BajaNomad

TW plays BUMPER CARS in Mexicali

Ken Cooke - 12-19-2007 at 12:01 PM

TW will fill you in on what had happened. I have to hurry and leave for LAX, but here are the photos...which will tell 1,000 words....




Ken Cooke - 12-19-2007 at 12:03 PM




Mango - 12-19-2007 at 01:57 PM

Yowch. Looks like the bus won. :(

I am sorry to hear about your rig TW. What street did this happen on?

I drive the streets around here in Mexicali often. Even, if I go up north for a few weeks to work it always takes me a bit to re-adjust to the crazies around here.

I will add a little advice for driving in Mexicali from my experience here which may help others get though this hectic city.

- Avoid driving in the right lane on the main roads, and buses, pedestrians, and cars often enter the roadway with little or no regard to traffic already present on the roadway. I've had most of my near misses in the right lane on Justo Sierra/Benito Juarez/Lopez Matoes, etc..(All 3 lanes each way)

-Drive in the middle lane if 3 are present, people love to stop in the left lane that is next to a turn lane and create a 2nd illegal turn lane. They often stop all traffic behind them after they stop at a green light while they wait for a green arrow to change in the turn lane next to them. (This drives me nuts!)

-Before entering a traffic circle, know where you are going to exit. I usually pick the middle of the 3 lanes so I can right OR left; but, people will often "squeeze" you, hold your ground, man your horn, and be ready to break and "smerge" It helps to aim for the little bit of paint striping 1/2 way though the circle for reference; but, be ready for anything... cars turning left from the right lane, etc. etc.. etc.

-Treat every intersection on side streets as if it has a possible stop sign. Some people just blow through stop signs, other times the sign is missing with just bare pole left, but you are expected to stop anyways.

-Look out for the female tourist cops on quad-runners near the border crossing area. They love to swoop down on someone in pairs for not stopping at a stop sign or speeding. (I've never seen a man on a quad here.. or a female in a car or motorcycle..go figure)

-Learn how to drive with one hand on the horn. My car was blessed with a horn louder than any other I've ever had. It's a godsend and really helps when trying to alert an idiot that they are about to get whacked.

-And, had to add it. don't drive at night.. which can be hard this time of the year with the sun going down so early. I break this rule often here in town; but, I avoid driving outside of town after dark or past 9pm in town.

David K - 12-20-2007 at 08:40 AM

Tom, we are waiting to hear 'the rest of the story'!!! Please...

surfer jim - 12-20-2007 at 08:51 AM

Those "pre-runner " bumpers aren't much good against a ....BUS.....:spingrin:

TMW - 12-21-2007 at 08:12 PM

I was waitng to post a trip report after I get my happy snappy camera pixs back tomorrow but Ken's pictures tells it all.

We had finished the Pole Line Road run and got out to hwy 5 around 5pm. I headed north to Mexicali to cross the border and try to make it home that night since I had to be at work Tuesday morning. Coming into Mexicali near the first OXXO minimarket I wasn't paying attention as I should have and suddenly the bus is right there and I hit the breaks and bam, all is stopped. I felt like an idiot. I get out and the driver is OK, no one aboard. Lots of people around and Ken shows up and the cops, a man and woman. They did not talk to me in english and spoke only to Ken in spanish. After a while Ken tells me the bus driver wants $200 for his bumper repairs. OK, sounds like a deal. The female cop has me blow on her fist and looks to the other cop and shakes her head up and down to say I had alcohol on my breath. They tell Ken I have a choice of spending a night in jail or pay them $100. Well for me that's a no brainer, pay the money. No police report is written up and no ticket is issued.

Ken takes off for a tow truck. I call my wife and then my brother. My brother suggest that we tow it across the border and then deal with getting it to Bakersfield. I agree especially since I don't have a police report for my Mexican insurance. Ken comes back with two guys in a pickup that were going to tow it. I ask Ken to tow me to the border and explain why. The tow truck guys pull my bumper out from the tire and Ken pays them for their service.

