First and Last post - Supra Turbo got wrecked

[Tom Perso]

Hey Guys,

I've been a lurker since I got my 88 Turbo about 3 months ago. Just absorbing the information, getting some ideas and whatnot. When I got the car, it had a click over 103,000 miles, bone stock, including the TEMS shocks and stock radio!!!

I did a few maintainance items, new KYB shocks, ball joints, and just general clean up stuff.

I loved the car. Even with stock boost, it would really haul. Plus, it was quiet and comfortable, so it was a nice daily driver. My other vehicles include a 2000 Dodge Dakota, V-8 stick, my wife's 2004 Passat 1.8T, and a 1974 Porsche 914, with a 2270cc T4 and a Megasquirt conversion (in progress).

Well, yesterday, coming home from work, I was travelling down a 4 lane highway. Oncoming traffic was at a stop due to contruction. I moved to the right lane to stay away from traffic. As I head checked and started to come over, I look back in front of me - Some asshole decided not to wait in line and pulled a U-Turn (illegal, of course) right in front of me. I tried to swerve, but it was too late. I tagged his POS Thunderbird with my left front.

It's all in slow motion, but I remember hitting my head on the A-pillar (was wearing a seatbelt). Next thing I knew, I was skidding down the road with the brake pedal to the floor. Nothing's happening. As I look to my left, I see my left front tire PASSING me down the road. Well, I finally ground to a halt up onto the curb...

I was doing about 55mph (Posted speed limit was 55) when I hit him, never had time for the brakes.

Police show up on the scene, this dude claims that I was "speeding" and that's why I HIT HIM. Cop looked at him and laughed and proceeded to write him the ticket. The cops were pretty nice to me, offered me a ride to a gas station to wait for my wife to come pick me up.

So, I was feeling a little stunned and whatnot from the actual accident. But, last night I started gettting dizzy, light headed, blurred vision, and some nausea. Soooo, off to the ER we go. They did some checking, I got a CAT scan which showed no bleeding on the brain.

Doc tells me it's a typical concussion, take 800mg of Motrin, and sorry about tomorrow, cause you're gonna hurt.

And holy crap, do I. My back and neck feel like I got pegged with a baseball bat. Other than more Mortrin, anyone have any suggestions?

Luckily, I have full coverage on the car - it'll probably get totalled, which then I'll buy it back and part it out. Me thinks I might find another Supra and drop this one's drivetrain in, or maybe a Cressida and do a 7M-GTE and 5-speed conversion... Or, I'll sell the parts and get a 3-series. Who knows.

Just needed to vent...

Tom

 

[shaeff]

thats too bad, but it looks like you could find a donor car for the front left side. i wouldnt say it's totaled, though i havent seen it in person. hell, i'd buy that car, go to a boneyard and pick off the parts to make it complete again, give it a spray, and call it a day.

i'd hope they total it, buy it back, fix it, and mod it with the rest of the cash!

-shaeff

 

[IJ.]

Ditto what Shaeff said!

Depends on how cheap you can buy it back but it doesn't look terminal at all!
(Insurance will probably write it off as parts are so expensive but that's for all new bits and if you find a doner it shouldn't cost much and then you have what's left from the payout for mods)

 

[americanjebus]

realy realy sorry man that just sucks it. that is a damn nice condition car too. the interior looks amazing, its pretty sad to see it junked though. i hate seeing nice cars with that yellow numbering on the window. as long as there is no fram damage that car is fixable. even if choose not to do it yourself.
glad your ok, your reaction saved you allot more pain. do comeback.

 

[PynkEye]

Ya get that Supra repaired, dont let another one go down the trash compacter must of hit like a bitch tho :S sorry for the loss, always hurts when a supra gets damaged, and glad to see your ok, makes you realise life can be short sometimes ..and unexpected.

But for sure, buy it back from the insurance, wont cost much,, get it to a collision center..get it pulled if it needs to..if no need, just change the whole left wheel assembly (shocks, knuckle etc..) fender, bumper and so on. Should be not to bad, If you lived in Montreal id buy it from ya for sure, nice project.

Anyways...glad to see ur alive, oh ya..and fuck 3 series...Supra Turbo baby

 

[Tom Perso]

Thanks guys. Kind of a shitty first post though...

I'll buy it back - it's not "totalled" in my eyes. If the suspension pickup points are horked too bad, I'll get them pulled, and rebuild the left front - time permitting. I hate to see it go as well, since these suckers are pretty rare.

I'm really surprised by the force the car took, I was doing 55 and it probably slowed me down to below 20 after I hit him. There isn't a whole lot of body damage, per se... Looks like the suspension took the brunt of it. In fact, it sheared the steering knuckle off where the tie rod attaches.

You can see how far back the lower control arm is by looking at the sway bar link and how it's angled connecting to the control arm. Ouch.

I'm still pretty sore, but everything did it's job, pretty surprising for a 17 year old car...

Bummer since I just did the ball joints and KYB's though.... :kaboom:

I'll keep everyone updated on what happens...

