Marauder smashed

[Fourth Horseman]

Well, my Marauder took a bullet for me today. A lady in a little Honda Civic ran a red light and t-boned me. She was going upwards of 40 MPH when she hit me on the passenger side of the car.

I walked away but she and her passenger had to be taken to the hospital. I don't yet know their status, but an officer on the scene said he thinks it was just mostly injuries from their air bags deploying. I asked one of the officers on the scene to follow up with me on the status of the people in the other car. Kind of hard to get too angry when they had to be taken away in an ambulance. I hope they'll be ok.

On my car both passenger side doors are destroyed and the B pillar is pushed in. The front right suspension is broken and the car was leaking power steering fluid. I don't know if the car will be totalled yet, I probably won't find out from my insurance people until next week. I hope they just decide to total it, as the damage looks pretty extensive to me.

Anyway, just thought I'd post about the death of another Marauder. :depress:

[MAD-3R]

...

damn...

Glad to know your ok, and hope the others are also.

[TAF]

Oh man, Fourth....

First I'm glad to see another Marauder driver walk away unscathed and sorry to hear of other injuries in the other car. Unfortunately, another example of how safe these vehicles are.

Secondly, I know we have grown in numbers and these things happen, but...we certainly are hearing more of these stories. I also find it interesting that a Marauder driver has not been at fault yet. Take care and keep us updated.

[tomd]

Glad your ok sorry about the other driver and passenger but it seems like they will also be ok. Your poor Marauder. :alone:

Are other drivers aiming for our Marauders?? So few Marauders on the road but we seem to be getting hit all the time, don't people see these cars?

:cry: Been there and it is no fun.

[Dr Caleb]

Man, sorry to hear about this. Two in two days. But, at least your friend protected you.

I've been in a couple t-bone accidents in Camaros. Not fun, picking the glass out of your face and having a sore back and neck for a week.

Even though it may be fixed, it's no fun to see your black beauty with such major damage. Ow. Hope you and it get back on the road soon. Cheers!

[2003 MIB]

You're a good man. It would be easy to get mad and I think we all know how you feel about the car but there are more important things. I'm glad you're not hurt and hope things work out for the Honda folks too.

[O's Fan Rich]

Well 4th, glad your okey dokey. Perhaps now red will be a more important color to the other driver.
Watch where they store your car, you want it to be secure as possible until things are settled 100%. Don't need anything "wandering off".
Man, these things can take a hit, eh?

[TripleTransAm]

Sad news. I gotta admit you're a better man than I am... my first thought about the Civic occupants was "serves them right, hope they get slapped with a dangerous driving citation as well" but you've shown a great deal of class by doing the humane thing and hoping for their quick recovery. Consider this a heartfelt pat on the back and expression of my admiration.

Yes, it looks more and more like I made the right choice, family-wise, by opting for this type of vehicle. It's sad that we have to find this out in this manner, through the sacrifices of our brethren.

Did you take any pictures of the car after the impact? I'd be curious to see how the structure distributed the impact force.

[nhinterceptor]

Re: Fourth Horseman

That's terrible news, glad you weren't hurt. Yours is an early build like mine. Hopefully you know of a shop where craftsmanship is more important than the bottomline should the insurance company not total it.

Regards,
- Dan

[MAD-3R]

Well, if the isurance company totals it, he maybe able to get a new 300A at a better deal.

And Fourth, remind the insurance adjuster of the tinting, and speaker upgrade.

[Ross]

Sorry for the loss, Fourth. Hope the other folks are OK. Out of curiousity, did the side air bags deploy in your MM?

[gja]

Fourth,
Sad to see you took a hit. Very happy to know you were not hurt.
Hope the others are OK as well. I hate to see little old ladies getting hurt. Hopefully they will either give up driving, or be more cautious from here on.
This is yet another example of why I continue to buy and drive a large/RWD car....you get to walk away from an accident that otherwise has you spending time in the hospital.

[Fourth Horseman]

Thanks for the kind words and thoughts, folks. It means a lot to me. We've got a great community here on mm.net.

Interestingly, the side air bags did not deploy. Maybe it takes a more severe impact that I received. My car was thrust a good five feet sideways from the impact, though, so hard to imagine it being much worse. :) Still, there was very little intrusion into the passenger compartment, so maybe that's a factor.

