R.I.P. 1G2HX52K6S4276631 (now with pics)
09-13-2003, 01:44 PM
#41
Senior Member
Expert Gearhead
Mach, its the first words of the guilty in this kind of situation..."It wasn't me" 
People will find any excuse to alleviate fault on their own part
People will find any excuse to alleviate fault on their own part
09-14-2003, 01:09 AM
#43
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Good article on VIN'* here
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/dri...4/article.html
1. Position one represents the nation of origin, or the final point of assembly. For instance, cars made in the U.*. start with 1, Canada is 2, Mexico is 3, Japan is J, and Germany is W.
2. Position two tells you about the manufacturer. For example, A is for Audi, B is for BMW, L is for Lincoln and N is for Nissan.
3. This letter tells you about the make.
4. Positions four through eight tell you about the car, such as the series, body type, restraint system, and engine code.
5. Position nine is the check digit, a number from 0-9 or the letter X. By some magic finagling, law enforcement officials can detect if you've tampered with your VIN by this character.
6. This letter is the model year. The letters from B-X correspond to the model years starting with 1981, with X bringing up the rear with 2000. There are no I, O or Q. Confusing? Here'* a list of the model years: B=81, C=82, D=83, E=84, F=85, G=86, H=87, J=88, K=89, L=90, M=91, N=92, P=93, R=94, *=95, T=96, V=97, W=98, X=99, W=00, Y=01, Z=02.
7. The letter or number here indicates where the vehicle was assembled. For instance, 9 identifies that it was made in Detroit, Mich.
8. The last 6 digits are the production sequence numbers.
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/dri...4/article.html
1. Position one represents the nation of origin, or the final point of assembly. For instance, cars made in the U.*. start with 1, Canada is 2, Mexico is 3, Japan is J, and Germany is W.
2. Position two tells you about the manufacturer. For example, A is for Audi, B is for BMW, L is for Lincoln and N is for Nissan.
3. This letter tells you about the make.
4. Positions four through eight tell you about the car, such as the series, body type, restraint system, and engine code.
5. Position nine is the check digit, a number from 0-9 or the letter X. By some magic finagling, law enforcement officials can detect if you've tampered with your VIN by this character.
6. This letter is the model year. The letters from B-X correspond to the model years starting with 1981, with X bringing up the rear with 2000. There are no I, O or Q. Confusing? Here'* a list of the model years: B=81, C=82, D=83, E=84, F=85, G=86, H=87, J=88, K=89, L=90, M=91, N=92, P=93, R=94, *=95, T=96, V=97, W=98, X=99, W=00, Y=01, Z=02.
7. The letter or number here indicates where the vehicle was assembled. For instance, 9 identifies that it was made in Detroit, Mich.
8. The last 6 digits are the production sequence numbers.
09-14-2003, 03:50 PM
#45
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I wonder if they would ever run out of the original 16 digits and have a 17 digit VIN after a while. Its just so many cars out here now. I feel the same way about our social security numbers. There 9 digits now. More ppl in America being born. Will there ever be a ten digit number?
09-14-2003, 09:35 PM
#46
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well, i got some pics today. so for some of you, here are some pictures of the car involved in my "fairy tale". for others, here'* what happened to my mom'* car
this is the car'* best side as of the moment
my mom'* boyfriend (who took the pics) was quite impressed that i was able to take out both corners while leaving the main headlight assemblies untouched
this is the least of our worries
here is what the 4x4 post did to the roof (remember, no matter how much you want to take out that stupid sign, it doesn't do good things to your car)
here you can see the damage caused by the car that pulled out in front of me
here is the front drivers side rim
is that gap supposed to be there?
up close of the damage to the front of the drivers door
drivers side front 1/4 pannel
not sure what scraped that paint off, but i'm sure it was something i hit
this is the car'* best side as of the moment
my mom'* boyfriend (who took the pics) was quite impressed that i was able to take out both corners while leaving the main headlight assemblies untouched
this is the least of our worries
here is what the 4x4 post did to the roof (remember, no matter how much you want to take out that stupid sign, it doesn't do good things to your car)
here you can see the damage caused by the car that pulled out in front of me
here is the front drivers side rim
is that gap supposed to be there?
up close of the damage to the front of the drivers door
drivers side front 1/4 pannel
not sure what scraped that paint off, but i'm sure it was something i hit
09-14-2003, 10:34 PM
#49
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I know how it feels
BB: Sorry to hear about your mishap. I can relate.
