Wrecked my car today

[Poison_S]

That sucks!
:??:
Good to hear no one else was involved and that you were not hurt. Thanks for the warning too. These cars are BEASTS! I have said it myself to others when describing the Cobra.

Hope things work out for you one way or another very soon.

 

[Elapidae]

Steve,

Sorry to hear about your accident. Like youself and everyone else, It's great to hear that nobody was hurt. The Firestone website says:

Born at Indy.® Performs Everywhere.™ The Z-Speed rated Firehawk SZ50 EP with UNI-T AQ™ offers relentless consistency. With UNI-T AQ technology, you can count on wet performance excellence even as the tires wear. Whether the pavement’s wet or dry, whether the temperature’s hot or cool—the ultra-high extended performance Firehawk SZ50 EP with UNI-T AQ is there for you!

and:

Power V Tread Pattern - A design developed from the Firehawk Indy Racing rain tire to discharge water for better contact with wet roads and reduced risk of hydroplaning.

So it doesn't sound like you made a bad tire choice. :shrug:

Probably just an uncharacteristically slick spot combined with the amazing torque these cars produce. Good luck getting her back or getting a replacement. If the damage turns out to be mostly cosmetic (exterior body panels), It may look much worse than it is and it will be better than new when you get it back. If it’s serious “frame” damage you should push to get it totaled. Good luck to you.

 

[dmreitz]

One thing to add about Traction Control...

I personally don't like it - as has been described in another thread, if it kicks in when you are trying to punch it out onto a road, it can be dangerous (you think you have power, but the car bogs - which can lead to someone smacking into you)...

Now, with that said - in wet weather, traction control CAN be useful if you use it right. First off, in wet weather, we shouldn't be trying to do any "performance driving" in these cars - they just won't handle it very well...
But even if you are driving carefully, you can very easily lose the back end in wet weather... it's worse than drivng an "old"musclecar - most of them were actually heavier in the back (not that it made much of a difference - but the Cobra has even less weight over the back tires - and just as much power). So, by using TC, and understanding how it works, you can avoid losing the back end in wet weather.
Interestingly enough, if you aren't "punching it" and TC still kicks in, the bogging down doesn't seem nearly as bad - it's still there, but it's not as bad - and if you're somewhat expecting it, you can react accordingly... I guess to summarize - it's all about defensive driving in bad weather!

Anyway, just my 2 cents... I really feel bad for Steve and hope things work out... I'm just trying to give others tips on how to maybe avoid this situaion...

 

[haskett]

Steve-

Glad you're alright.

Looking ahead at getting treated right by the body shop and insurance company, I'd suggest getting some pictures of your car before anything changes. If the body shop makes you at all nervous, either by a questionable estimate, poor reputation, or questionable repair strategy, put the car on a wrecker and get another opinion.

Good luck.

 

[needspeed]

Again I want to thank all of you for your support it really helps. As for the TC, you all know in the dry it can be very dangerous to use it and drive aggressivley. On my 99 and 01 it did not bother me much so I left it on more often then not. With this car, I like it off. I will say that in the wet leaving it on is a good idea. I just got in the habit of turning it off and now I don't even think about it. I also am very careful in wet weather as I said, this is my first accident and my 3rd Cobra so I am very cautious when the roads are not dry. So as my wife reminds me, TC is my friend. I will remember that next time.....

 

[Gumball]

I'm glad to hear you're in one peice. I've got a couple bits of advice regarding the damage. First thing I'd try and do is grab any of your mods out of the car. Unless I miss my guess, your insurance company isn't going to give a rats ass what kind of exhaust you have. I know most of it is probably toast, but if you can save any of it I would.

Second, you should specify to the adjuster that comes to look at it that if they're going to repair it you only want OEM parts. I'm not sure if it's a "by company" or "by state" deal, but if you request OEM parts I think they have to give them to you. State Farm was all over the news a while back because they were using aftermarket parts on every repair. I think they changed that stance after all the negative publicity. I know Allstate has to give you OEM if you request them. Not only are they better if your car gets repaired, but it may boost the repair cost over the total cost, and get you into a new car.

One last piece of bad news, remember, you are not going to get your car replaced. The insurance company will give you book value only if it's totalled. Hope this helps. If you have any other insurance questions let me know.

 

[needspeed]

Originally posted by Gumball

One last piece of bad news, remember, you are not going to get your car replaced. The insurance company will give you book value only if it's totalled. Hope this helps. If you have any other insurance questions let me know.

I am very glad that my wife and the dealer finance person talked me into buying gap insurance. So based on what I was told I should be covered on my loan.