Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal

Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 02:21 AM

So I got on the highway to get to work today behind a minivan. We merge onto the 1st lane of traffic, I go to check traffic to merge to the second lane, look back ahead, and notice that Mr Minivan has slammed on his brakes ahead of me. I have about 50 feet to brake so I panic and slam on mine and wrench it over to the shoulder to avoid. Mr Minivan also goes over the the shoulder so I overcorrect and start to spin. I end up stalled, facing an oncoming semi truck, across 2 lanes of traffic. Truck driver sees what's happening, merges into 3rd lane, but not quick enough to keep from clipping my quarter with his trailer and ripping my bumper away from the car.

Mr. Minivan hauls [Edited by Moparts - Keep it clean] out of there. Somewhere in spinning out I forgot to look for a license plate.

So what I need is a body shop in SoCal that's good with mopars and can get this fixed right. I'll probably be doing the full quarter and inner quarter while im at it to fix the rust.

Insurance will probably take care of things, I just want someone who knows the old cars, not some run of the mill bondo shop.

Attached picture 4785328-Picture007.jpg

Posted By: 69CopperCoronet

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 02:21 AM

pic 2

Posted By: 69CopperCoronet

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 02:22 AM

metal shreddage

Attached picture 4785332-Picture009.jpg

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 06:45 AM

Quote:

So I got on the highway to get to work today behind a minivan. We merge onto the 1st lane of traffic, I go to check traffic to merge to the second lane, look back ahead, and notice that Mr Minivan has slammed on his brakes ahead of me. I have about 50 feet to brake so I panic and slam on mine and wrench it over to the shoulder to avoid. Mr Minivan also goes over the the shoulder so I overcorrect and start to spin. I end up stalled, facing an oncoming semi truck, across 2 lanes of traffic. Truck driver sees what's happening, merges into 3rd lane, but not quick enough to keep from clipping my quarter with his trailer and ripping my bumper away from the car.

Mr. Minivan hauls [Edited by Moparts - Keep it clean] out of there. Somewhere in spinning out I forgot to look for a license plate.

So what I need is a body shop in SoCal that's good with mopars and can get this fixed right. I'll probably be doing the full quarter and inner quarter while im at it to fix the rust.

Insurance will probably take care of things, I just want someone who knows the old cars, not some run of the mill bondo shop.

What area of So Cal? It's a big place.

Posted By: SuprB70

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 07:39 AM

Man that sucks, but it sounds like it could have been alot worse! The damage dosent look that bad, i'm sure a decent body man should be able to fix it. I dont know any shops in socal, but you shouldnt have a problem finding one.

Posted By: Pool Fixer

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 01:39 PM

Quote:

.....
Mr. Minivan hauls [Edited by Moparts - Keep it clean] out of there. Somewhere in spinning out I forgot to look for a license plate.

........

i'm curious why you would need to get his plate?

Posted By: 69CopperCoronet

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 04:28 PM

Quote:

What area of So Cal? It's a big place.

orange county. this happened on the 5 in irvine

Posted By: 69CopperCoronet

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 04:28 PM

Quote:

Quote:

.....
Mr. Minivan hauls [Edited by Moparts - Keep it clean] out of there. Somewhere in spinning out I forgot to look for a license plate.

........

i'm curious why you would need to get his plate?

to track him down and make him pay?

Posted By: AZ_A12_BEE

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 04:33 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

.....
Mr. Minivan hauls [Edited by Moparts - Keep it clean] out of there. Somewhere in spinning out I forgot to look for a license plate.

........

i'm curious why you would need to get his plate?

to track him down and make him pay?

He did nothing wrong, you were following too close to stop safely causing you to overcorrect leaving your lane where you got hit

Posted By: Fab64

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 04:52 PM

I haven't used this shop, but I got the recommendation from fellow Moparts member BRawls. Orange County Restoration in Santa Ana. The phone # is 714-542-1775.

It's a small shop (4 guys) but Brad says they do fantastic work at very reasonable prices. They can work with you to get the kind of paint job you want, from just a driver to a show quality.