My previous car was a slightly modified 1995 Formula Firebird. I have always done my own repairs, but in July of 2002 I made an exception and paid the local Pontiac dealer a little over $2000 to install a Goodwrench transmission (automatic) with a 3 year, 36000 mile warranty. The car was in great shape in spite of its 145000 miles, the LT1 V-8 never burned a drop of oil, and yes, it would SCREAM! I was intending to get at least 200000++ miles out of the thing, and probably would have, considering the 2.73 axle ratio. In overdrive, the thing turned 2000 RPMs at 80 MPH, 2500 RPMs at 100, and 3000 RPMs at 120 MPH! (Never took my eyes of the road long enough to check the tach the few times I took it over 150 MPH on DESERTED interstates.)
Anyway, less than a month after getting the new transmission an IDIOT driver in a Lebaron convertible made a left turn in front of me. My right front caught his right rear quarter panel- half a block from my home at 25 MPH. This little "bump" did not set off the air bags, and I have hit potholes that jarred me worse than this. Yet, the plastic Bird was declared a total loss! The other driver was charged for the incident, and after 3 or 4 weeks of negotiation and raising cain about the recent repair I got enough to pay off the small amount still owed on the Bird, pay cash for my SSEi, and pocket a few bucks.
I'm OK with all of that, but exactly one month later another idiot turned left in front of my wife in her 5.0 LX Mustang, a nice car we bought 11 years ago from it'* original 60- something-year-old owner. The idiot obviously failed to yield, but the worthless cops at the scene didn't charge anyone. My wife was unhurt, so the idiot who caused the accident lives to wreck again. We didn't have full coverage on the 'stang, so we got screwed on the deal. The car had a recent paint job, new tires, and more- probably one of the nicest cars of it'* kind in the area! Since business has been slower for me than it has in years, the Ford still sits in our yard awaiting repair.......
Anyway, one point for this rant is that there are too many incompetent drivers on the road, and the standards for getting and RENEWING a driver’* license should be raised big time! Here in Georgia, anyone with a pulse and $15 can pretty much get a license to drive on public roads. The last time I renewed here, they didn't even check my eyes!
I recently spent 4 days in Flint, Mi. for Buick'* centennial celebration, and encountered less idiot drivers in Michigan in 4 days than I see driving across town here in Gainesville, Ga. The roads suck in Michigan, but at least most folks there can drive.
Amazing....
Good luck with the insurance situation.
My previous car was a slightly modified 1995 Formula Firebird. I have always done my own repairs, but in July of 2002 I made an exception and paid the local Pontiac dealer a little over $2000 to install a Goodwrench transmission (automatic) with a 3 year, 36000 mile warranty. The car was in great shape in spite of its 145000 miles, the LT1 V-8 never burned a drop of oil, and yes, it would SCREAM! I was intending to get at least 200000++ miles out of the thing, and probably would have, considering the 2.73 axle ratio. In overdrive, the thing turned 2000 RPMs at 80 MPH, 2500 RPMs at 100, and 3000 RPMs at 120 MPH! (Never took my eyes of the road long enough to check the tach the few times I took it over 150 MPH on DESERTED interstates.)
Anyway, less than a month after getting the new transmission an IDIOT driver in a Lebaron convertible made a left turn in front of me. My right front caught his right rear quarter panel- half a block from my home at 25 MPH. This little "bump" did not set off the air bags, and I have hit potholes that jarred me worse than this. Yet, the plastic Bird was declared a total loss! The other driver was charged for the incident, and after 3 or 4 weeks of negotiation and raising cain about the recent repair I got enough to pay off the small amount still owed on the Bird, pay cash for my SSEi, and pocket a few bucks.
I'm OK with all of that, but exactly one month later another idiot turned left in front of my wife in her 5.0 LX Mustang, a nice car we bought 11 years ago from it'* original 60- something-year-old owner. The idiot obviously failed to yield, but the worthless cops at the scene didn't charge anyone. My wife was unhurt, so the idiot who caused the accident lives to wreck again. We didn't have full coverage on the 'stang, so we got screwed on the deal. The car had a recent paint job, new tires, and more- probably one of the nicest cars of it'* kind in the area! Since business has been slower for me than it has in years, the Ford still sits in our yard awaiting repair.......
Anyway, one point for this rant is that there are too many incompetent drivers on the road, and the standards for getting and RENEWING a driver’* license should be raised big time! Here in Georgia, anyone with a pulse and $15 can pretty much get a license to drive on public roads. The last time I renewed here, they didn't even check my eyes!
I recently spent 4 days in Flint, Mi. for Buick'* centennial celebration, and encountered less idiot drivers in Michigan in 4 days than I see driving across town here in Gainesville, Ga. The roads suck in Michigan, but at least most folks there can drive.
Amazing....
Good luck with the insurance situation.
09-14-2003, 10:43 PM
#50
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: I know how it feels
Originally Posted by ejecto
BB: Sorry to hear about your mishap. I can relate.