I did get some photos from the lot where it's being stored. I'll get those posted later.

The more I think about it, the more I hope they can fix the car. With the blue book being so low on these cars, I might get really screwed if they decide to total it. Didn't I read that blue book is like $19k already? That's not much more than I still owe on the car! *sigh*

[BlueMarauder]

Sorry to hear about the accident. Glad you were not injured. The weight and width of the car offer great protection.

[rct]

Man that just plain old sux. Sorry to hear that, good luck with it.

[Constable]

hope everything works out for you. Sorry about the car and the injuries.

[Ross]

It's interesting, and maybe a little disturbing, that the side airbags didn't deploy in such a severe crash from the side. I know that we don't want overly sensitive airbags, but from the sound of it, Fourth took a pretty bad hit in an area which I thought should have triggered the side bags. Anyone, maybe a Ford mechanic, know anything about the sensitivity of these bags, etc.?

[MAD-3R]

It's possable that as a "Next generation Airbag system, that it read that there was no one in the seat, so to keep the amount of flying debris down, and save on repair costs, it didn't deply.

[rct]

What he said. Seatbelt not done up, that controller underneath uses that as part of lightin them things off. I think.

[merc]

Fourth Houseman, you are one of the old timers on the board, and before I bought my Marauder (MIB II) I viewed your personal website, gurgling over your pictures of the shiny black beast. As you know I currently have major problems with my sweetheart, but this doesn’t compare to your incident. One thing for sure, you are unique, and will be difficult to replace. On the other hand, cars are parts, but develop a personality with age. I am sure you were very fond of your Marauder, it goes without saying.

:up:

[gonzo50]

Originally posted by merc
Fourth Houseman, you are one of the old timers on the board,
I express my sympathy and I feel your hurt, :bigcry: who would ever think that this unfortunate situation would hit so close to home. :cry:
Everyone on this board is like family, especially the "old timers".
Not excluding anyone out, its different when you share Marauder stories and thoughts / opinions with someone for over a year and haven't even met.
Hope you can recover from this quickly, physically and mentally and to resolve the issues with the insurance co.
Take care and keep us posted when possible. ;) HTH

[Hemlock]

REALLY BAD LUCK , GLAD YOUR OK .

[duhtroll]

Glad to hear you're OK 4th. You helped indirectly with my decision to buy a MM as well.

In a way this makes me happier to own my new car - not trying to be morbid but it's nice to know that the MM owners are the ones who are safe and uninjured after these crashes. My wife was skeptical about the MM and then I showed here posts about accidents and how safe the car was. She was sold and now really likes the car (we are having children soon and safety is a big selling point).

One thing for folks to think about -- those of us finance buyers who don't have $10K or more to lay down on a car (teachers and such, ya know :up: ) should opt for the "loan payoff" coverage (or gap coverage) for the first couple years of the loan. Don't take it from your dealer, it's way too expensive. From Progressive it's costing me something like $2/month or maybe even less.

It covers that several $thousand depreciation you have to make up for the day you drive it off the lot.

If mine is totaled it gets paid off for sure. $24/year for 2 years is worth the peace of mind for me! We are good drivers but I believe part of the good driver's job is to watch out for and anticipate the bad driver. This is one way to do that.

Thanks,
-A

[BUCKWHEAT]

4th, on the practical side, if it's a total, be sure to bid your own salvage. The insurance company will let you keep the wreck for $xxx. If the math works, you can sell the Marauder pieces, likely on this web site, or you can make a Marauder out of a late model CV, & end up with a sleeper, and perhaps cash in your pocket. Also, don't forget to get the sales tax out of the insurance company if its a total. Another option, to avoid the "hit" on the depreciation is to get the insurance company to replace the mm with "like kind', another mm with the same general mileage as yours. The option to do that is in the policy. Good Luck.

[jgc61sr2002]

Fourth Horseman - Sorry to hear the bad news. Glad that you were not hurt and the other injuries are not life threatining. You displayed a lot of class by keeping your cool. From your discription the MM sounds totaled. On a positive note you will probably end up with a new MM. Keep us posted . :(

[Paul T. Casey]

Big time bummer, but glad you were another walkaway. I also salute your "gentlemanlyness" (I made up that one) as in my last accident I kinda lost my cool, and my voice. Hope all works out for you.

