Hey guys,

Rough wake up this morning; I got up to see my brother's final presentation in New Haven, and en route, I see this Jetta zipping and weaving from way back in my mirror. He catches up shortly and I see hes on his phone and looks blazed or hung over out of his mind. I think I lose him, but when I get off I-95, I see he somehow managed to be behind me in the line up; probably took a different exit.

I drive along with no worries and suddenly WHAM! Jetta is lodged up the E-Klasse's rear end. Couldn't help but feel bad for the kid; although he lost brownie points when he called the car a 'Beamer' "I tried to stop..."
With what, my bumper cover?

Here's some pics of the carnage.

I was mighty impressed once I stepped out of the car. Left rear quarter is maligned, and the bumper is cracked, but other than that, she's golden.

Enjoy knowing your car is safe from all the Jettas out there; I have a feeling if my 560 is ever in an accident, it's going to be a Volvo. Its a big joke with my friends about how much I despise them, even though my girlfriend drives one, AND a Saab. I'm Swedish, but I hate our cars.

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1987 560SEL (210,000 miles)

I've had TWO rear enders at the same location a couple of years apart when I was young. In both cases it was at a downhill intersection in snow. In both cases it was in a Volvo 240D. In one case the guy behind me rear ended into me, NO DAMAGE TO THE VOLVO, but close to a grand in front work on the car that hit me. The other time I was the one who rear-ended into someone. $400 or so worth of grille and related repair work (this was in the 1980s), and no damage to the other car.

It's not the car that made the difference. It's easy: The hitor hits the brakes before hitting the hitee, so the nose dives down, usually the grill getting the hitee's bumper, with the hitor's bumper diving below the hitee. Always check the tailpipe on the car that was hit - in my case it was slightly bent, the only evidence of the collision when the Volvo was hit.

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Henry Bofinger
1989 560 SEL (black/black)
2001 Audi TT Roadster (silver/grey)

When I was 17 I was rear ended by a Honda Accord (few years old), dead stop vs. 45mph. Accord was a total loss, my Stealth required $800 in repairs to the rear bumper. That car was really a tank (notoriously heavy sports car at almost 4,000lbs) even though it didn't look like it. Looks like you made out pretty well in this situation and it wasn't too bad an accident. I wouldn't feel bad for the kid, he got what he deserved, should be glad it wasn't worse.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

The tailpipe on the E430 was dented; When it goes in for the full inspection I want it checked for damage all the way back to the manifold. It popped a bunch of the hangers already. I had never been rearended before; closest to an accident I'd had prior to this was when I came out of the mall to see a guy with his Q45t lifted off of the ground with my 560s front bumper. aside from his two doors being demolished and my bumpers paint scraped off, it was fine.

On further inspection, i.e. after I calmed down, I noticed the left rear quarter is pushed towards the trunk lid a tad, and the trunk lid is askew a centimeter or two as well. I'm figuring maybe 2-3000 bucks, considering a new front bumper was 1700.

I hate driving my 560 in the snow, and I have studded snow tires too. It handles like a toboggan.

I just hate driving Ella T Grasso Boulevard now; I feel like Im gonna get rear ended every time I stop at that light...

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1987 560SEL (210,000 miles)

Sorry to hear that. It looks like your neck hurts - may want to have a lawyer check it out.
As far as "the kid", based on his description and his unforgiveable misidentification of your car, he's got to be a Harvard grad. Take him to the cleaners.

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Prost!

Have a body shop pull the bumper and make sure that nothing is bent behind it. When someone hit me in my W210 the damage looked negligible but if you looked carefully at the sides of the bumper, they used to be flush with the wheel arch. After the accident, they moved out a little.

I had to point this out to the body shop as they didn't notice.

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With best regards

Al

No lie my lower lumbar are killing me; definitely want to have something done about that...

When I say 'kid', he was definitely older than me (I'm only 19), but I take driving far too seriously to zip around and yap on the phone. But typical moron, I suppose.

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1987 560SEL (210,000 miles)

Duly noted; based on the work I've seen of yours, I'll definitely take a fine scope to inspecting the damage further.

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1987 560SEL (210,000 miles)