Clownshoe hit-and-run, minor damage

[Candlepin]

To the Masshole who backed into my Z3 in the parking lot this morning, and who failed to make any effort whatsoever to assume responsibility for your action:

Next time, please show some decency and aim for the driver's side door. I've been looking for an excuse to get that rust bubble taken care of. I recently invested hundreds of dollars in making the passenger side look spotless, so I didn't need your help with that one.

Thanks,

Candlepin

PS: There was at least one witness. You're lucky she didn't catch your plate number.
PPS: Next time don't be all fancy trying to reverse into that parking space; it's a maneuver clearly above your skill level. Try parking head first like the rest of us.

[MrDangles]

Bummer

[MartyBtoo]

I feel your pain; a couple of years ago some jerk backed into the parking space in front of me and punched in one of the grilles, then just left. After breakfast I came out and was wondering what looked a little different about my hood; it was a grill that was now recessed over an inch!

Marty

[SloanZ]

Similar thing happened to me a couple months ago but, thankfully, a passerby got the plates and left a note on my windshield.

Bummer.

[danomite]

Ugh. I had some idiot in an SUV back up into the front of my Coupe (I was parallel parked behind him), and it crushed the hood in, messed up the bumper, and damaged some of the cooling components...as well as breaking the driver's side headlight.

...lucky for me no expensive parts got damaged. *extremesarcasm

[Zoupe6]

Same as above! He had tons of space and he still hit it. I know because I was standing right there! He thought about leaving until I promptly approached his window stating "You just try and leave!!"

Hood and bumpers are now freshly painted with sparkly new headlights; no radiator damage.

I have nicked a car once, only leaving rubber on their paint. I left a note, they called and I came over with my buffer and polished their entire car for them. They were happy I hit them in the end....

Ass hats all around!! Sorry for your misfortune!

[Candlepin]

Damn, there seems to be an epidemic of careless and irresponsible people out there. I guess I should have known that already, given how many times I've been rear-ended (4) or how many door dings I've had to PDR (10+). Glad to hear that there are still people out there are willing to step up and do the right thing!

The irony of this whole situation is that I got this coupe specifically with the intention of using it as a daily driver so I didn't have to subject my "clean" coupe to the vagaries of city driving. So I guess in a way it was just doing its job. Mind you, I was thinking more along the lines of pot holes, curb rash, and bumper scuffs. Guess I got a little more than I bargained for. Hurt more than it should have because of all the time and effort I've invested in bringing this car up to its full potential. Was getting close, but I guess in the grander scheme of things, it's just a minor setback.

Be safe, all.

[Sleepyhead97]

Sorry bout that. Id flip flip if someone did that to my e39.

[Candlepin]

Next time, please show some decency and aim for the driver's side door. I've been looking for an excuse to get that rust bubble taken care of.

Dear Universe,

It was A JOKE! HUMOR!!
Plus... YOU MISSED!!!

Sincerely,
Candlepin

Joking aside, it does look like the universe is conspiring against me. Or at least against the car. Just 24 hours after that incident, a friend was driving the car, obeying the law and my arbitrary rules about shift points and other superstitions. While stopped at a red light, an Avis rental car swerves suddenly in an apparent effort to restore symmetry on the shoe car. Didn't quite succeed.



Honestly, I didn't even know how to react. Had this happened two days ago, I would have been a bit sullen. Today I just found it comic.

On the up side, the rental car driver admitted fault and had insurance. Finally have an excuse to replace the ugly hand-me-down Style 200 wheels.

[danomite]

Whoa!!! Crazy!!!

This could be a blessing in disguise though. While you're doing your homework for which bodyshop to take it to, ask them if they could do both sides for the amount your insurance cuts your check for. I had a car hit years back, shopped around and found an awesome bodyshop, and they removed all of my door dings, resprayed both bumpers and fixed my roof for the amount of my insurance payment. It doesn't hurt to ask...and often times they'll do it for the business.

[BimmerBreaker]

I actually quite like those wheels. I was looking at that pic thinking how they are nice and conservative

I wonder if you will get two separate insurance checks now? Maybe this second accident is really a blessing in disguise - first check will pay for entire repair including new damage, second check will be money in the bank for the inconvenience...!

[robrez]

Whoa. My coupe was hit twice while parked, in the exact same places as yours. I thought the door damage was minor but I ended up needing a new door.

