Garage Accident

[ags290]

For some reason, my son decided it would a good idea to go skateboarding this morning. No problem with that until he tried to get his skateboard down from the 8 foot shelf that it was sitting on in the garage without moving the Mustang first. He was able to get the board down along with a Razor Scooter that was sitting beside it. Unfortunately, the scooter was unaccounted for and took a nose dive damaging the left fender and hood of the car. I got the phone call at about 1:00 pm and am just now calm enough to write about it. I have not seen the damage but I have been told it is bad. God, Please give me the strength to calmly deal with this when I finally get home after my hour and a half commute.

[gus91326]

That sucks- I'd be raging as well. In times like these, I would (try) to remind myself this is a hobby and not life/death. Good luck.

[rbohm]

sounds to me like the kid is going to get a lesson in doing body work and paint.

[ludwig]

I'm with rbohm. You fix what you damage. If you can't, you pay someone who can.

Those darn kids.

[ags290]

Oh believe me, he will.

[ags290]

Here is the real kicker, it is his car and he is heart broken. We built it as a Father/Son project 4 years ago while my wife was going through cancer treatments for the second time. It was a diversion for us to be able to escape to the garage and put Cindy's illness out of our minds for a while and focus on something else.

The car was his daily driver while he was in high school and is now his summer car when he is back home. (The Mustang stays at home while he is away at college) It is the most tangible example of something that he and I have worked on together and a big source of pride and accomplishment for both of us. It was never a show car, but a very nice driver. Now, not so much. The car has looked worse, but not in a long time. The damage is contained to the left side of the hood and the top of the left fender. Right in the drivers line of sight, so it will be a painful reminder of his careless behavior for a while.

The thing that drives me nuts is he is super cautious behind the wheel. Everywhere else he is a X Games generation kid with a mentality of Ready, Fire, Aim. It is this lack of attention that cause accidents like the one yesterday. Hopefully this one will sting a little longer than a broken phone screen, laptop, or pair of glasses and will make him more aware of his surroundings. If he learns that one thing then it will be worth while. The good thing is no one was hurt and the car can be repaired.

I waited until about 1:00 am last night to go out to the garage and inspect the car. I wanted to be alone in case my initial reaction was not one of my prouder moments. It wasn't. There appears to be access from the back side of the hood for the two worst dents. Some careful hammer and dolly work should take most of the dents out. There are scratches all over the left side of the hood and fender which will require paint work. Hopefully the panels can be blended near the body lines to minimize the amount of painting.

With all of this said, it's just another old Mustang. One of more than a million. But it's the one that my son and I bled, sweat, cried, and cussed over together. Nothing can take that away.

Kevin

[bubba22349]

Well said I also have many fond memories of working with my Dad restoring my first car that was a long time ago! Good luck

[ludwig]

"... it's just another old Mustang."

No, it's not. It's a very special car that means a lot to you because of its connection to your son, whom you love.

Check the photo on my sig. My daughter and I rebuilt a 1966 Mustang together. At one point, while she was still in her mid-teens, I had to tell her that the car was not just a thing, it was an emblem, a symbol of our relationship together. She moped and groaned, which were the sounds of her actually getting the message. It's a life lesson.

Sometimes you have to say out loud something that is incredibly obvious to you personally.

[ags290]

Absolutely Ludwig