gtup1 Posted April 25, 2013 Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 Well fellow Shelbyfiles my baby has her first scratch! My wife and I have been on a Ten day cross country trek. Left Illinois Sunday the 14th drove down through Missouri into OK then to NM then over to Phoenix. Ran into a huge dust storm and first scratch came when a tumbleweed outside of Winslow AZ hit me, (which I'm telling you looked like someone's shrub from their front yard hit the front valance at around 70 mph). I almost cried but we pushed on. Arrived in Temecula for a couple days and my God Daughters wedding. Started the trek back via the northern route and a couple days in Napa to buy wine for my wife. Hey she gets wine because I get Shelly the Shelby. Stayed in Salt Lake City last night and I have to tell you that is one of the cleanest prettiest city's I've ever seen. If any members here live there I am truly jealous. Today was almost a disaster. Running down 80 coming up on Rock Springs WY someone did not properly secure their freaking ladder and there it sits smack dab in the middle of the passing lane. You know I was in the passing lane, cruise set at 75 enjoying the drive. I see a pickup in the left median and I'm kinda looking at him, then all of sudden I see it. I can't swerve right I'm right beside a tractor trailer and several other cars. Fortunately it was length wise so I just straddled it, no way I can stop, another pickup a car length behind me. It hit and all I could do was hang on let the truck beside me pass and pull to the side. I shut down immediately looking at the oil pressure gauge. I jump out looking underneath and nothing's leaking. Thank God! The truck that was off to the side starts halling a-- off the median. My wife handed me the camera and I snapped a picture of their plate. My wife called 911 explained what happened and gave the truck description. I start looking the car over again waiting for the WY Highway Patrol. Half ripped my hideaway front license frame off couldn't see anything else but right afterwards the steering felt like a wobble in the steering wheel. Hats off to the WY HP, by the time the officer removed the ladder from the road they found they guy, I think he was trying to run. Their explanation was they saw the ladder and planned on moving it but when I hit it he decided to take off. That explanation doesn't even make sense, after I hit why not get it out of the road so no one else hits it. Well after all the paperwork I took it to a little Ford dealer there to have them check her out. I gotta tell you the dealership didn't look like much but the friendliness and service was unbelievable. If your in their neck of the woods stop in at First Choice Ford Lincoln, they are great people plus the have an all black 13 GT 500 plus a black Boss LS. I told them what just happened they paged Bobby (I think their Mustang guy) he came started looking around the car, took her back and had her on the rack within 2 minutes, looked everything over, had one of the other guys give it a second set of eyes. Other than a few scratches she was good to go. Moral of the story, watch for road Debri, hitting junk sucks, and the folks in WY are pretty cool, friendly people. Have a visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoggiebhr Posted April 25, 2013 Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 Glad to hear you all are safe, hitting something like that in the road can cause people to panic and things could have been much much worse. The first "warrior wound" is always the hardest. My first was a big hunk of something that a truck in front of me threw up. Thank goodness the windshield didn't break, but I did get a half inch long dent next to the hood pin plate on the driver's side. I had a bad road debris event as well. While on a dark, two lane road (coming back from a car show I believe), I hit a hunk of tree that had fallen into the road. It sounded horrible, but I was only 10 miles or so from home, so I just watched the gauges and drove home slowly. When I got home, I got out and looked and there was a tree branch about 6 inches around, jammed between the bottom of my bumper and my GT500 splitter. The branch was protuding from the front of the car about a foot, and was jammed up about half that length sideways toward the passenger tire. Thank goodness it went in at an angle, or it would have destroyed the radiator. I was lucky with just scratches on the splitter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harristotle Posted April 25, 2013 Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 OMFG I want to puke just reading those stories! Glad no serious damage came of it and they were able to snag the guy. I got mine used (3rd owner) so I haven't had to worry about the first scratch thing, but to be fair mine was in almost perfect condition when I got her. Got a clear bra on the front and I nailed something on one of my treks home from Az to Ca. There's a black scuff on the lower portion of the front valence. Drives me nuts, but I know when I get my stripes painted and the bra replaced it'll be gone. I won't do that drive in the Shelby anymore, I'd rather pay a little extra and fly and not put the miles and wear on the Shelby for that gawd awful boring drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HARALD KELLEY Posted April 25, 2013 Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 Glad it all worked out and no one was hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilmor Posted April 25, 2013 Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 Sorry to hear and glad all are safe! I have a friend out west who does that that AZ to CA round trip at times and it seems that every time he does something happens that's not good. That's the trouble with these cars, at some point you have to have them on the roads with all the crazies and obstacles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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