just crashed my car

[JonMR2V1]

hit black ice going over a two lane highway overpass. went head on into the oncoming lane's guard rail, then bounced back into the other one. no other cars involved. going about 40 when it happened.

forgot to put my seatbelt on after getting gas. i hit my head on the driver's window and my chest on the steering wheel but neither really hurt.

luckily i still have my other MR2 to drive until this one is fixed, even though this one still drives perfectly fine. damage seems to be mostly cosmetic but i don't know for sure because i can't get my hood open. i'm hoping the strut tower isn't ****ed up.

http://www.carpron.com/multisite/d/111799-1/MVC-047F.JPG

http://www.carpron.com/multisite/d/111801-1/MVC-048F.JPG

http://www.carpron.com/multisite/d/111803-1/MVC-049F.JPG

http://www.carpron.com/multisite/d/111805-1/MVC-050F.JPG

[ltilaser]

This is where awd would have helped.

[batwings]

Glad to see you are ok, cars can be replaced.

Jim

[Whytetygerwolf]

mannnn that blows. if u sell it let me know my friends lookin for mr2;s

[bunny]

Shows how much a seat belt does in fact help. At 40 mph you could have ended up A LOT worse. Glad you're ok.

[RadarRick]

Ffffffffffff.....ck man :( Glad your ok though. Like ottowatt said, cars can be fixed, but yourself........ :shock:
RR

[Arashi666]

I've heard the SW20s were pretty unstable on "less than ideal" road surfaces, as it is (aparantly they fixed those problems in the ZZW30s), sux man, shame to see such a pretty car in that shape........... atleast youre still here and in 1 piece right

[JonMR2V1]

thanks for the support guys. i think what i am going to do is take it to a couple body shops to see how extensive the damage is. if it's all cosmetic i will try to find used parts and get them painted, then install myself.

[Arashi666]

thanks for the support guys. i think what i am going to do is take it to a couple body shops to see how extensive the damage is. if it's all cosmetic i will try to find used parts and get them painted, then install myself.

Looks like it, all I see is a new set of headlights, new set of bumper lamps, maybe a new hood (you could also hammer it down), really youre lucky that all the REAL important stuff is in the back

[Whytetygerwolf]

nah that hood looks like its toast. tkae a lotta work to hammer it out straight.

[jerry540i]

This is where awd would have helped.

Not a chance. 4wd doesn't do a thing on black ice. I see more 4wd SUV's flipped upside down in ditches during winter storms than anything else. Seems that 4wd gives too many drivers a false sense of security

Traction is all about the rubber your car is wearing. Put on a good set of (4, never 2) winter sneakers and you have a fighting chance. Think about it, 4wd on ice with lousy all-season tires just means you have power going to all wheels that don't have any traction.

J.

[Arashi666]

nah that hood looks like its toast. tkae a lotta work to hammer it out straight.

and upon closer examination......... I agree, new hood, check............. and again, looking at the damage to that hood makes me think that the strut bar probably would've snapped, theyre pretty resilient, but put enough stress on um and its toast........... BUT... it might still be in tact, since I see no real damage to the suspension at all

[JonMR2V1]

besides the damage you can see, the unibody is going to have to be pulled out and squared and the radiator support will have to be either fixed or replaced.

i went to a couple body shops and they quoted me roughly $4-5k...but that is with new parts.

i already found a used hood and headlight assembly for about $200. that stuff brand new is almost $1k alone. if i can get a front bumper and fender, it will knock off another few hundred.

[Suf Daddy]

They look cool and go fast, but.......
http://www.quattro123.com/mr2back.jpg
flip easy too.

-Suf Daddy

[ltilaser]

Not a chance. 4wd doesn't do a thing on black ice. I see more 4wd SUV's flipped upside down in ditches during winter storms than anything else. Seems that 4wd gives too many drivers a false sense of security

Traction is all about the rubber your car is wearing. Put on a good set of (4, never 2) winter sneakers and you have a fighting chance. Think about it, 4wd on ice with lousy all-season tires just means you have power going to all wheels that don't have any traction.
AWD will not give you absolute controll on ice. Ice is still dangerous even if you have awd. AWD also does not subsitute for a good set of tires or safe driving. But, AWD, EBD, vehicle dynamics controll, traction controll, and antilock can make it much safer in low traction driving conditions.

You get much more than two more wheels of traction with a modern AWD system. Modern awd systems can help controll your vehicle by transfering power to the wheels with the most traction. Many systems will have electronics which will transfer power to the peoper wheels in order to gain stability. Combined, with traction controll and other systems, this can help prevent skids. A lot of modern systems can transfer power spcifcally to a wheel with active differentials. Perfomance systems may also help stop understeer or oversteer.

This may make people over confident but it will help stabilize you car on ice better than a 4wd or 2wd vehicle. Before all your wheels loose traction by hitting ice, the awd system can transfer power to the proper wheels so you enter the skid in a more stable contiton and do not loose as much controll. On the ice you still may get a tiny bits of traction. The awd and your other systems in the car can help use this traction to stabilize your car and to help keep it stabile while decelerating. If you only run into pockets of ice awd can help transfer power to the wheels with more traction and maintian controll.

A lot of people do filp suvs because of overconfidence. But, you do have to consider that a lot of suvs are 2wd or 4wd, not awd. Also, most suvs have a high center of gravity compared to cars. A subaru or audi sedan can be much better in most icing condition then a 4x4 suburban.

