So, here's what my car looks like after some stupid woman in an Audi TT wasn't looking where she was going and ploughs into the back of me in traffic, pushing me into the car in front (I was stationary at the time) ...




[img][/img]

The "engineer" hasn't been in contact yet about assessing the damage. What do you think? What usually happens to the car in cases such as this regarding getting it fixed etc.?

(I'm OK by the way. The helmet I was luckily wearing bent the steering wheel over instead of my face! and nobody else was hurt).

Hopefully it's just panels and you'll be alright

Unforntunately it's not just panels - both fromt wishbones have been pushed back - probably bending the front chassis inwards - rear chassis has been pushed in, crushing the fuel tank. Engine has also hit something at the front as the top cam cover is bent!

Panels, new chassis, new fuel tank, probably new engine. I'd say it's written off unless you have a parts only policy in which case you could rebuild it with a new chassis and panels and save an IVA.

p.s. Glad you're ok!

[Edited on 27/9/11 by iank]

Probably not a write off but might need a couple of grand to sort out - of course we can't see beneath the skin on just those pics.

Gutted for you mate. Hope you get it sorted out. Looks a mess, real shame if it is written off.

Glad you were not hurt!

Rob

Thanks. Here are a couple more pics. I was hoping I might be able to avoid a write-off and transfer most bits onto a new rolling chassis to avoid having to do an IVA. Hopefully the assessor chap will understand!

[img][/img]

Why not avoid the insurance and get her to buy the car at pre accident condition?

That will save you a whole lot in insurance costs fro the next few years, trust me, been there, done that, paying for it now...

Glad ur OK chap! I bet the dozy cow was on the phone? Most are nowadays, or checking the makeup I watched one nearly ram a car at a roundabout because she was checking her hair in the mirror!!

Sue her!!

Yes, I was wearing a 4-point seatbelt but I guess it wasn't tight enough. If the steering wheel hadn't stopped my head going forwards more I wonder what would have happened to my neck! I guess that's what HANS devices are for!

I'm going through insurance now as not much else I could do. Stupid woman didn't seem to be too bothered and said it'd all get sorted with her comapany car insurance - failing to understand you can't just get mr. local mechanic to magic you a new kit car... At least she's being done for careless driving!

Good to hear she's getting done, it's that kind of attitude that makes premiums so high.

Whats the Fluid puddled around the back?

'tis nothing but a scratch. We've fixed one of them


crash3 by RoadkillUK, on Flickr

Also, previous to that, I drove the car into a wall and bent the front of the chassis, turned out to be just the lower bar, cut it out and replaced it.


bump04 by RoadkillUK, on Flickr

Hopefully, you will be able to get it repaired.

It's fuel - you wouldn't believe how fast I got out of the car after I smelt (and heard) fuel gushing out of the crushed tank! - My first words to the two drivers were "fuel leak" and "get out of here now!". Luckily nothing combusted!

I hope it can be repaired. I also hope that they'll pay for a completely new chassis with a few extra tubes (i.e. a rollcage) fitted so I can feel a bit more confident in future!

I would think they will probably write it off but let you buy it back at salvage cost.

We lost a tank of fuel too, you can see it in the previous photo, it was just trickling out though.

This pic shows the damage done one the 'skin' is off, not too much and cheap to repair too. Think yourself lucky the driver was insured as we (my brother) has been hit twice in the Locost by uninsured drivers.

If you follow the Flickr link, there's a few more photo's of the damage and repair. HTH

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/2981985064_89cf918353_z.jpg?zz=1[/img]
crash6 by RoadkillUK, on Flickr

[Edited on 27/9/11 by RoadkillUK]

Any idea what salvage cost might be?

There's a fair few quid of ECU / custom plenum / seats / wheels (if not bent) etc. which I could do with keeping!

Thanks Roadkill, looks like it might be better than it seems underneath.

Now if she was uninsured - that would have been a nightmare! Lets hope it all goes through ok!

I do have an agreed value on the car through my insurance (Adrian Flux / Equity Redstar) so I hope this is taken into account when making their decisions.

By the way, anubody know at what point a car get declared a "category C or D"? If mine is repaired, will it show up as such on an HPI check or similar?

Equity Red Star assessed mine, it was a new front end, £4k in total, and that was all ok. If you check my thread,... linky then there are some useful comments about the catc / d issue.

Ok in this case it was my fault, and yes the helmet worked for me too, submarined out of my 4 point,.... ouch

glad you're ok,...

hope that helps

All though I feel for you in that you may have lost a car, as a chassis builder I'm interested in how the back end has stood up to the impact of an average sized car. I'm not sure what the back would look like it you'd been hit by Jeep or a Range Rover though, may be it would have made it to the roll bar?

Thanks HowardB, interesting thread.

