Hi Everyone... I've been really busy with work and haven't been reading the forum recently...

A horrible thing happened this weekend. Saturday night I was parked outside a friend's dorm and my
TT was struck by another car. Luckily, he was nice enough to leave a note. Even more interesting, the person who hit me was a police officer (Harvard University Police - they are a real police department and share jurisdiction with Cambridge Police). There was barely a scratch on his Crown Vic (cop car) but my poor TT had the left side of its plastic bumper almost completely torn off, the right brake light shattered. The metal inside the bumber was bent and torn and wedged against the left wheel so it was undrivable. I called the police and the guy who hit me was the one who showed up. He explained that he "wasn't looking where he was going", and he just sort of ran into my car.

Anyways, the car was towed to the nearest dealer (thank you Audi Roadside Assistance!) and it's being taken to a body shop today. I have no idea how long it'll take to get fixed or how extensive the damage is. It looks like the left and middle bumper panels need to be replaced, along with the left brake light. I noticed that the metal right above the left wheel was bent, so I assume that will have to be replaced too. That seems to be an awfully big piece though. Will they have to replace the whole left side?

Of course, Harvard's insurance is going to pay for all this, along with the crappy crappy Camry I have had to rent for the time it is getting fixed. (They said it was "comparable" to a TT).

I just want my TT back now! Thanks for letting me vent. I will appreciate my TT _EVEN MORE_ after this is all over. Perhaps I will treat it to some nice new wheels for the spring time. Any suggestions?

 

wouldn't instill confidence in the Harvard University Police for me!

Glad to hear it's being taken care of though!!

 

I was rear ended the day after a snow storm when the roads were still icy. My TT with Dunlop Wintersport M2 snow tires stopped from 50-0 in less than 75ft to avoid an accident, unfortunatly the guy in the POS Ford Contour rear ended me. His car was totaled. I just had rear end damage EXACTLY like you(piece of metal sticking out, tail light smashed etc.)

So it took about 3.5 weeks. Cost over $5,000 billed to his insurance company and my rental car was $1,600 for that time. They gave me a $41,000 Cadillic DeVille which I guess is the close in price, but not in performance or size to the TT.

Good luck GIO. When it gets repaired, tell them to paint your whole car since it is primered and ready to go anyways! ;Ţ

Also don't park your car on the street anymore!

 

I bet the cop just doesn't want to admit he was looking at TT.

 

LOL...but there are easier ways of taking a "closer look"! : )

 

The autobody shop told me it would only be about a week. I hope it really is that quick. I don't think my damage was as extensive as yours. They don't have a cost estimate yet. Hopefully I'll find that out tomorrow (but not like I care). I hate my rental Camry. It smells.

Wish I didn't have to park it on the street, but when in Cambridge there really isn't any choice.
And the girls that I drive to that dorm don't like to walk very far . I didn't even have a permit to park in the spot I was parked in anyways. It was on a safe, private one-way side street that no one goes down - except cops who don't looking where they are going because they are distracted by "flashing lights."

 

... TT and other aware drivers park further from city curbs. A friend with an ///M Coupe has gotten hit on the driver's side also, in the same bang-then-scrape accident.

Horrible way to hit a car, since such a large area is affected be careful to repair all panels even slightly damaged due to the corrosion risk on steel panels.

Cameron