Posted By: Pool Fixer

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 05:00 PM

Quote:

......I go to check traffic to merge to the second lane, look back ahead, and notice that Mr Minivan has slammed on his brakes ahead of me......

by your own account, it's totally your fault. Even if you had his plate number, any cop or judge would laugh at you for the mere suggestion that this other guy was responsible for your crash.

I rearended someone about 4 years ago doing the exact same thing you did. I was checking my sideview to merge and traffic ahead stopped short. It was totally my fault and I count myself lucky for not being sued. The guy in the semi should hold you responsible because your lack of attention put you a$$ backwards on the freeway in his path.

Posted By: BergmanAutoCraft

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 05:06 PM

Too often I hear of accidents that should have happened with classic cars. Most be THINK there stuff handles and breaks well, but the reality is that most are terrible in a panic manuever. No wonder so many wound up in junkyards...I suggest people find a desolate are to check braking under panic stopping. You'd be surprised what a mess most of these cars really are.
Glad you weren't hurt, and the car is fixable.

Posted By: 440newport

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 05:51 PM

Quote:

Too often I hear of accidents that should have happened with classic cars. Most be THINK there stuff handles and breaks well, but the reality is that most are terrible in a panic manuever. No wonder so many wound up in junkyards...I suggest people find a desolate are to check braking under panic stopping. You'd be surprised what a mess most of these cars really are.
Glad you weren't hurt, and the car is fixable.

Most seem too have to much rear brake bias, under a panic stop the rear locks first and the tail comes around. Pretty much any older car I've driven is like that. Funny thing though, my '67 newport with 4 wheel 11 inch drums will stop in a nice straight line even with all 4 locked. Only thing is you can only make a stop like that once.

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 08:00 PM

Quote:

Too often I hear of accidents that should have happened with classic cars. Most be THINK there stuff handles and breaks well, but the reality is that most are terrible in a panic manuever. No wonder so many wound up in junkyards...I suggest people find a desolate are to check braking under panic stopping. You'd be surprised what a mess most of these cars really are.
Glad you weren't hurt, and the car is fixable.

True in general.

But it doesn't mean this particular accident could be positively avoided if he was driving a new car. Or even a modern sports car. Just if there was still sufficient room left between the minivan for a better braking and maybe handing car.

The newer modern minivan went into the shoulder to avoid what was in front of him also. The minivan didn't trust, or was also too close, for his modern car brakes.

The Coronet made a manuver to the right open shoulder under braking instead of braking in a straight line. Then the minivan did the same and closed the shoulder. Some or all of Coronet tires on the shoulder contacted slippery dirt and debris on the shoulder pavement. The Coronet made a second manuver to the left out of the shoulder and lost traction/control.

In metro So Cal we follow too close. If we followed the 3 sec rule someone would cut us off in that gap.

69CopperCoronet, it wouldn't be a bad idea to think about some 11.75 front disc, adj rear proportioning valve, little stiffer shocks, maybe an aftermarket swaybar.

Posted By: MoparDonny

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 11:10 PM

Quote:

In metro So Cal we follow too close. If we followed the 3 sec rule someone would cut us off in that gap.

Didn't Dennis Haysbert (spelling?) Just say on the latest Allstate commercial that it is now a 2 second rule?

Really though, glad you came out alive. It does suck that it is the guy who is behind that is at fault but that's the way it goes, I guess more times than not that kind of mess could be avoided in some way. My buddy punched out a cab driver once for following him WAY too close. Sounds worse than it was, but I think the cabbie got the message.

Don.

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/01/08 11:40 PM

Quote:

Quote:

In metro So Cal we follow too close. If we followed the 3 sec rule someone would cut us off in that gap.

Didn't Dennis Haysbert (spelling?) Just say on the latest Allstate commercial that it is now a 2 second rule?

Really though, glad you came out alive. It does suck that it is the guy who is behind that is at fault but that's the way it goes, I guess more times than not that kind of mess could be avoided in some way. My buddy punched out a cab driver once for following him WAY too close. Sounds worse than it was, but I think the cabbie got the message.

Don.

Merging into the freeway things are always a little different. Down in the OC on the 5 fwy the run 1 sec gaps at 80-85 mph 6-7 lanes wide! You're trying to get up to speed so some idiot doesn't run you over. And if traffic in all the other lane is moving you don't expect the right lane to slam on the brakes. Also with a tall minivan you can see what is happening in front of that car.

