Damn kids & their cell phones

[penth2o]

Sitting at a red light in Grand Haven when I see this teeny bopper on her cell in the rear view. I gassed it to get further ahead of her and lessen the impact & the punk still hit me.

Got out and she's freaking her Dad's gonna kill her. I ripped on her telling her she never even saw the red light or me sitting at it.

I had to run the light to get away and you still ran through it and hit me.

I'm calling the cops, yer going to jail. Freaked her out for a while then I drove off pissed.

Question: Can I just hook up a come along and ease it back. These are fluid filled, what happened to the fluid. or are these a one time hit and I have to get a new bumper shock.

Glad I didn't shorten the bumpers like I though I might do.

Thanks for the help.

Joel.

nt

[Craig74tii]

I think you can just grab it and pull it out with your hands.

[ArdenK]

Oh s#it,

I hope you got her insurance. The answer is maybe, what is the condition of your frame rail? Check your passenger door to see if it is closing ok & check the alignment where the door meets the quarter. If only the bumper is damaged I think you can use a come-along, use the search, there are a few posts about pulling the shock out. The next time that shock takes a hit it will probably crush like a beer can, as far as I know they should be replaced after being collapsed.

Good Luck!

[norm]

Sorry about the hit.

I don't know too much about the square lights, but would this be a good time to go "Euro", meaning flat or short bumpers?

Please, what is the "Euro" bumpers or "what" is the conversion?

Norm

[Justin76]

Similar thing happened to me a few years ago, except we were stopped at a red light, the light turned green, nobody moved but the girl behind me right into my passenger side bumper...I just ended up doing the bumper tuck after countless attempts at pulling it back out by hand.

[Craig74tii]

If he would have had tucked bumpers it probably would have been a trip to the body shop. I love the big bumpers.

[norm]

That is true. The big bumpers do their job very well. Our 24 lemons racer has been hit hard many times and the front and rear a still both pretty much hit free.

Norm

[ArdenK]

If he would have had tucked bumpers it probably would have been a trip to the body shop. I love the big bumpers.

If it was a roundie it would be going to the shop. The early bumpers are pretty but don't do much for protection.

[Pierre]

I used a come along (actually a 10,000-pound tie down strap with a ratchet, and pulled. I had the emergency brakes on and I pulled until the car started to slide, then BAM! it just popped out.

I don't know if the shock is still effective, but it's a temporary fix at the very least. And you will save you side bellows from deforming permantly if they stay distorted for an extended period of time.

[Napes]

I got hit in the back by an 18-wheel tractor while I was stopped at a traffic light. Collasped all 3 shocks somewhat but I but a WTB on the Parts Wanted page here and got 3 used, but never collasped, ones for about $40 bucks if I remember correctly. I tried the recommended methods of pulling them back out without much luck. But, as others have said, if you get a moderate hit in the back the big bumpers will protect the body of the car.

Bob Napier

[Craig74tii]

And IIRC, that's the only bellows not available.

[penth2o]

Ok. That's what I thought, just replace the right bumper shock. I'll come-along it out for now as we still have great driving weather yet then throw it in the garage for the winter and start working on it. See what happens when you go to the city....

We're Michiganders. We don't report anything. We just fix it. The left side is still straight and untouched. The right side just got pushed in until the plastic bumper apron touched the trunk. No bends,screwed up panels or doors. It stuck the bumper shock in the collapsed position and can't be pulled by hand. I tried. No damage whatsoever except the bumper is cocked to the right with the apron pushing up the trunk & the accordion is twacked .

I thank God I don't have modified bumpers as the whole rear trunk would be concave. I thought about shortening them at one time.

I also thank God that I saw her in the rear view and stepped on it to get a little distance & lessen the impact and I really thank God that no one was barreling through the red light I ran to get away from her. It was a quick decision but i looked left and relied on peripheral on the right.

If I hadn't stepped on it she would have put my trunk in the back seat.

Then I would have had to get her insurance and the cops. I just ripped on her for a while and told her what could have happened if I didn't step on it and told her she could have killed me or her and put the fu@#ing cell phone down when your driving. The call wasn't that important was it. She said no I wasn't talking I was texting. That's when I got pissed and drove off. It was that or smack a minor on the roadside.

EDIT: I have been buying parts for a while now in anticipation of restoring this car down the road. It is in great shape and I don't have to do that for years to come but I didn't think I'd have hit my stash so soon. I have NOS shocks and accordions thank God. I heard they were NLA so I bought them when I found them.

[jgerock]

Sorry about your hit Joel. Back in 1988 or so, my neighbors 74 2002 was bumped in the rear like your car. We were able to pull it out (but not completely).

[c.d.iesel]

glad your alright, and the car's alright,

but you didn't do the girl any good by

NOT calling the cops. She did not learn

any lessons about responsibility.

Any you may be the cause of her next accident.

Pray her next victum lives to tell another

story of the dumb girl driving with no brain.

In Connecticut - she would not be driving the next day

if the cops had shown up to that scene.

Shame on you.

[M3M3]

don't care where you are from, not reporting anything doesn't help. i assume from the pics of yours that the teeny bopper had no damage to her car. with no report, she just got away with really bad driving with ZERO consequences. hope the next time she hits someone it isn't another 2002, and no nobody is seriously hurt. these kids need to learn there are negative impacts to their irresponsible actions.

me, i would have stayed there until the police did the report, i got all her info, and called her parents....but that is just me. (new england and miami background...)