Jivermo wrote:It wasn't a Road Warrior incident, and you're physically OK. Big pluses in my book. But, damn it all, she shoulda been paying attention. It's a bus, for cryin' out loud, lady. Hit a goddam Lexus or something.
I have played a pecular phone tag with Lin Ling this morning. The number for the owner of the car that she gave to the officer and I was not the correct number. I called her and requested the correct number , and it takes me into voice mail only. I think I shall pay an early morning visit to his alleged residence in the morning.
Then I went to work:
The impact pulled the left rear bumper bracket down. I took the occasion of the opened frame box to hit it with rust catalyzing primer, then jacked the weight of the rear, 2,300 lbs, onto a bumper bolt without the bracket, then "tapped" with my sledge until the hole was sitting a bit higher:
The battery tray is jacked in the middle and pulled away from the rear quarter panel to show the secret places behind our best efforts at underside protection:
Pretty spot to work:
Touched up all exposed metal because rain is coming. I hate to see that buckled left panel, but hope it will spontaneously straighten when I find a shop that will PULL properly:
After measuring the displacement of the left rear bracket, I used this "brake" to unfold the left end of the bumper:
Installed the bumper with two offsetting seatbelt anchors (from my switch to retractables) so I can have some continuing protection from the distracted . . . :
Saw threatening clouds and scampered down the hill .. .. .. :
.. .. .. to the sunnier valley of Espanola where I painted my mangled bumper with a paint brush:
Here you can see that the bumper can at least provide some nominal protection:
The car absorbed a pretty good whallop. I am so glad that I had upgraded to the factory washers and four 17mm bolts and threw out those three 15mm rusty bumper bolts with no washers that it came with. These bumpers and brackets came off with ease, the threads were good.
Remember the good ol' days, like back on September 10th?
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles