Regulars at this forum probably recall my screenname. My 1985 765 was totaled yesterday as a result of a left turn incident. I was nailed my a saturn going at least 40MPH. I was turning left, and got hit in the rear two doors, the saturn caught the rear wheel and spun the car 270 degrees clockwise. I walked out, with only a briuse on my shoulder from the seat belt. The rear trailing arm was ripped from the car, along with the center support bracket and the rear half of the drive shaft. The roof buckeled, as did the floor behind the rear seats. On both sides the floor ripped. The line between the hood and fender has a large gap, the opposide doors have a large gap, and the tailgate was jammed closed. The car saved my life. Volvo for life, Im definatly a repeat buyer. Just wanted to say something. I new Volvo was a safe car, but i didnt want to find out this way. The link has the pics. I thank everyone for all the help I have gotten here, and I hope to be back shortly :)
Mark

Volvo compiles a list of these kind of accidents. You may be eligible for membership in their "Volvo Saved My Life Club". I sent my story about the end of my Turbo and received feedback in about a day.

What a beautiful wagon!! What a shame!!

My wagon - same year, 760, Turbo, same color, M46/OD, is your sister car. So sorry.

cheers - dave

Glad your ok. Side impacts are rough. Most cars wouldn't have done so well. I'm guessing the saturn had the radiator moved toward the rear of the car about 2 feet and the engine was sitting on the pavement. Well, now you get to go buy a new one. Which is fun when you know exactly what you want.



- Nate
Volvo, for life.

(that's why I'm keeping the volvo and selling the beamer.)
--
90 745 16v 160k , 86 bmw 325e 162k, for sale, AGAIN!

Actually the saturn faired pretty well, it was totaled. But still intact. 2 of the safest cars on the road, go figure. And you are right, now ill just find a nicer, better one!

Nate,

I also have a '90 740 16 valve. how do you like yours?

Brad

You are one of the fortunate Volvo drivers along with everyone else on this forum, you walked away. My son was tackled by a semi truck last year and his wagon was absolutly twisted. Now imagine this. You are a police officer responding to a crash and when you get close you recognize the mangled vehicle and are sure no one in the car survived. Engine shoved under the car, glass blown out and large parts shoved into the other vehicles grill. The only saving grace was my son loved his Volvo and would drive in nothing else, not even with friends. Now imagine coming to that same wreck and seeing your sons car in that condition, almost wet my uniform. I did however find him resting in the grass. Thank God and Volvo!

From an officers perspective coming on the scene I would have insisted that you checked into the emergency room however you were in a brick so at that point would be inclined to believe that you were alright. Cars can be replaced, they are cheap compared to broken backs, wheelchairs and constant care. Im very glad that you were not injured and wearing your belt. Incedently I have written almost 100 seatbelt tickets in the past 60 days. Just remember these types of injuries do not show themselves right away, you tend to discover them doing your daily living.

I do hope you find your dream Volvo, maybe this was a wake-up call to get you motivated who knows.

You are alive and well, thats what counts

Badge988
MSP

I was 21 when I was hit head on by a Cady. I was driving a 1986 760 turbo. Saved my life. An officer talked to me for an our while I almost bled to death while they were cutting me out. I was so out of it I got mad when I saw them cut my roof off!! Anyway, the car saved my life, the EMT and the officers helped me stay alive. Glad to hear your son was ok!

Brad

Did your son have any serious injuries? Was he able to walk away from the wreck?
--
1988 760Tic - 156,300 1966 M-B 230 sedan - 98,000 1982 Rx-7 - 201,000 Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us. - Bill Watterson

Here is a copy and paste of the original post of my sons Volvo:

At 16:20 Saturday 8-17-02 I responded to a "PI/PD" or personal injury property damage accident at a busy intersection. I hit my lights and siren and went to investigate. I was the second squad on the scene and as I arrived I saw what looked to be my sons 265 wagon in a crumpled mess next to a Freightliner that had spun around. My heart began to sink quickly as I read the license plate. It WAS the 265DL flathood that I gave to my son on his 16th birthday, 2 weeks ago. The passenger side was mashed in so hard it pushed the rear seatbelt bar through the roof and was hanging down the side on the remaining belt, the passenger seat was busted out of the car and hanging from the grill of the Freightliner and the engine was under the car with the driveshaft wrapped around it. The car now sported a concave hood that had a motor mount bolt produding from it and the passengers side doors were fifty feet away in the other lane. I found my son sitting on the side of the road laying in the grass. Other than a slight beltburn he had no other injuries other than a broken heart. I almost wet my uniform!

He gave me his side of the story, the semi driver had run the red light while under throttle. He stated the pipes were black smoking and he had completed what sounded like a shift. My son hit the brakes short of locking to avoid the truck but was too late. The truck drove over his hood and slammed the car into the lane ties. He saw the truck approx 500 feet before impact and braked at approx 250 feet. Other witnesses confirmed his story and another car rear ended the semi during the first impact. Witnesses stated the truck was in excess of 70 in a 50 zone.