If you want to see awd v 2wd:http://youtube.com/watch?v=oEEzF-Ns4iw


Also, mr2s are known to spin when they are on the edge of their traction.http://youtube.com/watch?v=zauAXMpSBGc

[AirMoore]

Ltilaser, where do you live (I am J/W)?

[SmaartAasSaabr]

AWD will not give you absolute controll on ice. Ice is still dangerous even if you have awd. AWD also does not subsitute for a good set of tires or safe driving. But, AWD, EBD, vehicle dynamics controll, traction controll, and antilock can make it much safer in low traction driving conditions.

You get much more than two more wheels of traction with a modern AWD system. Modern awd systems can help controll your vehicle by transfering power to the wheels with the most traction. Many systems will have electronics which will transfer power to the peoper wheels in order to gain stability. Combined, with traction controll and other systems, this can help prevent skids. A lot of modern systems can transfer power spcifcally to a wheel with active differentials. Perfomance systems may also help stop understeer or oversteer.

This may make people over confident but it will help stabilize you car on ice better than a 4wd or 2wd vehicle. Before all your wheels loose traction by hitting ice, the awd system can transfer power to the proper wheels so you enter the skid in a more stable contiton and do not loose as much controll. On the ice you still may get a tiny bits of traction. The awd and your other systems in the car can help use this traction to stabilize your car and to help keep it stabile while decelerating. If you only run into pockets of ice awd can help transfer power to the wheels with more traction and maintian controll.

A lot of people do filp suvs because of overconfidence. But, you do have to consider that a lot of suvs are 2wd or 4wd, not awd. Also, most suvs have a high center of gravity compared to cars. A subaru or audi sedan can be much better in most icing condition then a 4x4 suburban.


The big thing is that you have four wheel drive, sure, but every car has four wheel brakes :P

On black ice you don't need to accelerate :roll:

[ltilaser]

The big thing is that you have four wheel drive, sure, but every car has four wheel brakes :P

On black ice you don't need to accelerate :roll: That is true, but awd can help before you hit the breaks or let off on the accelerator and on sudden pockets of ice. Also, it can help you recover once you are off the ice or have enough traction. Also, some drivers know how to recover from skids with the aid of throttle.

[SmaartAasSaabr]

Some skids need throttle some don't. :wink:

Sure the engine braking effect with AWD would be less severe since the torques are split...

[duck]

As long as you have to get a new hood and such, what about replacing with a carbon or fiberglass version to cut down on radar reflectiveness? Maybe a blessing in disguise? Always a silver lining somewhere....

[raresvx]

no seatbelt :roll:

Im glad your ok buckle up. Whats black ice?

[ELVATO]

no seatbelt :roll:

Im glad your ok buckle up. Whats black ice?

I dont live up North, but I think its this patch of ice that's on the road. They are real difficult to spot, and are slippery as hell.

[JonMR2V1]

As long as you have to get a new hood and such, what about replacing with a carbon or fiberglass version to cut down on radar reflectiveness? Maybe a blessing in disguise? Always a silver lining somewhere....

i would have but a good CF hood would have been around 500 at least and i'm trying to save money by buying used parts.

i did get a front lip though :D

[JonMR2V1]

[quote="raresvx"]no seatbelt :roll:

[quote]

i don't appreciate you making comments like that. i used to wear it all of the time until i started delivering pizzas. then i was in and out of my car so much i would forget to wear it half the time.

but this accident fixed that.

[proudNMAmember]

Jon, I was involved in a car accident recently too so I know how you feel. It sucks, when you don't have a car and have to go out car shopping for another. :(

[JonMR2V1]

so i have more bad news. i have been driving this car since the accident since mechanically it was fine.

but then the day after thanksgiving, a line going to my oil cooler blew while i was on the highway and my motor caught on fire. i was able to pull over and shut the motor down quick enough so it didn't really spread but now i can't drive the car at all and now will have to have motor work done on top of the body work.




Jon, I was involved in a car accident recently too so I know how you feel. It sucks, when you don't have a car and have to go out car shopping for another. :(

well luckily for me i still have my other MR2 to drive. i had been trying to sell it but that will be put on hold until the turbo is back up and running again.

[Arashi666]

so i have more bad news. i have been driving this car since the accident since mechanically it was fine.

but then the day after thanksgiving, a line going to my oil cooler blew while i was on the highway and my motor caught on fire. i was able to pull over and shut the motor down quick enough so it didn't really spread but now i can't drive the car at all and now will have to have motor work done on top of the body work.




Jon, I was involved in a car accident recently too so I know how you feel. It sucks, when you don't have a car and have to go out car shopping for another. :(

well luckily for me i still have my other MR2 to drive. i had been trying to sell it but that will be put on hold until the turbo is back up and running again.


ouch, thats why I never assume anything when it comes to the mechanical operation of my car, only reason I drove off with it in my last accident was because I had to otherwise the cops wouldve done something had they found it there (Cracked radiator, stop and go every half mile or so).......... and the time before that because I was rear-ended, FF nothing back there

not sure about the MR2s but the Radiator and all the intercooler parts are up front right

[JonMR2V1]

just the radiator. intercooler is a sidemount and gets flow from the rear vent on the right side of the body. then the air intake is on the other side.