[Paul T. Casey]

Another thought, I'm not too sure we have side airbgs, I'll check.

[Marauderman]

Finally --again after everbody beat me to the post--I get to say-

I feel your pain and fustration and loss--as you may remember --you gave me some good words of wisdom last March when I had my MM crushed from both ends ....thank you again--so I must do the same-

Although it's a hard fact to accept--( our MM damaged) we must
continue forth , heads up with thanks for the end results ..in your case..you still being ok and the others too ( for now)..and the car --it sounds (w/o pics to tell) that it is repairable--this is your BEST chance to make those BIG changes --as I did--TAF knows them well--keep us posted and we are with you in everyway thru out your endeavors to get you MM back in one form or another--.....
Ps..when it gets to you that it's not out there( garage, driveway, etc) anymore while being repaired , talk to us here to let it out and we'll keep you up .. keep us advised..Tom

[jgc61sr2002]

Originally posted by Paul T. Casey
Another thought, I'm not too sure we have side airbgs, I'll check. Paul - The side impact bags are standard equipment. The deploy from the front bucket seats on the upper outboard side.

[RoyLPita]

4th Horseman;
Sorry to hear about your loss, but I am glad to also hear to you emerged unscathed.

[2003_MM_FYRE49]

MAD-3R and rct, you guys are correct, without a passenger in the right front seat the air bag won't deploy. The puter is programmed to do that.

Tim

[MI2QWK4U]

My heartfelt condolences.....I am glad to hear you are ok. I have seen a lot of accidents, and 40mph is fast and will generate a lot of force.

It seems this kind of sad thread is becoming more common... It is nice to see this car taking care of us when the worst happens.

[Bigdogjim]

My thoughts and prayers are with you.

May it work out in your favor.

God Bless!

[SheboyganGuy]

Sorry for your accident, 4th... Glad to hear you are OK, and that the other people were not seriously injured.

One of the reasons I bought the MM was to be able to wrap myself around a LOT of cold American (well, maybe part Canadian) steel..... I am glad you were well protected!

Keep us posted on the prognosis!!

[RCSignals]

Damn Fourth! Glad you "walked away" OK, so to say.
I remember back before you got your Marauder, when you were waiting for the first ones to come in, along with a few others now here, posting on BON.

If they do total it, you should be able to get a new replacement! It's only fair since it's so new.

[frdwrnch]

My condolences as well 4th. Fight for your right to replacement! The air bag system has a R.F. seat occupancy sensor, a decellerometer, and a side impact sensor on each side of the body near the frame rail, as well as input from the seat position sensor from the driver memory seat. All of these factors dictate the parameters of airbag deployment. I'm glad your injuries were minor and did not require system deployment which actually could have increased your potential for injury. These cars have a 5-star safety rating for a reason. I'm very pleased knowing our members that have unfortunately endured such incidents have been relatively unscathed.

[Spider0101]

A car can always be replaced, your still here, enough said.


_________________

300A 08/02 Stock
5/31/03

[drobin]

Fourth, was a real bummer, but glad to hear your OK. Man, you were lucky and I hope everything works in your favor and your MM can be repaired like new. We all need to be careful as possible since our cars seem to attract all kinds of attention! Take care and hope your doing well.

Donald

[JamesHecker]

I was shocked to see your post. I'm so glad your OK! Hope you come out OK in the insurance repair/replacement/total situation.

Good luck!

[JLHARVEY1]

Sorry to hear about your Marauder.... Since you bought it at Greg Krueger, you should be able to get the $2500 they give you if your car gets totalled or stolen. They made that offer to me and I think it only cost a hundred or two hundred bucks. I figured with the way other people drive in Utah, it would be worth it. If they do total it, do you think you'll get another??? If you didn't, I'd have to be the solo Marauder in Utah :(

[Fourth Horseman]

Hey all, again let me say 'thanks' for everybody's support. I appreciate it more than you all know.

After having a day to sit around and think about it objectively I think that the car is salvagable. I took my half brother, who is a mechanic and does a lot of body work, to see the car and he thinks they probably won't total it.