[bagekko]

Bunch of years ago after the Z3 came out of the shop from hood repaint & windshield replacement from a dump truck that lost a ton of shit on the highway and pelted me. A month later I'm in a restaurant and a person was going around to all tables looking for the owner of a BMW. She backed into the Z3 with her Land Rover and put a massive dent into kindey/emblem area. Excuse was her backup system didnt alert her she was gonna hit something. At least she didnt take off. Ended up getting a brand new hood a month after the shop fixed it. I feel your pain as I felt the universe against me around that time.

[afb]

Dear Universe,

It was A JOKE! HUMOR!!
Plus... YOU MISSED!!!

Sincerely,
Candlepin

Joking aside, it does look like the universe is conspiring against me. Or at least against the car. Just 24 hours after that incident, a friend was driving the car, obeying the law and my arbitrary rules about shift points and other superstitions. While stopped at a red light, an Avis rental car swerves suddenly in an apparent effort to restore symmetry on the shoe car. Didn't quite succeed.



Honestly, I didn't even know how to react. Had this happened two days ago, I would have been a bit sullen. Today I just found it comic.

On the up side, the rental car driver admitted fault and had insurance. Finally have an excuse to replace the ugly hand-me-down Style 200 wheels.

someone hit my parked car in the same spot a few yrs back. (thankfully, they left a note). hit the wheel and pushed the axle in, breaking a seal. didn't notice it at first until i saw fluid dripping on the ground in the garage. total ended up costing around $5-6k to fix. make sure they check the axle/diff.

also, your gas door is missing a rubber stopper (as evidenced by the recessed door).

[Candlepin]

I actually quite like those wheels. I was looking at that pic thinking how they are nice and conservative

Thanks. You might change your mind if you saw them up close!! I do believe the design suits the car pretty well, but they've definitely seen better days. As far as I can tell, the previous owner had some kind of weird chain setup that wore away the paint and left stubborn black streaks all over two of the wheels. I was actually thinking of using these to practice DIY wheel resurfacing, but for now that's been demoted to a pretty low priority.

- - - Updated - - -

Whoa. My coupe was hit twice while parked, in the exact same places as yours. I thought the door damage was minor but I ended up needing a new door.

I'd definitely be down with that outcome. I learned from my PDR guy that there's already Bondo under the paint on the passenger side, so I'd prefer a fresh start since a respray will be needed anyhow. I knew there was minor side damage in the car's past, but the paint was so beautiful I could never figure out which side it was

Also, I noticed that the damage from incident 2 did impact the driver's side door, so maybe I'll be getting the rust bubble taken care of after all. Hoping for the silver lining.

- - - Updated - - -

someone hit my parked car in the same spot a few yrs back. (thankfully, they left a note). hit the wheel and pushed the axle in, breaking a seal. didn't notice it at first until i saw fluid dripping on the ground in the garage. total ended up costing around $5-6k to fix. make sure they check the axle/diff.

Thanks for the advice. This summer I replaced almost every rubber bit on the car, with the diff mount next in line. Even if they don't find anything related to the accident, I will have a second pair of eyes looking over the area soon.

also, your gas door is missing a rubber stopper (as evidenced by the recessed door).

Well spotted! That's actually on my to do list after I clear out the drain hole. Or maybe if I replaced the stopper first there would be less water penetration to begin with.

[Eurospec]

That's painful to look at, sorry about the outcome

I'm terrified when I'm forced to park in a busy lot, especially when the spots are compact. However that usually doesn't happen since I tend to park away, far away from the crowds even if that means walking the extra distance to my destination.

[poordna]

Dashcam. Seriously.

(if not TWO dash cams, forward and rear-view)

[Isrel78]

Sorry for posting on this thread but I really thought to thank you for the dashcam idea. My cousin’s car also got hit by a drunk driver in parking lot. Though he is hiring a local Los Angeles DUI lawyer but wasn’t sure why it keeps happening with him as it was third time. I think I should tell him to install dashcams in his car.

[Jakechan]

I actually quite like those wheels. I was looking at that pic thinking how they are nice and conservative

I have them on my car, they suit the Z3 quite well.

[s8ilver]

That's painful to look at, sorry about the outcome

I'm terrified when I'm forced to park in a busy lot, especially when the spots are compact. However that usually doesn't happen since I tend to park away, far away from the crowds even if that means walking the extra distance to my destination.

Ditto! I'll park a mile away and walk before I park in a tight spot. Not much you can do at a light though. I was sitting at a stoplight last year in my S8. I watched the guy behind me not pay attention while he rear ended me. He got out, picked up some snow and tried to "rub" the scrape out of my bumper. I told him to get his #^$#ing hands off my car and get out his insurance info. Expired, just like his plates. Luckily his insurance company made things right and I didn't pay a dime. Car body (except bumpers) is 100% aluminum...it could have been much worse.