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 Post subject: First Accident
PostPosted: January 26, 2016, 3:45 pm 
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Joined: July 4, 2006, 5:40 pm
Posts: 1994
Location: Novato, CA
Nothing major, just dinged up the nose. My fault, really. I was behind a Beemer and we were both turning right at a busy intersection. A break in traffic came along and the Beemer started into the intersection. I double-checked traffic on the left to make sure I also had room, then started into the intersection myself just as the Beemer decided he didn't have enough room and hit the brakes. I did too, but came up about a foot short.

I thought about getting a new nose from Jack, but it actually doesn't look that hard to fix, just a little epoxy and Bondo. Matching the paint will be easy, it's just Rustoleum, and I think I'll use the $50 roller paint application method to keep the job simple. Frustrating, though, and it'll probably end up costing me about $1200 over the next couple of years in increased insurance premiums. Damage to the Beemer involved a little paint transfer from the Locost, which would no doubt buff out but they'll probably decide they need to replace the bumper.
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 Post subject: Re: First Accident
PostPosted: January 26, 2016, 3:49 pm 
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Joined: July 17, 2008, 9:11 am
Posts: 6414
Location: West Chicago,IL
Bummer Nick. Everyone OK? That's the important part. Everything else is just metal and plastic. That can be repaired more easily.

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 Post subject: Re: First Accident
PostPosted: January 26, 2016, 4:34 pm 
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Joined: July 4, 2006, 5:40 pm
Posts: 1994
Location: Novato, CA
Thanks, Chuck. It was just a little bump. We do a lot worse down at our local indoor go-kart track.


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 Post subject: Re: First Accident
PostPosted: January 26, 2016, 5:07 pm 
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Joined: August 19, 2014, 5:17 pm
Posts: 685
Location: England
Good to hear your ok Nick.

Bob

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 Post subject: Re: First Accident
PostPosted: January 26, 2016, 11:34 pm 
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Joined: June 8, 2010, 8:02 pm
Posts: 621
Location: White Rock, BC, Canada
Arg! Sorry to hear. Fibreglass makes such an ugly noise when it crunches. Hope you get it sorted quickly/easily/cheaply.

Cheers.

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 Post subject: Re: First Accident
PostPosted: January 27, 2016, 12:00 am 
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Joined: July 17, 2015, 1:56 am
Posts: 156
Location: Morrisville, PA
Nick,

Glad you are alright and no one was hurt.

I see no reason why your premiums will go up do to a little bumper to nose cone contact.

A little resin and fiber cloth, a bit of thin coat bondo and you shouldn't see a thing.

Best of luck on the repairs

:cheers:

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 Post subject: Re: First Accident
PostPosted: January 27, 2016, 2:03 am 
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Joined: July 29, 2006, 9:10 pm
Posts: 3160
Location: Oregon, usually
Well dang. If you're anticipating an insurance rate increase, I'm guessing it's because it was All Your Fault and You Hit a Classic German Automobile. I'm sorry the guy wasn't willing to accept an apology and a cash payment for his trouble.

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 Post subject: Re: First Accident
PostPosted: January 27, 2016, 11:18 am 
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Joined: August 27, 2005, 1:04 am
Posts: 1414
Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada
Well that's pretty crappy, glad you're ok though. It shouldn't be too hard to fix your nose with a bit of work. I did worse to mine backing it off a trailer one time and was pretty disappointed with myself, but found that fiberglass is decently easy to repair. To bad the other guy wants to go through insurance and increase your rates.
Kristian

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 Post subject: Re: First Accident
PostPosted: January 27, 2016, 12:11 pm 
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Joined: December 17, 2010, 1:24 pm
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Location: Gainesville, Mo.
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I'm sorry the guy wasn't willing to accept an apology and a cash payment for his trouble.


Not likely. California isn't known as "The Land of Litigation" for nothing! :boxing:

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 Post subject: Re: First Accident
PostPosted: January 27, 2016, 4:32 pm 
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Joined: July 4, 2006, 5:40 pm
Posts: 1994
Location: Novato, CA
I appreciate the support. I'll try the repairs this weekend and post my progress. I've had a fair amount of experience with fiberglass, most of it bad. Fiberglass does not like me.

The other driver, besides being fantastically unable to judge speed and distance when merging, was kind of a jerk.


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 Post subject: Re: First Accident
PostPosted: January 28, 2016, 11:24 pm 
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Joined: December 4, 2011, 6:19 pm
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Nick, I'm glad that you're okay and that your car is repairable.

How is your nose held onto the frame? No damage to the hold-ons? Meaning that the fiberglass absorbed all of the impact?

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 Post subject: Re: First Accident
PostPosted: January 29, 2016, 1:27 am 
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Joined: July 4, 2006, 5:40 pm
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Location: Novato, CA
The only other damage was on the left side of the nose where it flexed enough to contact the LB tube, chipping the paint there.

Kinetic noses are really strong. In any impact you wonder which components absorbed the energy. In this case it appears the nose transferred the impact to the Dzus fasteners in shear and the frame did the rest. It may have helped that I have the world's strongest Dzus mounts--1/8" steel.
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 Post subject: Re: First Accident
PostPosted: January 29, 2016, 2:44 am 
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Joined: June 25, 2013, 7:42 am
Posts: 91
That is a bummer. I feel you on the ins... I smashed the crap out of a mini cooper with a 7000 pound 3/4 tun truck last winter I dont ever know if my premiums go down.


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 Post subject: Re: First Accident
PostPosted: January 29, 2016, 10:36 am 
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Joined: October 24, 2008, 2:13 pm
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Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
I'm sorry to hear about your experience, Nick. Hopefully, it won't turn into an on-going one with increased premiums, etc.

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

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 Post subject: Re: First Accident
PostPosted: January 30, 2016, 11:28 am 
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Joined: February 20, 2006, 11:18 am
Posts: 3186
Location: Lexington, KY
I'm glad everyone is OK.

I'm curious about the design of your upper a-arms. Why do they have bends near the ball joint?

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