Crap!!! Glad to hear you are reasonably well...heck...just living through that wreck you did fine... Not sure if i have ever seen a picture of a MINI in worse shape that everybody survived without SERIOUS Injures...guess that means the seats, harness, and rollbar did their jobs!! Looks like another MINI dies a glorious death so the owner could live...would have loved (not sure that is the correct term if you know where I am going) too see that wreck on video... Good luck finding a replacement.... Guess the new car will have parts of 2+ other dead cars being kept alive on it...might have to rename the new car "Frankenstein" or incorporate it into the name!!
OMG, Paul...what a scary way to test your safety equipment! :frown2: At least you know it works, though. I'm sure glad you came out of this pretty much unscathed, and am wishing you all the best in your recovery and beyond!
Wow... need to digest this one... Speechless. 2nd the others. Glad you're ok Paul. Lot of gen1 verts available around Winston needing a stroker.. Heal and get living again soon.
Really sorry for your troubles Paul. Like another member, when I saw the first picture I thought it was a joke. I'm sorry it wasn't. I guess there is never a "good" day to test your safety equipment. Thankfully you came out relatively unscathed and you're already planning your comeback.
Thanks everyone. Really means a lot to me. It probably was the safest topless MINI I could have done that in. Stiff and achy and mourning today... But also happy to be here and have the opportunity to rebuild, with both arms/ hands. That really couldn't have gone much better. Might have the next bar built a few inches wider...
Like everyone else, I'm relieved you're OK and a little sad about the car. Clearly the execution of your GPR design vision is crash-worthy; a testament to your clear thinking. You've provided such great reading, viewing and inspiration that I know everyone here is hoping you'll continue when able. I'm sure I write for more than just myself when I say I look forward to your posts not only as entertainment but for learning, on many levels. This is a good time to say 'Thanks' for all that. Heal soon.
Wholly CRAP Paul! So sorry to hear about this, but thank GOD you are OK! Cars can be replaced, and at least you made every precaution to make sure you stayed safe if this ever happened, that is all that matters. Take care of yourself, then search for another Cabrio to take its place. My fingers are crossed hoping you can get another and rebuild it better than before.
Seriously? Add it let's do it! Save me the trouble of finding someone here. Paul's accident is an eye opener. Wife actually has been pushing for it anyway. Steering wheel and hub--thoughts?
Keep at it CCT before you know it, you'll just tell Jan to keep your car and to send you your own X-1!
When you add it all up, it's probably close, lol... Definitely doing the cage, they're doing another one now so it'll be relatively easy to double it up. Halo seats/Hans in the future too, after hearing what Jan thinks the top speeds in this car will be, it's pretty much a must.
I just went out and walked the scene and figured out what happened, mostly. The punchline is... the car did an end-over! Planted the nose in an embankment (after plowing down a deep ditch for about 100 feet), the rear end came over, I flew upside down for about 20-30 feet, and landed on the left rear corner, on the shoulder of the road... then the car just flopped back into the roadway in turtle position. So I don't think it ever "violently" contacted the cage , just rocked on the corners a bit as the car settled into place. Really wish I had video, because it would have been one of the most spectacular things to witness... I just had to stop and catch my breath when I figured it out. Because there's a zillion ways that could have ended worse, and no way it could have ended better, really. No one walks away from the kind of crash this was... really.
Since I didn't really put any load on my bar, I might cut it out and put it in the new car. If I build I new one, I'm going to make it a little wider, and add cowl and overhead bars, after seeing how the windshield frame collapsed.