rear ended

[DeanG]

Too many Elans are coming to their end via a rear end collision. I am glad you are OK. If the car is totaled please make sure it get to someone who will part it out so that other Elans may live.

[ashm]

I'd love to get her back and repair - I'll have to see how the financials add up. I've already done this year's tour and I probably won't be competing in Delhi, so I might even have the time. I'd have three main problems though:
- my garage is currently full of machine tools with no room for a car. Wonder if my neighbours are all using theirs?
- I'm not sure I'd be up to much GRP work if it came to that.
- I'd need at least a rear end respray, and I'm guessing that might make the repair unfeasibly expensive. We're supposed to be saving money at the moment so high costs would be hard to justify.

How much does a lower rear wishbone cost these days? And are Renault still selling Alpine A610 lights? And I'd need to find a rear topshell, quarter panels, transom panel, boot lid and so on. I've received a generous offer of the rear half of a new tub though, which may well make the repair possible. All depends on what the insurance company will pay out

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[Gazza]

Adam

Very sorry to hear about your accident.

My experience when my first Elan was written off was it cost 25% of the price they are going to pay you out. So when i asked for more money and got it, it cost me slightly more to buy back. Also don't think you can buy back cat A or B cars so depends on what they give it, if written off that is. Looks 10 times worse than mine was

All the best, Gazza

[dapinky]

Adam,

As Gazza said, they will only offer it back if it is a cat C or D write-off - and that won't be decided until they know what state the chassis is in - if it's bent, it'll probably be a cat B (has to go to an approved dissmantler like our friends at Douglas Valley)

If you do get it back, I've got a boot lid sat here which you are welcome to - good condition, but needs paint (It's BRG at the moment) - I'd happily donate it to the cause.

[ashm]

The guy at the workshop reckoned the suspension was damaged but the chassis might be ok. I live in hope!

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[Jackonicko]

Adam,

I can give some advice on cheap partial resprays.

There are also some units available where I have my archive (on a farm very VERY close to Goring), they're very reasonable, large, spacious and you could get one for a short term.

[Mitcham]

Another incident to report I am afraid.

Belinda was driving home when a new driver came from a road on her right without stopping and side swiped the front offside of her “Loti”.

Thankfully no-one was injured and I hope it will be repairable.

I am very far from being knowledgeable about these things, but damage appears to be limited to a cracked front wing/front end, an edge of the bonnet is broken and there is an oil leak when you start the engine – possibly from an oil cooler?

There may be a photo attached to this, but I am probably worse with computers than I am with car mechanics.

Regards,
Martin.

[Monty]

Another incident to report I am afraid.

Belinda was driving home when a new driver came from a road on her right without stopping and side swiped the front offside of her “Loti”.

Thankfully no-one was injured and I hope it will be repairable.

I am very far from being knowledgeable about these things, but damage appears to be limited to a cracked front wing/front end, an edge of the bonnet is broken and there is an oil leak when you start the engine – possibly from an oil cooler?

There may be a photo attached to this, but I am probably worse with computers than I am with car mechanics.

Regards,
Martin.

Sorry to hear that Martin

It`s possible that the clam has more cracks on the inside of the engine bay, if your claiming on there insurance have a new clam fitted if poss. Oil maybe the oil cooler or the oil lines

How you get her fixed soon

[ashm]

That's terrible... 2 down in as many weeks. Good luck!
Still no news from the insurance company on mine...

[ashm]

Just heard from the insurer's engineer that they're putting it down as uneconomical to repair...
Now being passed on to the valuations dept.

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[steve matthews]

Martin and Adam, I thought I was over it.
Being run over by a truck in November 2009
Both of you have rekindled emotional bonds to my Elan #886.
Please, may the Lotus Gods look favorably on us.

Steve -w- new lady

[BFG in the BRG]

Damn

Really sorry to hear both your news, I was going to take the BFG out this weekend - perhaps I'll wait for the agreed valuation to be agreed before venturing onto the roads.

Adam - is there any hope for yours?

Martin - just a quick word of caution - I had a lady reverse into me in an empty carpark ( ) a couple of years ago and there appeared to be no damage so I thought I'd got away with it - a few weeks later a load of hairline cracks appeared in the gel coat (top smooth layer of the fibreglass that the paint sits on) - I'm sure they wern't there straight after - moral of the story - get as much bodywork replaced as possible and if you can, keep an eye after, hopefully the body shop will sort you out properly.

[nicowalker1]

Ashm

That really sucks

[Nickydee]

Just heard from the insurer's engineer that they're putting it down as uneconomical to repair...
Now being passed on to the valuations dept.

