Club Cobra - Beware of Rocks

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A couple of weeks ago we were of for a weekend away in the 540 with a group of friends. Driving along the Burnett Hwy I came around a bend through a cutting. I saw a rock in the middle of the side the road I was on. Before I completed the phrase "Oh cr*p" there was this almighty bang which woke my wife up. I looked in the rear a vision mirror as saw pieces of what I thought was broken rock. Checked the instruments, oil pressure and temp was Ok and no unusual noises. One of the cars behind came up beside be telling me to pull over.
They told me I had steam coming out from under both sides of the car(which was not evident looking through the centre rear a vision mirror). The steam turned out to be oil from the gear box.
When the car arrived home a few days later I put in on the hoist to check the damage.
The pictures are self explanatory

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d..._1024x613_.jpg
http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d..._1024x613_.jpg
http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...d_640x427_.jpg
You can see the gouges in the road and the oil mark after that.

The cars in front were a GT40 which it didn't touch, the 2 AC Cobras which hit it causing no damage.

It went under my front lip which about 145mm clearance, just touched the sump which is 125mm clearance and then hit the gearbox which is 175mm clearance. The rock was 90mm X 90mm X 130mm.
From what we worked out happen, was the rock got stood up to it highest point, the sump clipped it causing it to rotate and hit the gearbox diagonally, then dug into the road.
Thank goodness for insurance companies.

Warren

that's a fair effort bet you felt like dick Johnson for a bit there. cars can be fixed and glad to see nobody was hurt that's a fair size rock .

I have had a similar issue with a punctured sump, puts a downer on the weekend away and makes you more aware next time around.

Ouch!
I always used to worry about the drain plug sitting at the lowest point of the Cobra branded cast alloy sump on a 351. It always seemed like it could tear out if I hit something in the road. Your gearbox just proved what happens to cast parts!

wkb so a sump guard /belly pan is on the cards next i guess

Quote:

Originally Posted by renovationinnov (Post 1313027)

wkb so a sump guard /belly pan is on the cards next i guess

My son who is into fabricating competition rock crawlers has already been measuring up and working out ways to fabricate guards to protect the sump and gearbox.

I have kept the rock as reminder of what could cause $6000 dollars worth of repairs and transportation for the car.

Warren

very nasty, we have had a few close calls like that up in the hills around the victorian high country, but thankfully the worst was a rosella that hit the headlight, leaving its insides all over the winscreen.

Not just Rocks you have to look out for! Little old ladies doing u turns in front of you. They do even more damage.....ouch!

There were pictures on the site several years ago of someone who had hit a Deer with the RH front fender. Not Pretty.

Damn, that's nasty. Wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Warren, out of interest is insurance covering a new transmission case and they associated labour costs to transfer parts over, or are they just going to supply a new trans?

Craig, The complete job, parts and labour, are being covered by Shannons. All the tow truck costs including the 250klm trip to my place was covered. All I had to pay was the excess.

They were very quick with the claim, assessment and payout.

Warren

Quote:

Originally Posted by WKB (Post 1314469)

Stories like this where insurance actually pays restores my faith in them and makes me want to switch...

I can't tell you the number of bad experiences I've had with one particular insurance company of mine.

Just sayin' I'm going to be calling Shannons this afternoon!

I have 3 cars with shannons and my car trailer also . my mrs was sitting at a red light when bam 3 cars into the back of her shannons where fantastic they asked if we had any place in particular that we wanted to take the car to and they arranged for the car to be picked up from home and taken to the crash shop to be assessed . go ahead to be fixed was given later that arvo and 8 days later the car was back home .
they went out of there way to make sure we was happy with the out come . I wont be changing that's for sure ...on the other hand there household insurance for us at least was shockingly expensive considering what we pay now I think they best stick too cars .cheers dean