Help needed please.Hope you guys have some good advice? Feeling really low and pi55ed off. Had my standard wheels nicked out of my garage about two weeks ago, one of which belonged to Jeff, (motor insurance say its covered by home insurance, and home won't cover motor parts!!), and to round it off, a corsa pulled out in front of me from a right hand lane across the central reservation into the fast lane of the dual carriageway, and I rear-ended it big time. Buckled bonnet, radiator, oil cooler, front brace across top of radiator ( bent right to and including the wings) totally smashed fog and headlights, bumper is totally corrugated. Waiting for a response from my insurer, who have advised if it is taken away to be inspected and written off I won't get it back.

Should I try and get it inspected at home (it's in my drive) and if it is beyond economical repair do I try a rebuild or break it for you hungry vultures???

If there's any knowledgable Zer in the Hemel area I'd appreciate some advice.

 

Thanks guys,

 

Simon. :cry: :cry:

Gutted for you bud. Sounds like an expensive rebuild.

....

Sorry about your Z mate. Gutted 4 ya.

Sorry to here that i got the rad you gave away few months ago

remember untill you have settled with them a final figure they dont have the right to take it away and not give it back.

 

Dont know if its any good to you sitting on your drive though?

 

Sorry to hear about this.

Sorry to hear that Si :(

 

At least while it's on your drive you can control what happens to it.

Get the engineer/assessor to inspect it there, if it is repairable the insurance co can take it away for you.

 

If it is a write-off they won't take it away until you've agreed the value and they've paid up. If the front suffered heavy damage it may not be the same after repair anyway so may be best if it s written off. You could then replace it. How fast were you going when you hit the to55er?

 

Did the impact damage steering/suspension or chassis - if so, then I would prefer to replace the car :(

 

Glad you are OK though - sounds like it could have been much worse for you.

 

All the best

 

Richard

Bad news bud,has the other party admitted blame?-also if car is written off you don't get the chance to buy back the salvage[90%anyways]-Ahh,the good ol' days :(

Thanks for your comments guys. Plenty of mods to go on, just hasn't happened yet. I don't think it's damaged the chassis or suspension, the car came up over the top of the nose as I was braking hard when I went into it. I have been told by my son who was in the back that he thinks I was doing fifty when I hit them. I have no idea what speed they had got up to, it was such a surprise them arriving in my lane like that. I suppose you could say a thirty to forty mile an hour collision. My wife, two kids and I have got whiplash, as did the two occupants of the other car. They went off in an ambulance, we went down ourselves a bit later as we all began to stiffen up. I'm waiting to see what happens with the police, as there were a number of witnesses who seemed most hostile to us. The road is a forty mile an hour zone and given the space we probably would have gone a bit faster still, but as I was only just starting to accelerate as an MPV had just pulled out of my way and the road is up a fairly steep hill, I just appeared to be going faster due to better acceleration. I'll keep you informed on what happens.

Managed to persuade them to come out and look at the car here. Get the results for that lunch time tomorrow.

Anyone any idea how to pop a bonnet that's buckled shut. I can then get a better look underneath and see how bad it is?

 

Cheers Guys,

 

Simon.

Thanks for your comments guys. Plenty of mods to go on, just hasn't happened yet. I don't think it's damaged the chassis or suspension, the car came up over the top of the nose as I was braking hard when I went into it. I have been told by my son who was in the back that he thinks I was doing fifty when I hit them. I have no idea what speed they had got up to, it was such a surprise them arriving in my lane like that. I suppose you could say a thirty to forty mile an hour collision. My wife, two kids and I have got whiplash, as did the two occupants of the other car. They went off in an ambulance, we went down ourselves a bit later as we all began to stiffen up. I'm waiting to see what happens with the police, as there were a number of witnesses who seemed most hostile to us. The road is a forty mile an hour zone and given the space we probably would have gone a bit faster still, but as I was only just starting to accelerate as an MPV had just pulled out of my way and the road is up a fairly steep hill, I just appeared to be going faster due to better acceleration. I'll keep you informed on what happens.

Managed to persuade them to come out and look at the car here. Get the results for that lunch time tomorrow.

Anyone any idea how to pop a bonnet that's buckled shut. I can then get a better look underneath and see how bad it is?

 

Cheers Guys,

 

Simon.

 

 

Now don't laugh!,but to get the bonnet up when it's buckled -you stand on the high bit and try to straighten it as much as you can!-then try the release

whilst someone pulls bonnet up,if this fails you need a big bar under the bonnet next to the catch,then try again![can you tell I work in a bodyshop yet!!!] :rolleyes:

Not one of those night time in the street bodyshops??

 

If I stand on it, I'm likely to damage the plenum engine and all...

 

I'll give it a go though tomorrow, and thanks,

 

Simon.

Not one of those night time in the street bodyshops??

 

Hey! I resemble that remark!!!.......... :D

PM sent

Gutted for you Si, Glad no one was hurt, bar from whiplash. Hopefully the Z wont be too bad, it sounds about the same as Shrimpys and that got put back together. Dont break her mate, keep the beast on the road, you'll be glad of it in the end.

 

All the best

 

Rich

Well guys been advised they are going to write off the car. Just need to find out to what level of write off and whether I can keep it. If I can, I'm going to strip the front to see how in-depth the damage is, and then decide if I'm going to attempt a rebuild or start breaking it further.

Hopefully I can squeeze as much dosh out of them as possible.Just have to wait and see who's to blame, who's to pay and how much.

 

Simon.