[Absolut Speed]

Went autocrossing today as I often do. Some kid's Dad rolls over my t-top in the paddock area (the t-tops were flanked by my red tool box and a red and white cooler and a red helmet bag) He says sorry, gives me a phone # and leaves me with the mess. After he left I found the glass ripped the embroidery in the Firehawk floor mat it was resting on. My wife, who was feeling more reasoned, called him tonight. He won't order a t-top for me unless his insurance company says it was his fault. He said, "How was I supposed to see it?" Dunno, dark top top flanked by three red items on light colored concrete, seems difficult, I know. When my wife called back a 2nd time 15 minutes later (at 9:45pm) to mention the floor mat, he didn't answer the phone.

So now, I may have to order my own and Lord knows, could well end up in small claims court. The bad part is the 10th annual Firehawk Rally is this weekend in Ohio and I have no T-top.

(IMG:http://63.164.215.74/posts/ttop/1.jpg)

(IMG:http://63.164.215.74/posts/ttop/2.jpg)

(IMG:http://63.164.215.74/posts/ttop/3.jpg)

I'm ticked, so you'll see this on a few boards.

[jraskell]

as he did not have knowledge the T-top was in his lane of traffic. I am sure if he had known he would of avoided hitting it.

Sorry, but this is ABSOLUTE BS!!! He did not have knowledge of the T-top in his lane of traffic? It's our duty to have knowledge of everything in our lane of traffic. You mean to tell me that if I run over somebody while driving down the road I just have to claim that I didn't have knowledge the person was in my lane of traffic, and I'm off the hook? Ridiculous. This is nothing more than the Insurance Company making an excuse to deny the claim in the hopes you'll give up and they won't have to pay. It's a perfectly valid claim, but they're obviously going to make you fight for it. Thing is, your insurance company should be helping you here. That's the whole point of having full coverage insurance. They help you when you screw up AND they help you when somebody screws you up. Press back on your own Insurance fo assistance here. At least try to get your agent to call the other company and call their BS.

On another note, I'll also chime in on the flying T-top club. Not even a week after I bought my car (purchased used, last summer), washed it, detailed it, cleaned the inside. An hour later, take it for a cruise, jump on the highway, rip up to 90+mph. No warning, just WOOSH! I look up, my driver side T-top had to be some 80ft up in the air, at the snap of a finger. Landed in the ditch though. A few minor scratches along the interior plastic of the T-top, but it also put a small put noticable scratch on my roof section (the area between the T-tops and rear hatch) Still, I'm glad I didn't have to buy another, and I double and triple check my latches and locks whenever I take the tops off.

When I finally do go to an AutoX, I just won't leave my T-tops laying anywhere, period. I've worried about this and/or theft, or anything bad happening in general. I've been assured anything detrimental is highly unlikely, but I"m not even going to risk highly unlikely. The only way those tops will be left off my car at an AutoX is if I get written guarantee from appropriately authorized personel taking responsibility for any possible problems that could arise. In other words, they're just never going to leave my car (cause I know that sort of written notice will also never happen). If it's an issue, fine, I'll just go home. I'm stubborn like that.