Featured Event Coverage Clarence misfortune; 10/15/2025

Yikes. Sobering stuff. Good that it wasn't worse.

Chris

 

bummer

 

Yikes!

 

Not much to add, but like others, I am so glad neither of you were physically hurt.
In 1984 while stationed in England, I rolled my 1983 Mini on a back road. When I climbed out, I thought "It''s just a car and I'm standing here alive." It was my pride and joy that I had modified and the previous weekend had won 1st place at a show. It could be replaced and my 2 broken collar bones healed without any problems.
When ever something like that happens, I think "If it had not happened, what was waiting for me down the road?" There's nothing you can do to change what's happened, you just thank God for being okay and move forward.
Still, I wish it hadn't happened to you, but I know Clarence will be repaired and continue giving you pleasure when driving. Ron

 

Sorry to see the pictures of the panel, but very glad you're both OK. Some parts replacement to do, but it'll be like new, again.

 

Glad you guys came out OK. Poor Clarence though.

 

Check the gas stations - stores etc along the route

 

That suck. Had a plastic bin liner blow out of the truck hauling empty fruit bins ahead of me years back and hit the corner of my roof on my 48 but it didn't do anything except leave a mark. I went back later and picked it up out of the bar ditch and took it home and made a splash pool for my daughter out of it.

When that happened that far from home it is hard to hunt down the owner of the trailer unless they got pulled over for running down the road missing a tire or unless somone reading this thread knows something about it.

 

On September 11, 2001 there were several people who got detained and didn't get to work in New York on time. On September 12 they were glad that they got detained. I feel the same way. Had this not happened what might have happened that could have been worse.

Even though he no longer wants to work on "old" cars I've got the man who painted Clarence a few years ago online with repainting it if I get the new sheet metal installed. I've found most of the sheet metal available new. That surprised me as a few years ago none of that stuff was being repopped.

 

The Man upstairs is looking out for ya.

 

sorry this happened and glad you are ok.
This is actually a good example of fiberglass parts that REDUCED the amount of damage that could have occurred . the fender breaking absorbed the energy and broke. a steel fender would have pushed back into the cowl and running board causing more damage.

 

So very few of us get through life without some sort of misfortune. Don't think of it as luck, but it is obvious you appreciate how fortunate you are to have survived intact. Let the shock of this incident fade quickly and the appreciation of your good fortune sink in and stay with you throughout a long rest of your life.

 

Shish…… like everyone else has said, glad you guys are home safe.
I look forward to seeing the repaired version of Clarence.

 

That sucks, sorry to hear this. Glad you’re okay

 

Aw man that sucks. Glad you guys are ok.

 

This is terrible news Mike. Glad all are ok. Let me know if I can lend a hand.

 

Glad your o.k.. Swap meet in Sedalia tomorrow and Sat. I will look for parts also. I'm going Sat . morning.

 

The Failure is thinking that a trailer that was used less than ten miles in ten years is good to go.

 

X100 on what everyone has said!!
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery for Clarence

 

Update:

1. insurance adjuster is coming Wednesday (10/22) to look at Clarence

2. Shop that did the bodywork/paint a few years ago has agreed to repaint it.

Note that when I picked it up back then he told me "I'll never work on anything older than 1955 again." Fortunately, though, he has reluctantly agreed to respray it. He won't disassemble the damage, fix as necessary, and reassemble. I'll have to take off everything damaged and bolt on (even if temporarily) all of the new sheet metal, radiator, A/C condenser, fan, etc., and then take it to him. He then will skim coat it, sand it, and paint. Who knows whether the entire truck will have to be resprayed or if he can do just the front clip.

Additional note: the paint is single stage; no pearl; no metalic; no metalflake; no clearcoat. Washington Blue exactly the way Ford Motor Company did it in the late 30's. Maybe it can be matched and maybe it can't. I've got the almost empty can of paint that was left over from the last time it was painted. Therefore, brand and paint formula is known.

 

Terrible news, glad no body was hurt, thats not how many of these loose wheel stories end.
There must have been nobody behind the suspect to report it, and if he was empty he may not even know it happened at the time.

When pulling a trailer, always check the wheel bearings for heat with your hand every time you stop.

 

Good news that the painter is willing to make you whole again. He's a known element, the best one to do the job.

 

Yes, Steve; exactly. There are thousands of folks who can bolt fenders on. There's only one person in the entire world who's ever going to get near Clarence with a paint gun in his hand. If Tom hadn't agreed to shoot the paint I don't know what I would have done. When he painted it before he skim coated EVERY square inch of metal that's now blue and then sanded 99.9% of it off. That's why there's not one blemish in the bodywork and I'm going to insist he do the same thing again; even though the sheet metal will be brand new. Here's hoping that when you see it next year at LF IV you won't even be able to tell that it's had damage.

 

Glad you fellas are OK! Seeing stuff like this always give me a reason to thank God for the hundred's of thousands of accident free miles that I've driven.

Poor Clarence, but like Lee Majors, you can build him back better, stronger, faster (?). Hoping the rebuild goes well!

 

This is awful but your health is #1. Everyone is on the lookout for an F1 front clip!

 

Glad to hear you are ok!

 

I can relate to your misfortune as my 32 Sport Coupe was totaled this past fall in route to the Speedway Motors Saturday a.m. coffee cruise by an inattentive driver, who rear ended me at interstate speeds in the right hand lane sending me across two adjacent lanes & into the median cable restraints, thankfully the sport coupes share the full door frame & 'A' & 'B' pillars that undoubtably saved my life, I shudder to imagine my chances were I driving a roadster, as the cables stripped the left side mirror, rain gutter & the landau bar. While the cable system created additional heavy damage, it kept me out of the oncoming traffic lane.

 

Good update! With that paint being used and the “old paint” being g so new I bet no one will be the wiser after it’s fixed

 

Glad everyone is safe. Clarence will bounce back better.

 

@atch Glad things will turn out OK in the end.