This is no joke...
fu@K, Sh!+, CR^P! DAMAGE!!!!
First of all, I did EVERYTHING I was supposed to except stick around and watch.
Dropped my Elise off to the local Goodyear shop to have new F1G3s installed. My Father-in-law is the service manager and has been for 10 years. He is out on medical leave, but he met me at the shop this morning, because he understands the uniqueness of the car.
I handed them the tire tools and opened the Owner's Manual to the jacking instructions so they would be clear. We went over all the instructions and they assured me I was in good hands.
We (my father-in-law and I both left)
1 hour later I get a call about the "accident" and that I needed to come down...
WTF!
The picture above is what I found...
It get's better. They said they read the manual, but not to the point where it spoke about the 4-point lift. After the crash, they continued reading. Yipee for me.
The damage is inclusive of the rear clam, front clam, underneath the driver's door, and a nice puncture through the bottom diffuser around the passenger seat area.
More pics here... http://www.my914-6.com/crap
When I was there, they had a wrecker attached with a winch to the front end so it wouldn't come crashing down. After it cleared the lift, the front end swung around and crashed into some tool chests.
I'm mostly worried about the rear structure... the puncture underneath and the loss of value of the car (it's paid off free and clear)!
I've already called Dimmit in Clearwater and they are expecting the vehicle. Goodyear has filed the claim with their carrier and has promised to fully cover the repair. Luckly my FIL was there as a witness.
What else do I need to be concerned about in the repair/insurance claim? Diminished value, loss of use (not my primary vehicle), etc.
Dammit!!!! And I have the Central Florida Lotus Fun Run on Saturday which I've been organizing. Guess I'll have to drive the 911.
Holy guacamole!!! That sucks, to say the least. I've got no constructive input, but Good Luck nonetheless!!!
oh my,,,,,,that purely sucks.....you didn't kill anyone!!!! I think you need to show up in your pheasent hunting outfit!!!
Jeez I am seeing this happen more and more. Do people just not know how to use lifts anymore.
OH Karl that just makes me sick looking at your pictures. I'm so sorry this happend to your Elise. Make sure they check the "frame" for any bends.....
Karl that is really crappy!!! i would be beyond f'in pissed......
Since you are free t0 post this I assume you are not in the county lockup which is where I would be after severely injuring those idiots reproductive organs. You are a better man than me Karl. I am really sorry to see that.
Dave
Crap Qarl.
I'm suprised it weathered the fall as well as it did actually.
If it was my car I'd certainly be worried about the tub.
Insist on all new parts!
Looking at the other pictures it looks like it is twisted....sorry to hear about it.
That SUCKS!!!
And you showed incredible patience at not the numbnuts that did this.
I don't know where the monocoque ends and the body panels begin. The body panels, I'd be less worried about, but if the tub is tewaked, they'd better be buying you a new car...
Strangely enough, this is the THIRD thread that I've read about this. I first saw it on my local autox forum, from a fellow Elise owner who posted a link from the Elise forum.
They say good travels fast, and bad news travels even faster...
-Josh2
WOW, that sucks...glad no one was hurt.
Given the nature of how these cars are built ect. I would not want that car back.
Hope it works out for the best.
Ferg.
Damn Q.... you showed unbelieveable restraint... I would have killed the sumbitches
Holy cr@p, that's terrible! Such a beautiful car. That's the ONLY new car currently on the market that gets my blood pumping. Even the undercarriage is beautiful!
How does that happen?!?
That's terrible
You did show great restraint given the situation
I hope that you can get it all sorted out with the insurance and whatnot
Good luck
Ouch again,
Charles
Its a thing and all things can be fixed. Just glad no one was underneath it. Everyone taught to use a lift knows to check the car when it's just off the ground to see if it's stable.
I am sure your father-in-law feels horrible. Make sure he knows its not his fault.
I would find as aggressive an estimate as possible, see if you can get it written off and replaced.
Sorry to see that. I am sure you will work it out.
Good luck on the repairs. Hopefully you get a high quality repair shop. (although their doesnt seem to be many of those around anymore.)
Bummer Qarl...
I hope they take care of it in a timely manner and to your full satisfaction...
Check for damage on the exhaust too. That detail shot of the door makes it appear there is a bit of twist to the frame. Do the doors open a close properly, have you tried removing and reinstalling the top?
It is mid-engined for cryin' out loud, how do they dump it on its ass?
