Someone just hit the back of the 323..REPAIR UPDATE 14.06.08

[retrogeezer]

Luckily not too hard and minor damage as my girlfriend was driving with my daughter in the back.

 

The guy has said that he doesn't want to go through the insurance and to get a quote. I'm not really sure what to say to him, a garage would write it off and it's not really very noticeable.

 

Shall I tell him I'll get a 2nd hand bumper and fit it myself and ask for £150?? Or is that too much?

 

He'll probably change his story and say my girlfriend reversed into him, no witnesses unfortunately.

 

 

 

[pogweasel]

Shouldn't get written off if it's his fault, you can demand a proper job back to how it was. Have to dig your heels in though as both insurance companies will try to bum you. Or just tap him for £100 and go for a decent night on the lash (and bollocks to fixing it)

[vicsmith]

Any reasonable amount of cash you can get out of him and don`t bother fixing it - let that bumper take a bit more abuse before you change it.

[retrogeezer]

I've got a feeling there is a metal bar behind the plastic cover, if I straighten it out it will be fine.....I think I'll see if I can get £150 out of him...my labour rate is high!

[Spottedlaurel]

Yup, definitely keep insurance out of it. Shame about that, obviously good it wasn’t anything more severe.

[r.welfare]

Bummer chap. At least no-one was hurt.Suggest you go with £150 and then leave it as is. Might be worth enquiring at a Mazda dealer how much a new one lists at (even if they are no longer available). If he baulks, then tell him to find a secondhand one for you...

[Milford Cubicle]

What a mess!!!Can appreciate the annoyance though, something like that marring an otherwise tidy car.

[Guest]

Bugger! Exactly in the same place as my Galant, wonder if it was the same driver?

 

 

I'd just leave it as is for now and wait for a nicer one to appear on a scrap car.

[Torsten2001]

I'm with Pog

[Anglevan]

Shouldn't get written off if it's his fault, you can demand a proper job back to how it was. Have to dig your heels in though as both insurance companies will try to bum you.

Dosn't matter who's fault it was - they can, and probably would write it off if you went through insurance (whos is insurance company?) If you go through insurance insist on a cash settlement and state you do not want it written off. If it gets CAT C'd you have the hassle of taking it for a VIC check at a cost of I think £40.So personally i'd push for £200 (TP has excess / no claims etc) Get a quote from a repairer to back it up. Always go down to £150 if necessary.Clearly more damage than just a bumper.Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[Father Ted]

If it gets CAT C'd you have the hassle of taking it for a VIC check at a cost of I think £40..

Only if you sell it on - otherwise you get your V5c back - marked that its a Cat c and you get to swan around in it to your hearts content until you sell it on, then it needs a VIC - happened to me with the wifes Fiesta, stolen, recovered, written off, £2.50 of chubb door lock fitted to drivers door and driven round till the engine blew up some 6 months later - cost me £250 to buy, got £400 off the insurance, bought it back of the insurance for £30 so all told I got nearly 12 months of motoring for -£120 (which was the road tax, so free motoring really!)

 

I must get my old shitter stolen more often!

[scrappylad]

The rear panel looks as though its pushed in a bit too... at the left hand number plate light.

 

Make sure you report the accident to the police - its law that you must do so within 24 hours of an accident I believe.

 

Get a quote from a bodyshop & take it from there. Suggest (if this is what you want to do...) that you'd accept 'X' amount to not go through the insurance as you'll know the car will most likely be a total loss. Find out from the bodyshop what the costs will be to ascertain what is an acceptable settlement.

 

If you choose to go through insurance make a third party claim to save it messing with your NCB or... at the least, a record of a non-fault accident going against your policy which may push up your premium for the next 5 years!

[Heidel_Kakao]

I think 323's must be cursed, Wuvvums orange one got jumped on, mine got broken into and now someone has crashed into this one Still having a damaged rear bumper appears de rigueur on Autoshite:D

[retrogeezer]

Make sure you report the accident to the police - its law that you must do so within 24 hours of an accident I believe.

Not sure about that?? Someone hit my Mondeo last November (still going through insurance now) and there was no mention of informing the Police.Good advice about accepting X to not go through the insurance.

[MrRegieRitmo]

Still having a damaged rear bumper appears de rigueur on Autoshite:D

Yes just ask the mods about how desirable a bent rear bumper is! (thinking of a certain Audi 100)

[retrogeezer]

:lol:I guess we should just thank the guy for his help!

[retrogeezer]

Well, rang the chap up and said that a garage had informed us it would be written off but they would repair it for £200 as a cash job. He was happy to pay the £200 and the cash is now in the bank.The rear panel is very slightly pushed in I think but nothing to worry about. I will remove the bumper at the weekend and see what I can do.He was pretty fortunate it was an old car really, had he hit a new Audi or something, a new bumper is likely to be £500 plus....and there probably would have been more damage.

[r.welfare]

Result!My old 323 had a similarly-dented rear bumper (damn those original elderly owners - the wheelarch lips were creased too!) but I didn't worry about it.Pull bumper off - straighten out metal strengthening member (if it needs it, might get away with some hairdryer action*) - lump hammer on the rear panel - job done.* And those of you who have met us both will know that RG has far more need for a hairdryer than I do

[scrappylad]

Make sure you report the accident to the police - its law that you must do so within 24 hours of an accident I believe.

Not sure about that??

Having checked into this ie. looking at the road traffic act, I have to admit I was incorrect with this comment. You have to report an accident to the police within 24hrs if an exchange of details did not take place - ie. if you hit a parked car or perhaps if a driver of a vehicle refused to provide adequate owner/insurer details.Good that this is all sorted out now!

[retrogeezer]

All fixed, less than 2 hours fiddling about.....main culprit was the metal bracket which saw the brute force of a mallet.

 

I'll still grab a bumper if I see one in a scrapyard but I don't think anyone would notice now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best comparison from before my handywork:

 

[Mash]

Looks fine to me Result

[Spottedlaurel]

Nice work, and a bit of cash towards the next car eh? Bumper survived the impact rather better than the Mondeo's would have done?...

[retrogeezer]

Bumper survived the impact rather better than the Mondeo's would have done?...

Absolutely, the Mondeo's bumper would be in a swept up pile at the side of the road!

[Spottedlaurel]

And you'd have carried out an invisible repair with gaffer tape like most owners?We can ramble on in years to come about the days when bumpers really were bumpers.

[retrogeezer]

And you'd have carried out an invisible repair with gaffer tape like most owners?

Unfortunately thats what my front bumper looks like at the moment after a bloke towing a trailer cut me up on a roundabout last November.....claim still not sorted out!