Wife hit my 100 !!!!

[Wellcraft19]

Hit by wife...
Not sure this should be in the 100 section, since it is more of a story, but it also does tell you something about a few weak points in a (stock) 100 front end.

Back in February, I asked wife if she was interested in going down to the North Face store for a presentation about travelling in Bhutan. TNF many times have excellent speakers coming in and the events are always a good time to mingle over wine and food with interesting movies or slide shows.

That Tuesday afternoon I called her from work to see if she was home yet (she was). I got home about an hour later, ran up to the kitchen and asked if she was ready to leave. She said "for what?". I explained to her that it was TONIGHT that we were going downtown Seattle for the presentation. She was NOT up for it, and told me to go alone. I was not really eager to go w/o her so after some grumbling eventually decided to stay home as well.

Upon coming home, I had parked the LC sort of in the middle of the drive way, just outside the dual garagedoors, hence partially covering both openings. Why? Well, I was just coming home to pick up wife and leave. No need for a perfect parking for a 2 minute stop.

As we ended up not going (me being a tad disappointed since we did not go, she being a tad upset over my insistence in that we SHOULD go, as we had agreed earlier), I ended up leaving the truck parked in the middle of the drive way. Next morning, she was up early and left sometime before 6 AM to go to school. I did wake up when she opened "her" garage door (under the bedroom) and was sort of surprised when I heard her rolling down the driveway and taking off up the hill. How the h-ck could she get out of the garage (with my car in the way)?

I left about two hours later and saw that she had driven way up to the side (tire tracks in the grass) and passed my car on its right side. Pretty impressed by her driving skills, I left for work.

Next morning (Wednesday), I come out to the car (now parked in the "correct" spot on the drive way due to a remodeling project occupying "my" part of the garage) and noticed that my passenger side fender looked "crooked", almost like it extra fender flares (no like). Sure enough, it was bent outward. Upon closer examination it turned out that something had hit the right corner of my front bumper, bent the bumper backwards, and in the process taking the fender with it (as well as turn signal, bumper cover, and even some minor damages on the left side of the car).
My first though was that I must have tailgated someone too close on the I-405 freeway in the morning. It is normally a
parking lot, but occasionally speeds up just to brake to a halt. I am bad at tailgating, but always VERY aware of how I drive. I COULD NOT have hit one just like "that", and not without the "victim" having noticed it. Decided that no, it was not on the freeway. Next suspect was that it had happened in the parking garage at work. I really had no idea when this could have happened, but at the same time I always parked in the same spot at work, it for someone to hit me from the front like that, they first would have to move a 500 feet tall mountain and a 4 feet thick concrete retaining wall. I was bummed, pissed, upset that someone had hit my beloved (and babied) truck without not even leaving a note on the windshield. And the longer time passed that day, the more convinced I got that I had NOT caused this.

Wednesday evening I got home late from work and wife was about to go to sleep. I did not even dawn on me to ask her if she'd seen someone close to my car. After midnight, I
tucked in as well.

Thursday I was at work when wife called me in the morning. She wanted something (don't they all?) and this morning I had started putting 2 and 2 together. My suspicions were confirmed when I asked her if she had hit my car the other day. It was a LOOOOONG silence at the other end of the line.

No need to go in on the details of this conversation, but it's enough to say that I was both upset and sad over the car, and really pissed that she had not told me. Damage was done, but it was sort of time to get even.

Devious plan was to come home and now play REALLY upset. I did. And it probably scared her a bit. Told her it was "deceitful" not to tell me, and even worse in "hoping that I would think that someone at work had hit me and that I'd blame them". I decided not to even talk/communicate with her due to being "so upset" (part of the plan).

I went over to our great neighbors and friends and told them about what happened and about my plan. They were in on it as well (later it turns out that wife DID call my neighbor same morning as the "hit" to ask "what should I do?", and got the answer "just tell him you hit the car" - a good advice that she decided NOT to follow).

