Lets take a moment to remember that the road is unforgiving. No matter how experienced of a driver you are.

Saturday I was going around a bend in my girls car, and the rear kicked out on me.
After going back and forth trying to correct, I was stopped by a pole.

Air bags did not deploy and surprisingly no frame damage.
New radiator, fans, a.c. condenser, upper/lower rad support, and bumper support the car is fixed. Oh ill get a hood later. And the bumper didn't even crack. Grill was knocked out, but its fine.

Court is in a few weeks as I was ticketed for "unsafe speeds" and I will fight it. It had just rained, recommended was 25 and I was doing 15 max.
Trooper inspected the tires and they were deemed safe.

No witness to say I was being "unsafe". I think its a fair fight.

Lets just remember to be safe and remember, the road always wins. Respect it.

 

Main thing is that you're safe and unscathed, Bro. Cars can be fixed as you already know. That looks like a hell of a lot of damage for 15 mph, to me, but I'm not a body expert by any means. I wonder why the air bags didn't deploy? That should be a good argument about your speed. "IF I'd been driving at an unsafe speed, the airbags would have popped, your honor."

 

It was just after it had rained. Road was slick. I'm sure we all know the roads are worse after raining because of the oils. I think the brakes locked up and I slid, but I don't really remember.
I just know the rear end slid side to side 2 or 3 times before I was looking at a pole.
I did try to steer out of it, as it originally kicked out like I was drifting, but I may of over steered. I'm not to sure. My head hit the windshield (silly me didn't move the seat back, girlfriend is like 5'2 and I'm 5'11)
One of the 4 grills in the bumper cracked. No biggie. I'm $200 into the fix so far and all I have left to get is a hood. I'm trying to find the correct color so I don't have to get it painted. She said she doesn't care, but it'll bug me.
imma replace the front trans mount with a new one as this is the original with 158k on it. It didn't break or anything, but since I have access to it why not.
It hit dead center. In really surprised the frame rails didn't bend in with the bumper support and upper rad.
I did find a slight mark on the lower rad support, I could probably hammer out, but yard told me 35 for one. So ill just replace it.

Money isn't a concert to me when her life and her kids life are at risk being in the car.

 

It was slick here this morning for the first time since last winter. The paint stripes are the worst, they really get your attention when the back end starts to wiggle.

 

Since I'm building my sedan for potetially north of 500whp, I think instead of a 17x9 set of rims imma look at 16x9 for the front and 16x10 for the rear.
I know its not rwd, but I'm going to be a lot more cautious with the rear of fwd vehicles now.
A wider and slightly taller tire will help. I don't even care if I need to cut up the wheel well.

 

As most airbag sensors are accelerometer based, your slow speed combined with the fact that you were likely already braking when you made contact with the pole probably wasn't enough of a deceleration event to set off the airbags.

 

Found frame damage tonight. Passenger side rail from the firewall to the bumper. Buckled about an inch half way back. Hard to tell because everything lined right back up.
finished buttoming everything up, started it and heard a squealing and saw a puddle under the car.
Power steering reservoir was pushed up due to it and the alt pulley rubbed a hole in it.

Guess its time to find a new car and scrap this one. May just find one with a blown motor or trans and drop this set up in.
But slapping a new timing kit on my blown balt also seems tempting.

 

After talking to my girl today we decided Monday morning we're gonna put a timing kit on the cobalt.
move the kyb excel shocks and struts along with my new control arms over from my ion.
Theoretically have an almost brand new suspension and steering on it. New chain with upgraded top bolt, tensioner, and arp bolts.
have to fix the passenger door mechanism PO broke, but that's no biggie.

 

DD,

How'd you blow the cobalt?
Is it like the IRLs?

 

It's just a base model sedan with the 2.2 l61.
Auto trans. Basic roll up windows and what not. Jumped timing at 183k.
got it as payment on a motor swap I did.