Had a little accident

I've not posted for a while, but thought I'd better share my exciting experiences with you all.

So it was a couple of weeks ago, when it was pouring with rain... yes, I know, not a good start. "Be careful in the wet" etc etc.

Anyway, I put my foot down and when the box kicked down and the power went to the rear (my Eagle F1's are only 6 months and not very many miles old - plenty of tread) it just span and went all over the place until I ended up rear ending a 206.

I'll just add at this point that the 206 wasn't in my lane, and I didn't want to be in their lane either. But that's where the car ended up.

Anyway, the emergency services were called because the 206 ended up on the other side of the road in a ditch. The policemen just said "Oh dear. You've learnt a lesson there, haven't you?" So they were really good about it. Didn't interview me or take it any further.

Nevertheless, the car's been at my garage of choice for a while now, and I've got a courtesy car, so I'm ok for transport. But the insurance company haven't reviewed the estimate the garage has sent them yet, so they're dragging their heels.

The damage to my car was just drivers side glass headlamp, Bomex front end got a bit crunchy and the bonnet (original) is all bent. Other than that, the car just needs a little adjusting, pulling out and spraying and it'll be fine.

My concern is that I phoned the garage for some progress (and to tell them to replace the stock bonnet with a Do Luck one, I'll pay the difference) and they said "oh, the insurers haven't sent an assessor yet. Have they contacted you?". No, they haven't. So I phoned them. They said "we've not reviewed the estimate yet, but because the car might be a total loss..."

I switched off after that point. I really hope the car ISN'T a total loss. But I'm sure some of you have some experience with this situation - what's the deal? I don't want the insurance company taking my car with its Do Luck chrome wheels on it, they're worth half the value of the damn car!!!!

I valued the car with the insurers at £8500, and the estimate for repair went to them at "just over £5000". So they kept the estimate under 60% for me.

Anyone got any words of advice or reassurance? Or is the car doomed?

And no, I don't have any photos I'm afraid.

im so gutted for you mate, im sure you can fight their decision though...how about asking if the garage can source parts via, say Nic for your hedlights, and such. must be cheaper than using toyota as supplier!

If the estimate is 5k+ I would be pretty sure they'll write it off, TBH Al.

How can such a small amount of damage as you have described be over five grand to fix?

Is your black aerotop really only worth 8½ ?

My RZ must be worth about 50p then

I'll get it fixed for a damn sight cheaper Al. Don't let them right it off

cant you put a new bumper and headlight on it some other way and then have insurance look at it, or is that illegal? did the police or any one photo graph it?? cant you swap the wheels back.

TT steve.

Yeah, I suggest you goto the yard and swap those wheels if they wont pay out on them. As long as the insurer has finished doing the assessment on the circumstances etc. Sell them / keep them privately.

Go there and change the wheels oer mate!

If they ask anything just say you put your old wheels on because you wanted to refurb the wheels while the car was off the road!

Or they will take the car and the wheels if it ends up being too much and you will end up loosing all the money from the wheels

if your worryed about the wheels swap them NOW. because if they photograph it when its assesed you may bb screwed.

there was a jard next to where i used to work, they had 2 sups in with minimal damage. dented drivers door!! and 1 with broken front bumper an 1 light. both write offs...

tt steve.

Didn't you insure the wheels with them at an agreed value?

Saying that I haven't done my new wheels yet they're still down as up to £1000!!

The wheels are declared on the policy, but they never asked for a value for the wheels. It's just a tick box "alloy wheels (non-standard)". Check!

The estimate will have had photos taken I'm sure with the wheels in the pictures. The car is at a mate's body shop, so I know it won't get messed with or taken away before I have a chance to get to it.

I can source parts myself, yes, but the estimate is for doing it properly I imagine. The insurers will be sending their assessor soon - like end of this week, I'm told.

I could probably source parts for the car for about £1000, but there's a bit of straightening needs doing, and yanking of panels. Other than a respray on the new parts, it seems fairly straightforward to me.

Blokey here at work reckons it'll be written off. Not sure what to do. I can still get down there and swap the wheels for my old "alloy wheels (non-standard)" ones I've got, one with a puncture.

How do you guys value your cars? I bought mine for £8500, had the whole thing resprayed (same colour) and the body kit, spoiler, exhaust, wheels/tyres all put on. I didn't revalue it at a higher amount, but I declared the additions. Sadly for me, the money I've spent on the car is about £15000.

Find someone else to estimate the repair.

I had pretty much the same accident and they didn't even consider writing it off - I never got a total cost of repair.

Mine was official Veilside front, new nearside headlight, dent in bumper hanging bar, dent in bonnet, bent wing, respray of wing/bonnet/bumper.

Sounds like one of those companies that wouldnt refund the cost of them anyway, its just noted as an extra.. they'd probably cover the cost of standard wheels. I'd make sure you change them otherwise that's a couple of grand down the pan.

It would be. I'm gonna go swap 'em.

...not right now though.

That does seem low for a TT Aerotop.

Hate to see another one go.

That does seem low for a TT Aerotop.

 

Hate to see another one go.

Yeah, I mean if you agree a low figure like that for the car then you do have increased chance of things being written off.

Why did you do this? Did you just accept the book value they gave you initally or were you trying to save money on your insurance policy?

if its writen off, find out which breakers its going to and buy it off them, you may find you have money left to fix it. and some.

TT steve.

Do any of you think the insurance assessor will take into account that it's a TT aerotop and therefore worth more than I stupidly thought? I doubt it.

But it would give me a case for arguing for far more money out of them I guess. If I can prove the existence of any other examples for sale... unlikely.

Yeah, I mean if you agree a low figure like that for the car then you do have increased chance of things being written off.

 

Why did you do this? Did you just accept the book value they gave you initally or were you trying to save money on your insurance policy?

I didn't think it was that low, but yes, I just accepted the figure. I wasn't trying to undervalue the car. Shame now though.

Here's a write off for you!

This was mine last November,

I can safely say that I go into Doddry old lady mode when it rains now...

I'm sure your car will be far from a write off!

when I wrote mine off they were fine about me going along to get my bits off it............

Ok, some more advice guys please.

Seeing as it's likely the assessor will deem the car 'uneconomical to repair' and write it off, do you think I should abandon my indurance claim at this juncture and just finance the repair myself?

If I did that, I would save the £500 excess on my own claim (they said third party claims don't incur the excess), and have to source one glass drivers side headlamp, a Bomex front and a bonnet... get some bits straightened and some parts sprayed and I'm back on the road.

Does this sound sensible? I'm weighing up this cost (maybe £1500 from my friendly body shop) vs the more likely scenario of having a write off and having to get money out of the insurers, THEN have to buy my car back THEN having to repair it anyway. The alternative is the slim chance it all goes according to plan and they don't write it off and I get £5k or repairs done for a £500 excess.

Any thoughts?

Ok, I got some photos off my mobile... here's the damage.

If you need evidence of other TT Aerotops for sale then you could just start looking around Autotrader, Jurgen's site, the one Paul W has for sale on here, performance mags, etc, etc. Generally I would expect £10,000 as a minimum, and the generally accepted rate is circa £12,000. You ideally need to start trawling around and doing some homework really - but the figure you've been using does seem rather low.

The only query on buying back the writeoff is problems with selling it on. I wouldn't buy a write off for example. This isn't an area I know a lot about, but putting a writeoff back onto the road needs careful paperwork IIRC.