Bad news for me and my 73

[Pakrat]

Dude, so sorry for your loss, I'm painfully aware of how it feels also. Mine was totaled in October 2004. A fast and furious punk in his 91 Honda civic tried to run a red light doing 65 in a 30 and T-Boned the snot out of me, spun me 180* into an oncoming Ram, I had just finished 6 months of physical therapy for knee surgery too. My glasses broke on the steering wheel and my face was cut up pretty bad but I was on such an adrenaline rush that I just blew thru the pain and made the ambulence release me so I could ride with the tow truck, in retrospect it was a stupid thing to do becasue the next day I could not even get out of bed, my back was frozen solid. I'm glad you were smarter about it then was. I spent the next 6 months back in Physical Therapy. Fortunately even though it was declared totaled (doesn't seem it compared ot yours though) there is no salvage title in NH though and so after a long deliberation I chose to save my car, it was well insured and the kid didn't have a leg to stand on guilty wise. Here we are over a year and a half later and with a little luck I'll be back on the road for Fourth of July weekend. My car will be better than ever though it'll now me modified instead of all original but ther eare days when back feels as bad as it did that next day still, my activities are scaled way back and even changing spark plugs can leave me hunched for hours much less a long ride in a stock seat.

All of it is way better than playing a harp though! gOOD LUCK GOING FORWARD!

 

[StangDreamin']

Alarus, good luck in Court; hope your attorney's enthusiasm is right. Would suck to see the insult of a ticket added to the injuries from the accident.

FWIW, there's a 197??? (haven't seen enough of the nose to get down which year 71-73) coupe a couple blocks away from me (Yuma) that's been "for sale" for the past couple years. I don't really know its condition, other than the pass rear quarter, sail panel, taillight panel, an trunklid are folded up and in - probably the sub on that corner as well, although the axle seems square from a "drive-by" glance. From the looks of the photos, that corner is about all that's left of your Stang
I'll go pester the guy if you end up being interested. And, I'll keep my eyes open while driving around on-the-job. There are a ton of Mustangs in various condition down here.

My oldest brother (64 and an old Stang-nut from the first years) retired and moved down to Queen Valley about a year ago; said he was happy to get away from "the Valley" especially the traffic. Then he told me about driving up on what I surmise to be your accident (he sounded like he was in pain as he described your car) on a trip into Mesa. I'll have to pass along that it was a Stangnetter.

On the other hand, what a a** hole to speed up while your trying to pass him. I believe they teach you in Drivers Ed to slow down when somebody is trying to pass you?

It sucks, but what they teach in most DE classes these days wouldn't have gotten me a bicycle license back in the mid-to-late 70's. I guess I'm old-school; but a good old "Hamburger on the Highway" movie to make you puke up your lunch is a good starter so you can pay attention to the driving instruction later in the class.

Besides, my brother's place in Queen Valley is still too close to the lunatics in Phoenix Metro; which is why I live in Yuma! Many of the snowbirds down her drive like they want to end their retirement early; but at least they do it slowly enough that you can (usually) get out of the way.

 

['66 coupe]

Good luck in court.

Regarding the salvage value...after you take all the bits off it you'll be very lucky if someone doesn't charge you to haul it off. Let the wrecker take it for free and consider yourself ahead of the game.

Scrap metal is scrap metal. If a yard has their own truck, they'll pay and haul it. Prolly like $40...but that's better than nothing.

 

[Alarus]

well i really wasnt TRYING to pass them, i just got up becide them and then started to back off so i could squeez in behind him, then the jurk hit the gas and cut me off, he was like an inch away from my bumper...anyway, i sat in the car a few weeks ago and the way everything is pushed over it should have killed me, or at least took off my arm.
What im looking for is a 69-73 that dosnt need too much body work...rust repair is another story however, i can handle some of that.
but first i need to get myself a good DD, the s-10 im driving now has 150k miles on it and prob. ready to go. im thinking about buying a new car/truck.
R.L.

 

[Alarus]

Update: We got the pic from the accedent(the ones dps took) and i saw exactly what happened...the guy prety much t-boned me at an angle, when the guy in the other car cut me off i slamed on my breaks and went sideways and the DPS officer was convinced that i was racing up that hill...and after viewing the photos that he took theres no way that ill be able to get a settelment out of this, but i am hopeing for a lesser conviction.

Also a cupple weeks ago we got the goahead to destroy the car. (makes me cry every time i think about it) but right now i am takeing everything i can think of that might still be good off the car, viewing the pics of the car, should i save anything off the front suspention?

 

[Alarus]

Well I still havent went tocourt over all of this and im really starting to get pissed, i dont even remember what happened its been so long....but off the court crap, i did rip the engine out of the car the other day, would have had it done before but ive been working too much to try to get some money for a mach1, seen them going for 2-3k or just find a rolling chass. for 1k

 

[TheMetriX]

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['66 coupe]

I hate it when people (especially cops) think that, just because you drive a classic/musclecar, that you are always racing someone on the street. If these people weren't there to witness what actually happened, then they need to keep their GD mouths shut!

