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The Dangers Of Daily Driving A Classic

Crash Damage

First off, I want to apologize if you have emailed us recently and not received a timely response. As you can see above, my MGB and I suffered a little beating on Wednesday. I was just sitting at the stoplight minding my own business when I looked into my rear view mirror and saw a hatchback barreling at me. The only problem was that they were not slowing down! Since that day I’ve been busy with doctor appointments and insurance calls. I am grateful that no one was hurt worse though. We will get caught back up. Please be patient with us and please be careful out there!

Comments

  1. Avatar sir mike

    ouch..to both of you…get better soon and find a good panel beater…

    Like 0
    • Avatar Rog "The Hat"

      If I was you send the photo to the MG people in the uk, you can then get a New Back Panel & Hatch sent over to the USA, its a lot easier to do that than panel beating.

      Like 0
  2. Avatar L.M.K.

    As you said, thankfully no real physical damage to yourself and the other party. The MGB-GT will survive too , from what I can see….

    Glad you’re all right…

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Rich

    Did the air bags deplo……….. Oh yeah, nevermind. On a serious note, very glad everyone is ok. Looks like you will get to spend a little time in the junkyard scouring for parts once again. Very glad the damage is minimal.

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  4. Avatar joeinthousandoaks

    Luckily it doesn’t look too bad. Good luck with the insurance. Don’t let them try to make it a total loss. i have seen too many nice collector cars get a total loss status because the adjuster didn’t want to deal with it.

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  5. Avatar rusty

    hmmmm usually some one about now brings out that old chestnut about buffing or something..but owww dont those overiders cause possibly more damage than they protect. Rear panel should be easy to repair going by my memories of my mgb convertible but i imagine the hatch to be double skinned in a difficult repairing way..hope the hatch is repairable rather than chasing ones [unless they are reproduced like many mgb parts]

    hoping you are ok though you do mention doctors appointment hopefully only just precautionary. All the best for your mending and your car.

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  6. Avatar sunbeamdon

    The kiss of death in auto titles is the word “salvage” – drops value by at least a third; I passed on 1991 BMW 850 CSI at $5,500.00; too many unknowns and no credible person to do a PPI

    Best of luck on each of your recoveries.

    Like 0
    • Avatar DJ

      I just went throught what you’re talking about. My 83.Dodge Diplomat Medallion(1700 made) has been in my family since new. I drive it back and forth to work. A nice drunk driver pulled out in front of me in August. The only way I could keep the car was let them salvage it. His insurance was State Farm. They suck is a nice way of putting it.

      Like 0
  7. Avatar wynkin

    Must have been a LBGT hater.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Cassidy

      WTH? Really??

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    • Avatar Jeff Myers

      “Little British Gran Touring”…very funny!

      I had similar experience in my daily driven classic. Lightly bumped from the rear, while sitting at train crossing with no barracades. The driver freaked out and nailed his loud pedal through the crossing…barely missing the oncoming train. I figured he was high or holding. And I felt bad for his panic.

      Like 0
  8. Avatar Walt

    A speedy recovery for you and your MG, driving in Boise is not the same
    anymore.

    When I’m there I park my classic ’50 GMC as far away as I can in a parking lot.
    When I return, I’ll be damned if there isn’t a non classic car or two parked
    next to it—-also kinda like driving around with a beautiful babe sitting next
    to me, people follow me around just to strike up a conservation.

    PS I don’t drive it very much when I’m there—but my daily driver is a even
    rarer gem, a 1971 Volvo 145S. Fortunately not as much an eye catcher as
    my truck.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Blindmarc

    Hope you’re alright, the car is fixable. Been there about 3 years ago.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Jim Norman

    Ouch. Feel better fast.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Bobsmyuncle

    A good time to remind everyone to insure their vehicles with an ‘agreed upon value’ policy (terminology may differ in your locale).

    And take many, many photos every couple years.

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  12. Avatar Cassidy

    What didn’t the moron understand about a red car with brake lights on with a big red light over the intersection? If the cops got involved, they might be able to determine if the silly twit was on the phone or even better, texting.
    I hope you have a chiropractor, please get a complete check-up! I was rear-ended by 2 cars while on an offramp and didn’t see a chiropractor until about 15 years later when I couldn’t turn my head either direction. Take care of yourself first!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Thayer

      Hey, it is a British car, there’s about a 50/50 chance the brake lights randomly weren’t on…

      Like 0
      • Avatar Kermit

        Too funny. The random electrical remark.
        BTW, I’ve just spent an hour or so reading the BF posts and blog.
        Never been here before thanks for the smiles at the end of a fubar day.
        Lucas electrics???
        Long ago, I owned or was possessed by an MGBGT.
        Whenever our Great Dane would relieve himself on a front tire, the ignition system would die.

