My maxima is totaled!! Pics inside.
09-29-2007, 10:15 AM
#81
i honestly dont know if the SFCs wouldve helped in this instance or not. i think that the welds wouldve broken due to the impact. i took better pictures today at the salvage yard and it looks worse. i looked on the pass side were the pole hit and there is no way the sfc wouldve helped. it looks like someone took a pair of pliers to the frame and squashed it. the muffler is broken right over the axle back part. my car was still in gear from when it was hit. it doesnt come out of gear. ill post up pics later. thanks again for all your support guys.
You'de be surprised.. I am not sure about the SFCs out right now.. in terms of what they are made of, but the 1.5in 120 wall dom tubing I used for my SFCs is REALLY strong stuff. Its the same tubing, almost same diameter, and wall thickness they use to make the main hoop of many roll cages. The car would still be FUBAR but not as much as without the SFCs.
09-29-2007, 10:33 AM
#84
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Well thats it guys, i cant thank you guys enough for all your support and kind words. Ive learned a lot about the forum and maxima's in the last 6 months. thanks to all of you for all your input and links. Im sure ill be back. Maybe around 09.
!
09-30-2007, 07:48 AM
#91
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yeah i was actually thinking about that last night. i kept looking at the pictures and thinking to myself that i shouldn't be here right now. its a weird feeling. i was sick to my stomach thinking about it. the police officer on site said that if i didn't swerve to the right for the split second that she would've hit my drivers door and basically pinning me in my car. thats the scariest thing ive ever heard. but im thankful that im still alive and a lot more thankful that i didn't have a passenger. i couldn't live with the kind of guilt.
09-30-2007, 08:54 AM
#93
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It's always amazing to me how big a difference spreading an impact out over a wide area can make. It looks like she hit you at just in front of the drivers door? or right behind the drivers front wheel?
Then you either spun or slid into a pole at with probably about the same momentum that she hit you. But instead of having the 5.5 or 6 feet frontal area of a car to spread out the impact you hit a pole that is round and the initial impact area is only about 1.5 inches and a total of maybe 12 to 14 inches of impact area...Yet the passenger side is completely and 100% demolished.
Man I love physics....
Glad you're ok...the TL-S is a good car.
Then you either spun or slid into a pole at with probably about the same momentum that she hit you. But instead of having the 5.5 or 6 feet frontal area of a car to spread out the impact you hit a pole that is round and the initial impact area is only about 1.5 inches and a total of maybe 12 to 14 inches of impact area...Yet the passenger side is completely and 100% demolished.
Man I love physics....
Glad you're ok...the TL-S is a good car.
09-30-2007, 08:06 PM
#101
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Orland Park, IL
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Damn, that sucks. I hate Chrysler's so much because one totaled your Max and one totaled my 93. We will repay them soon enough. Anyways, glad to see your OK. Nice choice on the TL-S, but you should also look at the new G35.
10-01-2007, 06:58 PM
#104
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: NY
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Glad to hear that your all right. Check out page 4 on my cardomain to see what my uncles Maxima looked like after his accident.
EDIT: Link:http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2259440/4
My uncle got hit in the "B" pillar ("T'ed" off) by a car going 35 mph. The "B" pillar was damaged, but nothing like yours.
EDIT: Link:http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2259440/4
My uncle got hit in the "B" pillar ("T'ed" off) by a car going 35 mph. The "B" pillar was damaged, but nothing like yours.
Last edited by spdfreak; 10-01-2007 at 07:13 PM.
10-01-2007, 11:10 PM
#107
sunroof was open? This is probably a kinda dumb question because I know how fast accidents happen, but how loud was the impact? I've been in two accidents, both way less severe than yours, and one thing that stood out in both mine was how loud it is upon impact.
10-02-2007, 12:17 PM
#109
Glad to know you got away safely from that crash.
What concerns me the most now is the construction of the maxima. From these pictures it is so obvious that had there been a passenger in the car there was a sure chance of someone getting injured.
After looking at these pics I went over to my 5th gen and actually saw the car from the side with both doors open. What surprises me is that the body structure of the car appears to be rather weak from the side which may have resulted in this. Imagine this car getting T-boned by say a Dodge or Ford truck. I would not even want to know the result.
This is one area where the Germans really have the concept of safety. I regularly get the BMW magazine and I've seen pictures of a 3 Series getting T boned and the damage is rather low compared to this. Understanding the fact that the 3 Series is a car two sizes smaller (Compact v/s Full size) than the maxima, I am now rather concerned with the overall safety in this car.
I dont mean to bash anyone with this statement above but rather am just thinking out loud since my wife drives our maxima more than myself.
What concerns me the most now is the construction of the maxima. From these pictures it is so obvious that had there been a passenger in the car there was a sure chance of someone getting injured.
After looking at these pics I went over to my 5th gen and actually saw the car from the side with both doors open. What surprises me is that the body structure of the car appears to be rather weak from the side which may have resulted in this. Imagine this car getting T-boned by say a Dodge or Ford truck. I would not even want to know the result.
This is one area where the Germans really have the concept of safety. I regularly get the BMW magazine and I've seen pictures of a 3 Series getting T boned and the damage is rather low compared to this. Understanding the fact that the 3 Series is a car two sizes smaller (Compact v/s Full size) than the maxima, I am now rather concerned with the overall safety in this car.