I'd certainly want to be "made whole", and (to me, at least) in this case that means a NEW car, just like the one you have (or "had"), delivered to your door, NOW. The loss of value is essentially incalculable, IMO, and they should be made to bear the full cost.
You should be able to participate in the event in YOUR Lotus. They have the money to make it happen, and it IS possible. In exchange for your dollars, you had reasonable expectations of having your car returned to you in the condition in which you turned it over to them. The Cap'n
UN ... FREAKING ..... BELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!
sorry man!! THAT sucks!!! hope you can get it back on the road soon!!.
PS ..... next time, just take them the wheels!!
NoooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooo!
That really SUCKS!
Diminished value is going to be a huge issue now that the gap, percentage wise have gotten so big.
Q, hang in there.
2 words
DONOR CAR
seriously, that sucks
they must have been putting the big mudders on the car. Notice the truck tires.
It better be made whole. I would make them give me a new car.
Okay, 60/40 rear bias, still would have to have your stupid working overtime to pull something that boneheaded
Screw it don't worry about it. Tell them to keep the tires and install them on the NEW lotus they just bought for you.
There is no way in hell you can fix that car.
I'm sorry for your loss
I think Joe said it best. Tell 'em to just install those new tires on the _new_ lotus...
After reading up on the car, I highly doubt that it's repairable. It looks seemingly minor, and if it were a steel frame chassis, _maybe_ it could be fixed like new. But the bonded monocoque of the Elise is a single piece, and cannot simply be pulled or welded. It's done. Congratulations!!! You just won a NEW CAR!!! Come on down!!!!
Yeah, I know it sucks, but it would seem to me that there's no way they can get away with not replacing that car...
-Josh2
Qarl,
I feel so bad for you. It's double bad, because your father-in-law is connected to the Goodyear store. I really feel bad for him since you are family connected.
What a mess!!! I hope things work out.
Tom
damn... what a bunch of dumbasses!
make sure you have the car checked by an Elise expert
I'd guess that the average bodyshop is not capable of this because of the unique construction of the Elise (bonded aluminium chassis)
tear them a f-ing new one!
Damn Karl, I'm speechless....
Take'm to the bank and have'm buy you a NEW car....
And can we ASSUME the dumb SH!T is no longer working at this shop?????
-- Rob
1st of all, they should get you a new one.
I used to work for goodyear and my brother in law used to be the district SM in the DC area.
we (well not me) did an undercoat job on a new car, parked it out back, left the motor running, why I don't know, undercoat cought on fire and we just bought another car. many other times we had problems that resulted in damage. All was covered by insurance. In my experiance, the customer was well taken care of. I hope you are too. If you need some names of who to call, PM me....My in law still has lots of connections...
Geez, what a load!
I've had my 2 post asymetrical lift for almost ten years, picked up tons of 914's, a few 911's, my Windstar, my F150 SuperCrew, a couple mowers, an old Camaro, and I STILL lift everything about 6-8" and lean on the front and back HARD, to make sure this doesn't happen.
Serious condolences Karl! With family involved I hope it doesn't turn ugly.
trade up for the Exige!!!!
wonder how much longer the guy who dumped it will work there
the weight distribution is actually 62/38 rear bias
seriously though...
LOTUS EXIGE CUP!!!!
hope it all works out
-jim
Sorry Qarl. Out of curiousity, where are they supposed to place the lift pads and how far off were they. Did it teeter as soon as they removed the front tire?
Damn Q! So Sorry this happened.
If you go to Clearwater stop by here, the beer is always cold for you.
Yep Qarl, they need to replace it, not repair it. Good luck.
Well.
You will have the winning "aw shit" story for the lotus drive.
This will turn out for the better in the end. That exige idea is tasty....
I've actually maintained a good attitude about it all day... at least I am safe and my family is safe... the mechanic almost got knocked out... luckily he is safe...
I posted a caption contest in the sandbox...
Karl.. I can only assume that its not yours!
A: your plate reads
VS
B: if you did get a license plate change.. LEEEES means nothing.. and your name is not Lee..
C: We didnt see you in any picture.. but thats not a good reason.
Im probably wrong.. but I hope this is all just a big joke (like your last one about the car...)
Andrew
No, I got a tag change earlier this year... here's a pic in my garage... (notice the checkerboard racedeck and yellow stripe)
Not much proof... but this is no April Fools joke...
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thats good enough for me qarl..