        Like 1
  13. Avatar Moxman

    I think Cassidy called it! Some moron on a cell phone; talking or texting. My cherry 87 Mazda 626 Turbo got rear-ended by a woman talking on her phone. Geez…it’s an epidemic. My neck hurt for weeks…so maybe a trip to the doctor is a good call? Hope everything, including the insurance claim, works out for you.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar hhaleblian

    Texter, make up artist, nose picker. Hope you have Hagerty. They are the best. I can site two incidents. They are no hassle and let you do it up right.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar hhaleblian

    I was almost clocked today by a No Duh Prius. Cars to avoid and include a force field Prius and Buick are top tier. Any huge ute with oh god forget it I won’t be pc.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Barzini

    Sorry to hear the news and I wish you a speedy recovery.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar jim s

    that is very sad. i hope you recover and are able to reslove the insurance/legal issues in your favor. yes, if the police were involved i would make them get the other parties cel phone records for the time of the crash. when a car hit my house i had to use the legal system to get my money as the car owners insurance company tried to do depreciation on my house. it took 2 years to fix my house and 2 years to get my money.

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Tom Stewart

    Had my 67 Mustang convertible rear-ended by a 4×4 following too close on a rainy dark day. Took four months to get it back.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Richard Prokopchuk

    Happened to me one day a few years back in my ’90 Miata as I was sitting in the turn lane to go east. I looked up in my mirror and this truck was barreling down on my soo fast. Somehow he went around me, did this huge arc in the middle of the 8 lanes each direction and kept on going without hitting me or anyone else. God was watching out for me for sure that day.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Richard Prokopchuk

      Oh, and I was remiss in my response in not wishing you a speedy recovery. You really could do with one of those deals that has you holding a little control unit that have two or 4 long wires with electrode pads attached. You place the pads on the area that needs to be worked on. Then you adjust to as much electrical stimulation you can need or stand. It works quite well. I got mine from the VA.

      http://www.bmls.com/product-item/biostim-inf/

      Like 0
  20. Avatar Howard A Member

    Always an inherent danger when driving your classic in amongst distracted drivers. I guess, we take that chance when driving our classics. However, I justified it by thinking, better to be driving my classic, and possibly getting hit, than not driving it at all. The bumpers on these are merely a decorative accessory, and are clearly no match for the “cow catcher” bumpers of todays cars, and many times, with my MGB, it was so low, people literally couldn’t see it ( mostly while backing) and came back to find a crease in the hood or trunk. Might want to make sure the gas filler tube, going into the top of tank is ok. Looks like the cap took a nasty bump, as well. Good luck, and don’t be deterred about driving it again. Probably will never happen again.

    Like 0
  21. Avatar leiniedude Member

    Best of luck and hang in there! As you can see, you have much support, take care, Mike.

    Like 0
  22. Avatar ahdriver

    Jesse, Sorry to hear about your accident. Hope you’ll be OK. As far as the B-GT goes, I’ve got 30+ years of B and GT parts taking up space in my shed, including a couple of hatches. Let me know if I can help. When was the last time you were in Michigan? I love the fact that you drive it! I miss mine…and the ’67 shell that I have in storage doesn’t appear to be ready for restoration yet, someday! Get better and good luck with the B-GT.

    Like 0
  23. Avatar Jerry

    Good luck and stay healthy. What worries me when driving my ’67 Volvo 122 or my ’97 Miata M Edition are these jacked up trucks. Their bumper height is higher than than the Miata roof and about my head height driving the Volvo!

    Like 0
  24. Avatar joeinthousandoaks

    I saw this listing and thought of this post. This classic was on the other end of the loss apparently: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Other-Pickups-3100-/281812629856?forcerrptr=true&hash=item419d577960&item=281812629856

    Like 0
  25. Avatar Chris A.

    Hope you are going to be ok. The advice given above is good, especially about the phone record tracking. Also, take lots of pictures and don’t forget underneath where ther may be buckling. I was hit like you in a 1973 Mercury Capri; I was lucky the gas tank was way forward as the entire back end of the car was pushed forward to the axles but the gas tank was ok. I’e owned it 3 weeks.However for rear enders, nothing compares to the lady in Meadville PA who was hit in the back end of her car by a 1000 lb wrecking ball that broke loose from a tether line and ran down a hill dead center into her car trunk. Incredible stroke of luck in that the trunk of her car was filled with a clubs’ soccer balls which blew up on impact. Allegheny College now has the “Wrecking Ball Cafe”. The lady was not seriously injured but the car was totalled and the OSHA fine was huge on the contractor. Good luck fixing your GT.

    Like 0
    • Avatar jeffryh

      This is a great story!

      Like 0
  26. Avatar CattooButt Member

    Ouch! Bummer about you and your ride. Hope the two of you are back out doing what you do soon.

    Like 0
  27. Avatar Jose

    Been there. Done that. Our car was totaled. Glad yours was spared.

    Like 0
  28. Avatar Dave Wright

    Too bad about your accident. I am sure that you will have the opportunity to learn about salvage titles. There is a good chance your car will be totaled in this day of 4000.00 paint jobs. You will off course be able to buy it back for salvage value but it will come back with a salvage title. The system is incredibly stupid but we get what we vote for.

