Double E totals his Y34

[Double E]

Yes, I totaled my Y34.

My tragedy occurred this past January when I drove home from work in an ice storm.
I was in a sharp left-hand turn doing maybe 10mph and the front end broke free and slid off the edge of the road. The back end broke free with it and quickly, all 4 wheels were off the road.
On this particular turn, the DMV had thoughtfully placed those 6-7 individual posts that point you to the direction of the turn. These types of signs are on galvanized metal poles and have an aluminum face with a bright yellow background on a thick sheet of aluminum with a black arrow. As I hit each of them, they either went under the car or cut into the passenger side of the car from the front quarter to the rear in various places as if Wolverine had swiped at the sides of the car.
Underneath, as the flat aluminum pieces were twisted and bent around, they were caught inside the steering arm of the steering rack and the A arm of the passenger side wheel.
As I continued momentum, most of the signs came out from under the car just ahead of the rear wheel but not before one cut my rear wheel brake line and flattening my fuel line. There’s a bolted-on metal shield that protects the brake lines from situations like this, but it was no match for the thick blade of the sign and it was ripped from the car.
I was able to continue my momentum and kept speed steady enough to move back onto the road since the ice had mostly formed on the road, but there was still traction on the ground beside it. The flattened fuel line kept me from going over about 20mph too.

(The signs were apparently placed there to guard against sliding further off the road and down a slight embankment to someone’s yard.)
When I stopped, my front wheels were not pointed in the same direction due to the bent steering arm.
It all happened pretty quick but I was fine and it still ran fine.

I could not believe that in a 10MPH “event”, it was that damaged but that’s what insurance is for, right?

I soon learned that the brake line was cut when I continued the 15 miles towards home and suddenly the brake pedal went to the floor. Due to the ice, no one could go fast anyway and I still had 1st gear and the e-brake to stop me. The front wheels hopped and skipped along from not being set in the same direction but I made it home in another 90 minutes or so.

When the body shop got the car, the repair cost was at 75% of the remaining value of the car so it was totaled.
With all of the passenger side body panels needing to be replaced, the damage underneath and the miles (136K), I was resigned to accept that it was hopeless to fight it and buying it back & fixing it myself would have been tough as I do not weld, have no access to a paint booth and even if I did, I’d end up with a salvage title Y34 with 136K miles on it and no vehicle to drive in the interim.

(Enter the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V as a replacement vehicle.)

Holy Jesus! The CTS-V is fast. Do not race this car. You will lose.
Recaro seats, 556 Supercharged HP and a race-tuned suspension in either 6M or 6 Auto with a paddle shift. Bluetooth, Nav, panoramic roof, headlights that move in the direction of the steering, rear-view camera, chrome 20” wheels, heated/cooled seats, adjustable shock dampening, hard drive audio…the list continues and is impressive and all at the bargain price of less than 50K. (Interestingly, that’s approximately what the Y34 sold for new in 2004.)

All that being said, I still miss the Y34. (read my long term report here:long-term-report-y34-t556272.html

I cannot get more than 18MPG out of the CTS-V, where I could get a sustained 21MPG from the M. The CTS-V has no spare tire as the front & rear wheels are different sizes, so you get a can of fix a flat and a compressor as OEM equipment instead. The headrest in the M is still more comfortable than the Recaro seat headrest …but that’s about where the gripes stop. Son of a btich! that V is fast and the Supercharger whine is absolutely magical to hear & feel. I can light up the rear wheels if I stomp the gas while already doing 50MPH!

So…I’ve moved on …but wait.

I’m not leaving and that’s where things get really interesting:

It turns out that there’s someone in Charlotte selling his ’04 Y34 and it has half the miles that mine did. It has the chrome wheels and was dealer serviced for EVERYTHING. I contact him and we agree on a price only to have him notify me in the following days that it was just rear-ended in a traffic accident.
I still want it. SO off to the shop it goes.

Fast forward to April. Now it has a new rear bumper and fresh paint job from the front of the roof back. It’s dark blue where mine was brilliant silver and I preferred the silver but I’ll get over it… Now I have a great daily driver …and a great daily driver. One I can put miles on, is cheap to insure and I know what’s goingto break over the next few years. …And one I can go out and beat up on Porsche, Camaro, Corvette & any AMG made plus hang with most any Ferarri and whatever else I see …and not rack up the miles as the only daily driver. For about $60K total invested, it’s a scream and both are proven reliable to own. I’ll shell out plenty in fuel costs, yes and new tires will kick me in the gut but it’s a very big grin driving either car.

My point is that when you have what you’re comfortable with and it’s taken away from you, there’s probably an opportunity for better/different/other then what you may have thought was possible. Also, don’t give up finding a replacement. They’re out there.

[CPJ LB]

I'm sorry for your loss, but very happy to hear YOU are ok and survived!!!! Scary to read about what happened!!! Cars will come and go.... The memories we had with each of them will continue on

[TXT]

Nice, do you live by Charlotte? I see alot of STS-V's and CTS-V's in my area.

[Double E]

Thanks for the note CPJ.

TXT, I live in Raleigh. There's a bunch of Vs out here too plus a couple of tuning companies. I'm itching to take it to the Black Friday session at CMS this year.

I'll have installed an exhaust cutout on it by then too.

[cruzad3r]

are you seriously traveling at 10 MPH ???

i'm just saying

[Double E]

"...in an ice storm."

..yep. I'm a wild man .

[MaxBolus]

sorry to hear about the Y34. I recently went offroad as well, but landed in mud and sustained no damage.

Mine is getting up there (173K) and I've been eyeballing those CTS-Vs as well 8-). Glad to hear it makes you happy. Keep us posted.

later

[szh]

Ouch!!

Sorry to hear the news ... glad to hear that you were OK though, and cars can be replaced. Although finding a Y34 in good condition is not easy, of course! Not enough made.

Z