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I just had to go and get in an accident...

Joined
5 June 2001
Messages
98
Location
Sunnyvale, CA
well, I did it. I just HAD to go and do it. Three days ago, after 6 months of ownership, I hit a guard rail on an exit ramp with my NSX. Lesson to be learned here: Get my sorry butt to a drivers education class and learn how to drive a mid-engine car.

So it was 1am and I was driving home from work. had been a pretty crappy week overall, so I was in a bit of a foul mood as was heading home. there is a nice on ramp to the freeway I get on every day, and today, since there was no one around i decide to go a bit faster than usual. As I near the limits, I decide in a fit of insanity not to back off as I normally do and predictably, the back starts to get light. and of course, I do the WORST THING POSSIBLE, I lift.

The car spun around, hit the guard rail with the front, and then tapped the guard rail with the back. Luckily, no one was around and I was unhurt. As the back was spinning around, the only thought going through my head was $#!t, this is going to be expensive.

Anyway, the police came and gave me the option of not writing me up since no one was hurt and no one else was involved, so that this didn't go on my driving record. That was nice of them. The guy mentioned to me he pulled an NSX over the day before doing 105mph.

The lucky thing is that the car was drivable, the damage was mostly cosmetic, front bumper, hood, quarter panels, and rear bumper and one quarter panel. The radiator was pushed in a little, but thats the extent of the mechanical damage.
I was able to leave the car at work that night and then drive it around to a couple of body shops the next day.

I settled on Carlsens in Palo Alto (they do porsches, audi's, and volvos) Someone on the list had recommended them, and they had done a few NSXs and a lot of Audi A8s, so they've worked with aluminum (they were one of the few people who had aluminum welding equipment in-house). Anyway, it looks like my car is out of commission for 6-8 weeks and so far the damages are at 17K. I have to battle with allstate for an OEM radiator, tho they spec'd OEM parts for everything else.

Anyway, hopefully, Carlsen's will do a good job and I'll treat this as a good lesson learned, tho I dont know if I can survive 2 months without my NSX
smile.gif
 
byang,
Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I am considering having a front nose repaint and perhaps the roof. I have been told that Carlsen's does excellent work. Please post your level of satisfaction with their work when it is complete. Also am curious what the color of your car is, since mine is red.
Thanks.
 
Originally posted by dummy:
byang,
Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I am considering having a front nose repaint and perhaps the roof. I have been told that Carlsen's does excellent work. Please post your level of satisfaction with their work when it is complete. Also am curious what the color of your car is, since mine is red.
Thanks.

My car is red and I'll let you know the results in 6-8 weeks.
 
What is the posted limit for the off-ramp and what speed did you take it at? I am comfortable taking 45 degree off-ramp turns at 2.5 times the posted limit although there is one I won't take at over 140kph, 60kph posted, because the ditch is huge, there are no guardrails on any cloverleafs here and the light pole is as wide as the car.

[This message has been edited by rcarlos (edited 04 December 2001).]

[This message has been edited by rcarlos (edited 04 December 2001).]
 
One thing bikers learn in a hurry, Off ramps can be slick. They are very tempting due to their banks, and long sweeping turns, but they can be trouble. I don't know if it's oil or the way tire rubber builds on them, but some ramps can be very slick. I tend not to push it too hard on ramps, especially if there's no room to recover.

Besides, to me the NSX isn't a great skid-pad car(my Vette was a bit better). The thing the NSX likes to do is transition in/out of turns, so there are places much more fun than on/off ramps. JMHO

Sorry for your expensive lesson, but glad you weren't hurt, and the cop gave you a break. It's always good to see a cop that didn't kick you when you were down.
 
Originally posted by JohnC:
...I don't know if it's oil or the way tire rubber builds on them, but some ramps can be very slick. ...

rubber buildup increases traction, right? at least it does on the track.... I personally love on and off ramps, I try to make the perfect apex every time.


byang, I am really sorry to hear about your car.
 
rubber buildup increases traction, right?

Increases traction when it's dry, decreases traction when it's wet.

Last month I did a track event at a track (IRP) that includes a drag strip, and the dragstrip portion of the straight was downright scary in the rain, downright awesome in the dry.
 
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