So yesterday after lunch, the parking lot where I work was completely full, so for the first time I had to park my beloved XK in the dirt lot across the street. Well, nobody told me there is about a 16" (yes, I said 16") drop off from the road surface to the parking pad. Of course, I did not see it coming and BAM!, a bone jarring drop right down onto my chassis, about 4" behind the front wheels...

Now I am faced with a dilemma. Do I try to back up, or just continue forward? I go foward and BAM!!!, the rear of the car hits the road surface and slides off (thanks to the slightly curved shape of the huge muffler under the trunk area...

I got out of the car. The only damage I see is on the frame where it appears about a 4" section of the rubbery sound deadening stuff is now shredded.

I have driven the car twice since then. I have been looking for leaks, as well as listening and feeling to see if anything actually broke. So far, so good. Nothing seems to look, feel or sound any different.

My fingers and toes are seriously crossed.

 

Wow! hopefully it is just what you have seen.

At least you didn't get beached and have to be rescued!

 

You're right about the getting beached part. I do appreciate your concern. Of course, I made the mistake of telling the guys at work about my little "mishap" and have been suffering a great deal of ridicule ever since (e.g., how could you have missed a hole the size of Argentina?, etc)

I’ll be driving home in a few hours and will look and listen for any problems one more time. This is my dream car. I would hate to be the CAUSE of any bad outcomes…

 

You'd think they's put a sign up about the drop off.

 

That's not good.

But why did you not try to reverse out, rather than bulldozing your way through?

I'm thinking you might have some sill damage, but I hope not.

Probably best to take the Landrover to work.

 

What he said!

 

I agree. I could take the Landrover to work but then my wife might insist on driving the Jaguar that day and so far I have been successful in keeping her pretty head in the passenger seat exclusively.

I will put the XK up on ramps this weekend and take one final look underneath, but thankfully it seems I dodged the bullet this time. The drop off that caused the problem has apparently been there for some time. I wish someone had informed me. BTW, I work on an army post and the troops run right past that drop off almost every morning in the dark. I am surprised that no one has fallen off and twisted or broke something...

One thing for sure. Unless I am in the LR or my ol' pick-up, I will NEVER go near that parking lot again...

 

Disaster is what happened to the woman who walked into the delicatessen and backed into the meat slicer!

 

Lol, this sounds fun

 

That had to have been sickening. Glad there doesn't appear to be any damage.

Tom

 

Well I put the XK up on ramps this weekend and closely inspected the undercarrage. The car looked fine. BTW, Did you all know there is what appears to be a skid plate under the entire engine compartment? it's not steel, just some sort of plastic/composite material, but it seems that probably played a major role in the car not suffering any real damage.

Got to admit, I was worried, REAL worried.

 

It's good to know that the XK performs so well off road. Another hidden feature revealed.

 

In the end, the only bad outcome is that the wise guys at work have now decided the sunken parking pad should carry my last name. There is a running contest to arrive at a "winner" and they have even threatened to erect a sign. The current contestents are:

"Gaines Gulch"
"Gaines Gully"
"Gaines Gap"
"Gaines Canyon" and finally....

"The Great Gaines Divide"

I guess I should be amused....

 

Paint a picture of the afore mentioned.

Name the cavernous gulch, 'A Borough'.

Then you will have, an original "Gaines Borough"

And make a few Mill at auction.

My commission is only a very reasonable 27.5%

PayPal accepted. LOL