running away from Doctor Who were they?!!

[WestYorkie]

L40JRC said:

The ironic thing is that the other car was an old classic rover (p6 I think), yes you guessed it, it also had a rover v8 in it~!!!!!!!

It wasn't Vinnie Jones in lock stock was it?

Damn shame none the less. Get well soon.

[B17NNS]

L40JRC said:

waterworks bend in Staffordshire

Bad bit of road if you don't know it.

Shame about the car but you got out and are okay and that's all that matters.

[pac1uk]

I always find it sad seeing pictures like this, we always think it will never happen. At least you are OK which is the main thing.

looks like your TVR took a hard wack and absorbed a lot of energy due to the amount of damage. The car did its job protecting the driver.