W123 300TD Collision: TD vs Corolla, Goliath won this time
 

Hello All,

Just got some pictures developped. Here are a couple that you guys might like. Last winter I was on the highway when I noticed a whiteout due to some blowing snow. I slowed down because you could not see through it. When I got close, I noticed the highway patrol stopping traffic due to numerous cars in the ditch, so I came to a stop behing the traffic. As I was slowing down, two cars went into the snow banks next to me. I came to a stop, and then..... BANG. I had been rear-ended.

My first thought was to get the f%@# out of there to not get hit again, so I drove off on the shoulder and stopped in a safer place. Luckily I didn't hit the car in front of me. I could see in my mirror the black car that hit me, it was a mangled mess. I was thinking "oh no, my poor TD..." I finally got out to look at my damage: broken backup lens and bracket, broken turn signal lens, bumper was off by 1/4 in. due to the telescopic shocks springing back unevenly, and tow hook bent forward. Not even a scratch on the bumper. I could not believe it.

I went to the other car to fill out the paperwork. The car was (and I mean WAS) a 2002 corolla. An accordeon up to the door seams, fluids on the road, wheel pushed back 6 inches, windshield kaput, both airbags deployed. I hear they scrapped the car. The guy did not even believe me that I am the guy he hit. He said that he hit me while braking and must have been going about 30 mph at the time.

In the end I drove off, got a very generous settlement from the insurance, and was glad I was the one in the mercedes.

Hats off to German engineers!!!

Could someone give me a hand on how to post pictures, this is my first time... I must be doing something wrong.

#1 they must be no larger than 68k in size
#2 they cannot be any bigger than 800x600.

You need to use something to shrink and to compress them. Odds are they are 600k or larger from your camera.

I personally use Corel Photopaint.

Both my pictures are smaller than 68K and less than 800 x 600. Still unable to post them. I am clicking the browse button and choosing the file. What am I forgetting?

Are you trying to use "Preview Reply" to look at your post before using "Submit Reply"? I think using Preview drops the attachment, and one has to select the attachment again before using "Submit Reply".


-- eskimo

damage to my car:

Thanks eskimo, you were right!
 

damage to the corolla:

damn.. the thing's a beast!

Actually my diesel once got rear ended too.. by a brand new MB ;) a C-Class

welll guess which one fared better...

Aww your mean diesel smashed that poor little toyota.

good ridence to that cheap inport!! (toyota of course)

LOL! I'm 99% sure that Corolla was made the the good ol' USA though. ;)

By the looks of that second picture
there seem to be more fender benders
that happend in that area.


That Audi looks like it is trying to go off roading.

I hope everyone was OK?

Damage can be fixed, a persons life can not.

Just goes to show how thin the steel is that
makes up a car these days.

Ha, I can hear people say:"it is the crumple zones".
Well, the w123 MB's have them too.
Only difference is that the steel plate is thicker.
Oh, also the bumper is more robust and has the
struts.

Louis.

Speedy300Dturbo: It's 100%, not 99% :-)


All Honda Civic/Accord and Toyota Corolla/Camry are made in the USA. Of course their other models (except some) are also made here.

Eric

EEWWW. It looks extremely cold in those photos. I noticed you are in Canada- about how cold does it get up in your area?

In the late '80s I was in school in Burlington, Vermont; about 60 miles south of Montreal.

If you like daily highs of -5*F; your nosehairs freezing and it being TOO COLD FOR IT TO SNOW then that is where you want to be.

A few hours to the west is Watertown, NY. The Army has their extreem cold traning center there.....