Boxer: Punched by an Old Lady in a Wheelchair

I'm chuckling about this now since now it's taken care of, but when it happened, I was steaming......

For the last three years since I've owned my BBI I have been having fun during our six month out of the year driving season here in the northern midwest driving the car too and from out of state FCA National events without so much of a scratch, ding or incident. After FCA's wonderful Corning, NY event held in early September this year, I was registered for an additional Concours D' Elegance which was sponsored by a prosperous local western Chicago suburb. Held just after my return from Corning, the setting was on a beautiful golf course with multi exotic classes. The show attracted many owners of very high end, fine automobiles from around the country including a 30's Delahaye, Talbot-Lago, and Duesenberg's, and numerious exotics.
A number of local F-Chat members attended including Andreas Forrer, Rick Mikulski and Gene Berns bringing his 365BB.

The sponsors and people working the show catered to the exhibiters as if we were royalty with a full sit down breakfast and lunch in the clubhouse. The French style class judging was completed early afternoon. I was told by the class judge my Boxer won "Best in Class".

In tradition of most high end shows, the best in class show winners are asked to follow an escort and a form a line, then park their award winning auto on "winners circle". So I followed a golf cart out of Par 9 on a paved path, and awaited the flagman's instructions to proceed to the circle (Photo 1).
With the engine off waiting, and my window down, I was the next up. Just before being flagged to proceed I heard a faint "help" under my window. Looking down out of the window, I could see a little old lady laying on the ground with her head near the bottom of the door. What is this? If I opened the door to assist, I would have popped her in the head. So instead, I yelled to a police officer standing in the crowd. The officer came over and assisted the lady back on her feet. Apparently she was driving an electric scooter/wheelchair, (the type you see in malls for the disabled). I assume she got off the path to go around me and hit a rut then rolled the scooter. The lady was apoligetic and seemed embarased about the situation as the officer escorted her and the scooter off the path. In the mean time, the flagman waved me on to winners circle. Of course the Boxer gave the crowd a few good Ferrari rev's before shuting down and accepted the award though the window.

Just after engine shutdown, Gene Berns came up to me and said "did you notice the rocker panel?" I looked down, and there it was.... the horror! (Photo 2).
I don't know what made contact. Scooter maybe? Unknown...
I called for the show organizers, and the officer to have a look. The organizers were very apoligetic, and the officer stated I could file a report at the police station for insurance purposes. I told the officer on the side, forget it, I'm not going to file an accident report against an old lady in a wheelchair.

While standing in winners circle, the owner of a unrestored 1957 410 Super America kept my mind off the situation with a few great jokes, so for the time I was able to have a few laughs.

Since there was no paint damage, and the "ding" was shallow, small, and no creases, my first though was paintless dent removal. Unfortunatly the impact was just above the left NACA duct, and the paintless guys need access to get their "shepard hooks" on the back side of the ding, so my thoughts were to try a suction cup and see if it would pop out. No avail, only a small cup will fit between the strike line and the duct. On the good side, this happened on the Boxer finish, not on the bright paint work.

Since I have the engine out for a major service, today I was able to remove the oil tank and left fuel tank which took less than an hour gaining full acess to the back side (photo 3). I placed the face of a rubber mallot on the backside of the ding and gave the other side of the mallot a sharp wack with a ball peen hammer. The ding popped out, and the panel is true again. Maybe luck, but I'll need to check it in bright sunlight before I reinstall the tank (photo 4). If not, I'll have the paintless guys make a house call.

Now that it's over, I can say the kid in Ferris Bueller's Day off was correct when he said "my father loves this car more than life itself". The Boxer took the punch below the belt line without a wimper..as for me, I felt the more pain than it did!

I don't blame anyone for the incident. It was just an accident. I plan to attend next year's event with the BBI since it was allot of fun. I'm all for the disabled being mobile, but hopefully the organizers will find another way for them to get around. For their safety and the safety of all the fine autos on display.

Dave
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Couldn't agree with you more Ron. As I was removing the fuel tank, I was thinking about your accident, and just how close the driver and passenger are to the tanks.

Have a happy and safe New Year!
Dave

 

Thanks for pointing it out Gene.. Looks like it's going to be fine.
Glad the old lady was ok, since if it been only seconds later, she would have been seriously hurt.

Dave