Ken tows me down to the border fence and we turn left and into the right lane. Soon after another cop car pulls up behind with lights on. He tells us it is illegal to tow with a strap on this section because it's a high speed section. But for $150 they'll let us go, Gee money now makes it legal. I say I need to go to an ATM because I'm broke. The cops take us to an ATM and I get the money and give it to them and they take us back to the street to the border and hold up traffic while we get in line again in the right lane. It's now about midnight. As we near the border I look to my left and wow, brother Bill has arrived. We switch tow straps from Ken's jeep to Bill's Ford F250. We get to the border and the agent comes out laughing and says He would never have believed he'd see a Ford pulling a Toyota. After the usual questions of where I'd been and what had happened he says I hope your day is better tomorrow than today and waved us thru.

Bill tows me to McDonalds parking lot while we figure what to do. Two cop cars are there talking. We decide to go to the Best Western hotel. I ask the cops if we can tow it to the hotel and they say OK just make sure my hazard lites are on. I get in the truck and the battery is dead. Another cop car pulls up blocking the other two. I tell Bill to haul butt out of there, he does and we make it to the hotel OK.

The next morning I call looking for a trailer to put the truck on but no one seems to have anything in Calexico or El Centro. We go out to the truck and after a good look it doesn't seem too bad so we pull the front grile and bumper guard etc out and take the hood off . There was no fluid loss so we pull the fan and head to Toyota in El Centro and get a new one. A top radiator hose from Auto Zone and the truck is running fine, even the A/C worked. We leave the hotel at noon. I was a little worried when I got to Lancaster because I didn't have a right front headlight, all was OK and I got home at 6:30pm.

My wife had already called Allstate and about 8pm I get a call from them asking about the accident etc and made an appointment for a claims adjuster. Allstate will cover my vehicle as long as I was in Mexico less that 72 hours and not further than 75 miles when the accident happened, which I was OK on both parts.

MICK - 12-22-2007 at 08:01 AM

TW, Sorry to here about your ride. Wish I had been there to help. We miss seeing you we must get together sometime after you get it fixed and go for a ride. IF your heading down we will be at the casa from the 27th to the 2nd.
You and shirley have a merry Christmas
Mick

TMW - 12-22-2007 at 08:14 AM

Thanks Mick. Shirley and I plan on being at Lou's Turkey fest and we'll stop by to see you.

David K - 12-22-2007 at 09:02 AM

Thanks Tom... what a story!

Great work by Baja Ken, too!

Ken Cooke - 12-22-2007 at 01:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Thanks Tom... what a story!

Great work by Baja Ken, too!

Alls well that ends well. I am glad that Tom made it home so quickly and safely. I also made my plane to Barranquilla, Colombia without incident. The jeep still has some salty mud on her, but itll be fine once I can pressure wash her.

Tom, you didnt mention how I broke the first tow strap...:?:

I was real worried about you for a moment when that strap broke, amigo...:lol:

Tuesday Morning

TMW - 12-23-2007 at 10:06 AM

Let's take a look and see whats wrong and what we can do. The bumper guard really did it's job protecting the vitals. It's attached to the frame below.

[Edited on 12-23-2007 by TW]

PLT-1.jpg - 27kB

After pulling the guard and front body parts out.

TMW - 12-23-2007 at 10:10 AM

Using the tow strap we pulled everything we could forward away from the engine.

PLT-2.jpg - 24kB

Another look

TMW - 12-23-2007 at 10:12 AM

We tie wrapped everything loose including the battery and fuse box. The white thing above the radiator is the fan.

[Edited on 12-23-2007 by TW]

PLT-3.jpg - 36kB

A side look

TMW - 12-23-2007 at 10:14 AM



PLT-4.jpg - 33kB

The morning of when things were good.

TMW - 12-23-2007 at 10:16 AM

Our last night of camping. A morning hike down this wash to the hunting blind.

