Doctor.Jekyll

I parked on the street a few houses down for a few nights due to repairs on the alley in front of the garage. The second night I was woken up by the city police on the phone asking me to go outside and check my car (silver '79) for damage. I got outside to find two police cars (with three officers).

The one officer explains that he was called in a couple hours earlier to deal with some people (I don't know why, I didn't ask). He found a storm drain cover (much like a man-hole lid but with big holes for water) next to my car but the glass all looks okay.

It's still dark out and the windows are all covered in frost so I say it looks like normal. I did not ask for the officer's name or badge number.
Lesson: *Always* ask and *write it down*.

The next morning I went to go to work and see the frost has melted. I said "Oh for $#!!%!& sake". The quarter window behind the drivers door is smashed but oddly still in one piece. I thought that glass just fell apart when it broke.

There is also some body damage. Some scratches, a couple dents and a couple big sharp dents (like from a corner of the grate).

I phoned the police office to find out who they were called in to deal with. They don't have record of who I spoke with. After talking with four people (and a couple phone calls) one officer says he remember the call about the man hole cover but he was not involved with it and he doesn't know which officers "were in attendance".

I have to say I'm amazed that they are so disorganized as to not know which officers were sent out to deal with the call. I would have assumed there would be a paper trail for that sort of thing.

He said even if they arrested someone he's not aware of any witnesses so it would be hard to press charges. He then said that this "is what insurance is for". I do have vandalism coverage. I haven't yet called the insurance company). I wonder if this will affect my rate.

On the off chance any of you know anything about this please let me know (Calgary, Alberta. 3:00-6:00AM on Sept 23, 2005.) Thanks.

Doctor.Jekyll

This picture was too big to upload. I had to shrink it down.

Rotor13B

Dude that sucks. I had some idiots throw smoke bombs in my old SA once, Burnt the passenger seat pretty good. I hate vandals/thieves.

Latin270

Damn bro that sucks. They most likely will be back to see the damage. Keep an eye out you'll be suprised how stupid people really are.

rotarycrazy

iTrader: (8)

your insurance should not go up due to the fact that it is not your foult or anything it like if you catch a rock driving down the road and it busts your window out the insurance has to cover it and you should not be charged with it.

Really feel for you this month has bin bad for the rx7 owners.

JIMMY54

iTrader: (2)

I know it's a pain, but thankfully nothing was stolen.... Goodluck.

Luckily the glass is pretty cheap, however I'm not sure I'd go thru insurance. I'd change the glass and touch up the rear for now and save up to get just that area taken care of. Hopefully it won't affect your rates, but I don't have trust in thge insurance companies.

Doctor.Jekyll

Interesting. I was wondering if they might walk by and try again.

No matter how low my expectations are of the general public get someone comes along and amazes me.

Doctor.Jekyll

I bought some silver "rust paint" and I have some sand paper. I'm thinking of just covering it up for now and painting this winter.

I also got a tool (wire and handles) for removing windshields. I was going to get down to the local pick--n-pull but haven't had time yet.

I don't expect an insurance company to pay for the paint work and that's understandable since the paint is 5 years old. I wonder if I can get them to pay for the glass though.

I don't trust insurance companies either but I do pay extra for vandaism so I might as well use it. (unless it will cost me more over the long run, in which case I should cancel the vandalism coverage.)

Clearkut

iTrader: (1)

That sucks man, similar thing happened to me about a week ago, some one kicked in my passanger fender at the local casino, not more than 8 hours after I got it back from the shop that had almost completley restored it.
the cops and the casino didnt care at all but insurance paid

Terrh

iTrader: (7)

they should pay for hte paint AND the glass!
someone keyed my mom's (5 year old) cavalier, they painted the whole car! and gave us a rental for the 3 weeks it took, too!

pimpncuba

that just pisses me off when people mess with other peoples stuff. at school i live in a townhouse complex named hunters ridge. it's nicknamed ghetto ridge. well one weekend night i left my lights in the upright position and some drunk people thought that they should be down. there were hand prints all over the tops of the headlights and they broke the connector arms in both lights. so now i can't drive my car at night until i fix it. people suck

cds00bsmg

iTrader: (1)

Depends on if the glass is laminated or not. Windshields are laminated, thats why you cant go busting right through them easily, its a layer of glass, then lamination, then glass. Door glass, and other glass is usually tempered, and just busts to hell, but in newer SUVs and other vehicles because of side air bags they are going back to laminated class so you dont get cut to hell in a accident.

Yea, I install autogass professionally, and fix interior water leaks....heh.

That sucks that some *** hat messed your car up. Whoever did it should be responsible, however thats not how it usually works out unless they are caught. Check about getting some new glass off of here, or at a local yard, and getting the body work done as well.

~Chris

inuissus_cendi

that really sucks man, i would go ballistic. you can get lightweight rear quarter windows for $20 a piece here just maybe a way to add a silver lining to such a bad situation. plus i think polycarbonates are stronger if someone were to try again (not sure about that though)

DriveFast7

iTrader: (1)

EASIEST WAY to remove the rear quarter windows is to cover them with duct tape inside and out and smash it out with a hammer. Tape keeps glass particles from flying everywhere. It can come out in one big piece except for where siliconed onto the car, that part stays on and needt to be chipped off with screwdriver. Wear goggles and mask.

Doctor.Jekyll

Thanks for the tips. Any tips or web links about putting the glass in? I've just looked at what the Haynes book has to say about replacing windows.

I'm heading down to the local scrap auto yard this weekend. I bought one of those tools with handles and wire that you use a sawing motion with. I think I'll practice on the window on the other side first.

I'm thinking of patching the body up for now and re-painting the car after the weather warms up in the spring.

Doctor.Jekyll

Yeah, for some reason I'm a bit nervous about leaving the head lights up. Except when the car is in the garage. When it's in the garage I walk in and feel a bit happier because the headlights look so good.

cds00bsmg

iTrader: (1)

is the quarter glass urethaned in, or bolted? You can use wire to cut it out, or maybe a cold knife (kind has a handle with an L shaped blade, then a cable you pull). The tape on both sides thing is a good idea to prevent glass from going all over the place as well. Id look into those light weight quarters too, thats probably cheaper than trying to score some new or used glass.

Doctor.Jekyll

I read that there is a screw on the rear point and a bolt in the middle of the front side. Also there is adhesive all around the window.