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Today, at 1400, a life was cut too short. At the young age of a mere 17 years old, Stay Puft died.
Cruising down a backroad, enjoying the scenery, her pilot blasting some ACDC, and an 8% grade comes up. No big deal, 50 in a 45, her engine slows to a clattering idle. The grade is surprisingly shorter than anticipated, so the driver begins to apply the brakes.
Only they didn't engage. In a fury, her pilot pumped the brakes and stood on them - but to no avail. It became decision time, as all of this occurred in less than 8 seconds - try to make the curve and risk under steering into the concrete bridge support, or aim for the 70° incline dirt wall. Her pilot chose the dirt wall, as another vehicle had appeared around the corner in the oncoming lane, and a head-on collision would have killed someone.
Up, up to the stars she reached her nose, before listing to the passenger side and pirouetting back to the ground, landing square on the roof and the driver side A-pillar. Her momentum carried her over for one more complete revolution before she slid back down the grade into the street, her driver side scraping down the pavement.
The airbags did not go off, the seatbelt did not lock the inertia reel. Her occupant was knocked out temporarily and awoke to find himself halfway under the dash, with the roof almost a foot away from the steering wheel. Dazed, he extracted himself using the center console front cubby that everyone forgets about, and then the passenger door handle as a ceiling hand hold. The remnants of the windshield were kicked out, and the pilot half crawled, half fell out the opening. She had done her job and kept her owner safe, one last huzzah after years of hard use and abuse in a love/hate relationship.
And I'm ****ing crying because I LOVED MY ****ING EXCURSION GODAMMIT
I'll be alright, discharged from the hospital about 45 minutes ago. Nothing permanent - one hell of a concussion, bruised and cracked ribs, abrasions on my head from the pavement and broken glass, and a raging ****ing fury of emotions.
Buy back to part out may be happening, there's far too many stout parts on her to let them just go to waste when they could help another Excursion stay alive... Trans, injectors, and turbo are good for 500hp all day long, and she was a forged rod motor too.
Rest in piece my beautiful spool bus, you've kept my family safe and brought us on many adventures, and brought the kids home when they were born. You died keeping me safe and alive.
Someone on the Facebook group PM'd me and wants to buy the whole rig, for all the go fast parts as well as a 4wd swap for his. We'll see how things turn out
Very sad to see Stay Puft in that condition, but very happy to still have you here to tell about it.
Hopefully you will bounce back and feel OK soon and everything works out to help another rig keep on going (fast).
I have to say I thank God you're alive Matt! Tammy saw the pics on FB and just told me as I was pulling the forum up for a nightly check. Get some rest if you can! You know the next three days you're gonna be stiffer than heck. Good call on not doing the head-on option. Stay Puft died a valiant Paladin knight in Marshmallow man armor kind of death protecting you. I'd be curious wth happened to the brake system. Scary!
Better her than you.