I interviewed the driver of the truck and discovered he had been drinking, a field sobority test showed he was 0.16 BAC, twice the legal limit and tested positive for cocaine use in a later lab test. I had the pleasure of arresting the driver for his fifth DWI charge plus reckless driving and intentional manslaughter and driving while DWI revoked.



Today my son has no sustained injuries and is still the same great kid however we still tangle over that messy room of his. Still a daddys boy however at 5-9 and close to 180 pounds from his sports he's a little too heavy to sit on dads lap! He did however blow the B28 out of his wagon but no loss really so we are in the process of doing a ford 2.9L conversion. Will keep everyone posted on our progress with this one.

Badge988

Wow - what a story. Both of yours.

volvorod85: I am glad you are alright. Health is the most important thing in life - money comes and goes. Bes of luck to you.

badge988: I seriously hope you managed to put that SOB behind bars for a really, really long time. Drivers like these make the roads a dangerous place.

Thank you balladish

The man is serving time at St Cloud state prison. I will always keep my reputation of being the hardest DWI one will ever have. I believe in the German laws concerning DWI, in Germany you loose your license period... Something like that in the USA should be implemented along with dynamic speed limits like those found on the autobahn. Open interstates that are light in traffic should open up to 80+ during daylight hours.

BTW Badge988 got a speeding ticket today in cheeseland Wisconsin, 72/65 and the officer had the gall to present to me "Our cheapest ticket is $158.00"...
Just come over the border sucker at 1 MPH over and I will hand him a $200.00 ticket, he does like to patrol the St Croix area and strays into MN after clocking someone speeding over the I94 bridge. I was ticketed in uniform while running one into WI for warrents. Go figure! (sigh) I do have to pay the damn thing!


Badge988

Wow - I never knew police officers can get tickets! I always see them crossing red lights, making illegal turns, even without lights and sirens...

Thank you badge998 you have no idea how much all this means to me. Ive been looking for a car for my sister, volvo of course, and she was complaining she didnt really want a volvo, mainly a wagon. When she saw my car, the story changed. I wont buy anything else, and i loved my car. But i am alive and thats what matters, there are a lot more out there, and ill find another. Thank You!!
Mark

Realize you are in Sunny CA, but just thought I would pass this along. Just on the market this weekend at Ft. Lee, VA. 1991 940 Turbo. Gray/Gray leather. 91K advertised on the clock. Asking $4K. NMI. Will contact if you desire.

Glad no one was hurt.

God speed.
--
D.P. Mulvey in Central VA.

Wow, thanks for the responses it does mean a lot to me. Lets see if i can answer all the quiestions. I did go to the ER that afternoon and had my self checked out for insurance reasons, and personal knowledge, I was fine and i got out of the car once I had calmed down and walked to the curb. If I had passangers depending on how they were sitting injuries could have been worse than better. The passanger seat is a little closer to the drivers and the door is wedged against it. If someone was leaning on the door, they would have gotten hurt, but walked out. The back seat would have been worse, the corner of the seat is squished and its possible someone, depending how they were sitting, may have hurt their legs, possibly broken, and worse case scenerio bruised or broken a rib maybe. It all depends on how they were sitting. But everyone would have gotten out under their own power. My insurance is questionalbe, I have liability only because the car is only valued at 2 grand it wasnt work paying for collision, and now its in my driveway and the insurance company cant take it, so i can do as i wish with the car. It was both of our faults, probably more his. I didnt see where he came from and I know he crossed when the light was yellow, as I did, it may have been already red for him. Unfortunatly here in Los angeles Oncoming traffic has the right of way, so Im automatically at fault, one exception to the rule, a traffic light incident, which this is. So i have to see how the insurance company deals with it. I will be taking more pics of the inside and underneath, so everyone can see exactly what happened. The car was pretty much bent into a U. The trailing arm was ripped from the body, the center support bracket was ripped out along with the driveshaft, the roof buckeled, the floor behind the rear seats buckeled and ripped, the opposite side doors still close nice, but have a large gap now, i had to kick the tailgate open to get my stereo stuff out. It did what it was supposed to in a major accident, and I doubt I will ever own anything but now. "Volvo for life" I loved my car, but im alive and not injured. Thats all that matters. Ive already sold the front clip me thinks, the front seats are spoken for. The rear seats were near perfect tan leather, so those may be up for sale. When the insurance company closes the claim, ill will strip the car for all its worth to me. For now, Ive got to come up with the funds, and ill be looking for another. Ill have more pics next week, and feel free to ask me anything.
Mark

Mark
your not going to believe this, but someone at work was just asking me if i wanted to buy a volvo that had just been broadsided color and all match you, and even better i live in Lakewood, do you know anyone who works for Westcliff Medical Laboratories or Specialty labs? if you your friend is looking out for you and trying to help get someone interested in taking it off your hands, i would have been interested but its an 85 im looking for maybe an 80 90, what intersection is that?. I totalled my old 85 745 in Huntington Beach on Edwards street when a 16 year old pulled out in front of me and i T boned her, think about it this way she was driveing a 01 escourt and amazingly made it out in one piece with a completly destroyed car you were driveing a volvo and came out with a car that you could probly actually drive still ( not safe and all but it would probly drive again lol ).

