This is why you never let your wife/S.O. drive your car...

Just a momentary lapse of concentration on my wife's part on the Dragon, Rt. 129 in Tennessee - it was her only time driving the road, and I guess she thought that, since she'd ridden with me so many times that she knew the road. Guess it still took her by surprise.

Everyone in the car, remarkably, walked away practically without a scratch, but the car is a total loss. I know that it can be replaced, and that the important thing was that nobody was hurt or killed, but it's still heartbreaking... I loved that car.

Omfg.... at first I thought that was a photoshop or something man.. I cant believe it's real.
Poor little Mini

holy ****...are you going to salvage it and get a new one? that car was so beautiful....but on an up note get hte supercharged one

I HAD the supercharged one... The new ones are turbos, but I like superchargers better... And the orange color is discontinued, so it will be hard to find another one. That's not even counting all the lighting MODs I did on her. Makes me sick...

wow, amazing no one was hurt. Terrible to see such a nice car get ruined, but at least everyone was ok.

Hopefully you get enough from insurance for a replacement.

Sorry to hear about your ride ImagoX,I'm glad no one was hurt though.

You're one of the few people that when I see a username, I can picture the car that goes with it. I was sad as soon as I saw the thread title. Thank God all the people involved are okay.

That is terrible dude. I could tell how much you loved that car. At first i thought it was just a random mini from a forum you are on or something. Terrible to see that happen. Glad to see everyone is ok though. GOD that sucks. I cant believe that.

Wow, my heart just sank.


Awesome to hear that everyone is alright though. That's what really matters.

Did it slide on the roof for awhile? Looks like it from the huge scrape on the top of the hood. Strip all the lights and crap out of the car before you let the insurance company take off with it.

Yeah, it was completely upside-down for a while there, and even still the car protected us. I'm completely and totally blown-away by how well the car sheltered us.

The lights and all are trashed, even if I could get to them (the car is in Tennessee and I had to go back to Ohio) - I saw pieces of LED flex-strips and cathodes strewn all over the place - the impact and cliff face stripped off huge chunks of the exterior trim and sheered away all my hard work. If I have the heart to do all of it over, I'd have to start from scratch.

Those pictures don't make the car look absolutely terrible, still, there must be more underlying damage than just damaged body panels and a trashed windshield and convertible top?

I would venture a guess that the side on the ground it pretty well trashed. At least it's encouraging to know that a convertible held together that well when upside down.

The frame and steering components were also damaged when the underside of the car scraped the cliff face... plus every body panel except the trunk lid was basically ruined. Add in a replacement top, wheels and everything else, and the cost exceeds the value, unfortunately. Ah, well, at least it happened before I dropped another few grand on suspension upgrades and a new exhaust (like I'd planned to do over the winter).

the dragon's tail is a very dangerous piece of road. very dangerous.

another car added to the tree of shame : (

clutch1 wrote:

Those pictures don't make the car look absolutely terrible, still, there must be more underlying damage than just damaged body panels and a trashed windshield and convertible top?

Usually the rule of thumb for totaling a car is there are 3 sections to the car. Front end, passenger compartment, rear end. If there is damage in two of the three sections. They will probably total it out.

Edit: Was that red colbot following you. Like were you two just messing around on that road. Or was he just a witness????

Sorry to hear about this man. At least everyone is alright though.

Damn man. Sorry to hear about the car but it is good to hear everyone is alright. The car is replacable but the people aren't.

The red car came across us after we stopped and pulled over to help. My wife wasn't even driving that fast and definitely wasn't "messing around" that morning, as we were just headed home after a few days down there. I drive the road a LOT faster than she's capable of. She just... let off the gas in a decreasing radius corner (bad idea - she knows that now anyway), which was JUST ENOUGH to slide her off the side and into the gravel. Once the wheel was off the tarmac, and grip was gone, momentum sucked us into the cliff face.

On any other road it would have been a simple, easily-correctable thing that wouldn't even have gotten the paint very dirty, let alone slid or flipped us, but, of course, the Dragon isn't like many other roads.

Holy crap dude. That sucks major. Made me sad. Tis one of my favorite cars on here.

Damn man I'm glad you both came out ok, but I'm sorry the car didn't turn out so well

One word: Unfortuntate... all around.

At least there is a Mini waiting in the garage for you, and everyone is OK.

Im glad to hear every one is okay. I was hoping it was one of those posts of what you never want to do, from another board. Sucks that it happened to this board this time.

That car was such a nice piece of work too. Wow.

I can't see the pics but I will have to take a look at home, I am guessing this is the orange one from you talking about how it will be hard to replace

is all I have to say, but glad everyone is ok.

It was the newer model Mini.