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Adam

You have a PM.

Regards

Nick

[Nige]

Just heard from the insurer's engineer that they're putting it down as uneconomical to repair...
Now being passed on to the valuations dept.

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Sorry to hear that. It's all down to the vauation and what they will give you now I suppose? Only then can you consider the buy back and have it repaired yourself option. If the chassis is straight then the majority of the parts can be sourced relatively cheaply. It's then a question of what work you can and are willing to do your self and what you need to pay to have done. The offer of parts still stands,

I worked hard with my repairers to ensure the engineer understood just exactly how little the parts cost was and am convinced this was a factor in getting a decision tom repair rather than it being uneconomical (the agreed value also helped but that's no consolation). I went through a repair/write off decision 3 times.

[ashm]

Sorry to hear that. It's all down to the vauation and what they will give you now I suppose? Only then can you consider the buy back and have it repaired yourself option. If the chassis is straight then the majority of the parts can be sourced relatively cheaply. It's then a question of what work you can and are willing to do your self and what you need to pay to have done. The offer of parts still stands,

I worked hard with my repairers to ensure the engineer understood just exactly how little the parts cost was and am convinced this was a factor in getting a decision tom repair rather than it being uneconomical (the agreed value also helped but that's no consolation). I went through a repair/write off decision 3 times.

I had quite a long phone call with the insurance company's engineer, talking about cheap parts availability etc, but he wasn't budging
They're insistent that any parts used must be ordered direct from Lotus by the authorised repairer. In the end he basically said "look, my report says this and I'm not changing it now!"

A couple of people have pointed out the BRG with the blown engine in Witney... I might go have a look on Saturday.

I agree that everything now depends on the valuations. I'm not sure the lack of an agreed value is such a bad thing, since low mileage cars seem to be rising in (asking...) price recently. As I understand it an agreed value means you definitely won't get a penny more from the insurance company, whatever the actual market price at the time. On the other hand, if there's no agreed value they're (in theory) legally obliged to offer you enough to replace the car like for like (mileage, colour, etc), including mods, at the time of the claim. Of course they'll stiff me where they can but 60k red elans in decent nick appear to be very pricy at the moment. We'll see how the negotiations go.

Cheers,
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[bobbrown]

The good thing is they have not written it off as a total wreck that has to go to the scrap yard to be crushed.
Time to put your negotiation hat on and negotiation hard for a good deal, knowing insurance companies they will try their best to keep the payment as low as possible at least at this time of the year the prices are always higher.
Even if you do not want to repair this one and you opt for the one with a blown engine you still either have a shed full of spares or parts you can sell on and probably make a few quid out of it all at the end of the day to at least cover your time and efforts if not more.

Bob

[Mitcham]

Just a quick update on ours.

To try and keep the quotation reasonable we insisted on specifying a garage of our choice in Worcester, rather than the insurance companies option, as they, (Tires - Worcester), had done work for us previously and were really competitive, whilst also being very enthusiastic about the car.

We might have to give-up our right to the hire vehicle our policy allows, but this does not bother us and I feel happier having the car looked at by someone we know and trust.

As a consequence, we should be looking at around £1200 for the work - though there may be a small adjustment, depending upon the final cost of replacement parts.

Given that even "We buy any car . com" - (don't you just love that advert!!), would have given us £1600 for the car before the accident, I am hopeful the insuance company will give the go-ahead.

Regards, and thanks to all.

Belinda and Martin.

[inkitin]

Given that even "We buy any car . com" - (don't you just love that advert!!), would have given us £1600

That quote sounds just about right for "wemakeasnazzyadvertandthendoourbesttoshaftyou.com"

Good luck with your insurance company.

[Monty]

Just a quick update on ours.

To try and keep the quotation reasonable we insisted on specifying a garage of our choice in Worcester, rather than the insurance companies option, as they, (Tires - Worcester), had done work for us previously and were really competitive, whilst also being very enthusiastic about the car.

We might have to give-up our right to the hire vehicle our policy allows, but this does not bother us and I feel happier having the car looked at by someone we know and trust.

As a consequence, we should be looking at around £1200 for the work - though there may be a small adjustment, depending upon the final cost of replacement parts.

Given that even "We buy any car . com" - (don't you just love that advert!!), would have given us £1600 for the car before the accident, I am hopeful the insuance company will give the go-ahead.

Regards, and thanks to all.

Belinda and Martin.

As far as i`m aware you have the right to chose what garage does the work, so should not effect the hire car. Infact since your claiming of another insurance you could tell them you want it repaired at the Lotus dealer

Anyways hope all goes well with the repair.