Wow! 2010 has SUCKED for the Fiero world so far! This morning my pride and joy was totalled by a nitwit who didn't have a clue what he was doing . I was behind this clown on a highway off ramp and the end of the ramp became the inside southbound lane of a divided 4 lane. This joker (in a brand new F-150 company truck), gets over into the right lane as soon as he could and it looked like he was going to turn right into a business drive.........but.......NOOOOOOOO!

Instead the J#$K @#S pulls a U-turn right in front of me. I locked my brakes but as he came over he climbed my right front and proceeded to drive me up onto a raised curb. Needless to say the Fiero didn't survive . He slid down my side, crushing in the bulkhead at the door jamb (front), and wedged the door back into the back pillar. The roof popped up, but thank GOD the t-top stayed in even though the back end was hanging out in free air.....whew! Now my front wheels are pointed in slightly opposite directions making for a strange driving experience limping it home. Also, there was a sign post base sticking up from the curb which did a number on the radiator support and front crossmember.......All in all......totalled.

I will say this though.........the Fiero space frame is nothing less than AMAZING!! My car limped 35 miles home....the "built FORD tough" F-150 crawled onto a flatbed to go to it's final resting place ! All I have to show for it is a sore, stiff back and a scratch on my left arm.....simply amazing! Now for the grizzly aftermath:

[This message has been edited by timcha (edited 04-01-2010).]

Ah man!!! That sux sooo bad! I am so so sorry for your loss. That was a beautiful car! :-( I have Stupid Drivers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

holy crap dude, I'm so sorry. At least you are ok. You still have a good drivetrain and probably some salvageable T top parts to start your next build with though!

They cant win, come back with a new and better car than ever!

Glad your ok man, I hate drivers that don't know how to drive(kinda sounds like a contradiction lol)

As for your fiero, that sucks man...

I'm already working on it! I'm trying to get hold of the guy in Florida with the Formula......want it bad! You're right about the t-tops, the pillar is bent, but the top frame and glass is ok, and I hadn't put in (thank GOD) my new CJB gaskets yet....I had been procrastinating..........YEAH!! Haven't heard from the adjuster yet, but I have no doubt it will be totalled. The only hitch is that I have the same insurance company as the other guy...progressive. I have full coverage on mine, but I figure I'm gonna get raped on the deal.

I'm sorry.

Actually I'm not sure this is totalled.

Yes, it'll be expensive to fix, but it's fixable.

If you go by the insurance claim, then yes, ANYTHING OVER $200 is considered TOTALLED. These days, that's as little as a broken window, or a fender bender.
See what it would cost to save this car first.. I hope you can save it, and another Fiero hasn't just died.

The really aggrivating thing is that I was just about to drop a 3800SC into her. I already have the engine, a 4t65e hd tranny, and the wiring harness/pcm. Also just ordered new mounts from purple reign........ I was looking for a cradle when it happened.

Thank God and the Fiero spaceframe you are OK...If you didn't post the pictures I would have thought April fools joke but then no true Fiero owner would ever make a joke about a Fiero dying You still have time to get another one and have it ready for the Ruckus

Damn dude, that was a nice car.

A moment of silence for a fallen Fiero.

Don't worry, It will buff right out. Sorry about your car dude

That sucks. Sounds like you are going to have some money to look for a new T-Top?

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Paul

My IMSA Build: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/789315
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Things just get better and better. Just got off the phone with the adjuster, and it appears the other drivers (company) insurance pollicy had lapsed......maybe. I called their office and they confirmed there may be a problem......
I'm supposed to call the adjuster back this afternoon before I go to work...........with a trashed car........expecting severe storms......
did I mention ?

wow, considering it is a company car that hit you they are on the hook. I would be looking for something. They should make it right or I would be looking at some sort of a lawsuit. It is much worse for a company with company cars to let insurance lapse than some bozo with his personal car.

quote Originally posted by R Runner: That sucks. Sounds like you are going to have some money to look for a new T-Top?