Back home from neighbors, I went straight to the bar cabinet and brought out a good bottle of single malt, parked myself in front of the TV and started drinking, holding my only "true" friend (the bottle). She tried to talk to me, I ignored her. She went to bed.
Next day, Friday, she left very early (w/o hitting the car...). I was still asleep.

Worked late again and came home. Did not talk to her, but instead went to the bottle (my only friend), parked myself in front of the TV, and had a pretty relaxing evening. Many times mumbling about my "only true friend" so she could her it. Saturday I did a lot of yard work and work down in the garage. No real interaction with wife during the day. Went over to our neighbors and told them that we were going to have "family court" at their house that evening. Back home I emptied almost all of the whiskey into another container to make it look like I finished most of the one liter bottle myself. Left it VERY visible in the kitchen.
Later that evening, neighbors asked if I was eager to come over for dinner (happens often, John is a great cook). I went upstairs, picked up the (now almost empty) bottle of whiskey, told wife I was to cross the street for dinner.

A little while later wife shows up for dinner as well. Both John and I are "drinking heavily" out of this great bottle of whiskey - my "only true friend". We continue to give wife a bit of a hard time seated in a chair in the middle of their large kitchen - family court - where she is being "interrogated" about the incident; why she did not tell husband, why she hoped it would be pinned on someone else, etc, etc.

She was feeling the pressure, until I broke out the truth that it was all a set up and that we all had agreed to teach her a lesson. Of course she did not think it was funny at all, that we were all "stupid and evil" while we quickly all responded that "no, the evil part was to try to have me pin this one someone totally innocent".

We all told her that if things like this happens, just "tell him". It is "just a car". She claimed that she was too scared to tell me, that I'd be too mad/upset over it (which made the devious plan even more fun...).
I at least had had a few good laughs (to compensate for the damage to the 100) during these "evenings with the bottle". I sometimes had to bite my tongue in order not to laugh in front of her.

All said, it was time to take the car to the insurance agent and tell them about it. "Wife hit my car backing out the garage". With a spotless insurance record (over 15 years in the U.S. w/o any accidents), it was to be a $500 deductible and no impact on our premiums. I guess it was worth it considering the damage will cost a tad over $2,500 to fix.

OK, so now to the "mechanical side of the story. Wife back out of the garage and hit my front right corner - bumper to bumper - with her rear left corner. There is NO (repeat
NO) damage on her Honda Element, apart from a very minute "blister" (if even that) on her rear bumper cover. The "big bad" LandCruiser really took a beating and the following is the estimate from the body shop:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NO. OP. DESCRIPTION QTY EXT. PRICE LABOR PAINT
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 FRONT BUMPER
2 O/H front bumper 1.2
3** Repl RECOND Bumper cover 1 $252.00 Incl. 2.6
4 Add for Clear Coat 1.0
5 Repl Impact bar (HSS) 1 $184.75 Incl.
6 Repl Impact pad 1 $49.61 Incl.
7 GRILLE
8 R&I R&I grille assy 0.3
9 Repl Filler panel 1 $191.60 0.5 1.0
10 Repl RT Panel extn 1 $46.90 0.2 0.2
11* R&I LT Panel extn 0.2
12 FRONT LAMPS
13 Repl RT Signal lamp assy 1 $82.06 0.3
14 R&I RT Headlamp assy 0.8
15 R&I RT Fog lamp assy Incl.
16 R&I LT Fog lamp assy Incl.
17 RADIATOR SUPPORT
18* Rpr Upper tie bar s 1.5 0.3
19 HOOD
20* R&I Bug Guard 0.5
21 FENDER
22# Setup time 1 1.0
23# Rpr Floor Pull Apron & Rt Fender 1.0
24* Rpr RT Fender w/o flare (HSS) 6.0 2.2
25 Add for Clear Coat 0.9
26 R&I RT Fender liner 0.5
27 Repl RT Fender liner brace fender 1 $10.32
to apron
28 R&I RT Body side mldg medium gray 0.5
29# Clean and Retape Mldg 1 0.3
30 R&I RT Mud guard 0.3
31* Rpr RT Apron panel 2.0 0.5
32 Overlap Minor Panel -0.2
33 ELECTRICAL
34* R&I Partial R&I & Loosen Antenna Assy m 1.0
35# Subl Hazardous waste removal 1 $5.00
36# Repl Cover car 1 $5.00 0.2
37# Repl Corrosion protection 1 $5.00 0.2
38# Repl Flex additive 1 $5.00
39# Color Tint body color 1 0.5
40# Color Tint cladding color 1 0.5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotals ==> $837.24 19.5 8.5
Parts 837.24
Body Labor 19.5 hrs @ $ 50.00 /hr 975.00
Paint Labor 8.5 hrs @ $ 50.00 /hr 425.00
Paint Supplies 8.5 hrs @ $ 25.00 /hr 212.50
Body Supplies 11.9 hrs @ $ 0.60/hr 7.14
----------------------------------------------------
SUBTOTAL $ 2456.88
Sales Tax $ 2456.88 @ 9.0000 % 221.12
----------------------------------------------------
GRAND TOTAL $ 2678.00
(summary does not look that good by mud does nort allow Excel sheets...).
I know what you guys say - and what I thought as well - should have put on that ARB front bumper last winter and the story would have been VERY different.
But still, it is interesting to see how this "perfect" hit impacted so much. A small hit on a corner of the bumper and essentially "everything" up front is "impacted" (out of line, out of synch, skewed).
And a majority of these repairs are needed - even if I put an ARB on...