PLT-5.jpg - 38kB

The cobblestone section of the Pole Line Road on Sunday

TMW - 12-23-2007 at 10:19 AM



PLT-6.jpg - 37kB

Our First Night Camp Spot

TMW - 12-23-2007 at 10:21 AM

Sunday morning in the wash not far from the bottom of the Summit.

PLT-7.jpg - 48kB

Sharksbaja - 12-23-2007 at 05:02 PM

Hey you got home safe and sound. Sometimes it's almost impossible to avoid mordida.

Say TW, I was looking for a past post of yours but the search says "nothing to search". What's up with that?

Hope Santa brings you a new frt end. That is if you believe in him.:bounce:

bajamigo - 12-23-2007 at 10:06 PM

It was nice of the cops to escort you to the ATM. You can get robbed in places like that.

Bajafun777 - 12-24-2007 at 12:08 AM

TW, sorry to hear about your problems in Mexicali and the crooked fingers reaching into your pockets for monies they should not have any reason to go for. Wish I had known I have a friend that does great mechanic repairs and he would have taken care of your problem but your talents took care of the mishap. Glad Calexico Police gave you consideration for your situation. If you travel through here again Ken has my cell phone number and I will respond to a fellow Nomad in need. Take care and Merry X-MAS minus the cash the crooks took from you, sorry that happened to you. Later =====bajafun777

TMW - 12-24-2007 at 09:49 AM

Thanks everyone. I pretty much take things like this in stride and deal with them as they happen. I feel very lucky to get away from the accident as I did for $300. I certainly did not want to spend a night in jail and above all no one was hurt. The extra $150 for the cops along the border was BS and had I not wanted to get across the border quickly and it being near midnight I would have probably handled it differently. I still wonder if the first cops called the second cops to set me up.

Bob H - 12-24-2007 at 02:04 PM

Wow TW, what a series of events you went through. Happy to see the you made it through all of that and now you are home safe and sound!
By the way, nice camp site you had there!
Bob H

Gadget - 12-27-2007 at 07:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by TW
Thanks everyone. I pretty much take things like this in stride and deal with them as they happen. I feel very lucky to get away from the accident as I did for $300. I certainly did not want to spend a night in jail and above all no one was hurt. The extra $150 for the cops along the border was BS and had I not wanted to get across the border quickly and it being near midnight I would have probably handled it differently. I still wonder if the first cops called the second cops to set me up.


Bear with me here Tom, I'm not hijacking your thread, but I am P Od about how things are these days between our 2 countries.
Lets compare your story to one I heard today listening to Roger Hedgec-ck. He is in Iowa doing a remote show at the political conventions. The segment I was listening to was regarding illegal aliens throughout the country and their impact.
A gal was sharing her tragic story of how her mother was killed by an illegal female driver, with no license, driving her illegal brothers car who had a suspended license and no insurance on the vehicle. She T-boned the gals mom and killed her. The DA would not prosecute either of the illegals or take the car away from the brother even though he had a stack of offences against him for vehicular violations. The female perp was deported and the brother paid a total of $180 in fines.
So a bent bumper on a school bus with no other injuries or damage was worth $450 to the Mexican government and the life of one of our citizens was worth $180 to our government. :fire::mad::fire::mad::fire::mad:

marv sherrill - 12-28-2007 at 11:34 AM

I hope you told your insurance company how fast that bus was going when it backed into you....

TMW - 12-28-2007 at 05:00 PM

I saw an Allstate adjuster yesterday and he ran up over $5,000 in repairs. He's turning in his report and said they will give me some options. They could total the truck which is around $5,000 which means I give them the truck. They could offer me a figure and I keep the truck but they would no longer provide collision insurance. Not sure what other options there might be. I saw an ad in todays paper for a 1995 Toyota 4runner, V6 auto 4x4 with 74,000 miles asking $6,000 OBO. I'm taking a look at it tomorrow.

Barry A. - 12-28-2007 at 05:08 PM

$5,000????? that is incredible------didn't you drive it home from El Centro??? or did I miss something??

