Dave Briggs in GT40 crash!

[Pat]

Dave and Doreen, thank heavens you are both safe and the injuries do not appear life threatenening. Our thoughts and prayers are with both of you for a prompt and speedy recovery.
Cars can always be fixed, heck we've aleardy seen how an authentic, brand new GT40 can "regenerate" and sold as original from a couple of fragments from the original car. I'm sure in a little time, you and Doreen will also be "better than new".

 

[Ian K]

Dave and Doreen,

Just heard about the crash (I am surprised I didn't see any local coverage, nor
heard anything from my brother-in-law in Ramona who is usually on top of
these things).

If you need anything, let me know. I'd love to help, and in a pinch, I can send
my brother-in-law out to you in exchange for him getting a quick peek in your
garage

Ian

 

[David Briggs]

I just realized that members are posting about Doreen and I, we are home recuperating and doing very well. This was a pretty horrific thing in most ways but very positive in many others.
We have received tremendous from family and friends and our friends in San Diego Panteras have even set up a calender of volunteers who have been bringing dinner up to us since we got home!
This is a great idea and much appreciated by Doreen and I.
We will be confined to quarters for about another month, neither one of us can drive.
The car is a writeoff but now I have the oppurtunity to rate Hagerty Insurance, I have enough coverage to rebuild it.
This was the dumbest accident in the world, no racing, no speeding, no burnouts, we were lumping along about 45 mph, I took my eyes off the road and ran into a tree!
Anyway, we appreciate your concern and thru this forum have made new friends all over the world.
Thanks, Dave and Doreen

 

[Randy V]

Very glad to see you posting again Dave... I hope you two heal quickly so you can get back to enjoying the finer things in life...

What are your current plans for the Forty? I'm sure there are plenty of shops in So-Cal that can bring her back....

 

[J. Salmon]

Whew, glad to hear you are both OK. Sorry for the entire situation, but glad nothing permanent. Hoping for a speedy recovery for you both.

 

[Pat Buckley]

Same here David - I am glad you're both OK.

A few weeks ago I was driving my GT40 down a country road and I was checking out my Wide band O2 meter as I was driving....the next thing I knew I had two tires off the road and was headed for a bridge abutment....I was just plain lucky I didn't end up upside down in a creek.

I then thought about how quickly that happened - and realized that in my street car I can take my eyes off the road for maybe .7 or .8 of a second before having to look back at the road with nothing happening - in the GT40 it seems as though that time period is much shorter - maybe as little as .2 to .3 of a second.

These cars do require attention.

 

[David Briggs]

Hi Guys, Bigfoot, I do plan on rebuilding the car, I don't know whether I will get a new chassis and body from CAV or buy and older CAV and transferr all of my mods and upgrades over to it, I am still dealing with Hagerty Insurance as to what can be done.
And Pat you are absolutely right about looking away in these cars, I have driven that road thousands of time over the last 40 years and was absolutely stunned when I realized what I had done.
Dave

 

[Ian Clark]

Hi Dave,

Sure am glad you and Doreen are on the mend. Really unfortunate as accidents always are, however a testament to the strength of the CAV monocoque chassis. I hazard to guess what 45mph into a tree would would have done to even a regular production car.

I may have mentioned on the phone, sometime in one of our many conversations, that we have a surface plate here and a complete set of fixtures for the CAV monocoque. This came out of our developement program for suspension and subframe upgrades. The table also has two rotating booms underneath to support pulling/stretching hardware. Very handy device to have around!

Coming off the table is Angelos 1075 tribute, having received the upgraded bolt on front rad cradle and a second dropped floor pan section. The other pan was required because this car is going from left hand drive to right hand drive, along with all our latest updates and respray to correct 1969 Le Mans colours.

Anyways, please give me a ring, with this plate we can put your chassis right. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Cheers

 

[Rafael]

Cell phones are the devil!
Best wishes to both you and your wife.