I've posted some photos of the damage. Modem users beware, these pics are about 300 - 400 K each.

http://www.collateral-damage.org/temp/crunch1.jpg

http://www.collateral-damage.org/temp/crunch2.jpg

http://www.collateral-damage.org/temp/crunch3.jpg

http://www.collateral-damage.org/temp/crunch4.jpg

As you can see, both doors and the front fender are probably write-offs. The B-pillar has been pushed way in. However, the positive thing is that the roof appears to be in good shape as does the A pillar. It doesn't look like the hit was hard enough to bend the frame. Note that even as damaged as the doors are, the glass in the windows didn't break. Also, as you can see the front-right suspension broke, but that's not surprising considering the force of the impact and the aluminium components.

My initial reaction may have been an over-reaction, which is, I guess, understandable when you get your baby crunched. As fast as the other car was going and as violent as the impact was (my car slid about 4 to 5 feet sideways from the force of the impact) I'm really suprised the damage isn't worse than it was. I think this car is fixable. I'm hoping so, I want her back.

Any of you with experience repairing body damage please feel free to point out things you see in the pics. Thanks again for all your support, folks!

[RF Overlord]

Oh MAN, Fourth, those pix are a crying shame...

...BUT... I was expecting a LOT more damage for a 40 mph T-Bone...other than the broken front suspension, it's not as massive as I pictured in my mind...I hope it CAN be fixed for you...

P.S. Let's see a ( insert favourite ricer here) take that kind of punishment and not be totalled...

[jgc61sr2002]

Forth - Your discription sounded a like it was totaled. Your MM took a good shot but looks like it can be repaired. A testament to the strength of the panther platform.

[SheboyganGuy]

I will have to say that I am impressed that it took that hard a hit, and most of the car still looks OK. I think she is salvageable!!

Good luck 4th!

[Marauder57]

4th all things considered...it is not as bad as it could be....I am glad you are OK....at least here is the bright side....I had a Cougar XR7 1988 bought used.....after Hurricane Andrew got done with it....looked terrible....BUT after all the great body work and Fantastic New paintjob....it looked better than when I bought it and maybe than when it was new.....

[TripleTransAm]

Just had a look at the pics...

Now, if this car had been sitting at one dealer I approached about buying a Marauder last March, he probably would have told you all it'd need would be a good buff job and it'd all come out. (of course, I'm exaggerating...)

If you'd used some Zaino, that Civic would have surely just bounced off the finish with no damage to yours... ;)

Seriously, though... I *think* I've seen worse damage repaired to complete satisfaction, and we're talking "on the up-and-up" not some under-the-table salvage deal. If they decide to fix it, my gut feeling is that you'll be happy with the outcome. All I can suggest to you is to choose your body shop wisely... it WILL be a big job, but make sure it gets done right and by the right folks.

Good luck!

[FLA RAUD FAN]

Ouch,
Sorry to hear of your accident,Good luck with the repair/replacement!!!
JP

[JamesHecker]

I hope this is not taken the wrong way, because I really am sorry this happened to you and I'm glad your OK, but looking at those pictures made me feel very good about the car! It is very comforting to see those pictures and think that if my wife or child had been sitting there, they would probably be uninjured.

Quite impressive.

And once again, glad your OK and I hope your car is fixed completely and quickly.

[RAUDER]

4th
I know the feeling man...check you PM

[Fourth Horseman]

Yes, I agree completely. The car took a hell of a hit, but really did its job admirably. The fact that it was a little car that hit me probably also helped.

I should find out how the insurance company wants to play it early next week. I'll keep everybody posted.

[Jeff]

Man, oh, Man!! That hurts me to see those pictures! :depress:
Glad your O.K. :)

But see, boys and girls, it is important to keep a good shine on it
just in case your ever in a wreck! :up:

[gonzo50]

Just looked at the pictures and I must say that these Marauders can absorb some punishment. :depress: Glad to hear that you're doing well.
I noticed the top of the doors are gapped and if you dont want any water damage to your interior, please have some type of covering to protect it. :(
Hope all goes well in the recovering phase of the both of yous. ;)

[JGaignat]

Fourth,
So sorry about the accident. It made me sick to see the pictures. I'm glad you're ok. As someone said earlier.....you can replace a car. You can't replace a life. I called my 10 year old over to look at the pictures. I said "son, this is why I drive big vehicles."

Best of luck with the insurance and repair or replacement. I hope you're back on the road again soon.....and again......glad you're ok.