Ken Cooke - 12-29-2007 at 08:40 AM

You could get yourself another 4 Runner and also buy back the totaled rig for cheap and build it into a rock crawler or beach buggy...

TMW - 12-29-2007 at 09:20 AM

Barry, yes I did drive it home. There's nothing wrong with the frame or steering. I didn't see a list of items he used to project the cost, he just said he was over $5,000 in estimated cost to repair and he asked me if I was opposed to after market parts and I said no. We joked about me bondoing the right front headlight and turn signal in and drive it on my Baja trips. In truth it needs a hood, right front fender and radiator and some cosmetic bondo. I could probably do it all for $1,500 or so with junk yard parts. The radiator is probably the most expensive. A new one at Toyota is over $600, I put one in two years ago. Before that I had a cheap after market one that lasted all of 1 year. Off road screws them up. But I'll see what their offering first. It would be a neat project. Ken and I talked on the trip about me changing out the third members so I could run taller tires and then I climb rocks like a jeep.

[Edited on 12-29-2007 by TW]

Ken Cooke - 12-29-2007 at 10:28 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by TW
Ken and I talked on the trip about me changing out the third members so I could run taller tires and then I climb rocks like a jeep.


ALL PRO OFFROAD, HEMET, CA is the first place to check out. SALUDOS from Colombia!!

CaboMagic - 12-30-2007 at 07:14 PM

TW glad no one was hurt and your attitude deserves a big bravo ..


A lifetime ago I worked for AAA in insurance claims -
I hope this helps:
1. Photo Copy three recent newspaper clippings of comparable vehicles. Be sure to have dates viewable. Generally they will give you the average of the three .. They need to line up with current KBB and/or NADA retail pricings...
2. Ask to purchase the salvage if you agree to the total.

Peace and Happy New Year ~ Lori

TMW - 1-1-2008 at 10:09 AM

Thanks

Barry A. - 1-1-2008 at 08:47 PM

TW---------

Just an idea-------I had a radiator shop build me a 4-row radiator for my Isuzu Trooper, and it was only about $235, and it is a super radiator------had it at least 8 years now----no problems. Many years ago I did the same thing for my ' 69 F-100 baja crawler pickup-------that radiator is still working after about 22 years.

Just a thought.

barry

TMW - 1-2-2008 at 08:17 AM

Thanks Barry that sounds like a good ideal. I went to Google and found a parts seller out of LA and added up all the stuff I would need and it totalled less than $800 excluding my bumper guard.

doradodan - 1-2-2008 at 11:09 AM

sorry it happened, but your posting was great. its a wonder what $150 will get you out of.

Ken Cooke - 1-2-2008 at 08:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by doradodan
sorry it happened, but your posting was great. its a wonder what $150 will get you out of.
$150 was during payoff numero tres. :o

TMW - 1-4-2008 at 08:32 AM

Allstate called yesterday and the payout is $5645 if they total it and take it away. $4212 and I keep it to repair it myself or have it done and they notify CA and it will have a salvage title. I'm thinking on it. I have an 04 GMC so I may take their bigger offer and look around and deal on a new small truck. With truck sales down I could make a good deal. This one is 15 years old now.

TMW - 2-1-2008 at 02:04 PM

I took the payoff offer. Allstate had me fill out a form and send it to the CA DMV. The form clearly stated it was for accidents in CA. I filled it out and even sent a picture etc. Yesterday the DMV sent it back to me and attached another form that said they were interested in accidents that happen only in CA and that I should notify the state of Mexico of the accident. I'm having trouble finding the state of Mexico so I'll just file the form etc.

Ken Cooke - 2-1-2008 at 08:01 PM

:?: :?: :?: Good luck, amigo...

Hook - 2-1-2008 at 08:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by TW
I took the payoff offer. Allstate had me fill out a form and send it to the CA DMV. The form clearly stated it was for accidents in CA. I filled it out and even sent a picture etc. Yesterday the DMV sent it back to me and attached another form that said they were interested in accidents that happen only in CA and that I should notify the state of Mexico of the accident. I'm having trouble finding the state of Mexico so I'll just file the form etc.


