I am at a lost for words....

[oldestof11]

I was driving to pick up my bro at his bosses house, a cattle farmer. There is a dirt road that is 1 lane, trees on either side. It has been raining lately. I picked up my bro yesterday and went down it. Nothing spectacular happened. So going to pick him up today, I left in 2wd like yesterday. I am in 3rd going about 20mph, up a muddy hill. It starts sliding toward the trees on the right hand side. I quickly trun to the left but to no avail. I run over a 6" diameter sapling, about 10-20 ft tall, then precede to hit the 2 FOOT diameter tree right behind it!:shock:

I hit it at about 10-15mph. After my head returned from the whiplash, the truck is still running. I jump out, run to the front of the truck and see antifreeze pouring out. I run to the truck back it up and shut the key off. Like a idiot, I stare at the dash wondering why the truck is running after I turn off the key. Then it hit me like I hit the tree, pull the cable. I did. I call my bro, and he said he is coming. I call my mom, ring-ring-ring-ring-voicemail. I try 2 other times after that only to get the same thing happen. By now I am hysterical, trying not to cry at the lost of the truck and feeling VERY helpless. I try my dads cell but it went straight to voicemail. Man, he has his phone off, I think. I call mom and finally get a answer, "CALL YOUR FATHER!! I am on the other line." WHOA! I call dad and get a answer. "Whats wrong?" He asked. "I hit a tree." "You had to take that dirt road, didn't you?" YEP!

By now I notice a few thing on me hurt. I look at my arm and notice a cut. I feel the back of my neck and get a little blood. The mirror on the passenger side hit a tree or something and WHAP! hit the side of the truck and sprayed me with glass as the passenger window was down. I hurry to the back of the truck, jump in the bed, open the toolbox, and get the towel out and press it on my arm. By now my bro is coming over the hill I just attempted to climb in a Polaris Ranger. We look at it, me a little hysterical still, and jump into the Ranger and head to the farm, about a mile. To make it short, the farmer pull me to the main road and my dad towed me home with the Ford E350 van.

Now imediate damage. Radiator, intercooler, passenger fender & door, passenger mirror, grille, front and rear bumpers, headlights, turn lights. To be seen, frame, intercooler boots (saved the turbo, the are pushed flat right now), front end, steering, etc.

So now my dilema is this, repair, replace, project truck. If the frame is bent, I am either going to gut it for another 1st Gen, or give another vehicle a Cummin heart transplant (87 1500 Suburban comes to mind). If is not bent, then all 3 come to mind.

Needed to vent,

Jon

[CAJUN 93]

man that sucks! glad you're alright. sounds like it's donor time. these trucks don't usually draw the type of money it takes to justify repairing that type of damage.

daryl

[PToombs]

Glad you are ok! Too bad about the truck. See what it'll cost to fix it, go from there. I don't think the 1/2 ton suburban is hefty enough to survive the results of the transplant!

[TWorline]

Sorry to hear about your loss. Glad you are OK, although a little stiff I am sure.

[oldestof11]

Pics here:

http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/dev/ ... ost1642537

Last post by dieselJon

Jon