I dropped a post about this on my blog here:

http://bloodmagicbooks.blogspot.com/2007/10/near-death-experience.html

Hopefully now I can stop thinking about this and actually get some work done - I'm completely ******* USELESS today. Replacing the car is going to be hard - the orange color is discontinued, and while I've found several used ones, few have all the features and performance packages that mine had when I bought it. I'm so incredibly bummed...

Well, I know if it was my wife she would probably feel worse then me for wrecking my car. She knows how much I love it.

I hope your wife is doing well emotionally. My thoughts are with you guys, it's like losing a family member when you love a car that much.

wow soooo sorry to hear bro..but don't let that keep you back..i have learn in life that nothing should every stop u from doing something.
When i had my the truck in my sig. i had lots of plans...but things came up and decided not to con't w/ those plans. I sold that truck almost 3 months ago now...and i regret every single thing i didn't do. So much that i plan on getting another one (Chevy Trailblazer SS) and do what i didn't do before.
This is a great chance for you to get another mini and redo what u did to the one that just got wrecked

again so sorry to hear but glad everyone is alright

WOW

I had to do a double take on the images and then read your post twice before I actually believed it...

Glad to hear you and your wife are ok...could have been MUCH worse and im glad it is only a car....of course saying that I know I would have had a horrible feeling if I ever saw any of my vehicles like that...but the important thing is that IT CAN BE REPLACED....it will be a lot of work...but its much better than waking up every morning by yourself and visiting a grave site

Glad you guys are ok and let the insurance handle it....you will be able to find something and turn it into a personal creation again

Damn....
Deal's Gap is a *****...
Looking on www.killboy.com for more pics...

Oh my god...RIP to your car
Glad everyone's ok but damn...that was by far the nicest mini I've ever known about...
Wow...

ur an ass. just be glad that your wife and who ever else that was in the car are ok. its only a car, it CAN be repalced.

That sucks ass. I thought it was a photoshop at first too. Glad everybody was ok.

Hooooollllllyyyy ****. Talk about Shock and Awe. Glad everyone is alright though. That car is actually kinda of associated with this board - like everyone knows about the mini - and now this? Wow man. Glad everything is cool though(with the safety of you two)

And btw: The "Dragon" is probally nothing but twisties?

318 curves in 11 miles - that's the Dragon. Fun as hell, but dangerous, too. Motorcycles tear ass all along it, at all hours... Crazy bastards. The cops that helped us out were actually really nice guys.

Looking back, I guess I should have insisted that I drive it home, but that's not exactly the easiest thing to say to a wife or girlfriend... It blows that it's gone, and yes, it certainly can be replaced, but it still eats at me - that was the nicest material object I ever owned, and the first car that I thought of as MORE than "just a car". True, visiting a grave site would be INFINITELY worse, no doubt about it, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't sting.

The car is a thing, its replaceable. No where near as difficult as replacing a leg, arm, brain, kid, wife, etc. Glad to hear you are okay after seeing those photos. Major bummer.

ImagoX wrote:

Looking back, I guess I should have insisted that I drive it home, but that's not exactly the easiest thing to say to a wife or girlfriend... It blows that it's gone, and yes, it certainly can be replaced, but it still eats at me - that was the nicest material object I ever owned, and the first car that I thought of as MORE than "just a car". True, visiting a grave site would be INFINITELY worse, no doubt about it, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't sting.

Man, you're not the only one.
My Alero was no where near as nice as that mini, but it was my first car and the whole reason I got into glow and modding and was so fun to drive and packed with memories, then it got totalled, and no where near as say... "impressively" as your car went out.

I was a wreck for a week or two afterwards, sitting in classes all bummed out and such, realizing it was gone right as it was about to get some mods to clean it up and turn it much nicer. I even printed out lots of pics n made a wall in my room dedicated to it.

I still (10, almost 11 months later) go over the accident in my head and miss it everyday. I think about once every week or two I end up pulling up old pics of it and wishing I still had it/ another one.

It's gonna be tough, since it sounds like you miss yours like I miss mine, but once you replace it you'll feel better probably. Best of luck, and as people said, take solace in the fact no one was injured :]

ImagoX wrote:

True, visiting a grave site would be INFINITELY worse, no doubt about it, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't sting.

Hit the nail right on the head with that statement. I truely miss my first car (rear ended) and wish I had it all the time and I know my best friend feels the same way about his first car that he crashed but every time I think about it I am so glad neither of us are 6 feet under. **** the car, losing someone you love is unbearable.

Yeah it still sucks ass though that your "baby" in a material sense is gone. It never gets easier.

If it doesn't make sense blame the beer I am drinking, sorry.

That blows man, glad no one was hurt. But that is one of the funnest roads to drive

that sucks man.

I see your beefy led strip is still intact