[macneill]

TTIUWP!

[Topmounter]

Should have told her the police found some honest, hard working immigrant who they thought was responsible, that you were pressing charges to the fullest extent of the law and that they and their family were being deported immediately

[Wellcraft19]

Originally Posted by macneill

TTIUWP!

They'll be coming, raining outside, no good photo weather, and it is more of "story" than it is visual

[calixto]

Man, that was one long story. That def sucks but accidents happen. Sounds like a lot of BS repairs for just a minor fender bender but can't tell with no photos. BTW the amount would be significantly reduced if you put on the better ARB....you don't have to paint.

[Liam]

how about this. I will sell you my front bumper for $500 and you are home free...

[SpokaneLX470]

I had somone kiss the bumper on my LX in a parking lot. Body shops wanted $1300.

Friend who works for Toyota recommended a shop that specializes in bumper repair and paint. Little shop in the industrial area here in Spokane. Looked pretty ghetto and was pretty worried until...I saw the AMG 55, brand new 7 series, and several other brand new rides. You really think the dealers use a regular body shop when one of their lot monkeys hits something?

Bottom line, $380 for the front bumper, rockers (where peeling, he sanded and repainted both rockers), small paint flaw in the back, and buffing out a pretty big scrach. Cash discount. I couldn't believe it. Looks brand freakin new now, the work is excellent.

[1loudLX]

steel ftw, I Wish my mom backed into my truck with her car, instead she backed into a heating company van that was parked across the street.

[BManning`]

Originally Posted by 1loudLX

steel ftw, I Wish my mom backed into my truck with her car, instead she backed into a heating company van that was parked across the street.

LMAO Now that's comedy...

[1loudLX]

Originally Posted by BManning`

LMAO Now that's comedy...

would save me lots of money.

[Wellcraft19]

Originally Posted by Liam

how about this. I will sell you my front bumper for $500 and you are home free...

Hmm, might think about that.
But, point is that it was SUCH small hit, by such a "puny" car (Element) and the majority of the damage is in the actual body (outside fender, inside fender, radiator support bar, etc), not bumper. Heck, if it was just a matter of replacing the bumper, an ARB would have been on "as it happened".

I sort of "hate" these new/modern bumpers that are not allowed to move even a fraction of an inch, before they start to push sheetmetal around.
From photos you can even see that the seam between fender and hood is now uneven - indication that the entire (inside) fender moved.