Hopefully, they will have coverage, but if not I do have full coverage on all mine. If (yeah right) they total it, I will try to buy it back so that the tops and everything else salvageable can be saved. I've got pretty much pristine interior parts for it, along with having just installed power locks and mirrors. The engine and tranny are ok and aside from the damaged bulkhead, it is very rebuildable. I think at this point though I would really rather park it and find and 88 to start over with..........hopefully......

[This message has been edited by timcha (edited 04-01-2010).]

quote Originally posted by thedrue: wow, considering it is a company car that hit you they are on the hook. I would be looking for something. They should make it right or I would be looking at some sort of a lawsuit. It is much worse for a company with company cars to let insurance lapse than some bozo with his personal car.

I agree. If they don't have insurance I hate to say this, but I would SUE their ass off. I would want to own half the company by the time I was done.

On a lighter note, do you have uninsured motorist coverage?


BTW- There is no way you should be driving that car. Does your car insurance have rental coverage? If not and the other person policy has lapsed. You should call their company up and demand they put you in a rental car until they settle up with you.

[This message has been edited by DeLorean00 (edited 04-01-2010).]

April fool's???

Perhaps I can offer some suggestions, I have a Progressive insurance lisence. Sorry for you (and our) terrible loss.

Kevin

[This message has been edited by kevin (edited 04-01-2010).]

OUCH!!!

Tim, sorry for you loss. Don't let that t-top out of sight though!

\/\/

Sorry about you car but I'm glad you're OK!

Thanks for the support guys. I just got off the phone with the adj. again, and it looks like this is going to be a battle......he stated that they are probably going to have to obtain telephone records from the other party to determine whether their payment was placed just before................or after the accident. My agent is telling me to file another claim against my policy, but I don't have rental on mine.
I called the company owner and they stated that they will "take care of me" no matter what. But the company is an LLC and I would bet they already have a bankruptcy lawyer on the other line. I'm so screwed!

Thankfully there is no school tommorow, so I guess I'm gonna drive the wifes car tonight since the kiddo will be a sleepin in.

[This message has been edited by timcha (edited 04-01-2010).]

Tim, get on eBay right now and start saving all the Fiero auctions. Print out the winning bids so you can show real world estimates of what a car like yours is worth! Good luck. I hate it for you. Trust me, I know what you're going through. Same thing happened to me two years ago. It was my 16 year old, uninsured, unlicensed son against a tree. Total loss from my pocket. There is lots of money and resurection in parts, though. Hang in there.

Jonathan

As for the value, maybe other T-Top owners on here have appraisals. Try the listing on Hemmings.com for a start. I don't have an appraisal but I am planning to get one done in the very near future for this very reason. I have much more invested in my car than the book value.

i would sue both the company, and the guy who was driving the company truck..

Man, glad you're OK!

There are just some people that just shouldn't be allowed to drive, especially after pulling a stupid stunt like that. Twice in the last 6 months I've been on I-465, a 50+ mile loop around Indianapolis, when someone from the far left lane has dived across a minimum of 3 lanes in heavy traffic to get to an off ramp that they were about to miss. Someone getting caught making these kinds of bone head maneuvers should loose there license for life.

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RickN
White 88GT 5spd (<10K miles)
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quote Originally posted by DeLorean00: I agree. If they don't have insurance I hate to say this, but I would SUE their ass off. I would want to own half the company by the time I was done. On a lighter note, do you have uninsured motorist coverage? BTW- There is no way you should be driving that car. Does your car insurance have rental coverage? If not and the other person policy has lapsed. You should call their company up and demand they put you in a rental car until they settle up with you.

In many states, including mine, uninsured motorist does NOT cover your car. It covers only medical. Ask me how I know.

Times like this should make those with very clean cars to check into to specified amount insurance. Other wise if something like this happens you will take a big hit if you have a lot invested.

Many collector car owner get burned by insurance companies becuause they go by book value even on a clean above normal car.

Protect your investment if you have a good car.