How did they find out?

Someone in the office see Ken's post? :lol::lol::lol:

[Edited on 2-2-2008 by Hook]

Ken Cooke - 2-2-2008 at 08:32 AM

No, when we crossed the border, everyone gawked and said, "That Rubicon is pulling a Toyota???" :bounce:
So, it made Front Page News! in Calexico, CA!!

Steve&Debby - 2-3-2008 at 09:12 PM

TW
Why not get rid of the rice burner and get a real offroad rig, a JEEP :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

MICK - 2-4-2008 at 06:55 PM

TW how many jeeps have you and I pulled out?
Mick

Steve&Debby - 2-4-2008 at 09:08 PM

Mick and TW
Bring your rice burners up to nothern California and I will take you on a couple of little trails in my back yard. One is the rubicon trail and the other is the four dice trail.:yes::yes::yes:

Ken Cooke - 2-4-2008 at 09:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Steve&;Debby
Mick and TW
Bring your rice burners up to nothern California and I will take you on a couple of little trails in my back yard. One is the rubicon trail and the other is the four dice trail.:yes::yes::yes:


Steve & Debbie, I can personally vouch for Mick and TW that they are great guys, and although Mick rolls in a built Ford Ranger and TW...well, on a dirt bike at the moment, these guys' hearts are in the right place. TW even *paid for* a Baja Grande t-shirt with a picture of two Jeeps (gasp) on the front!


TMW - 2-5-2008 at 08:34 AM

My daughter has a Jeep she says I can have. I don't remember the model. It looks like a CJ, I'm not familiar with Jeep models and probably 1980s year. I just haven't had time to go look at it. Her ex-husband gave it to her in lieu of child support and she lets the boys drive it around in the back field. I liked my Toyota because it wasn't real big and I could haul my Honda XR250 with me in Baja.

Steve&Debby - 2-5-2008 at 09:05 AM

TW, dump the rice burner and take the Jeep.My Jeep is a 1986 CJ 7 with a few modifcations, tune port injection 350,th700r automatic overdrive, full width dana 60 front wiyh detroit locker,full width dana 60 rear end locked,slight lift,38x15.50x15 swampers,just to mantion a few.If you get your daughters Jeep I have a dana 44 front and rear end with detroit lockers if your interested.I would post some pictures if I could figure out how? YOU KNOW ITS A JEEP THING.:lol::lol::yes::tumble::spingrin::

David K - 2-5-2008 at 09:37 AM

Jeep is the grandfather of SUVs (well Willys-Overland is, but that became Jeep)... and for that I have great respect.

My parents began their Baja travels in 1965 in a Jeep Wagoneer... and at 17, I got my first new four wheeler, a '75.5 Jeep Cherokee Chief (401 V-8, Quadra Trac, nice).

In 2 years, the new Jeep had failure after failure due to poor quality parts and labor... (handles breaking, water pump failing, rear window motor breaking, auto tranny failing (GM unit), carburator failing, low range lever breaking... ENOUGH!!!

I will say that when it wasn't in the shop being repaired, it would go anywhere and the 4WD system was awesome... It would outclimb any other 4X4 and handled the sand south of San Felipe with ease.

Since the Jeep, I have owned 3 Subaru 4WD wagons (all were awesome... 130,000 miles in 3 years each), a Mitsubishi pickup, Mazda MPV van, Plymouth Grand Voyager van, and now on my second 4WD Tacoma.

Of all those vehicles (1975-today) only the American brand vehicles (Jeep & Plymouth) gave me unreasonable difficulties and failures costing thousands! The Japanese models gave me very little problems and no breakdowns.

The Toyota Tacomas have been the most trouble free of them all... and they have been driven the hardest, too...

So, even though I love Jeeps and do hope they have improved in quality since the AMC days, there is no arguing that the Toyota Tacoma is by far the most well built, capable Baja truck/ SUV I have ever experienced.

