A word of warning
Discussion
Gents (and Ladies),
My first post for some time is not a happy one.
In December during a short run out in my S, my lights failed leading to an unsheduled visit to a bridge parapet.This lead to me breaking my back/skull/ribs and damaging my knees. Thankfully it will all recover with no (hopefully) long term implications.
There are however lessons to be learned.
My seatbelt never recoiled properly as it got caught between the seat and the door. It would have been prudent to attach the belt before closing the door. This probably would have resulted in my suffering no more than the sealt belt bruising that my son suffered.
My knees were badly damaged by hitting the cross bar under the dash. I am not sure if padding would have stopped the damage but i feel certain that it would have reduced it considerably. A few pounds worth of padding would be money well spent.
My head was damaged by the roof panel coming into the vehicle. This may not have happened if I had roof catched fitted. The S1 didn't as standard and I never felt the need to retro fit. (until now!!)
My lights had never been too clever and I had planned to go the Modwise route with relays to reroute the load. Shame it never reached the top of the list. I guess the switch must have burned out because I would hope that each side was fused seperately. How typical that they would fail on a road I did not know.
Mental note to self. Stop quicker next time. It goes without saying really but the shock takes a little time to react to. I was unsure if they would come back on so I slowed down but did not stop. By the time I saw the bridge with sidelights it was too late and I couldn't swerve as I didn't know where the road went. There must be some reason why there were no chevrons before a hairpin. Especially as it turns out that it is a bad bend reknowned for regular crashes.
I hope to be up and about again in February but the car did not fair as well. If anyone knows the whereabouts of a second hand bonnet I would be interested. From the photos I have seen, this appears to be the extent of the damage, other than some minor chassis damage and a splintered roof panel.
From the speed of the impact, the car seems to have stood up to it much better than me.
It would be worth taking note of these simple precautions as you never know when fate may deal you a rough blow.
Thank god for Playstation/Laptops and wireless networking because lying down for weeks is no picnic!!
Please take heed of a few simple tips because I was lucky. It could have been far worse.
My first post for some time is not a happy one.
In December during a short run out in my S, my lights failed leading to an unsheduled visit to a bridge parapet.This lead to me breaking my back/skull/ribs and damaging my knees. Thankfully it will all recover with no (hopefully) long term implications.
There are however lessons to be learned.
My seatbelt never recoiled properly as it got caught between the seat and the door. It would have been prudent to attach the belt before closing the door. This probably would have resulted in my suffering no more than the sealt belt bruising that my son suffered.
My knees were badly damaged by hitting the cross bar under the dash. I am not sure if padding would have stopped the damage but i feel certain that it would have reduced it considerably. A few pounds worth of padding would be money well spent.
My head was damaged by the roof panel coming into the vehicle. This may not have happened if I had roof catched fitted. The S1 didn't as standard and I never felt the need to retro fit. (until now!!)
My lights had never been too clever and I had planned to go the Modwise route with relays to reroute the load. Shame it never reached the top of the list. I guess the switch must have burned out because I would hope that each side was fused seperately. How typical that they would fail on a road I did not know.
Mental note to self. Stop quicker next time. It goes without saying really but the shock takes a little time to react to. I was unsure if they would come back on so I slowed down but did not stop. By the time I saw the bridge with sidelights it was too late and I couldn't swerve as I didn't know where the road went. There must be some reason why there were no chevrons before a hairpin. Especially as it turns out that it is a bad bend reknowned for regular crashes.
I hope to be up and about again in February but the car did not fair as well. If anyone knows the whereabouts of a second hand bonnet I would be interested. From the photos I have seen, this appears to be the extent of the damage, other than some minor chassis damage and a splintered roof panel.
From the speed of the impact, the car seems to have stood up to it much better than me.
It would be worth taking note of these simple precautions as you never know when fate may deal you a rough blow.
Thank god for Playstation/Laptops and wireless networking because lying down for weeks is no picnic!!
Please take heed of a few simple tips because I was lucky. It could have been far worse.
Bloody hell, Steve - so sorry to hear about the accident, it must have been awful.. 
sorry to hear this and I wish you all the best with your recovery. Thank God your son was relatively uninjured.
I had a moment of darkness at 70+mph in my S when all lights and power failed. In my case it was the choc block under the steering column that had melted. I was lucky in that although the road was unlit, it was pretty straight.
All the best in any event.
I had a moment of darkness at 70+mph in my S when all lights and power failed. In my case it was the choc block under the steering column that had melted. I was lucky in that although the road was unlit, it was pretty straight.
All the best in any event.
Sad to hear about your accident. 
Hope you make a speedy recovery.
I was never very happy with the original belts on my car so I had them replaced.
From experience I know that S series chassis is very strong. My S2 got pushed into a row of cars and and some armco in a motorway pile-up about a dozen years ago. It needed a new rear end moulding and a new bonnet, but only the front (bonnet hinge) crossmember was bent.
Hope you make a speedy recovery.
I was never very happy with the original belts on my car so I had them replaced.
From experience I know that S series chassis is very strong. My S2 got pushed into a row of cars and and some armco in a motorway pile-up about a dozen years ago. It needed a new rear end moulding and a new bonnet, but only the front (bonnet hinge) crossmember was bent.
Thanks Folks,
If I get her back from the insurance company I think I will go for harnesses and a roll bar. I nhad much heavier impacts in my racing days and always walked away.
I am hoping to get some photos of the chassis and related parts to see exactly what the damage is. The bonnet is definately scrap so I need to work out if it is a viable repair. This will obviously depend on what the insurance co. want for the salvage.
If repair is not an option there may some cheap S parts and wheels for sale.
Hopefully back on my feet in another two weeks so should have time to get something sorted for the summer.
If I get her back from the insurance company I think I will go for harnesses and a roll bar. I nhad much heavier impacts in my racing days and always walked away.
I am hoping to get some photos of the chassis and related parts to see exactly what the damage is. The bonnet is definately scrap so I need to work out if it is a viable repair. This will obviously depend on what the insurance co. want for the salvage.
If repair is not an option there may some cheap S parts and wheels for sale.
Hopefully back on my feet in another two weeks so should have time to get something sorted for the summer.
Glad you're OK though.Gassing Station | S Series | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff