Hit from behind at a stoplight !

[JeremyS]

My wife and I were out for a nice, warm, fall, night drive on Saturday night. We were sitting at a light (with almost NO traffice) and I see a car coming up behind me. It looked as if it were going pretty fast. I assumed the person was going to stop though (there was still plenty of room.) Well, about a second later . . . BANG ! ! ! My wife and I lurch forward and I am STUNNED . I was thinking to myself "No, they did not just rear-end me in my Viper... This is NOT happening )! Well, to make an already long story shorter, I get out of the car and the first thing I see is the whole front end of her car smashed and leaking fluid. I prepared myself for the shock of seeing my damage . Surprise!!!! My car had almost NO DAMAGE!!! There were a couple MINOR, MINOR scratches on my bumper, nothing else (visible). I am, of course, going to take the car to be checked out for other "internal" damage but all-in-all .... WOW! I was IMPRESSED! Anyone else ever had the same type of experience?

p.s. Does anyone know a REALLY GOOD body shop, that would know Vipers, in the Md. / DC / Va. area?

 

[mike & juli]

Glad no one was hurt, Jeremy. Also glad your Viper sustained what appear now to be minor damages...hope when it's checked out that that is the case. How awful for that to happen to you and your wife...in the Viper...ouch!! ~juli

 

[dave6666]

I had that experience once when a mini van rear ended my 4x4 F350 - van totaled entire front end and I just needed a rear bumper - but in a Viper?!?

You one lucky sonofabeech!

 

[WOT!]

I'm glad no one was hurt, but now I can't wait to find out if there was any hidden damage. This just seems to good to be true.

I can only imagine how you felt. Good luck!

 

[Copernicus]

I have heard very good reviews regarding Wagonwork Collision Center in Alexandria. http://www.wagonwork.com/published/index.html

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

If I were you I would go after their insurance company and insist on a new bumper and then get one from JonB. He just bought all the leftover SRT body parts from ASC who built and painted them. So you would get a brand new factory, already painted and finished graphite bumper to bolt on. As I just saw that car a few weeks back I would be very wary of just any oln body shp matching that paint. I think I even mentioned to you "better not scatch that thing." TON of metallic in that paint.
You can also ask Jon about "diminished value" and get some good advice about the insurance angle. Don't call on a Monday, it's his busiest day.
www.partsrack.com

 

[Nine Ball]

That driver must be BLIND not to see a car in front of them, much less a fancy Viper. Sorry to hear about the crunch, glad to hear it survived okay.

 

[Ronvpr]

I had a sixteen year old kid rear end my Porsche 930 the very same way. He was too busy with his new cell phone. I had a small dent in my bumper, pushed in bumper gaurd, and small dent in the spoiler. Whole front end of his Honda, GONE! I took it in stride as beutifying America by having his car totaled. I drove home. He cried all the way home. In the back of a police car.

 

[Affatica]

That is surprising the fiberglass didn't crack. I would still most definitely get it checked out including the frame, just to be on the safe side.

 

[Kai SRT10]

I will bet that the driver who hit you was talking on her cell phone.

 

[madman]

Not so fast Jeremy! You might be in for a nasty surprise! Do not underestimate this and have your service perform following procedure:

1. Take off rear bumper
2. Take off rear bumper reinforcement
3. Inspect rear horns and have them measured

Your horns may be off and the rear reinforcement deformed. Trust me, I had rear impact experience myself. Bumper may show no sign of damage because it is made of polyurethan plastics which is awesome in a sense that it returns to original shape when deformed and it is very difficult to crack it.

Check this post for more info and viper frame schematics:
http://forums.viperclub.org/showthread.php?t=598278

Check this thread for more pics of the rear:
http://forums.viperclub.org/showthread.php?t=597953

Good luck!

 

[DodgeViper01]

That is surprising the fiberglass didn't crack. I would still most definitely get it checked out including the frame, just to be on the safe side.

I am Shocked as well. I can not believe that their car got smashed and yours didn't. I usually thought our cars were the first to crack. Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[JonB]

Not so fast Jeremy! You might be in for a nasty surprise! Do not underestimate this and have your service perform following procedure:

1. Take off rear bumper
2. Take off rear bumper reinforcement
3. Inspect rear horns and have them measured

Your horns may be off and the rear reinforcement deformed. Trust me, I had rear impact experience myself. Bumper may show no sign of damage because it is made of polyurethan plastics which is awesome in a sense that it returns to original shape when deformed and it is very difficult to crack it.!

The above is EXCELLENT information.
The rear facia material has a "high memory" and can actually morph bacck into place, especially in hot sunny weather it happens fast. The paint has a lot of flex additive,and tolerates the impact, but will FLAKE OFF in a few days-weeks at the impact zone....

Dont overlook the 'hidden damage' and especially your wife's day-after sore neck.......

ps Dodge wants $1095 for a rear fascia and PartsRack wants $650 !

 

[viper GTS-R]

There's only one accurate reason your viper is inpenatrable....




Chuck Norris owned it before you..

--RS

 

[agentf1]

If I were you I would go after their insurance company and insist on a new bumper and then get one from JonB. He just bought all the leftover SRT body parts from ASC who built and painted them. So you would get a brand new factory, already painted and finished graphite bumber to bolt on. As I just saw that car a few weeks back I would be very wary of just any oln body shp matching that paint. I think I even mentioned to you "better not scatch that thing." TON of metallic in that paint.
You can also ask Jon about "diminished value" and get some good advice about the insurance angle. Don't call on a Monday, it's his busiest day.
www.partsrack.com

Excellent advice.

 

[Hamrhead]

I will bet that the driver who hit you was talking on her cell phone.

lmao...

I know it's not right to assume, but after driiving well over 1 million miles, I think the same way...



Glad both of you weren't hurt.

 

[Kenneth Krieger]

Jeremy.........as you have heard, you MUST have the car checked out by someone who knows Vipers! There is probably hidden damage, so don't let your insurance company tell you that all it needs is a good "buffing" out and everything should be OK.......as stated previously, the "bumper" must be removed and THEN the underlying problems can be seen.......good luck.......happy to hear no one was hurt..