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Tragic Ending

ralph_s

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I had to wait a few days before I wrote this message. I've been the proud owner of a 1977 2500M for almost 5 years. I was the second owner with all documentation e.g. bill of sale, window sticker, TVR warranty info and only 32K miles. It was a great example of an unmolested TVR. I've wresteled with selling or keeping the car for the last year. I've got 4 LBC's and was getting way too busy with the restoration of my BE and MGB's. After much internal debating, I finally sold the car to a fellow in Florida. Got a fair price and felt good about my decision. He was quick to pay and the transaction went smoothly. He set up transportation to Florida via a local PA car carrier. The carier driver did not know how to drive the TVR, struggled to load the car and was generally a fool! As the last car on the carried I told him it did not fit, but was ignored. About 1 hour from final delivery in Florida, the TVR fell off the carrier at 70MPH and is totaled. What an absolute tragedy by me the fool who sold the car and let the village idiot load the car. I'll regret this decision forever!!
 

Tullamore

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WOW! I have shipped a lot of cars and only once felt the guy didn't know what he was doing and that was when I chose to use an open car hauler, those ones you see the dealerships getting their cars delivered on.
 

aeronca65t

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Wow! That's a real shame, especially with such a nice, original car.

But don't beat yourself up about it....the driver sounds like a real knucklehead and you probably couldn't have stopped him anyway.

It sounds like there was no people hurt (right?). That's the most important thing.
 
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ralph_s

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That was the good news in all of this. No one was following the carrier at the time and no one was hurt. A minor miracle.
It was an open carrier like the car companies use to move cars.
 

Mickey Richaud

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Have to admit, it's one of my fears whenever I'm following an auto carrier. Can't imagine what it would be like to have that happen right in front of me!
 
G

Guest

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There is a well known British car restorer down here who I believe has a stripped body and frame. I don't know the year. Perhaps it may live again.

If not, at a minimum it will be sold at auction and parted out helping other TVR's live on.

I saw a super clean low mile all original '69 Z28 at the auction w/ a for sale sign in the window that someone drove SQUARE into a telephone pole. The car was an immaculate example before the wreck. It hit hard enough to push the engine up agains the firewall and buckle the dash, firewall and floor up 6". Apparently it was a test drive gone bad. It hit the pole DEAD CENTER in the middle of the water pump shaft. IIRC, the car brought 11K.


Only way you'd be allowed to beat yourself up is if YOU loaded it. NONE of this is your fault.
 

TRclassic3

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Ralph

This is so sad on so many levels. As I was reading your post I was first saddened and a bit surprised at your decision to sell the car. It was such a great example of the marque.

Reading on to hear of it's demise was painful. I can only imagine how badly you felt when hearing the news. I agree with the others, don't beat yourself up about it. Stuff happens over which we have no control.

Must admit, I'll miss seeing it parked next to ours at the shows, but will look forward to seeing you and your newest project.

Thankful that the idiot did not cause any injuries.

Ed
 

MarshgrassA

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Ralph,
At least no one was hurt....
I think I kind of know your car....Was it the one Hayes had on the way? I follow his cars and was awaiting the arrival when it just disappeared. What a shame and I am sure the driver does not think it was his fault. The 2500M has been on my bucket list for a couple of years and yours sounds like it was pretty close to perfect.
 
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ralph_s

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Yep, that was the one. Hayes was great to work with and is a stand up guy. Keep looking, the 2500M's are great cars and fun to drive.
I've violated the cardinal rule of car ownership and formed an emotional attachment to my cars. But "stuff" happens and we move on. Just a shame to lose such a nice example.
Good luck on your search.
 

bighealeysource

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Hey Ralph,
You did everything you could to get it loaded right and if you had driven it on and then it fell off, you would be the one the idiot truck driver came after. I sold a beautiful 66 MBG a couple of years ago and probably had the same truck driver but luckily mine got there okay. Had another that tore off the complete exhaust system on a 54 Healey BN1 since he would not listen to me to be careful loading it with the low hung exhaust. Guess best lesson here is try to convince everyone to use the carriers that use the trailers where the car is driven on and if on second level, the whole assembly raises up to drive right on.
Regards,
Mike
 

Nigel_TVR

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It appears Wirewheel has the car for sale. I thought it would be busted up worse than it looks.
 
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ralph_s

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WOW...guess you can't kill a good TVR. That was definately the one I sold to Wire Wheel.
 

DrEntropy

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I gotta bite my tongue... :madder:

Oh, nevermind.

I'm intolerant when it comes to seeing incompetence in action. Had drivers canned for it. Even if it were a VW Golf, I would expect professionalism. Transport companies need to know when their people exhibit anything other than that.

One local outfit's (over years we came to know the owner and his family) dispatch had me down as "The Angel of Death" with their operators... no newbies, no smart-butts if they wanted to continue hauling for us. Any operator who came near one of our clients' cars with less-than pro performance risked being fired, the car was isolated from them and another transport/operator was requested.

No excuses. Bent axles, crushed brake lines, kinked suspension bits are not excusable. Losing a charge from the back of a transport is incompetence, plain and simple. I'd do my best to insure that "operator" could only get a job flippin' burgers.
 

Mickey Richaud

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So, Doc, don't hold back... let us know what you think! :devilgrin:
 

Banjo

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Sent out a nice Karman body Porsche 356B in a transporter once only to have it returned to us (After buying it back from the insurance company) as a burned out hulk after the trailer it was in caught on fire going down the road. Also lost a Sunbeam Tiger in that incident.
Not necessarily the drivers fault, but he didn't stop till a trooper pulled him over seeing the smoke rolling out of the truck.
On the other side, we shipped many cars with excellent results, and met some really good operators of those trucks.
I hate to hear any story like that. Thankfully they seem to be uncommon.
 

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