Im really sorry to hear this..
it looks as if some of the chassis is tweeked.. You may need a new car... (tube chassis time!!!!)
Major bummed...
It'll work out right in the end.
Andrew
L eeeees means ELISE... at least thats what i got... damn this sucks so bad... hopefully u get a pretty new one... i like the exige too...
Anybody else wondering why the need to lift a car that high for a tire change?
I saw this earlier when you first posted and I'm sorry you are dealing with this.
I *never* take my car to the tire place. I just bring the wheels.
I agree that a new car is the only way to satisfy this catostrophic damage.
KT
Screw the damage. Screw the repair. It's totally not the same car as before. You can repair it, sure. But it only "looks" right. It's no longer "new." How bady does a one-eighth inch bend in the rear portion of the frame screw the suspension geometry? Bad.
They f*ed you good.
Oh great!
It's spreading...
http://www.jalopnik.com/cars/news/th...ndo-212968.php
I'm still not clear on how this could even happen. If the car was so close to tipping that removing the front wheel made it go, couldn't the guy have grabbed onto the hub to keep it from going? God knows I would have been hugging that front hub like it was the last one on earth!
I'm so sorry for your loss Qarl. Keep us posted on exactly how far up their ass you go....
sorry, to see this man... I would have shed blood over this kind of BS!
serenity NOW!!! wow. i believe i would have had a stroke. ex tech's response in the "why did you leave your last position?" portion of his new job application, "dropped a $40k+ (my guess) car off the lift".
k
A few years ago a guy I worked with had bought a new truck in September and headed off to Florida. It was a brand new production model. When he got there he decided to get a oil change (3,400 miles) and took it to a national chain (can't remember which one). They had roll on lifts. The guy who drove it on shut it off in neutral and they didn't chock the tires. It rolled back as it was being lifted. Luckly the guy working on it grabbed a chock before it came off all the way and it was left hanging 1/2 on and 1/2 off the lift. No body damage, but the drive shaft was bent. The problem was there was no inventory anywhere for a replacement drive shaft and one had to be pulled from the production line in Detroit and shipped.
I'm just wondering it the same guy who worked on Quarl's car worked on my buddy's truck? Same town.........
Poor Qarl, he is now famous. This thing is spreading like fire accross the country.
Reading the various web-sites you get some interesting comments by the general idiots. Everything from Qarl is cheap, stupid to a genius way to get a new Lotus.
Qarl can I have your autograph?? Qarl I know it's not funny, but this story has legs. Story line "Rich kid looses it on the rack"!!!
Tom
major bummer....
quite a few idiots posting on that other site.....one guy must run a high end shop (ie, overpriced)...
gravity rules.......
the other picture with the guys looking towards the front is pretty good. caption..."shit!!! is my snap-on box ok!!!". you should run a little ebay ad, think *howard's hose*. you'll make the local news. again, sorry for your loss karl
Sorry for you Q...
One of the guys on the other forum mentioned something I thought yesterday. Why in the hell was the car that far off the ground just to change the tire? It shouldn't have been more than a few inches; enough to get the tires up off the floor.
Did they have an answer for that?
The car is that high because it 's MUCH easier to work @ chest height than ground height.
It's much easier on the techs back too... Unless it's 100+lb truck tires
BJH
Qarl made it onto Fark!
I hope you are not paying for bandwidth to your site, as its getting nailed right now.
http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=2400760&ok=1
Now this guy is a dick...
"I'm not crying any tears.
If he can afford a brand new Lotus - its already paid off -
plus the insurance plus the vanity plates, then he needs not my sympathy."
Wonder what he drives?
I like the love from "Z"
Woohoo! I think I'll go drink some more tequila.
Heard from Goodyear today. Right now it's in the hands of Dimmitt Lotus in Clearwater as to what's going to happen.
Any other links that are out there, let me know!
My 10 seconds of fame.
Qarl
Man is that Fark a tough group, I might have to drink some Mezcal and eat the worm.
Dont they know that Qarl is DA Man....
Oh yeah... thanks for the love Z!
Truly Riveting
That bonded structure thing can get a stress riser in it and fail, seen it many times on carbon fiber orthotics. Not like fixin' a cracked frame.
Now how is he a bad person for saving his money and buying a toy, or hitting the lotto or inheritance sweepstakes. I can tell you for a fact if the wife hit a scratcher for a chunk of change, the ride would not look so sketchy
I am saving for my little toy a bit at a time
Check the laws in Florida. I think there is a provision for loss in value in that state. Doesn't apply in every state.
