OK so had a bit of a run in with a telegraph pole on a slippery bit of road, wasn't being silly and I'm still kicking myself! Nobody else involved except me and the pole, only my pride was hurt! I've had the car less than a month so ok I've not really had a chance to get too attached, but it's my first Z and I really liked it. I'm just thankful nothing else was on the road at the time! Going to call the insurance company a bit later on but would appreciate any opinions as I don't know where to start! To top it all off I just paid out for 2 new tyres on Monday and an Induction Kit off Danny on Tuesday, don't think I'll have much use for that :(

 

I used to like the snow!

 

Ouch - bad luck Kevin :( Not too sure about the damage assessment, but you couldn't have hit that pole any more head on! Not touched the headlights by the look of it.

 

Hope you get it back on the road bud!

 

Steve :)

Jeez.

 

I wouldnt hold out on the insurance company, but remember thats worth more as spares if they do decide to scrap it.

 

I have a set of stock rims if you want to keep thoes rims and tyres

:cry: Thats nasty mate! :cry: Hope u get things sorted out quick and insurance dont cause a pain!

I know it looks bad, but theres not alot behind the bumper so the mechanical side of it should be ok. just bumper, bonnet , slam pannal etc £££, all the best bud, i was driving like miss daisy last night

OK so had a bit of a run in with a telegraph pole on a slippery bit of road, wasn't being silly and I'm still kicking myself! Nobody else involved except me and the pole, only my pride was hurt! I've had the car less than a month so ok I've not really had a chance to get too attached, but it's my first Z and I really liked it. I'm just thankful nothing else was on the road at the time! Going to call the insurance company a bit later on but would appreciate any opinions as I don't know where to start! To top it all off I just paid out for 2 new tyres on Monday and an Induction Kit off Danny on Tuesday, don't think I'll have much use for that :(

 

I used to like the snow!

 

Its not as bad as it looks, most of that damage is superficial, once the bonnet and bumper are removed. If they write it of then you should be able to buy it back for around £500-800. A body shop would fix her up no problems.

 

OK you have a bit of bad luck, its gotta happen sometime, get her mended and back on the road were she belongs.............Not on a scrap heap....

:shock: holy shit! thts gonna get written off if you report it and insurance companies are becoming more strict on letting the cars be bought back. the slam panel would have taken quite a hit. i think you'd be better of breaking it and keeping your premium down

:shock: holy shit! thts gonna get written off if you report it and insurance companies are becoming more strict on letting the cars be bought back. the slam panel would have taken quite a hit. i think you'd be better of breaking it and keeping your premium down

 

Thing is Yas, if everyone breaks there Z cus they have a bump or something worse. Then there will be no more Zs left. A Z is not a consumable, it is a fantastic complex machine which is not availible to buy anymore. If this was any other car then it would be fixed, dont be so negitive. Whats happened to the old days when we would spend weekends banging out dents and repairing panels, seems that no-one cares anymore...

 

 

It would be very sad to see her broken, she has survived 15 years and you are putting her to rest after only 1 month. The least you can do is to sell her on complete to someone who will fix her up.

 

DONT DO IT.....

You'd need a friggin good panel beater to straighten that out :(

that'll buff right out...

 

(well, in the absence of Mike Duffy, someone had to!)

 

Glad you're OK kevinc - that's the most important thing. Oh, and DaveC's quite right. I had mine written off, bought it back and repaired. If you do the same, you'll not regret it. "Save the Zed" is my motto!

Thing is Yas, if everyone breaks there Z cus they have a bump or something worse. Then there will be no more Zs left. A Z is not a consumable, it is a fantastic complex machine which is not availible to buy anymore. If this was any other car then it would be fixed, dont be so negitive. Whats happened to the old days when we would spend weekends banging out dents and repairing panels, seems that no-one cares anymore...

 

 

It would be very sad to see her broken, she has survived 15 years and you are putting her to rest after only 1 month. The least you can do is to sell her on complete to someone who will fix her up.

 

DONT DO IT.....

 

Taking the bonnet has moved back so far and the wings are the same and havent been touched I would not want teh bill for straitning out the chasis that obviously had a twist. The front of the engine has bore than likely sustained dammage too so repairing its gona go over 4k easy.

 

Brake it, buy another.

 

Less zeds meen higher prices :tongue:

Thanks for the replies guys, the car still drives (well away from the pole and on and off a trailer), think the fan was rubbing on something though didn't have the engine on too long to find out. I would love to be able to fix her up but I don't have the skills to be able to do it, I'm trying to get in touch with some people today to get some idea of costs, again I'd want to avoid insurance but it might get into silly money. I'll try and get the bonnet up later and have a good look around. Biggest worry is the chassis I guess as that will be the big bucks I presume?

Ouch!!

 

Glad your OK Kevin, Its always sad to see a Z like that, I hope whatever you decide is the right choice.

