Minivans with Body Damage

Better lookout because this one’s a Double Header! We...

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:14:13 -0400

Better lookout because this one’s a Double Header!

We spotted these in the wild today. 2 vans - 1 damage.

I suppose the shape of minivans (inspired by a pear laying on its side…. aerodynamics for a new age) probably does not lend you good visibility when backing up, which would explain the frequent bumper damage we have been seeing around here lately.

I can see that the market for those “backup cameras” isn’t going to go away anytime soon.

Reader Submitted: Only one thing is worse when being cut off...

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:41:56 -0400

Reader Submitted:

Only one thing is worse when being cut off while riding a motorcycle, and that is being cut off by a Minivan With Body Damage! That’s exactly what happened to reader “J” who sent this in. He probably freaked the driver out too by pulling up behind them at a light and snapping this picture : )

Be careful driving out there guys and gals, the minivans are everywhere!

Now I am even more puzzled. This is an entirely different van,...

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:37:20 -0400

Now I am even more puzzled. This is an entirely different van, with a mirror image of the damage the one yesterday had.

How does this even happen? The bumper is not damaged but the...

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:29:27 -0400

How does this even happen? The bumper is not damaged but the highly convenient hatchback is slightly mashed. But that is where it gets strange…. if it was opened in a garage or underground parking and hit the ceiling it would have been bent inward.

Only one conclusion can come of this: The kids in the back were trying to get out!

This one has its rear driver side window busted out! Spotted...

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 18:31:47 -0400

This one has its rear driver side window busted out! Spotted while driving around town.

At first you would assume that it was a thief trying to get in, but what is there to steal in a minivan? Kids sippy cups and Spongebob DVDs? Actually, the Spongebob would be pretty cool. Regardless, if theft was the intent, wouldn’t you go for the driver’s window? At least then you could open the door.

My guess? Well, it is Fathers Day……perhaps a father/son game of catch in the driveway gone wrong?

This blog has been up less than a day and already we have our...

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 23:55:00 -0400

This blog has been up less than a day and already we have our second hit!

The victim this time was a dark blue Dodge Caravan, approximately 5 years old and about 3300lbs. The vic was pretty shook up and had to be repaired at a “field hospital” for extensive bruising around the ass and lower back. Nothing a little duct tape and some apathy can’t fix!

Often times, a left turn can be a difficult...

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:07:00 -0400

Often times, a left turn can be a difficult proposition…you don’t have the right of way, people are lining up behind you, your damn kids are screaming in the back seat……that gets intense man! What boggles me about this one is how you get front fender damage from a right turn!

My guess: Turned into a fire hydrant. Or a cyclist.

Minivans with Body Damage

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:04:00 -0400

This blog, as you may assume from the title, is about Minivans.

They are the plague of the modern driving world with a misnomer of a name to boot. There is nothing “mini” about a minivan. I guess “hideous child transport vehicle” didn’t go over well with marketing.

Are they convenient? Sure!

Safe? Arguably!

Piloted by sane people with a firm understanding of how driving works? I think not!

I will be collecting images of minivans with body damage and attempt to postulate how that damage could have occurred. I was inspired after one day seeing a minivan with the entire roof caved in. “How could this have happened?” I thought to myself? Could it be innocent, like the sound of children’s laugher when they are jumping vigorously on the roof of your new Aerostar? Or could it have been the “man of the house” thinking he could carry his gas generator on his factory supplied roof racks? Was the van rolled off the road and it somehow ended upside down on a large boulder? The world may never get to find out, but we can guess!

Let’s take a journey together as we take an in depth look at the most commonly damaged vehicle known to North America.[citation needed]

Pictures soon to come!