So it seems if it's written off in any way, it'll be given a category of some description but can sometimes still be fixed and put back on the road if bought back from salvage....

I think I'm still going to try to persuade the assessor not to write it off, might try to reduce costs by offering to rebuild myself if needed...

Talon Motorsport,

I agree - which is why I think I'll be getting a rollcage fitted for the future. Might have prevented the fuel tank being crushed so much if rear stays were fitted and improved overally rigidity.

time for an indy r chassis me thinks

that may be an option!...

Sad to hear this chris, glad your ok though.

Its a big shunt and i would be leaning towards a re chassis.

Just shows though,we should all take time to adjust the harness belts as most of us with screens do not wear crash helmets.

When you say you have an agreed value policy, it may be worth checking this with Adrian Flux. Unless you've submitted the full declaration together with agreed value and required photographs, it will only be insured at market value.

Next thing, in anticipation of the car being written off, make sure you get to the recovery yard and get it sheeted up properly. When we had an accident in ours, the car was taken to a recovery yard where it sat awaiting an inspection by an assessor. The recovery company had roughly thrown a plastic tarpaulin over it which left the interior exposed to the elements.

We negotiated the return of our damaged MK as part of the insurance settlement and rebuilt the vehicle using a new chassis and various new parts including a new engine. After we had repaired it, legislation stated that it had to have a vehicle identity check (VIC) before it could go back on the road, so we paid the fee and put our application in to VOSA. This application and fee was promptly returned together with a letter stating that there was no marker against the vehicle and therefore no VIC needed

It transpired that because we had effectively bought the vehicle back from the insurance company as part of the insurance settlement, the V5 was never handed back to the DVLA (which usually happens when a vehicle is written off) and hence a marker hadn't been put on the vehicle, which in turn meant that a VIC wasn't required.

Hope some of that helps with your situation.......

Phil

i had my rush wrote off in germany 2008 with flux's

agreed policy

the car was written off because it was over the 50% of its value - thats how they look at it

what will determine the category is the safety state its in.

you can buy back a car that been written off - with flux its 10% of the payout? now i cant remember the exact percentage but it quite low - i bought the rush back from them for bout £700 i think - stripped it down then had the chassis scrapped off [it was too badly twisted] sold all the bits or you could keep them for the replacement.

one thing to watch out for is the premium hike - it will jump by 25% for having a write off. ba$tards

what determines if its wrote off tho is purely down to % cost nowt else. the insurance co payout then sell the car to salvage company. if your gonna buy it back make sure you get the fone number from the assessor - he has the final say if its allowed to be bought back or not. mine was a cat b [is the worst cat a? cant remember but mine was 2nd worst which i wasnt supposed to be allowed to to have back at all - i just rang the assessor and said to him look if i can prove the chassis is destroyed can i buy it? he said ok] they took the cost of the buy back off the payout.

i would check the chassis for being square first off - it maybe worse than you can see. say you repaired all the visual stuff then drove it - maybe horrible to drive - either way it will be a full chassis re jig or a replacement chassis.

tbh i just bought another car - it works out quite pricey to rebuild against the cost of buying second hand. think the rolling chassis on the rush was about 11-12k plus the wait plus whatever parts you need that were smashed up

regards
terry

When I rolled my spitfire I had a spat with the ins.co, and I was thankfully supported by the broker,. Anyway, they eventually agreed to let me buy it back, and just changed the category from B to C. I could have put it back on the road! Much easier to buy another, and start again when the whole car was bent. Still getting on with the "new and improved" version nearly 3 years later, so if in a hurry just buy another that is up and running.

OMG!
Dosey mare. Glad you are OK.
You didn't tell us what you did with her body.

I am about clueless on UK insurance and driving rules and regulations but it seems like only a small percentage of the cost of a Locost is the actual chassis. I have way more wrapped up in wheels, tires, engine, transmission, drivetrain, miscellaneous odds and ends, etc than the actual chassis/body and suspension arms.

I'd vote try to keep the car from getting totaled and rebuild it. Even if you have to buy another kit for parts at least you have all of the odds and ends needed to finish it.

[Edited on 28/9/11 by atm92484]

[Edited on 28/9/11 by atm92484]

Thanks for the replies and advice guys,

I've asked the recovery firm which are storing it to keep it indoors (twice) so hopefully they have done that.

I think the chassis is definately bent (both front and back) so I'll be pushing for a new chassis I think. Like you say, the chassis is only a small part of the value and if the other bits can be transferred then that should save a fair bit.

I will try to negociate with the assessor following his inspection (tomorrow) to try to prevent it being written off I think. Might see if offering to do the work myself (at a reduced rate) might sway his decision...

personally why bother. at the end of the day she wrote your car off her insurance can pay for mk to build you a new one.