I don't think window film would have helped ...


S592R

S592R

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Dec 3, 2006
2,800
For lunch I jumped in to the Elise and ran down to the local BBQ for some brisket. On the way back, I was passing on coming traffic when something black shot up at my face and a huge bang/crack echoed in the cockpit of the car. After swerving, cussing, and almost Cr@ping myself. I stopped the car and right in front of my face is a grade 8 bolt sticking THROUGH my windshield!!! With a bit of shock and a trembling hand I reached up and touched it in total disbelief. I have had things bounce off the windshield of cars before, had them crack them, I have even had a deer jump onto a car and shatter the glass. But I have never had anything enter the car. But there it was sunk almost all the way to the head at an angle. A crack from the top to the bottom of the frame.

Well I just got off the phone with my insurance agent and he was joking that someone must be wanting to collect on my life insurance since we just redid everything. The car is covered no issue. Windshield will be ordered and the car shipped wherever to be repaired. Thank God for local agents and years of being a customer. Then it really hit me... what if that head had not stopped the bolt.

To be honest, I am chocking that up to being a divine moment. I am not sure if window film would have prevented it entering or even why it did. But both the GT and the Lotus are getting it on them when I get back from SEMA.




Just thought I would share .... I need a drink.
 

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steve592 said:
For lunch I jumped in to the Elise and ran down to the local BBQ for some brisket. On the way back, I was passing on coming traffic when something black shot up at my face and a huge bang/crack echoed in the cockpit of the car. After swerving, cussing, and almost Cr@ping myself. I stopped the car and right in front of my face is a grade 8 bolt sticking THROUGH my windshield!!! With a bit of shock and a trembling hand I reached up and touched it in total disbelief. I have had things bounce off the windshield of cars before, had them crack them, I have even had a deer jump onto a car and shatter the glass. But I have never had anything enter the car. But there it is sunk almost all the way to the head at an angle. A crack from the top to the bottom of the frame.

Well I just got off the phone with my insurance agent and he was joked about someone wanting to collect life insurance since we just redid everything. The car is covered no issue. Windshield will be ordered and the car shipped wherever to be repaired. Thank God for local agents and years of being a customer. Then it really hit me... what if that head had not stopped the bolt.

To be honest, I am chocking that up to being a divine moment. I am not sure if window film would have prevented it entering or even why it did. But both the GT and the Lotus are getting it on them when I get back from SEMA.

Just thought I would share .... I need a drink.
Click to expand...

Glad you're okay. A long time a go, I was in traffic in Los Angeles where the 605 fwy was closed for hours. A sheet of plywood flew off and decapitated a drivers head behind the flat bed.

Be careful....
 
Sheeeeet as they say in Mexico.

Spookily my Range Rover windscreen cracked today. Hmmmm!

Many years ago I was driving a little Toyota and the a rear wheel fell off a lorry in front of me - it bounced down the motorway towards me, I could turn neither right or left, it just head straight for me. It then took a little bounce and went clean over my car in one hop.

[Says in DEEEEP voice] 'May the motoring Gods continue to shine upon us'.
 
DAMN! Glad your ok.:thumbsup I'm guessing better the windshield than the body & paint?
 
Are you quite sure that is not a half-shaft bolt?
 
I think its worthy of a CSI type investigation, trajectory, velocity, time, sunlight, etc ( call me if Marg Helgenberger:eek shows up...ohhhhh)
It makes you appreciate the random way life works and the good hands you must be in. Friend of mine was killed years ago on an LA freeway. Stray shot from above came down and killed him:ack. I am glad you fared better.
:thumbsup
 
Well .... here is the damage so far. Windshield $2200.00 plus trim and parts ... then labor. Fully covered.

Grade 8 bolt. $.50 at hardware store. equals six weeks down time as the windshield has to be shipped from EU.

But the upside. The windshield held. If you can't tell from the pics ... its right at eye ball height and dead center on driver. I put both feet in and kept it in the road. Where it happened both sides have STEEP ditches which would have likely resulted in a really bad accident. So I got both of my two strikes at one time.

Am trying to work out a racing windscreen in lexan instead of the glass unit. Its stronger, lighter and less expensive to the insurance company. IMHO .. a safer unit. This might be the lead to make the lotus a full track car.

All in all a lucky day. Like I said earlier ... I am marking this as a divine moment. That may sound dramatic ... but I called the PD do a report just in case the insurance company decided to do something stupid and the HP that came out said that in 25 years he had "never seen one come in that far and stop. Usually they do not and where that hit ... fatal."

Makes you think about how suddenly things can happen and how important it is not to leave things unsettled. I think Garth Brooks said it "If tomorrow never comes." Thinking real long and real hard about what is important in life.
 
Wow that sucks Steve. Hey good thing you never sold that spair windshield you bought since those take so long to deliver.

Glad your ok bud
 
Incredible story, and pics! Glad you're OK.
 
Steve,

WOW - You're ONE LUCKY GUY.

I have never seen or heard of such a thing like this; usually glances off the window or goes through it.

Glad you are OK.

Stuff can be replaced, it's people that matter most.

RELAX !! [I know, I know, it's easy for me to say.]

It was just not your time.

Fred
 
Whew - Glad you're OK Steve. I usally catch those bolts in the tires of the GT - never in the windshield..
 
All I can say is that I am very glad that you are alright

Take care out there

Shadowman

BTW; film may not have stopped the damage but would have likely kept the bolt out of the glass.
 
Wow, that could have been real bad. Thankfully it wasn't.
 
By the grace of God, brotha
 
What an incredible story. Very good to hear you're unscathed, Steve.
 
A customer of mine took a bolt just like that to the front of his motorcycle helmet this summer. Stuck right in the forehead of the helmet but didn't penetrate to his head. I never ride without a helmet anymore.
 
Yes, I've seen more than a few patients with objects in their heads.
 
You're also darn lucky you didn't get any little pieces of glass in your eye(s).:eek
 
well ... you saw the cuts under my nose at Sema. I had my glasses on but my face was covered with little splinters of glass.

The Lotus is now off the street for good. :ack Freak accident I know but .... been too lucky so far in life when stuff that should have killed me that didn't don't want to keep pressing my luck. I got kids to think about. :wink

Looking for a replacement car for a daily driver.

S
 
Me too!

It must be the season. Last Tuesday I got a 04 C4S as a daily driver, something to hold me over between cruises in the GT. I drove to Charleston, SC Thursday and truck through a rock into to the windshield. Now I have a 6" crack getting worse. It'll be $900 for the glass, with a 2k deductible this could get expensive. I did reconfirm why I rarely take the GT on the Interstate and never in heavy traffic.
 
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