Im curious as to who asked you. I know no one out there, but i know of people that are in that area for school and other things. But I think it may be a coincidence. The intersection is Washington blvd. and redwood ave in culver city, just south of venice high. My car is already spoken for though. The front clip is going to a guy at work whose nephew crashed one, the seats are going to the guy who is helping me strip it. The suspension has all been done up and is all salvagable, sway bars springs, shocks, all of it. Engine trans, all my mods im keeping for the next, what ill use exactly i dont know. But its gonna be pretty bare before its hauled away....the two driver side doors are probably ok, and the sunroof it self may be ok, though the roof around it buckeled. paint on the sunroof had the peeling clearcoat, and the doors have the usual wear and tear dings and stuff. but if there is anything im not using, ill make a post to see if there is any intrest before getting rid of it all.

Same thing happened to me in 94....cost about $9K to repair the car (BIL has the car but I wish it had been totaled) and even more today. You have a parts car if you wish to keep it!

The #%$%#@$% who hit me got the ticket...running a red light. I didn't even see her change lanes from behind two right hand lanes of stopped traffic to an open third left lane.

It didn't help that my induction hose to the garrett turbo was leaking air (I found it a few months later) which explained the pitiful bottom end torque and why it took me so long to make the left hand turn and get tagged.....

Mark, I went through a very similar accident last year and I'd like to pass on some tips:

1. I don't know if you went to the hospital or not, but whether you did or did not, see your family doctor soon to have a complete check. In particular, try to think back to the actual impact... do you remember EVERYTHING? Try to determine if you may have blacked out, even if only for a few seconds. This is important, with respect to whether or not you may have sustained a mild concussion -- which sometimes does not show any effects until weeks later (mood swings, loss of concentration, tendency to easily fall asleep). I experienced this weeks after my accident, and the symptoms took months to go away completely.

2. GO TO THE DENTIST for a check, and if I were you, X-rays. Six months after my accident, on a routine visit we discovered I had three teeth cracked completely in two. I am now undergoing root canals and reconstruction that will total into the thousands. Some insurance companies are really bad when it comes to reopening files later, so it's best to get these bases covered ASAP.

Glad you are ok, I know what it feels like all too well.

Steve

Great looking car. Hate to see it happen.

I would be curious to know how your insurance will deal with this. I have a 91 940T that I wrecked (grille, lights, and hood) April 1, last year. It was a pristine car - especially in the body and interior. Because of the mileage (175K at the time) and year - SAFECO totaled the vehicle. They gave me some options as for choosing another simular cars IN MY AREA that did not even begin to measure up. I worked a deal with them, got some cash, bought another 940 - kept the car, and got it fixed.

Come tag time here in AL (Sept) I find that I could not get a tag, as it was a salvage car as for the title. The hoops I had to jump through to get that reversed could fill a page. I now have the car back on the road with a good title.

Anyway, I hope that your situation works out well in regards to insurance.

Andrew in AL
--
'91 940T (198K) , '94 940T (145K) , '92 745T (170K)

Sorry to hear that. Thanks for the pictures. Too bad it got destroyed. That is a nice looking car with the color and the alloys, and the tint.

Put it this way -- at least it died hard. If that car was brand new with 100 miles on the clock, it would STILL be totaled. The damage you're talking about, is probably around $25,000. And even on a car like that, brand new, it would be a total loss.

Amazingly, the only glass that got broken out, was the passenger door. A lot of cars would not have fared as well.
--
Chris Herbst, near Chicago.

any pictures of the other car? Did they drive head on into the side of you? Your car seems to have held up well. I'm glad you are ok.
chuck760turbo

I feel for you dude. I do accident investigation and thats why I own a volvo. my wife hit a deer south of Lexington KY in October on the interstate and it only damaged the front. Totaled out my 1990 740gl 4dr which I loved and I replaced it with a 1992 volvo 740 wgn. To respond to ronalds query about injuries to passengers, it doesnt look like too much encroachment into the passenger side so the passengers would have been shaken, with possible side whiplash but should not have any broken bones from the normal major encroachment of other vehicles which I have witnessed. Glad no-one was hurt.

Bob

What do you suppose would have happened to passengers had there been any? Just curious.

Ron
87 745

well now you have a car that has tons of body damage with a busted up chassis but everything under the hood and front is good. part it out! :)

sorry to hear about it but i'm glad you're ok.
--
Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'