Unfortunately, the tragic event is becoming popular...
I posted to my friends at...
Elisetalk.com
914world.com
From there it's been to...
Fark.com
honda-tech.com
pelicanparts.com
spyderchat.com
jalopnik.com
Crap... just what I need... more publicity.
Karl,
You can add another forum: rmsolo.org...
It's the local SCCA autox forum. You were crossposted by one of our local Elise drivers....
-Josh2
Ha ha!
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Q,
You made it to FerrariChat...
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=128013
Also a feature over on nasioc.com OT forum.
HAHA you know this has poped up on Honda-tech now.
Qarl,
I looked at one of your new toys at the dealership and I just love the lil' suckers. I'm glad you are able to own one. AND I'm real sorry I can't.
I'll go and cry now. sniff sniff
Seriously I feel your pain brother......
Just got an e-mail from Maxim to be on their Sirius radio show about my car. Respectfully had to decline since the issue hasn't been resolved.
Just happened upon this thread- wow. You should absolutely get a new car- that's why the shop is paying their insurance bill, for stuff like this.
BTW: Please don't take your 914-6 there for a tire change...
Best of luck!
I hate to say it, but it's almost guaranteed it's made it to Myspace's and Facebook's car forums
UPDATE: 11/10/06
Car has been deemed totalled.
According to their claims department, it's now up to Goodyear's Legal Department and their Insurance to make a determination as to handle the vehicle.
Qarl,
Do you have possession of the vehicle, or is it at some insurance yard, or in the possession of Goodyear ?
I would think that having possession of the vehicle would be a huge negotiation factor...
Not that I am you, but if I were, the car would in my garage - not anywhere else...
If you don't have the car, you're not totally in control of the car...
Karl,
I don't understand what the question is..the car was less than year old right?
They owe you a new car, plain and simple...its not like a restored 914-6 where the value can change from person to person, you know exactly what the car is valued, just go look at a sticker price!
Q, I am guessing that this was a corporate owned store since you are dealing with G-year and not the franchise owner. Correct?
Yes... Corporate
Bad week for Lotus owners... today I was at a PCA DE at Lime Rock..... talked to the couple that owns this car in the morning. They both drive, this time they left the 997 at home and brought hercar. Pretty sure he was driving, car caught a tire wall coming off the downhill. Car was back on the track later in the day after a substantial tape job.
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'chit man! you made it on to another board http://www.nw-wheelers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=112963#post112963can you believe it!
Q, I feel your pain, as I personally totaled a car a month and a half ago. You are keeping a cool head about this (and becoming a celebrity, next time I see you can I have an autographed picture of the Lotus hanging?) and that is what is important. No loss of life, no injuries, everything else will work out, I'm sure . Good Luck and if you have to come back over to Dimmitt to sign papers or pick up the Exige, the beers are on me & Paul (especially since you are a cheap S.O.B, according to the other boards)
All The Best, T.C.
The fact that your car is deemed a total is very good news for you. Now you just have to help them understand how much a Lotus Elise is worth with similar mileage...so they know how much to make the check. It should be quite easy to determine the value because your car was so new and had (I'm assuming 2-3K on the odometer). If everything is dealt with in a fair and equitable manner (on Goodyear's end), you will recieve a check hefty enough to go out and buy another Elise with similar mileage. The valuation isn't a problem...but being treated fairly and expeditiously can be an unknown sometimes... That's why you have insurance...so they can slug this out for you if it becomes an ugly mess. Personally, I think you will be made whole...in a short period of time. GY techs were grossly negligent and cannot talk their way out of this one. Your father in law will help in some way I'm sure. Best of luck!
i say new car out of this, it won't be the same anymore. they owe you a new car. to bad your family is envolved in the bussiness, divorce anyone???? in fact hat I figure is probably the only reason the bozzo's are still breathing. you must really love your wife to not have killed her dad!
did the airbags deploy?
sorry this happend, family makes it so much worse.
like the time my dad clipped my 914 bump with the vanagon. He said don't worry, that I should be able to fix it easy!!! what do I do, sue him??? oh well, still has the dent. blood is thicker than.... oh wait a minute, father in law is not a blood relative.
holy shit man!
Why was this left out of the Cliff Notes version?!
sorry to hear about it Q!!!
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