John

[bnvus]

4th...

GLAD TO HEAR YOU ARE OKAY!!

Looking at the pics I can tell you from experience that they it won't be totaled. Look at about 6-8K to repair her. Don't be surprised if she sees a little time on the frame machine. I have pulled out more mangled steel looking worse than that.

Words of advice though as I have been in the biz for about 10 years. Work CLOSELY with the body shop who does the repairs. Ensure you ask for OEM parts up front with the insurance company and ask for the parts listing after it is all said and done. Make it known in the begining that you want the parts listing. This keeps everyone honest and lets the shop manager know that you have a keen interest in the repairs. I even have owners stop in during the repairs to check on progress. Though, they are not allowed in the shop, I have made exceptions to some of the overly nice folks.

Last, if you don't like the estimate you can get your own from a more reputable shop versus the one the insurance company recommends. Some cash might have to come out of your pocket but most of the time, we, the body shop will haggle with the insurance company. They are a real PITA but that is where we earn our real money!

Good Luck,

DJ

[cyled]

Glad to hear you okay and the others where not serious.

I hate you had to go through this to make me feel that much better about why I drive a big rwd American car. Just helps to show you don't have to go over seas to get safety. I can see why they get their 5 star ratings.

It will be interesting to track the car if they do decide to total it. I am sure there will be a premium for her pieces which is hard to think about. While it is a car, we all get very a customed to our cars and know every squeak, rattle, and sweet sound. It will suck to watch her be pieced out (unless you can do it and get the cash :-) )

[MMpridenjoy]

You are OK...that is all that matters...hope they total it for you!

[Fourth Horseman]

Originally posted by bnvus
Words of advice though as I have been in the biz for about 10 years. Work CLOSELY with the body shop who does the repairs. Ensure you ask for OEM parts up front with the insurance company and ask for the parts listing after it is all said and done. Make it known in the begining that you want the parts listing. This keeps everyone honest and lets the shop manager know that you have a keen interest in the repairs. I even have owners stop in during the repairs to check on progress. Though, they are not allowed in the shop, I have made exceptions to some of the overly nice folks.

Thanks for the advice. I will do exactly as you recommend. :up:

[MMManic]

Hey Fourth-

Been away all weekend and just caught this thread and the pics. I literally had to grab the kleenex- it's just gut-wrenching. Sure glad you're ok and I know how much it hurts w/o going through it. Your reaction in handling this admirable and encouraging for I have a feeling my time is coming. I've had more close calls with this car at 1300 miles than any other car in 30 years of driving. I pray your insurance co. is good to you. Best wishes!

Bill

[prchrman]

Fourth...just saw the thread...thank God you are ok...I saw marauderman's car that had been smashed and redone...It was sitting in the middle of 5 other MMs and I could not tell the difference in anyway with the others (except his was a lot cleaner than mine)...hope yours turns out as well...I have had a few fender benders myself and if you walk away that is what counts...cars is cars...people is people and they are the most important thing...willie

[tomd]

Best advice I can give you is start looking for a GOOD body shop today if you don't know of one. Ask friends, co-worker... I wish I would of done that!

[MMM2003]

Fourth,

I was gone for (4) days last week. Just found your thread. My condolences to the loss of your MM. Luckily it was just the car!
Hope the people from the other car will be alright and have good insurance!
Keep us up-to-date on how things develop. Do you know yet, if they will repair or total and replace the MM? Sorry I didn't read the whole thread, if you mentioned this before.

Good luck buddy!

Peter aka MMM2003

[Dr Caleb]

Hey Fourth,

Those pics are encouraging. I feel much safer in my car than I did before. Good to know that no one was seriously hurt ethier.

But look on the bright side - at least you'll get that popping sound in your suspension fixed!
:lol:

[bchapman]

Originally posted by Jeff
Man, oh, Man!! That hurts me to see those pictures! :depress:
Glad your O.K. :)

But see, boys and girls, it is important to keep a good shine on it
just in case your ever in a wreck!

And don't forget the clean underwear, too [not that they would be that way AFTER the accident!]

But seriously, Fourth, my sympathies and condolences on the damage to your beautiful car. It must have been quite a shock to you. I'm glad you weren't injured and I'm sure that the car will be made right again. At least you were in the right car, even if it was at the wrong place and the wrong time.