My previous car was a slightly modified 1995 Formula Firebird. I have always done my own repairs, but in July of 2002 I made an exception and paid the local Pontiac dealer a little over $2000 to install a Goodwrench transmission (automatic) with a 3 year, 36000 mile warranty. The car was in great shape in spite of its 145000 miles, the LT1 V-8 never burned a drop of oil, and yes, it would SCREAM! I was intending to get at least 200000++ miles out of the thing, and probably would have, considering the 2.73 axle ratio. In overdrive, the thing turned 2000 RPMs at 80 MPH, 2500 RPMs at 100, and 3000 RPMs at 120 MPH! (Never took my eyes of the road long enough to check the tach the few times I took it over 150 MPH on DESERTED interstates.)
Anyway, less than a month after getting the new transmission an IDIOT driver in a Lebaron convertible made a left turn in front of me. My right front caught his right rear quarter panel- half a block from my home at 25 MPH. This little "bump" did not set off the air bags, and I have hit potholes that jarred me worse than this. Yet, the plastic Bird was declared a total loss! The other driver was charged for the incident, and after 3 or 4 weeks of negotiation and raising cain about the recent repair I got enough to pay off the small amount still owed on the Bird, pay cash for my SSEi, and pocket a few bucks.
I'm OK with all of that, but exactly one month later another idiot turned left in front of my wife in her 5.0 LX Mustang, a nice car we bought 11 years ago from it'* original 60- something-year-old owner. The idiot obviously failed to yield, but the worthless cops at the scene didn't charge anyone. My wife was unhurt, so the idiot who caused the accident lives to wreck again. We didn't have full coverage on the 'stang, so we got screwed on the deal. The car had a recent paint job, new tires, and more- probably one of the nicest cars of it'* kind in the area! Since business has been slower for me than it has in years, the Ford still sits in our yard awaiting repair.......
Anyway, one point for this rant is that there are too many incompetent drivers on the road, and the standards for getting and RENEWING a driver’* license should be raised big time! Here in Georgia, anyone with a pulse and $15 can pretty much get a license to drive on public roads. The last time I renewed here, they didn't even check my eyes!
I recently spent 4 days in Flint, Mi. for Buick'* centennial celebration, and encountered less idiot drivers in Michigan in 4 days than I see driving across town here in Gainesville, Ga. The roads suck in Michigan, but at least most folks there can drive.
Amazing....
Good luck with the insurance situation.
My previous car was a slightly modified 1995 Formula Firebird. I have always done my own repairs, but in July of 2002 I made an exception and paid the local Pontiac dealer a little over $2000 to install a Goodwrench transmission (automatic) with a 3 year, 36000 mile warranty. The car was in great shape in spite of its 145000 miles, the LT1 V-8 never burned a drop of oil, and yes, it would SCREAM! I was intending to get at least 200000++ miles out of the thing, and probably would have, considering the 2.73 axle ratio. In overdrive, the thing turned 2000 RPMs at 80 MPH, 2500 RPMs at 100, and 3000 RPMs at 120 MPH! (Never took my eyes of the road long enough to check the tach the few times I took it over 150 MPH on DESERTED interstates.)
Anyway, less than a month after getting the new transmission an IDIOT driver in a Lebaron convertible made a left turn in front of me. My right front caught his right rear quarter panel- half a block from my home at 25 MPH. This little "bump" did not set off the air bags, and I have hit potholes that jarred me worse than this. Yet, the plastic Bird was declared a total loss! The other driver was charged for the incident, and after 3 or 4 weeks of negotiation and raising cain about the recent repair I got enough to pay off the small amount still owed on the Bird, pay cash for my SSEi, and pocket a few bucks.
I'm OK with all of that, but exactly one month later another idiot turned left in front of my wife in her 5.0 LX Mustang, a nice car we bought 11 years ago from it'* original 60- something-year-old owner. The idiot obviously failed to yield, but the worthless cops at the scene didn't charge anyone. My wife was unhurt, so the idiot who caused the accident lives to wreck again. We didn't have full coverage on the 'stang, so we got screwed on the deal. The car had a recent paint job, new tires, and more- probably one of the nicest cars of it'* kind in the area! Since business has been slower for me than it has in years, the Ford still sits in our yard awaiting repair.......
Anyway, one point for this rant is that there are too many incompetent drivers on the road, and the standards for getting and RENEWING a driver’* license should be raised big time! Here in Georgia, anyone with a pulse and $15 can pretty much get a license to drive on public roads. The last time I renewed here, they didn't even check my eyes!
I recently spent 4 days in Flint, Mi. for Buick'* centennial celebration, and encountered less idiot drivers in Michigan in 4 days than I see driving across town here in Gainesville, Ga. The roads suck in Michigan, but at least most folks there can drive.
Amazing....
Good luck with the insurance situation.