Date:         Tue, 28 Oct 2003 23:30:17 +1300
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: Vanagon crash article
In-Reply-To:  <002301c39d96$3577ba40$e93ba4cb@fred>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

>Interesting.  Today I saw a T3 Transporter that had run up the back of a
>new, 2003, Toyota tarago/Previa.  The Toyota's rear hatch was destroyed,
>pushed in about 300mm, with noticable damage to the rear body.  While the VW
>looked to have suffered a bent bumper, broken grill and what looked like
>minor panel damage to the nose.

The rear of some vehicles (this does not include the T3!) may be
structurally far weaker than the front. I'm sure Toyota's Estima
(=Previa) has an extremely strong nose, but the rear ain't. My wife's
93 Estima diesel was recently damaged by a vandal...

My big 84 Hiace diesel 4WD van was sitting on the gently sloping
road, about 15ft or so behind the Estima; the road slopes gently
there. The Hiace had its brakes in bits, so it was in gear & 3 wheels
were solidly chocked. So i came out one morning to go to work and
there was the Hiace up against the Estima, with the chocks scattered
around. The van's low battery was causing the central locking to
open, so some bastard climbed in, knocked it out of gear and kicked
the chocks out (not easy, as they were wedged in there) and may have
used a car to accelerate the Hiace. When I moved it back it was
undamaged, but the Estima's tailgate had dents and its full-width
reflector-strip-cum-taillights was shattered (expensive). The
tailgate was now difficult to open and close and when closed was now
set inward of the rear corner panels. When I pulled the trim panel
off the sill I found the structural rib hidden by the plastic molding
under the tailgate pushed-in and kinked on the left. Not so good.

Just as well her Estima was parked there, as the neighbor's 4WD
Estima was parked right in front of it!
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin, New Zealand
64 (3) 473-8863
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Fossil preparator
Seashell, Macintosh & VW/Toyota van nut