    Like 0
  29. Avatar Julian Bunn

    Wishing you a speedy recovery! This is a great site – and has replaced BringATrailer as my favorite daily read :-)

    Like 0
  30. Avatar Doug Towsley

    OUCh!!! Im hyper sensitive to this. 2 years ago while doing 45mph on my motorcycle was ran over by a speeding drunk driver doing 75-80mph and she was texting. Ever since i have issues riding or driving. Be glad you are alive and it wasnt worse, but i have extreme anger issues when i see people on their crack berrys and dumb phones. Saw a guy on a skateboard the other day going down a busy street while texting!! On bicycles too! The sad truth is very few cars have ANY rear crash protection. Its simply not engineered into them even modern ones. I have a friend in Forensic accident reconstruction and what he says is really scary.
    Your damage is fairly easy to repair, ive done it on several cars like yours and other imports. So, things could be much worse.

    Like 0
  31. Avatar Richard Prokopchuk

    Oh..a nd I forgot to add, “Go Pirates” Which in Pittsburghese is “Go Paruts.”

    Like 0
  32. Avatar Allen Member

    Anybody who uses a B/GT as a daily driver gets my undying respect. I’ve had my
    ’73 B/GT for 29 years. It’s been in five collisions on my watch, and in restoration, I found evidence of yet another. It’s been rear-ended, about the same as yours, twice. The parts you need for repair can all be bought new out of the box, although I would be tempted to get that new hatch from ahdriver (above). I’ve dealt with State Farm for over 50 years and if you’re persistent, you’ll get at least an acceptable settlement. I totaled my ’76 B back in ’93, hitting a cow in the dark. Back in those days, Virginia had no “salvage” titles, so that didn’t matter to me. After a bit of argument over State Farm’s “comparables” I got the salvage price up to a reasonable amount if they would allow me to keep the car – which they did. I repaired and drove that car for many years thereafter. Driving my B/GT these many years has led me to the conclusion that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that can happen to the car that is not worth fixing.

    On the eve of my 76th birthday, despite outrageously good health, I realize that my chances of a stroke are at least equal to getting rear-ended in my B/GT. Worst-case-scenario, I can still replace the B/GT with an excellent example for far less than the cost of any new car that would never give me anywhere near as much pleasure.

    So, keep driving that B/GT, or any other “classic” of similar value. They’re built to be driven. No matter how they are preserved, they will deteriorate, so we might as well drive them. ‘ Hope you are OK and can keep it up!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Marc

      Hello Allen … I do … all over the USA. Thanks for the encouraging words :)

      Photo: Blue Ridge Parkway, NC, June 2012. 3.5 yrs later, with motor just rebuilt to Stage II, it runs better than new!

      Like 0
  33. Avatar LearnedFromUncleMac

    Sorry about the crash. Title in NY, no titles up to 1972, just a transferable reg. and you can do it all by mail.

    Like 0
  34. Avatar jim potter

    Good to hear no serious injuries occurred. Sorry to see your MGB got wrinkled though. I am putting tags on my Roadrunner tomorrow after a 16 year restoration project and after seeing your misfortune, to say I am a bit reluctant would be an understatement!

    Like 0
  35. Avatar Woodie Man

    Damn my neck hurts!

    Like 0
  36. Avatar Allen Member

    Well, there is a danger in driving too close to the car behind you! ;-) So many of us have been guilty of that from time to time. To wax more serious: make sure you insure your car with a reputable vintage car insurance company (I’m with Hagerty) at a level that gives you some reasonable satisfaction should your prize get totaled. Nothing can compensate you for those 16 years, but do the best you can.

    Beyond that, life is a game of chance. Don’t let fear of consequences destroy the greatest pleasure your Roadrunner can give you: “running” – on the “road”. The name says it all.

    I am reminded that mortality rates go up with age. If you’re 90 years old, your chances of dying this year are much higher than they were at age 45 – of course. Conclusion: the main cause of death is life itself! The longer you’ve lived, the greater your chances of dying. Similarly, the primary cause of collisions is driving. Everything you do poses some element of risk. You have to decide for yourself what an “acceptable risk” is and govern your life accordingly. Your freshly-restored prize will deteriorate, either catastrophically or gradually. You cannot prevent that. All you can do is enjoy the moments of pride and pleasure it will give you along the way.

    ‘ Sorry if this sounds like a lecture. Not intended…

    Like 0
  37. Avatar Ed P

    That brings back bad memories. Take care Jesse. My back has never been the same.

    Like 0
  38. Avatar Chris A.

    The story of the wrecking ball rear end hit was written up in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and can be found under “Meadville Wrecking Ball Incident” with a picture. There were four cars in line at the stop light when the wrecking ball hit the last car in line and drove it into the next two. The fourth car in line was a city police car.

    Like 0
  39. Avatar Marc

    This story makes me cringe; glad you’re OK but the cringe comes from the fact that I drive a ’72 MGB GT almost daily, 7-8000 miles/ yr. (mostly highway tho). I’ve had my share of rear-end close calls.

    No parts probs w/ these cars; yes new British-made hatches are avail (for a steep price) and Lord knows how many good used ones are out there as well – thank heavens for the www!

    Like 0
  40. Avatar Allen B. Member

    Hi Marc,

    Thanks for your reply. So happy to hear that you’re back to driving that car! ‘ Lookin’ very good, BTW!!!!

    Like 0

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