Wow man that sucks. I use to work for State Farm and have been through this before. Remember you dont have to accept there offer till YOUR happy with it. They might go by low nada value more then likely, you can come back with median nada value and 9 times out of 10 they'll take it just to get it over with. However my nada value on my mazda was what they thought to high and wanted to go by real world value, i agreed with them that i would accept real world value and brought in 3 local dealer prices that were over a grand more then they originally wanted to give me, made myself an easy grand lol. As for a rental tell progressive you want them to charge it against the at fault drivers account, thats what i did and the next day there was a new shiney pontiac g6 (crashed my mx6). Just a few things that might work for you.

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2.8se .40 bored over, Mecham Side Scoops, KYB Suspension

[This message has been edited by JLCustomizing (edited 04-01-2010).]

quote Originally posted by hyperv6: Times like this should make those with very clean cars to check into to specified amount insurance. Other wise if something like this happens you will take a big hit if you have a lot invested.

I agree 110%. The book value on any Fiero is nothing compared to what we have invested in them.

The insurance company will attempt to screw you unless you have an agreed value policy.

And any car unless it burns to a crisp can be repaired. It's just a question of whether or not the repairs are more than the value of the car. That's all totalled means. It doesn't mean the car can't be fixed. If you have a lot invested in your car it might be worth it, despite what the insurance company's guidelines. If any of my cars get wrecked, (again) I'm going to fix them no matter what.

Hoping this is just an intricate April Fools prank. If its not, and the T-top frame is prob still good, it's not hard to install the T-tops into a new frame.Get a copy of the T-top install manual. I've done it myself. Very simple. just measure twice, cut once, then sand a lot.

could archie "fix" the A piller with a top chop? And retain the T-tops? I have lots of spair doors and body peice's

Oh my, I am so sorry. I went though this about 5 years ago. big battle involving court.

let me know if you have ANY questions, i have been there before, and int he end i did get a new car.

here is my story:
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/A...060811-1-045525.html

again, so sorry

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Glad that you are ok and really that's all that matters. It sucks the car is toast but metal can be repaired or replaced, you can't.

I have no idea what to say about the insurance issues, everyones' case is different really. I do know that for most of us though the 'value' of the Fiero far exceeds the value as perceived by an insurance company and unless you've got the tools, location and skills to fix it yourself, for most of us it's just not worth while to save a car with too much frame damage. Just a matter of simple economics really, sad but true.

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Dave

www.ltlfrari.com

Oh my god that sucks! Sorry to hear.

please see a doctor if you havn't, i had a similar thing happen and i felt fine, kinda sore back...turns out i was in shock or w/e and i got sciatica in my right leg..acident was a year ago and i'm still in constant pain. do yourself a favor. better to be safe then sorry.

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Cliff's 610th Positive Feedback Giver.

#12 NYFOC Member.

You may want to find an appraiser to get a retroactive appraisal. They can look at the condition of the portions of the car that are undammaged by the collision and give an appraised value for you to present to your insurance company. I have 2 friends who did this after collisions and pocketed several thousand dollars more in claims than the insurance co. wanted to give originally. It might be worth the $100-200 it would cost you to get the appraisal.

If you don't use your fiero as a daily driver I strongly suggest contacting Grundy insurance for your car. 5k if wrecked and only $100 a year!

Well kids, its been four full days and still no decission from Progressive as to whether the company has insurance. On a happier note, I filed a second claim against my policy and the adjuster came to the house today. They did total it, and now I'm waiting for them to find comps to value it off of. I sure wanted that 88 Formula out of Florida , but I'm happy it found a good home! Oh well, I'm sure there will be others....

Glad to hear you're okay brother, that's some pretty fierce damage... as long as the damage is to the car and not yourself then you're already winning.

The beauty of the Fiero's design is that in an event like this, there's always someone who's got a spare frame they're wanting to part with - just the other day someone was posting about how they couldn't get rid of an '88 frame. Swap the drivetrain and what panels you can from the wreck to a frame for nix from someone, and you're laughing. Cripes, it almost sounds like a small job when said like that though

It's still in one piece so it's sure as heck an easier repair than my '84 would be if I ever got around to fixing it...