January 2003 COTM
'02 Ebony GLS
50,000 miles of fun driving
. . . Suspension/Wheels - Eibachs, Tibbie rear antisway, KORE front strut bar, camber bolts, Enkei Zoku 17-inch, Nitto 215/45/17, McGards (2 sets), EBC brakes.
. . . Body - Not one door ding, heavily waxed, glistening Obsidian black, Obsidian black grille, PIAA driving lights, mesh grille, OEM high spoiler, KDM clear corners, PIAA XtremeWhites/Raybrig bulbs, niteshades taillights, debadged except for GT on front fenders.
. . . Interior - SR gauges, RadioShack LEDs in dash, Alpine 9833, Infinity speakers, Infinity amp w/12-inch sub, B&M shifter, Tibbie pedals, Clifford Matrix alarm, GT mats, (not installed KDM chrome door handles).
. . . Engine - Blue powdercoat CAI with K&N RU3570, Blue powdercoat KORE front strut bar, engine cover sanded smooth painted Duplicolor MetalCast with matching blue caps for bolts, blue anodized oil and powersteering caps, Mobil 1 since infancy.
Dec 12, '04 11 AM Overcast, wet, v-e-r-y windy morning. Driving home from morning (Christmas) shopping, taking shortcut along winding country road. Unusually windy day (40+ mpg gusts). Lots of blowing debris, leaves, small branches. Suddenly windshield breaks - not crack, but break like a baseball bat hitting it - in the middle of the windshield right in front of the steering wheel. Loud POP as it hits . . . can't see out windshield . . . nerves shot . . . bowels empty . . . slam on brakes . . . right tires in gravel . . . car oversteers sideways . . . front end of car goes into 2-foot ditch (passenger right front hitting . . . airbag blows . . . remaining bowel contents empty . . . car spins around . . . head hits side window . . . hands break off both wiper and headlight stalks, car pops out of ditch, ending up on its wheels, facing the wrong direction on the road.
Eventually stumble out of car, chest and crotch hurt from seat belt, head has large 'knot' on it from side window . . . then slip and fall into ditch, roadrashing leg. Another car that was behind incident stops, said they saw a 10-ft branch from fir tree break off, just as car was going by.
Damage: hard hit on front right, hard enough to break motor mounts and crease firewall. Passenger door un-openable. Drivers front tire blown, damage to drivers side fender and door (scraping when 'exiting' ditch). Drivers air bag popped (not passenger side - 'smart' bags??), both stalks beside steering wheel broken off, windshield, drivers side mirror busted.
Towed (FREE) courtesy of Hyundai Roadside warranty
$10,200 damage.
Totaled.
Took everything non-stock that was 'removable' off the car . . . including most of the items listed above . . . non-coverage for these improvements due to insurance not notified (read - charge more in premiums) of additions.
After discussion, Insurance Company pays $8241 (Loss was $8491, minus $250 comprehensive deductible)
Replacement vehicle shopping begins . . .
