Fatharris' bargain basement barge (HermanTheGerman)

[worldofceri]

Great Fred, wot I have missed 'til now.

 

Just read from the beginning and I didn't expect it to end like this! Plot twist to rival M. Night Shyamalalaramalamadingdong!

 

Hope you get a satisfactory outcome after all the work you've put into Herman.

[fatharris]

Oh shit that sucks.

 

Won't make up for it but

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201611230026151?advertising-location=at_cars&radius=1500&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&body-type=Saloon&fuel-type=Petrol&model=7%20SERIES&postcode=dh23hx&year-from=1995&year-to=2002&sort=price-asc&make=BMW&page=1

I did see this one, it's a good spec and colour and reasonably priced.

 

Because everything got changed around, yesterday I took the SAAB instead. Went well.

 

 

 

Eagle-eyed viewers will notice the cable ties holding the mirror glass in place. This had a limited success. Still, so far it's averaged 33mpg.

 

Meanwhile, our courtesy car arrived. Little bit tactless from the company.

 

 

Yep, a newer version of what smashed into Herman. To top it off, MrsH can't work out how to move it forward so it had to stay on the driveway until I get home tonight.

[Supernaut]

My guess is a shitty electronic parking brake with the release button hidden somewhere stupid.

[fatharris]

I asked the internets. Apparently, the door has to be shut, seatbelt on, handbrake off along with foot on the brake. What a bloody ballache. MrsH can't get in it comfortably anyway so it's staying where it is for the minute.

 

Luckily, a friend has volunteered to visit MrsH and move it for her so she can get her Rover on the drive. She's been to minor injuries today and been given bloody Tramadol! Poor girl.

[oldcars]

That's strong stuff the old tramadol. Hope she is ok.

[fatharris]

18k on the clock. I've moved it during the driveway shuffle and it's bloody horrible. Too chintzy and cramped, and for an executive car, it doesn't even have parking sensors. I'm still going to be using it as I've piled the miles on the SAAB these last two days and I'm on a mileage limited policy.

 

To top it off, I missed a call from the insurers today. Joy.

[fatharris]

A smoll update.

 

They're not collecting the car because by my description, it's going to be written off, so Herman remains on the driveway, with an assessor coming out on the 3rd. I had a body shop quote for repairs, and I got a quote of £3.5k, which is depressing.

 

Meanwhile, MrsH couldn't get on with the harsh ride and the low seats in the Merc, so we've sent it back, and spun the roulette wheel for another courtesy car.

 

 

Sometimes it pays to gamble, it's excellent. Only negatives are the fact it takes Adblue which I didn't realise was a passenger car thing these days, and the spare wheel well houses the battery. First time I've seen that too.

[Slartibartfast]

Nicely played game of Rental Roulette there.

[BavarianRetro]

An assessor - expecting to write it off - coming out on the third?! If you were due them money, would they be happy with you telling them that you were on holiday for 10 days and you'd be in touch afterwards. They do anything to avoid or delay paying. To be honest, he doesn't even need to see it. One photo of the rear shows it to be a write off.

[oldcars]

3.5k seems expensive to get it fixed. 

[fatharris]

We all know it to be the case that he'll be written off, but an extra set of eyes will help assess whether or not the chassis itself is ballbagged. If that's the case then I'll have a long think about my next move.

[Jim Bell]

I hope it can live on and keep moving, even if its never back to pre accident standard again. Theyre tough old boats compared to stuff half the age.

[Eddie Honda]

The assessor will just take pics, mumble about hidden damage and will fook off inside 10 mins.

 

You won't have an extra set of eyes.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

If it was me I'd be scouring ebay for a cheap 7 to transplant anything decent from yours into. That's not going to be cost effective to repair

 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

[BavarianRetro]

No need to scour eBay.

[Eddie Honda]

I had a body shop quote for repairs, and I got a quote of £3.5k, which is depressing.

A new boot floor assembly from BMW is £1430 on it's own.

[Skizzer]

I've only just caught up with this. Much sympathy, that's a shitty thing to happen.

[Vince70]

I'm so sorry for you I hope it works out OK and the insurance don't try it on as you will be hard pushed to find another low mileage example 7 series.

[Vince70]

It looks like straight low mileage original examples are starting to fetch good money.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/302118952469

[Pillock]

£3.5k sounds right, remember a body shop won't spend all day hunting down the cheapest part or phoning CoPart to enquire after a similar vehicle

 

Phone main dealer, add profit margin, send large number to insurer.

[fatharris]

Well, another small update!

 

I've had the assessor out, and he agreed it was very much worth top book value, plus a little bit more for the low mileage.

 

He reckons Cat C, £1780 value and he agrees that it should be bought back!

 

All of this means that I will be repairing Herman and returning him to the road at some point!

 

So, so chuffed with that.

[Mally]

Good news, best you could hope for in the circumstances.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Excellent news ! Are you hoping to do the repairs yourself ? If so, we expect dramatic pictures of the rear chassis legs chained to a tree, being pulled back into shape using Herman's own power 

[fatharris]

Tree would have been a good shout if the MOT hadn't run out today! Professional* kit of good* reputation from a well-known*, established* eBay seller has been purchased. Unfortunately, this has come at an inopportune moment as I'll be balls deep in work matters for a while, but he's tucked away in a corner of the driveway ready for my next move.

 

I did get sad whilst Herman sat there and picked up the tools on this after two years of ignoring it:

 

 

That's on the back burner again, but I will still chip away at it occasionally.

[fatharris]

An update.

 

I've been busy with a porta power pressing out the spare wheel well. It's by no means perfect, but i can get a spare wheel back in so it'll do for now. Two pallets worth of parts are inbound from BavarianRetro, including a replacement boot floor, which i will look into replacing when the weather improves. Plan is to replace the bumper, de-kink the exhaust and punt him through an MOT to get him moving again for now.

 

Some pictures of yesterday's straightening attempt - luckily the alloys didn't end up egg-shaped!

 

 

 

Rope looped through the grommet holes. They did end up elongated slightly after this so I'll patch them up for now.

 

 

 

Chocked and locked!

 

 

 

Not by any means perfect, but liveable for now.

 

Big update coming soon, hopefully.

[mrbenn]

Glad to see some progress on Herman, looks far too good to give up on.

[Jim Bell]

Gr8 work doc. You may have saved him.

[fatharris]

HOLY THREAD RESURRECTION BATMAN.

 

With the Omega languishing on the driveway and still not progressed, the decision was made to coax Herman through an MOT. The holes in the wheel well from the grommets have been taped up, the well has been undersealed, battery replaced, boot trim refitted, bumper fitted, exhaust hanger re-welded on and washed for tomorrows MOT at 0930. Plan is to use him periodically to blow the cobwebs out and source someone willing to replace the spare wheel well.
 

Fingers crossed!

 

[fatharris]

PASSED.

 

One advisory for tyre wear which I was aware of.

 

Idle speed has crept up to 2k at the moment, so Idle Control Valve will be getting removed for a clean.

 

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

[The Moog]

PASSED.

 

One advisory for tyre wear which I was aware of.

 

Idle speed has crept up to 2k at the moment, so Idle Control Valve will be getting removed for a clean.

 

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

That looks like only of them local paper photos when you have achieved a D+ in your woodworking O level!