Seems to me that would be an assumption...if it was still 1980. You're looking at a '70's Mustang in 2006. Not exactly everyone's stereotypical idea of a hell raiser hotrod anymore. Maybe a foxbody.
Something just doesn't seem right here. I got into an accident in late July. Everything was sorted out immediately. The Trooper listened to me and my passenger, then the driver that plowed into us. She got two tickets, I walked. He didn't even need to call the witness that pulled over and gave me his number. I'm not pointing fingers. I'm just wondering, where were all the credible witnesses?
BTW, when I was dealing with the other driver's insurance about totalling my car, the adjuster told me that the officers opinion is only a 3rd party because he did not witness the accident. So that should have little bearing if everyone else's story matches yours.
So maybe it will work out.

 

[TheMetriX]

Yeah, I hope there's a decent judge involved in your court proceedings. One who listens to the witnesses, and not just taking the word of some "donut eating pig."

 

['66 coupe]

Makes me think that to become a "cop," you have to have an IQ less than 12.

One who listens to the witnesses, and not just taking the word of some "donut eating pig."

Who the hell are you? Rodney King? Do you have a good story of a PERSONAL encounter, or are you just another whiner that got too many well-deserved tickets?

 

[65ShelbyClone]

Ruh-roh Shaggy!

 

[TheMetriX]

You're a cop, aren't you?

I'll have you know, I've only received one ticket. The cops in my area are very dumb, and do some pretty shady things.

My point was, that if the cop didn't witness the incident, he/she shouldn't be making asumptions about what happened.

 

[68keyblr]

You're a cop, aren't you?

I'll have you know, I've only received one ticket. The cops in my area are very dumb, and do some pretty shady things.

My point was, that if the cop didn't witness the incident, he/she shouldn't be making asumptions about what happened.

When there's an accident, someone has to try and figure out what happened with few facts and conflicting eye witness accounts. It's not an easy job. They *have* to make assumptions because its their job.

Cops do a very dangerous and thankless job and are deserving of the benefit of the doubt, a little leeway, and a lot of respect. Even if there are less than spactacular examples wearing the badge in your area, don't let that color your opinion of *all* cops. I've know quite a few personally, and without exception they are all great people.

I had my run in with what I would consider a "bad apple" cop when I was a teenager, but I have gotten past it and realized that by far and away Cops are deserving of our respect.

So I guess the point of my speech is that I hope you can think twice before insulting Cops out of hand - I'm sure there's more than a few on this board that don't deserve the disrespect.

 

[TheMetriX]

No, I wasn't trying to "bad mouth" all cops. Yes, the good ones do deserve a lot of respect. However, would the officer who was at the scene after the accident have said the guy was racing, if he were driving a Mini Van? I don't think he would have...

Now, maybe the comment about the IQ was hitting below the belt, but people need to have a sense of humor about there occupation.

I still don't think they should be making too many assumptions. They should be relying on the facts, and not so many "gut feelings."

 

[mikemustang289]

I agree with TheMetriX. Anyone (including Judges) who has a general understanding of logic can't deny the fact that affirming an antecedent is faulty reasoning.

Just because someone owns a fast car or race car, does not mean they are always racing it. The cop would have had to witnessed you "racing" or speeding in order to have a good argument.

People make assumptions all the time that are entirely false just because their personal opinions affect their reasoning.

 

[Max Power]

Doesn't mean they were "always" racing it, but if it was your money, which way would you bet? Every see any minivans racing? LOL..sad, but you gotta play the numbers.

Maybe they do have a sense of humor about "there" (sic) occupation, but if I were accusing someone of having an IQ of under 12, I would probably make sure I used proper grammar to state it.

 

[TheMetriX]

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[gbarber]

Okay, I will say up front that I am a police officer. You know, one of those donut eating guys with an IQ less than 12.
I admit that officers make mistakes. In almost all cases, the officer does not witness the accident. It is not easy to show up on the scene of an accident, take multiple statements from involved parties or independant witnesses, keeping in mind that most parties involved don't want to admit any guilt, and then make a decision on who should be found at fault.
A decision needs to made based on witness statments and physical evidence found at the scene.
For example, mininmum speeds of a vehicle can determined by the length of skidmarks. Minimum speed = the square root of 30 X the drag factor of the pavement X the length of the skid in feet. That is the minimum speed the vehicle was traveling at the time the brakes were applied.
I'm not trying to say that the cause of every accident can be determined by scientific principles, but don't assume that officers show up, look at the types of cars involved, and make a decision based solely on that.
I don't know all of the factors in this accident. I am in no way capable of making a statement showing that the officer on the scene made a mistake, but I doubt that the Arizona Department of Public Safety gives their officers no training on accident investigation.
If Alarus was not at fault in this accident, I sincerely hope that the judicial system works in his favor.
I know that many people have had what they feel are bad experiences with law enforcement. It really stinks to get a ticket, but seriously, can you really make an educated statement that if they weren't there to "keep their GD mouth shut", or that they are a "donut eating pig"?

 

[Max Power]

I know the difference between there, their, and they're. It was a simple typo, and the use of grammer doesn't necessarily have much to do with IQ. These posts aren't academic publishings.



Note the use of the word "every" in your statement. We all make mistakes.

I'm not trying to start a fight, or a "flame war." I'm just saying the normal rules of grammer don't always apply to posts on a message board. The internet isn't bound by the rules of language in this case, though following the rules does help our message to be understood.

Yes, we all make mistakes, but only precious few are calling an entire group of people idiots. And use of "grammer" (sic) does have a little something to do with IQ. If you don't think it is relevent, that's your business. It will just look bad when questioning the intelligence of others.

 

[TheMetriX]

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