 

Rich

Hi Kevinc

 

Firstly I have to say yes you were silly going out in the snow with a Z if you didn't have to. :nono: :slap: However you've learnt a costly lesson and you survied to ensure you can put that lesson to use in future, cos at the end of the day its only a car. :)

 

Lee at Wrexham auto craft would pull that straight to within a few microns of what it originally was and which is proberbly closer to original than it was before the accident. :smash: I saw them pull a Mondeo straight that had hit a tree and the entire car pushed back 3.5" on the drivers side. The hatch sat an inch behind the rear edge of the drivers side and 2.5 inches beyond the rear of the pasenger side. Unbelievable, I thought they'd just write it off. No they just put it on the 40 ton jig and :smash: :smash: :smash: til it was straight. When it was finish you couldn't tell it had ever been in a bump never mind a 40mph collision with a tree.

 

I wouldn't what to drive or own it though. However I agree with Dave and think this is very repairable. Infact another friend of mine Andy who owns a bodyshop is fixing a 300ZX with a worse front end smash than yours.

 

Pair of headlamps, New 99 spec bumper, bumper strengthener, headlamp pannel for about £400 from Luke at the Z centre and all brand new. Paint and :smash: :smash: sraightening about £1000 max. Plenty of bonnets, oil coolers aircon rads and Fans for sale on here for buttons. I've got nearly all those bits so if they do write it off I'll have it off ya for the buy back and get her sorted.

Tough luck mate

You'd need a friggin good panel beater to straighten that out :(

 

 

I have seen a lot lot worse than that, thats only a scratch. It can definitly be fixed,

 

 

SAVE THE Z

look repairable, had the front part of mine apart recently and theres not a whole lot of stuff between the bumper and the aircon rad. probally missed your re-circ valves. I guess new oil cooler, fan, metal bit that looks like a bit of scaffolding and the main panel which hold on the headlights etc. plus bumper and bonnet.

Ouch, sorry to see that, although from the comments here it looks very repairable. Best of luck.

bad luck fella and good luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

Surprised the "breaking" vultures haven't started circling for your wheels yet!! :D

 

I think you may get away with it.

Look at the picture there is nothing there until where the bonnet latches, and the same distance below.

The bonet bent because it actually hangs over that first part of the chassis over the head lights.

 

At an educated guess, I would say that the impact didnt reach the chassis. It would have to go on a jig to confirm this, but I think this is salvageable.

 

I think you have been lucky enough for the bumper, slam panel and airbox are has taken the impact.

Look at where the bonnet is. I would presume that is how far the poll went in. Its level with the head lights. Now look at my picture. Imagine the headlights are in it. The bar above where the lights go is 2-3 inches behind where the lights would be. I actually think the post didnt reach the chassis.

Thanks, that is the sort of picure I was looking for to get an idea of what is/isn't there, I have managed to get the bonnet open, silly question but what is actual chassis and what isn't?

 

 

Everything looks a bit squashed in there but I think maybe it might be repairable? I've got a friend coming over later who's worked on a few (Nissan mechanic) so might be able to shed a bit more light as to whats what. Feeling a bit better that I did this morning though, thanks guys :)

IMHO Thats fixable, seen a lot worse before fixed. Looking at the pics the rad has just poped out and the member is a little bent.

 

Thanks, that is the sort of picure I was looking for to get an idea of what is/isn't there, I have managed to get the bonnet open, silly question but what is actual chassis and what isn't?

 

 

Everything looks a bit squashed in there but I think maybe it might be repairable? I've got a friend coming over later who's worked on a few (Nissan mechanic) so might be able to shed a bit more light as to whats what. Feeling a bit better that I did this morning though, thanks guys :)

OK so had a bit of a run in with a telegraph pole on a slippery bit of road, wasn't being silly and I'm still kicking myself! Nobody else involved except me and the pole, only my pride was hurt! I've had the car less than a month so ok I've not really had a chance to get too attached, but it's my first Z and I really liked it. I'm just thankful nothing else was on the road at the time! Going to call the insurance company a bit later on but would appreciate any opinions as I don't know where to start! To top it all off I just paid out for 2 new tyres on Monday and an Induction Kit off Danny on Tuesday, don't think I'll have much use for that :(

 

I used to like the snow!

 

 

Right we need some comparison here, right here goes. These are classed as right offs. Dont forget the phrase right off has nothing to do with how bad your car is, its based on a % of what your car is worth. For eg: If your car books in at 6k then the write off value will be a % of that , say 3k. Anything under then it is financialy repairible. I have had a car wrote off because someone tried to steal it and knackered the locks, A whole lockset inc fitting was over 1k so they wrote it off. I bought it back the next week for £50 went down the scrappies and £60 later the car was back to normal.

 

If it helps I have a good black bonnet, front wings, centre panel, bumper support , well everything apart from the bumper. The whole kit would cost under £500. By no means is this a sales pitch ,iam just letting you know how cheaply you can start repairing it for.

 

Some obvious signs the front ends been pushed back pretty far. Looks like the passenger side took more force, i would check you inner wings. mine wasnt bent as far back as that and it had cracked and collapsed on itself.

fix her up, you know you want to. I dont think thats as bad as it looks. Though it wouldnt surprise me if the fan was rubbing a bit :)

As far as I can see the wings look ok, the main damage seems to be the slam panel area. Does anyone have a good reference for the different panels/parts so at least I know what I'm looking at! Also any good bodyshops around my area, I live about 10 miles from Gatwick, car isn't going to travel very far at the moment though :( Got to start getting some quotes really and then start hunting parts down, thanks for the offer Dave C I might take you up on it!