VX Rearended - Maybe written off

[Muncher]

Off to my grandparents diamond wedding meal this morning, come to a roundabout of a dual carriageway sliproad, car coming from the right, I stopp as it is was a bit wet and I wasn't going to risk it. Stationary for a couple of seconds, look in my rear view mirror and i can see a Zafira I think looming down on me, not looking like he can stop on time....

Bang! Hits me at I'm guessing 25mph, plod seemed to think it was about that speed, shunts me forward.

I think it could well be a total loss, exhaust pushed back into the engine, rear clam pushed forward jamming the passenger door shut, windscreen cracked! Having full harnesses on helped me a lot I think, though I still have a headache and a slightly sore neck at the minute.

On the phone to Helphire later today to get a like for like hire car.

 

[Muncher]

 

[Muncher]

If it is written off I will buy the salvage back and repair it myself, first impressions are it's the kind of damage VX dealer rates and hire car charges will cause to be written off, but I could probably repair it for not that much.

 

[Muncher]

i thought you had superlight black wheels on it?

They're still in boxes in the loft, I was wanting to finish off those tyres first. Plus it's so difficult to get hold of any R888 tyres for them at the moment, at least until the middle of July on back order.

 

[Muncher]

New clam from Vauxhall is £2,500 iirc + painting, also full exhaust is over £1,000 fitted, few hundred for the rear lights, undertrays a few hundred quid, rear subframe if damaged is expensive @ £500 plus en engine out job to fit which is expensive. I'd say thewre's £7k+ of damage there without looking at unseen costs, to hire me a replacement car for a few weeks is going to cost them a lot also.

 

[Muncher]

What a pillock though. I hope you gave him an earful!

Nah, accidents happen, he was apologetic. The roads were greasy following rain and he had his wife and two small children in the car with him, I'm not angry at him at all.

 

[Muncher]

Good for you. No-one seriously hurt and the car is replaceable/fixable. Not sure I would want it being fixed by a Vauxhall dealer though, unless there is one that specialises in the VX. Not quite the same as screwing a Corsa back together...

If it needed repairs it would go to TMS/Plans/Horizon/Sinclaires nowhere near any Vauxhall dealers!

 

[Muncher]

The third party just called me, the claim has been reported to their insurers and i have a claim and policy number etc

 

[Muncher]

At least they were quick about it. Your'll feel the pain in your neck tommorow, maybe put something on it now.

25mph is quite high for a final impact speed, did his car absorb a lot of damage too because yours does not look as bad as I would expect considering.
Theres a fair difference in weight between the two cars?

I was off the brakes ready to move forward, his car wasn't that badly damaged to be honest, a couple of grand to fix, but nothing serious. The exhaust takes a lot of impact, which is not always a good thing...

 

[Muncher]

Any news on what Helphire are giving you?

I'll be using Europa Consultants as I am friends with a Director of theirs.

http://www.europaconsultants.co.uk/fleet.php


Europa can offer, subject to availability, an extensive range of replacement vehicles to suit most requirements;

Group A - Nissan Micra 1.0, Ford Ka 1.0

Group B - Ford Fiesta 1.2, Vauxhall Corsa 1.2

Group C - Vauxhall Astra, Ford Focus

Group D - Renault Megane Scenic 1.5D, Ford Focus 1.6, Mazda 3 1.6

Group E - Vauxhall Vectra, Ford Mondeo

Group F - VW Golf GTi

MPV - VW Sharan, Renault Espace

Prestige - BMW X3, Mercedes C Class, BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E Class

Sports - Porsche Boxster, Porsche Cayman S, Lotus Elise Sports Tourer, Lotus Elise S, Mercedes SLK 200, Subaru Impreza WRX

Luxury - Bentley Continental GT, Bentley Flying Spur

High Performance - Lotus Exige, Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Europa also has access to commercial vehicles from small vans right through to 44 ton Articulated Lorries. Automatic cars, cars with tow bars and dual control vehicles can also be provided. Please ask for more details.

 

[Muncher]

I think the natural choice will be the Exige as the Elise S is a fair bit down on power compared to mine so isn't replacing my car with anything like for like. The point is as it wasn't my fault, I shouldn't have to drive around in a "lesser" car while it is sorted. I'll be speaking to them tomorrow so should have some indication of what to expect.

I don't think it was anything to do with the brakes, I could understand that if I really stood on them in the dry but it was a fairly leasurely stop and the car behind obviously thought I was going to go straight round.

 

[Muncher]

The other car, not a Zafira as I thought.

 

[Muncher]

How on earth did you manage to stand there, swap details, etc etc and not realise he was driving a Renault?

He didn't hang around for long once we had swapped details and I was a little bit "fuzzy in the head" at that point. Any sprog-wagon is much the same to me anyway!

 

[Muncher]

Looking more likely to be a write off now, the rear subframe is bent which is an expensive bit to replace.

Off the top of my head:
Rear Light
Rear Clam + Painting
Rear Calm Trim
Rear Clam Mesh and heatshield
Scorpion Exhaust Back Box
ScorpionExhaust downpipe
Exhaust manifold?
Wishbones x 2?
Tie Rod
2 Tie Rod ends
Number Plate
Geo Setup
Rear Undertray
Main Undertray
Exhaust internal heat shieding
Rear Subframe
+ Labour
+ Hire Car charges

That's only the visible damage without taking bits off....

 

[Muncher]

Market value approx £12k+ and as I was hit my a third party I will be offered the salvage back @ approx 20% of the payout amount. Based on some rough sums I could repair it myself, have the whole car resprayed and have £5k left in the bank afterwards....

 

[Muncher]

you think you could fix it for £4600?

Maybe a bit less than that, with the right contacts for getting parts...

 

[Muncher]

Yeah, is all hypothetical, but I can't do any more than that at the moment apart from twiddling my thumbs

Yes, that would be everything replaced with as new parts, nothing straightened.

 

[Muncher]

Have spoken to Europa Consultants, they'll have an Elise S with me on tuesday, to be swapped for the Exige S once that becomes available, then hopefully a further swap to a Porsche Cayman S providing that is available.

 

[Muncher]

Ardent Red 2006 Elise S with a Larini exhaust to be delivered to me tomorrow evening, though waiting back to see who will insure it as my insurers won't touch it because of the group and value.

 

[Muncher]

We're having problems with sorting insurance for the Elise or Exige at the moment, their insurance won't cover me as I'm too young and neither will my current policy. They have however sorted me out with a new Boxster for the moment just to get me moving.