[Wellcraft19]

And a few more...
Small stuff but oooh so annoying.
Have the insurance estimate in Excel if anyone wants to see.

[100 TD]

I cant understand this, look at the damage in this thread to my car
http://forum.ih8mud.com/100-series-c...it-my-car.html
$3300 AUD
The had to replace the turbo intercooler pipes, guard, trim panel, bumper and lots more, we get ripped off unbelievably on parts compared to you guys, I can see a lost of waste labour in the quote.......liner removal etc .5, should be .05, etc no need to replace bumper impact bar or pad aprox 240USD etc etc.

[100 TD]

Sorry, forgot to mention, shame about the damage actually happening.

[moooooooo]

Originally Posted by 100 TD

I cant understand this, look at the damage in this thread to my car
http://forum.ih8mud.com/100-series-c...it-my-car.html
$3300 AUD
The had to replace the turbo intercooler pipes, guard, trim panel, bumper and lots more, we get ripped off unbelievably on parts compared to you guys, I can see a lost of waste labour in the quote.......liner removal etc .5, should be .05, etc no need to replace bumper impact bar or pad aprox 240USD etc etc.

my incident reversing into a pole posted somewhere here....original quote was $4500....and that was to repair the l/h rear quarter panel.

they couldnt repair it. (so they said) cut the panel out from half way up the rear crossmember all the way thru to the l/h rear passenger door.

total repair was about $7k (AUD) as per 100TDs comments above....rip off prices we have to pay down here.

my insurer thru my lease wouldnt let me take it to where i wanted to....it would have cost half that and been a 100% better job.

i have paint coming off my rear bar already (only been 4 months) and around the petrol filler cap where it bolts on to the replaced quarter panel...already.....5 year warranty my arse!
i'll wait 4 years and claim on it!. By then the paint will have shaken off!!
peter

[macneill]

Doesn't look too bad. I'd just leave it.

Then again, I've got a million scratches, dings and dents in mine.

[SWUtah]

Read your story. I predict that you won't be married to this women in 5 years, totally based on your story. $2500 to fix a 99 LC, your lucky at the price they did not just total the LC

[scottm]

Why isn't this an opportunity to put an ARB bumper on it? I lightly hit a deer with my 80 and ended up with an ARB before my wife could protest. She ended up liking the look, and insurance covered it.

[1loudLX]

I've tried to hit deer all the time with the LX, they just get out of the way! I would fix the bumper and put some sort of steel up there, why waste the $ fixing the oem plastic crap?

[100 TD]

YEP,
I put the ARB steel on and didn't pay the $500 excess (did the deal with the repairer for cost of new plastic & labour)

Originally Posted by 1loudLX

I've tried to hit deer all the time with the LX, they just get out of the way! I would fix the bumper and put some sort of steel up there, why waste the $ fixing the oem plastic crap?

[Wellcraft19]

Originally Posted by SWUtah

Read your story. I predict that you won't be married to this women in 5 years, totally based on your story. $2500 to fix a 99 LC, your lucky at the price they did not just total the LC

Been married 8 years going strong. But we have a FUN and lively marriage. No boring days - guaranteed!

And to be honest, my 99 (knock on wood) has been too trouble free to be replaced...

Will have to look over issue again in regards to the ARB or TJM. Body needs to be fixed in any case (more than scratches or dings when you see up close, too much is "bent out of shape").
Need a proper mount for my Bosch Profi driving lights, so a bumper is "needed"...

[speyrod]

I stopped reading after this "I asked wife if she was interested in going down" as I wasn't sure where this was going.

[NMuzj100]

Originally Posted by macneill

Doesn't look too bad. I'd just leave it.

Then again, I've got a million scratches, dings and dents in mine.

Character marks. The truck is 10 years old. I don't want it to look brand new.

[FirstToy]

damn dude, it's just a car. why make your wife go through that b.s?
anyway, you brought this crap on yourself by not having a real front bumper

armor= zero damage

[farinvail]

"We are all dumber for having listened to that"