I dont mean to bash anyone with this statement above but rather am just thinking out loud since my wife drives our maxima more than myself.
10-03-2007, 02:08 PM
#112
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: NY
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Glad to know you got away safely from that crash.
What concerns me the most now is the construction of the maxima. From these pictures it is so obvious that had there been a passenger in the car there was a sure chance of someone getting injured.
After looking at these pics I went over to my 5th gen and actually saw the car from the side with both doors open. What surprises me is that the body structure of the car appears to be rather weak from the side which may have resulted in this. Imagine this car getting T-boned by say a Dodge or Ford truck. I would not even want to know the result.
This is one area where the Germans really have the concept of safety. I regularly get the BMW magazine and I've seen pictures of a 3 Series getting T boned and the damage is rather low compared to this. Understanding the fact that the 3 Series is a car two sizes smaller (Compact v/s Full size) than the maxima, I am now rather concerned with the overall safety in this car.
I dont mean to bash anyone with this statement above but rather am just thinking out loud since my wife drives our maxima more than myself.
What concerns me the most now is the construction of the maxima. From these pictures it is so obvious that had there been a passenger in the car there was a sure chance of someone getting injured.
After looking at these pics I went over to my 5th gen and actually saw the car from the side with both doors open. What surprises me is that the body structure of the car appears to be rather weak from the side which may have resulted in this. Imagine this car getting T-boned by say a Dodge or Ford truck. I would not even want to know the result.
This is one area where the Germans really have the concept of safety. I regularly get the BMW magazine and I've seen pictures of a 3 Series getting T boned and the damage is rather low compared to this. Understanding the fact that the 3 Series is a car two sizes smaller (Compact v/s Full size) than the maxima, I am now rather concerned with the overall safety in this car.
I dont mean to bash anyone with this statement above but rather am just thinking out loud since my wife drives our maxima more than myself.I agree with you that these cars are rather weak when hit from the side, and thats all due to what I think is a crappy and thin unibody design (for those that don't know what unibody is, ask).
Go take a look at my cardomain page four.
Thats what, my ncles car looked like after he got t-ed by someone who ran a stop sign. His car flew around in circles...Read the brief story on the page near the pictures.
Another reason why the car (the one the thread is about) got damaged to such an extent, is because the impact area was small (lot of stress in one place) vs getting t-ed would mean more surface area = less force applied to one place = more even impact = less damage (to some degree).
10-03-2007, 06:00 PM
#114
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Location: Seattle, WA
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I agree with you that these cars are rather weak when hit from the side, and thats all due to what I think is a crappy and thin unibody design (for those that don't know what unibody is, ask).
Go take a look at my cardomain page four.
Thats what, my ncles car looked like after he got t-ed by someone who ran a stop sign. His car flew around in circles...Read the brief story on the page near the pictures.
Another reason why the car (the one the thread is about) got damaged to such an extent, is because the impact area was small (lot of stress in one place) vs getting t-ed would mean more surface area = less force applied to one place = more even impact = less damage (to some degree).
Go take a look at my cardomain page four.
Thats what, my ncles car looked like after he got t-ed by someone who ran a stop sign. His car flew around in circles...Read the brief story on the page near the pictures.
Another reason why the car (the one the thread is about) got damaged to such an extent, is because the impact area was small (lot of stress in one place) vs getting t-ed would mean more surface area = less force applied to one place = more even impact = less damage (to some degree).
Glad ur not hurting too much man.
10-03-2007, 07:25 PM
#116
Should have swapped ur oem wipers!
You couldn't really blame the frame too much. If the frame didn't absorbed so much energy from the impact, it could have been transfered to your neck or something.
+1 on thank god you're okay though!
You couldn't really blame the frame too much. If the frame didn't absorbed so much energy from the impact, it could have been transfered to your neck or something.
+1 on thank god you're okay though!
10-04-2007, 04:57 AM
#117
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So update as far as her insurance goes:
-they paid $13,xxx for my car, not bad considering i bought it for $9,xxx back in march 07.
-All medical bills are covered. They are compensating me two days of work that i missed. They also gave me a rental for a week.
-Lastly, ive been having some lower back problem. Ive never had it before and im only 20 so i don't want to have to live with this pain forever so im hopefully going to see a chiropractor today.
-Looks like im going to be buying a 02 TL-S.
One question, is it my responsibility to pay for the gas on the rental or is insurance company going to refund for it.
I work at a bodyshop.Swapping parts is no problem when access is available to the car.
10-04-2007, 07:05 AM
#119
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-Lastly, ive been having some lower back problem. Ive never had it before and im only 20 so i don't want to have to live with this pain forever so im hopefully going to see a chiropractor today.
One question, is it my responsibility to pay for the gas on the rental or is insurance company going to refund for it.
One question, is it my responsibility to pay for the gas on the rental or is insurance company going to refund for it.
Don't go to a Chiropractor, one of our good friends is a Physical Therapist and she HATES Chiropractors... As she put it; "They get patients for life and make you have to constantly come back, we fix you for good".
The gas, it's your responsibility; they look at as you would use gas anyway and it's not an additional expense for you.
10-06-2007, 10:46 AM
#120
