Well, it was high time I started a project thread for my XC70, which I acquired earlier this year. After much searching and research, and one botched purchase attempt due to a dishonest dealer, I bought a 2006 XC70 at a GM dealership in Calgary. Its a dark metallic blue called "Barents Blue", with DTSC, 4C, Premium Sound, Bi-Xenons, and basically every option except for Nav. Around 130,000kms, and after some digging around, a fairly complete service history at Valentine in Calgary. It had been in an accident, with a repair to the B pillar, which seems weird, but everything had been kept up to date, and timing belt and blower motor recently done.
Since purchase, I had put on some token IPD bling, including aluminum lock knob things, and aluminum skid plate. Winter tires were purchased, and I went with Gislaved 100's on the stock rims with the intent of going +1 to 17" rims next year for summers. Got headlight protection put on. Basically I got the car really clean, threw the roof rack on and this was going to be my winter sled to get me to the mountains and back. I've wanted one of these since they came out, and finally got one.
The only picture I really have:
Sadly, this whole thing came to an end Friday night on my 38th birthday. Laura and I were on our way to our new place in Fernie for a ski weekend with friends. Between Fort Macleod and Brocket, in a place called "Scott's Coulee", a Mk5 VW Golf which had recently passed me hit a patch of packed snow, and spun out in front of me. I was probably 100m behind him when I noticed he was sideways in the opposing eastbound lane. Unfortunately there was an F150 in that lane that attempted to swerve around him, hit him, and spun off into my lane. I reacted just fine, and got to the right, but with a guardrail and a ravine to my right, I had nowhere to go. The back end of the truck swung around and took me out. I was probably still doing 100k, and the truck was probably not a whole lot slower. The pillar and curtain airbags went off, and all the glass on the drivers side exploded. The power to the engine cut, and I came to a rest in the shoulder without having spun or hitting the guard rail. I knew I was okay, and so was Laura. She immediately noticed a bad smell, which was just the propellant from the airbags going on. She got on the phone to 911, and we tried to stay warm until the cops arrived. It was -32 at the time, with wind chills close to -50 which made it pretty miserable.
The cops came, and I started noticing some neck and back pain. They sent me to an ambulance to get checked out, and eventually I ended up in ER in Pincher Creek as a precaution. Everything looked fine, I made my statement to the cops, and some friends that were a few kms ahead of us picked us up and we came home.
So yes, its good both Laura and I are fine. We got very very lucky. My driving saved us from major injury, and I'm sure the airbags saved me from head injury. But had that truck been further into my lane, I probably wouldn't be writing this right now. His back end hit the side of the car right before my door, and took out the entire drivers side. Rear tire was flat, rear bumper was off. Mirror was off. Driver's and passenger glass blown out. Both the B and C pillars are pushed in, and while the doors didn't enter the cabin, they are pushed all the way in. I didn't get a super close look at the car, and it was quite dark. But I'm pretty confident its a right off.....thankfully.
My initial reaction is being pissed off. The Golf in front of me was clearly driven by someone who didn't know what he was doing. The packed snow on the road was due to the drifting next to the guard rail. He was maybe doing 115 when he hit the patch, but the corner wasn't very sharp, and the snow patch was maybe 100ft long. I don't know if he hit the brakes, or didn't have snow tires or what, but considering I went through the corner, braked, swerved, and stopped at that speed all without spinning says something. So I'm pissed at the dude. But mostly I'm just really really bummed about the car. Yes, the most important thing is we're fine, but I loved that car, and had spent A LOT of time finding it and purchasing it. I've never been in a car accident before, and I don't know how the whole insurance thing works, but I'm just really concerned I'm going to get screwed over, and end up with a lot less of a car than I had. My winter vehicle is gone, and its going to take me more than just a quick trip to a dealership to replace the car, unless insurance really hooks me up. So I'm sad.
)
Yes please!
GASP. So beautiful. Funny you should mention that, as I was ogling an A8L in the mall parking lot on Saturday, and Laura said she couldn't see me driving it because its "not a wagon." But I mean....look at it! Unbelievably cheap for what it is too.