To end up pointing the wrong way looking at a semi on the 5 fwy with only a busted quarter panel... that's doing fine in my book.

Posted By: 1_WILD_RT

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/02/08 12:00 AM

Quote:

To end up pointing the wrong way looking at a semi on the 5 fwy with only a busted quarter panel... that's doing fine in my book.

On one hand

& on the other, thats a big part of why these cars don't typically get use in a daily driver role anymore... I enjoy driving my Challenger but I've been white knukled to often when traffic starts getting stupid...

Good Luck getting the Coronet fixed, it could have been much worse....

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/02/08 12:38 AM

Quote:

Quote:

To end up pointing the wrong way looking at a semi on the 5 fwy with only a busted quarter panel... that's doing fine in my book.

On one hand & on the other, thats a big part of why these cars don't typically get use in a daily driver role anymore... I enjoy driving my Challenger but I've been white knukled to often when traffic starts getting stupid...

Good Luck getting the Coronet fixed, it could have been much worse....

Sometime a good defense is a good offense.

I drive my Barracuda in the left fast lane at ~80 mph ~4000 rpm passing cars on the right. I'm always running late and I run'um hard.

BUT my 67 Fury vert with manual 4 wheel drums was an issue. I had to leave huge gaps when I drove it from LA to Thousand Oaks. I drove the right lane and when braking always looked for an escape route. After going up and over the Sepulveda pass and down the Ventura Fwy that thing would get BRAKE FADE like non other. No need for coffee after a ride to work in that car.

Posted By: basketcase

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/02/08 01:01 AM

glad you weren't hurt, and the car can be fixed. after loosing a car to a garage fire, I'm more determinded to drive mine as much as I can.
you just need to be more careful, and like some others have said, better brakes are something a lot of us need to do.

Posted By: bboogieart

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/02/08 01:30 AM

Sorry for your bad luck. We always gotta be looking out for the other guy cuz he usually ain't payin' attention. At least you are alright. I got rear ended about 13 years ago and I am still feeling it in my lower back. Still looking for a shell too, but they are realy getting expensive. Here's hoping we both get our cars back in good shape.
Maybe this picture will make you feel a little better.

Posted By: 69CopperCoronet

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/02/08 02:58 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Too often I hear of accidents that should have happened with classic cars. Most be THINK there stuff handles and breaks well, but the reality is that most are terrible in a panic manuever. No wonder so many wound up in junkyards...I suggest people find a desolate are to check braking under panic stopping. You'd be surprised what a mess most of these cars really are.
Glad you weren't hurt, and the car is fixable.

True in general.

But it doesn't mean this particular accident could be positively avoided if he was driving a new car. Or even a modern sports car. Just if there was still sufficient room left between the minivan for a better braking and maybe handing car.

The newer modern minivan went into the shoulder to avoid what was in front of him also. The minivan didn't trust, or was also too close, for his modern car brakes.

The Coronet made a manuver to the right open shoulder under braking instead of braking in a straight line. Then the minivan did the same and closed the shoulder. Some or all of Coronet tires on the shoulder contacted slippery dirt and debris on the shoulder pavement. The Coronet made a second manuver to the left out of the shoulder and lost traction/control.

In metro So Cal we follow too close. If we followed the 3 sec rule someone would cut us off in that gap.

69CopperCoronet, it wouldn't be a bad idea to think about some 11.75 front disc, adj rear proportioning valve, little stiffer shocks, maybe an aftermarket swaybar.

ive got the ssbc brake system, biggest torsion bars you can buy, biggest sway bars you can buy, boxed lower cas, tubular uppers, urethane everywhere, kybs, 275s out back, 235s up front.

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: Semi Truck 1 Coronet 0: Need Body Shop in SoCal - 11/02/08 03:16 AM

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ive got the ssbc brake system, biggest torsion bars you can buy, biggest sway bars you can buy, boxed lower cas, tubular uppers, urethane everywhere, kybs, 275s out back, 235s up front.

Well you thought about it... and did it. Dude, you're there allready

Might not hurt to check out the front/rear brake bias.

Wet pavement like we had today and someone to watch would do it.

No reason to assume absolutely a new car would not have ended up in the same result.