Tom

 

[TONY!]

HAH, you should see my car, it is in 1,000,000 pieces.
I don't know what your life is like (career, family, school, house w/ garage owner, other commitments etc etc), but if you have time, a garage, & a desire to fix it or even if you parted it, you should. I would not leave it in that junk yard. I am not recommending you part it out, but even if you did that, you would learn so much by doing so and make money doing it.

As far as your injury, if it takes a week to stop being sore, a week can fly by before you know it Time does fly by, sometimes that is good (like for healing) & sometimes not.

I'd be happy to hear that you just get it out of there.
Good Luck

 

[cnewingham]

the lower control arm looks really bad. I would just buy it back and find a shell(always available) and swap things over. Any time you have suspension damage the car will never ever handle the same especially if it is in the front. Sorry to see that but glad you are o.k.

 

[MDCmotorsports]

Tom:
Glad to see you're AOK. Id hate to see what would have happend if you were in some junky Hyundai or other cracker box.

Any who, go to the junk yard and get your car back!

If the body seams are ok, and the front carrage is ok, then replace the suspention and the fender and you're good to go!

If not, part that thing out. IT looks as if the interior is cherry!

 

[CTsupra]

(sigh) I hate stupid drivers, and I hate seeing wrecked mkiii's. I'am glad you walked away from the accident. You know what they say, any accident you can walk away from was a good one? That car is in no way totaled, buy it back and make it better than ever.
How did you hit this guy? I'm shocked that the wheel came off... The mkiii can definately take a good hit.

A few months after buying my 89', some old guy with his white hair slicked back and wearing a tuxedo, decides to run a red light at the east side of an intersection as I'am coming from the south and being about 5 yards away from under the light. I was doing the posted speed limit of 40mph, and if it wasn't for my reaction of slamming on the clutch, taking the car out of gear, depressing the brakes about half-way and throwing the wheel to the right, (all at about the same time) somebody would be missing their grandpa today. I would've hit him dead-on in the drivers door at 40mph. You know why? For the simple fact that he stops in the middle of the intersection after realizing(sp?) he ran the light. This stops traffic, so I get out of my car, and start heading over to scream and yell at the guy, but after looking at him through his windows and seeing him flailing his arms around, I had a feeling the guy was already really shaken up, so I just calmed my self down and turned around and left.

I'am so glad I didn't kill somebody that day, and that my supra was not damaged in any way

 

[figgie]

curious

i know what the supra can handle an accident quite well. What i am curious. What was left of the other vehicle?

 

[Crashmaxx]

Wow, that sucks. You weren't even speeding or anything either, just some asshole that can't drive making a dumb move.

BTW: If it does get totaled and you part it out, there is so much I could use off it. My car is almost exactly the same but an '89. LMK if you do that, but cross your fingers you can get it fixed, cause it would be a shame to scrap it.

 

[suprastanger507mgte]

Luckily you were driving a Supra .....looking at the way that spindle broke off, it could have been worse.....Glad you got away with aches and pains only...but that thing will bother you for life....

hHope you feel better man...sorry about that MKIII

 

[icepanthar22]

that really sucks man, and that looked like a really nice mkiii too :icon_cry:

 

[Jetfixr757]

Hey you like the car alot, it is an easy fix, talk with the insurance company and either get them to fix it or get it back from them and fix the car, it is repairable. Don't get discouraged.
William 89T

 

[MKIIINA]

looking at the passanger compartment you can see the windows are all still holding a good seal and no deformation to the A- piller. I would really recommend rebuilding it. All you really need is all the drivers side front stuff, only problem might be the insc company not wnating to repair it. So figure out if you really want it back or not (103k miles?! thats barely off the show room floor!) i vote repair!!!!!! glad to hear you werent hurt at all and chalk one more up for having a safe car! lets see a 3 series do that!

 

[SupraMario]

that firebird got plowed into by a tank. MKIII=tank, i wouldnt mind seening what the firebird looked like.
and dont junk it. these cars are getting really rare. i wouldnt advise parting it out either. i mean if your going to rebuild it might as well put some suppension upgrades on it. hell u got one side off already.
buy it back, for the love of the supra.

 

[americanjebus]

on the suspension damage once you mess that stuff up its not going to handle quite like it used to. i hit a curb in my ford once and did some tranaxle damage. i replaced everything to speck but the steering wheels stiggle wiggled arround while driving. it'd a good project of putting all of that into a clean shell. if you dont do it i know if you held on to it someone would want it.

 

[siman]

dang. :3d_frown:

I hate people doing illegal U turns.

 

[lanky189]

hey buddy..where are you located...i know of a chassis in great shape the owner may be looking to get rid of.. it used to by my pearl white mica 87 t. she's a beauty..

its located in Salem, Va. if you're interested I can get you some contact info the current owner is a great guy... currently with a Mk2 powered by a 7mgte...

sorry to hear about your bad luck brother... it happens to us all.. most importantly im glad the best part of your supra is ok... the driver....