BNR34 Skyline GTR Tow Truck Mishap x Vancouver Auto Show 2018
This year I got invited by Josh from Drive Marketing Group to display my GTR at the DUBR booth. I've gather up my friends, Mr Fujita from Garage Saurus and Hin, to have our cars displayed to complete the 3 generations of the godzilla!
For those of you who follow my Instagram, my Blue R34 is currently going through a big heart surgery by Garage Saurus, so I had my daily drive V-spec II there for display.
It was my first time having my car inside the Vancouver Convention Center displayed and it was really amazing. We had our free passes so I decided to visit the show on Saturday and this is where all the trouble began. Upon Arrival, Mr Fujita's QX4 has already parked and was waiting for me.
Checking out our cars at the DUBR booth.
We did a tour around the show and decided to head to dinner after. The car was having a slight hic-up on the way to the show and I was going to get it out the next day. However, 100m away from the show, my car stalled and I couldn't start it back up. We pushed it over to the side of the road and waited. 5mins gone by and I got the car started again. I was planning to drive it home. However, it stalled again in the next 100m. This time I know I wasn't going anywhere.
It was around 8:30 pm and we called BCAA for a flat deck tow truck. 45 mins in, a regular tow truck showed up, but he immediately turned around and said a flat deck will be coming.
At around 10:30pm, The flat deck finally arrived. It was a from a subcontracted towing company by BCAA. The tow truck driver simply had no idea on towing a lowered vehicle. He had his chain hooked up to my subframe and forced it up the deck. I immediately told him to stop and used the tow hook. With me sitting inside the car steering, all i heard was a loud crack when I got onto the ramp. The driver was showing frustration and I realized he didn't use any ramps to load the car. My front splitter was deforms and puling my bumper off my fenders. I was extremely upset at the whole situation and told the driver to please just unload my car off the deck and I will call someone else.
The driver was angry and just pushed my car off the deck without any 2x4 and made the matter worse. He then told me he won't take my call again if I requested another flat deck from them. I called BCAA right away and explained the whole situation. They promised they will have their manager get back to me on this matter. Meanwhile, they were no more BCAA flat deck for the night until 6 am. I had an idea, why don't we remove the bumper so the regular tow truck and take it home! BCAA agreed and I had my friends go home and grab my jack and tools.
6 hours in, we finally had the bumper off. It was around 4c that night and we only had our sweaters on. Police frequently came by to question us. Finally at 2:30 am, BCAA sent us a regular tow truck. Our hope was up, but it turned out the dolley would hit the exhaust. At that moment, I was already prepared for the worst - I would have to wait here unitl the morning.
There were lots of you who asked, why can't I just leave the car there and come back the next day. I can tell you, for the 4 hours there from 2-6 am, there were over 10 drunk, nosey guys who peeked and touched the car while we were waiting for the tow truck. Also why didn't I fix the car on the spot? If you were getting a phone call every 45mins from BCAA promising the next truck will get it done, you will not drive 35 mins back home to get the part. OH btw, it was the fuel pump thats failed. It was already 4 am by the time I figured out the problem.
Anyhow, I was napping in my friend's EVO7 the whole night. I would like to thank him for staying with me from the beginning till the end. Also, Steve, for running back and forth for us to get the tools that we needed even though he had work the next day. It was a cold night and we had the engine idling for 4 hrs. At 6:30 am, we got a call from BCAA saying that a truck will be here in 5 mins. Thank God, I specificly ask for the BCAA flat deck and not the contracted one since they are more careful.
With the bumper off, it only took the driver 10 mins to get the car ready to go. It was a relief and the night was finally over. It was the best sun rises I've seen knowing that I could go home and get a hot shower and sleep.
Finally we got home, we pushed the car back into the garage and I fell asleep right after. Get a GTR - it'll be fun they say. I am 31 this year and stuff like this makes me feel young again. I forgot, I had to pick up my wife from the airport at 10am. Yeah and I totally slept in.
