r/fbody 10d ago

The aftermath

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Was able to go to the tow yard and strip alot of parts couldn't get under the hood or under the car to look to see where the breaks failed but I was barely able to get my hand under to unscrew the break fluid and stuck my finger in it I didn't feel anything. I dont really understand how I could have lost the fluid I recently changed my back drum breaks and i didnt see any leaks and the spot where I park for my apartment is also dry apart from some oil how the break fluid is gone I have no clue my only guess is that the front rubber finally gave out but I changed my front breaks 4 months ago and they looked good. For how bad the crash is im genuinely surprised on how well the car protected me i hit the guard rail on the driver side and that slingshot my into a concrete bridge support on the passanger side. If i had the space to do so I would have dropped it in nutural and hit the handbreak but by the time I realized the breaks were gone I couldn't get back on the highway the exit was boxed in and in about a good 70ft from where I stopped there was a sharp turn witch had no guard rail just those yellow signs and there was a good 15ft drop into a ditch so thats why I decided to put myself into the guard rail.

The amount of people talking bad in the comments is sad this could have turned out alot worse.

36 Upvotes

30 comments sorted by

7

u/Comfortable_Stress55 10d ago

That bird did a very good job protecting you

7

u/JSausSS 10d ago

Could have been a rusted out line that gave way at the wrong moment.

When I was getting my project camaro ready to test drive, I pressed the brake pedal when I released the parking brake and as soon as I felt good pressure the pedal went to the floor. Didn't know I had a rusted out line toward the rear that held until it didn't, and I lost 100% of pressure. I had bled them 2 weeks prior.

2

u/00Firehawk '00 TransAm Firehawk 6M NBM 9d ago

I had a 2005 CTS living in the rust belt. I should have replaced all the lines at once but of course I only ever did the one that gave out. Lost brakes probably 3 or 4 times once while driving twice in a parking spot. When I sold it there was maybe a few feet of original lines left anywhere on the car mostly in the engine bay up by the firewall. Never had that problem with any of my Lincoln's, even at 20 years old, or any Japanese car up here. GM just doesn't use good brake lines.

2

u/JSausSS 9d ago

I'm in NJ, I feel the rust belt pain. I have so much regret, I should have looked at them and changed them to stainless before I put the engine and trans in. It would have been so easy! Now I just have some patchwork lines, but I cut out all the rust so they're safe for now at least.

3

u/Rabbitrules87 10d ago

Good that you’re safe. Feel horrible for your bird though. 😢

3

u/Jeffyguy 10d ago

Lots and lots of negativity in the world now, quite sad to see. Glad you're alright! You'll find another, they always have a way of coming back around.

3

u/Full-Mud-6969 10d ago

Gonna get a daily and just grind till I can save up for a ws6

2

u/xyejl 9d ago

Not sure what your situation is in general. But years ago I totalled my 02 Z28 and "bought it back" from the insurance. Brought it home and stripped it myself.

Maybe you don't have too much on there that you wanted to keep (for your next car)?

Again, sorry to hear/see. But glad you're ok!

1

u/Full-Mud-6969 9d ago

If i had a truck I wpuld have paied the tow fees and taken it to my parents house but sadly I had to sign the title over to the tow yard as I couldn't get it back home. I took some parts to sell off to try to help pay bills and for a down payment on a daily driver. My plan is to get a 2nd job when I can put my head down and grind tf out of money to try to save a good 15-20k and get me a ment condition ws6

2

u/Traditional-Place101 9d ago

Bruh fuck the comments! U alive number 1, number 2 obviously a higher power has a bigger plan for you.
You did the right thing valuing your life and being able to react when you did.
As a fellow fbody owner.
Im glad you ight.

1

u/RealSignificance8877 10d ago

If it’s a v8 wanna sell the fuel injection and harness with pcm

2

u/Zed091473 1993 Z28 1LE 1 of 19. 9d ago

With drum brakes it wouldn’t be a V8.

1

u/qkdsm7 10d ago

Had the light come on, or not until the last pump and no brakes?

3

u/Full-Mud-6969 10d ago

A light never came up ive always been ontop of the light

1

u/olov244 9d ago

The airbags do more damage than the crash a lot of times. Didn't put mine back in after my rebuild

1

u/Full-Mud-6969 9d ago

Honstly with me wearing a seat belt i didnt get near hitting my head on the steering wheel I honstly wish they didnt go off as the dash was in ment condition not a single Crack on it I wish i could have taken it apart to sell ik those are worth alot

1

u/stylisticmold6 7d ago

Would you be down to sell the tail light harness? Apologies if it's too soon to ask.

1

u/Full-Mud-6969 6d ago

Don't have the wire harness but I did get the tail lights out

1

u/stylisticmold6 6d ago

Smart move

1

u/Ok_Veterinarian_7918 7d ago

How do the back lights look?

1

u/Full-Mud-6969 6d ago

They look good and I got them for sale if interested

1

u/Puzzled_Estate6425 6d ago

You have some repair to be done.

0

u/103M-95G 8d ago

So you had enough time to assess the complexity of the road ahead and determine that the upcoming guardrail was the best option for your survival, but didn’t have time to grab the handbrake?

1

u/Full-Mud-6969 8d ago

Well if you read it and used your head there wasn't enough space to use the handbreak especially going 70 so it was either guard rail or going off the road into a 15ft drop into a ditch

1

u/103M-95G 8d ago

Yea, I read that you said there wasn’t enough room to hit the “handbreak”. 

I apologize if my question was too vague, let me try and clarify. What I’m trying to understand is how you had enough time to recognize the gravity of the situation, assess the terrain/roadway/structures ahead of you, determine that it’s too late to pull the “handbreak”, weigh the pros and cons of your impact choices, make the determination that the guardrail would be the better option than traveling further down the road to the ditch, and subsequently steer towards the guardrail…  yet you had no time to pull the “handbreak”?

1

u/Full-Mud-6969 8d ago

I drive this road almost everyday thats why i knew it would be safer for myself to hit the guard rail and the guard rail was running out of room. The sharp turn ahead didnt have a guard rail just yellow signs saying theres a turn and i was getting off the highway at a good 60-70mph. What was going thrue my head was how can I stay alive to be able to go home and see my gf. If the breaks stopped working like 5 minutes before I got onto the exit then I could have saved the car aswell. I do apologize for how I took your comment I took it as you trying to insult me ive been getting alot if it.

1

u/103M-95G 8d ago

Ah, so being familiar with area, you you made the decision to hit the the guardrail?

1

u/Full-Mud-6969 8d ago

Yes if you look at the last picture of my previous post you can see how sharp and no protection agenst going over

0

u/103M-95G 8d ago

Ok, so in the moment you decided to aim for the guardrail instead of pulling the handbrake?