My 2005 Tacoma now has 72,000 miles on it and I have had it for 2 1/2 years now. I have had no breakdowns or paid for any repairs... I recently modified the rear suspension by upgrading the Bilstein shocks and adding adjustable air bags to stiffin the back end which did bottom out with a load. I also had a front break noise at 8,000 miles which did go away with the first break pad replacement.

Here is a photo of my Jeep in Nov., 1975 on the road between Diablo Dry Lake and San Felipe as I was going from the checkpoint at Valle Trinidad to Nuevo Mazatlan for camping and the Sulfur Mine to watch the Baja 1000.

mailedD7.jpg - 28kB

Hook - 2-5-2008 at 09:46 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by TW
My daughter has a Jeep she says I can have. I don't remember the model. It looks like a CJ, I'm not familiar with Jeep models and probably 1980s year. I just haven't had time to go look at it. Her ex-husband gave it to her in lieu of child support and she lets the boys drive it around in the back field. I liked my Toyota because it wasn't real big and I could haul my Honda XR250 with me in Baja.


And I have a Tilt-a-Rack motorcycle carrier that's been used ONCE that I'll sell you for half the cost of new just to get it out of my garage.

Ken Cooke - 2-5-2008 at 06:44 PM

For TWs purposes, a new Tacoma will do him fine. He's not going on the Rubicon, he's driving long, desolate stretches in the desert..**alone**. A CJ w/o air conditioning, leaf sprung syspension, and possibly w/o a hardtop would be hard on him.

Remember, he needs a pickup truck to carry his gear and motorcycle. A SWB Jeep won't fill the bill - not even an AEV Brute.

Back in the days when I drove a pickup, I knew the utility of owning one, and with TW needing space to carry a motorcycle, but still hit the trails, a Tacoma w/a locking rear differential will get him everywhere he needs to go...in Baja.

"DeserteXplorer" pictured here (w/yours truly) did fine on the Pole Line Road a few years ago. His BFGs didn't blow out, and he had no issues on the trail.



This stock 4Runner struggled due to his lack of clearance - getting completely stuck .25 mi. past Mission Santa Maria due to his small tires & no articulation, but made it out of Mission Impossible under his own power due to good spotting & driving.




That front valance got in the way every chance it go. Here, we are in Green Valley on the Score 1000 race route during Baja Grande II in Nov. '07

TMW - 2-6-2008 at 08:25 AM

DeserteXplorer has some really nice side nurf bars that were custom made on his Toyota. There's two made three bars there, I forget exactly.

Ken Cooke - 2-6-2008 at 08:31 AM

Those are some nice high-clearance rocker guards. All-Pro in Hemet probably mass-produces ones like his. I'd check into it since these will save you some $$ from damage out there in the backcountry.

Steve&Debby - 2-6-2008 at 09:40 AM

Well I hate to say it but I agree the Toyota is hard to beat for dependability and comfort for the baja runs,as you can tell there is not much left of my Jeep that is JEEP.I bought this "Jeep" 20 years ago as a total and since then have been modifiying it ever since.I have finally got it built up to where it will hold together.Our travel to Baja has been limited to winter travel when it is not too hot,AC would be nice for summer travel.

Roberto - 2-6-2008 at 12:16 PM

You mean BajaXplorer (BX), right?

TMW - 2-6-2008 at 01:08 PM

Correct Roberto

Cypress - 2-6-2008 at 01:13 PM

Didn't this whole thing begin with TW rear ending a school bus?:o

Roberto - 2-6-2008 at 01:16 PM

I believe he has these:

http://www.demello-offroad.com//catalog/index.php?cPath=27_2...

Ken Cooke - 2-6-2008 at 07:45 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cypress
Didn't this whole thing begin with TW rear ending a school bus?:o

The guy was haulin' gonzo through Mexicali, trying to make it to work in Bakersfield the next morning, and :o WHAM! :O it was all over. Kinda messed up his fender and front end.

I heard somewhere that your worst day in Baja is better than your best day at work. Is this true???

:?: :?: :?: