Ben's Adventures In Tat - Further* Education Edition

[MisterH]

Today I was looking forward to finally getting off my arse and getting a proper job, the interview was in Havant and there was going to be a nice drive either there or on the way back.

Then came a knock on the door. A concerned looking refuse collector informed me there had been a bit of an accident with the Blue Volvo. 

(ok it hasn't actually been damaged in my ownership)

Came outside to find this:

Ah it's not so-

Well Shit

What had happened was the bin lorry had come across black ice, lost the rear and locked up, causing this to happen. They have admitted full liability and will pay for the repairs, no question really. Just need to get a quote from my body shop about how Fucked it actually is 

But until then, at least I can legitimately say

It ran when I parked it!

[Dyslexic Viking]

That's bad. Hope it gets fixed and gets fixed well. How is the supply of spare parts for these? Since it needs a lot of new parts now, I hope that those parts exist.

[MisterH]

1 minute ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

That's bad. Hope it gets fixed and gets fixed well. How is the supply of spare parts for these? Since it needs a lot of new parts now, I hope that those parts exist.

Well the club has already stepped in and is able to provide most of, if not all the parts, for free. This just leaves the question of structural soundness

[Dyslexic Viking]

5 minutes ago, MisterH said:

Well the club has already stepped in and is able to provide most of, if not all the parts, for free. This just leaves the question of structural soundness

This is very nice to hear that they have done this. One can then only hope that it will not be totaled.

[MisterH]

Just now, Dyslexic Viking said:

This is very nice to hear that they have done this. One can then only hope that it will not be totaled.

I've been on the phone and they said that even if it is totalled, it will remain in my ownership. As for the Audi, that is inoperable as the starter motor got too friendly with the bell housing

[Dyslexic Viking]

This is a lot of bad luck at once. Hope everything works out.

[MisterH]

8 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

This is a lot of bad luck at once. Hope everything works out.

Thank you, in spite of it, I am feeling positive and optimistic. Never found anger or despair to be very productive

[Crackers]

That's a bloody shame, hope you can get it repaired soon enough. In my experience, the process of getting the council's payout may take a long time because civil service but you should get a pretty healthy sum though... I'm impressed that it's not just dented the wing but actually made it completly vanish into thin air though.

This morning was the first proper sub-zero start we've had for a while down this way, certainly the first day we've had black ice that I've noticed. Even by 4pm the roads around me hadn't defrosted and I nearly ended up backwards at 10mph out of a junction, which was fun*.

[Missy Charm]

Jesus, that's a mess and a shame to see in that state.  All the best in regards to fixing it; do it quickly and don't lose interest.  I took the easy way out with an accident damaged Fiesta years ago and took the write off cheque.  Regrettable as the thing really was in superb condition.  

[MisterH]

14 minutes ago, Crackers said:

That's a bloody shame, hope you can get it repaired soon enough. In my experience, the process of getting the council's payout may take a long time because civil service but you should get a pretty healthy sum though... I'm impressed that it's not just dented the wing but actually made it completly vanish into thin air though.

This morning was the first proper sub-zero start we've had for a while down this way, certainly the first day we've had black ice that I've noticed. Even by 4pm the roads around me hadn't defrosted and I nearly ended up backwards at 10mph out of a junction, which was fun*.

Thankfully* it wasn't actually a council dustcart, rather it was a private contractor, Suez I believe. The problem with the Bin Lorry is that it is full of sharp, pointy bits that once it got hold of the wing it just peeled it like a can opener, I still have no idea where some of the bits went, but the car started and we could drive it into the yard next door to get it off the road. Albeit very slowly 

[MisterH]

1 minute ago, Missy Charm said:

Jesus, that's a mess and a shame to see in that state.  All the best in regards to fixing it; do it quickly and don't lose interest.  I took the easy way out with an accident damaged Fiesta years ago and took the write off cheque.  Regrettable as the thing really was in superb condition.  

Thank you, I absolutely love this car and whatever happens good will come of it. It could be a good opportunity to get some jobs done that I wanted to do anyway, like get it properly rustproofed. The bodyshop I want to use is the same one that repaired our quattro in the early 90s when my grandad wrote it off after a stroke at the wheel, and they did a proper job. If it really can't be saved, then it will be donated to the club for parts, and I will get a payout

[Joey spud]

Back in the Nineties i had a similar thing happen to me.

My D reg Astra SRi was parked on the road out side my workshop when the bin men turned up to empty my wheelie bin and for some unknown reason as they swung into my yard they hit the drivers side wing and door then pushed the car against the kerb bending the passenger side front suspension arm and steering rack track rod as well.

The Councils insurance assessor wanted to write the car off and offered me an insulting amount for it but i had just rebuilt the engine (after a garage in Cornwall working on behalf of the RAC had misdiagnosed oil pump failure as just a faulty oil pressure switch and telling my wife it was ok to drive) so the new engine increased the cars book value enough to get the repairs authorised.

In hindsight i should have let them scrap it because the fresh paint on the wing and the door never matched the rest of the car,the steering pulled slightly to the left and then it got stolen off my driveway in the middle of the night.

 

[MisterH]

2 minutes ago, Joey spud said:

Back in the Nineties i had a similar thing happen to me.

My D reg Astra SRi was parked on the road out side my workshop when the bin men turned up to empty my wheelie bin and for some unknown reason as they swung into my yard they hit the drivers side wing and door then pushed the car against the kerb bending the passenger side front suspension arm and steering rack track rod as well.

The Councils insurance assessor wanted to write the car off and offered me an insulting amount for it but i had just rebuilt the engine (after a garage in Cornwall working on behalf of the RAC had misdiagnosed oil pump failure as just a faulty oil pressure switch and telling my wife it was ok to drive) so new engine increased the cars book value enough for it to get the repairs authorised.

In hindsight i should have let them scrap it because the fresh paint on the wing and the door never matched the rest of the car,the steering pulled slightly to the left and then it got stolen of my driveway in the middle of the night.

 

That is sad, but maybe if it got joyrided, it fought back...

Thankfully in this case, it was pushed along and "up" the curb, as opposed to being pinched, but its the same old story, if it had been my fault, my insurer would have immediately written it off due to age. But the corporate insurer is being a bit more thorough. I hope 🤞

[AnnoyingPentium]

Gutted to hear about your Volvo. 

[MJK 24]

That’s sad re the Volvo.  I hope you do t get fobbed off with an insulting amount.

[MisterH]

4 hours ago, MJK 24 said:

That’s sad re the Volvo.  I hope you do t get fobbed off with an insulting amount.

I don't think they'll be happy about it, but I think they will pay out either way if I can convince them its worth the 3.5k it was. Of more pressing issue is that now I have to put I have had a recent claim for my future insurance policies, as if being unfortunate enough to be 19 is enough of a red tape nightmare when it comes to that 

[Missy Charm]

Let us know how the interview went, won't you.  

[MisterH]

5 minutes ago, Missy Charm said:

Let us know how the interview went, won't you.  

Will do

[grogee]

Hope the 480 gets menderized soon.

I have some sympathy with the bin men, that lorry must be scary on black ice. And they were only doing their job in horrible cold weather. 

Next time they don't turn up on a cold day I'll save my cussing and think of this

[MisterH]

13 minutes ago, grogee said:

Hope the 480 gets menderized soon.

I have some sympathy with the bin men, that lorry must be scary on black ice. And they were only doing their job in horrible cold weather. 

Next time they don't turn up on a cold day I'll save my cussing and think of this

Oh don't get me wrong, they were really good about it and were clearly spooked quite a bit. We made them a cup of coffee while they waited for the verdict, getting angry would have achieved nothing

[D.E]

That's awful, I hope the suspension and shell didn't get damaged too.

17 hours ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

That's bad. Hope it gets fixed and gets fixed well. How is the supply of spare parts for these? Since it needs a lot of new parts now, I hope that those parts exist.

I guess that parts  will be a bit more difficult to find in the UK, but panels such as the bonnet and wing shouldn't be unobtanium (yet).  Bumpers, and especially the inner bumper beams may be a problem, the bumpers themselves are often cracked and the beams rust badly.

[Zelandeth]

Not meaning to be depressing, but I'd not hold out too much hope for repair.  At least without needing major investigative work and probably the  time on a chassis jig etc (if that's even possible - bearing in mind Volvo tending to be big on impact absorbing areas that are designed to deform).  That impact point on the front of the passenger door will almost definitely have pushed the pillar backwards if it's hooked it firmly enough to pick the car up onto the kerb and shove it into the car behind with some force.  Looks like there's quite a dent under the rear bumper too, so the boot floor etc may need work.  Front wheel has obviously taken some fire as well so the suspension/steering will at the very least need to be very thoroughly checked.

The "peeled" wing looks the most dramatic, but that's largely cosmetic damage, it's the shunt on the front of the door pillar that's got me worried.

It sucks, but I'd be very surprised if it's not written off as even discounting the headaches in sourcing bits for something this old, you would probably be looking at a bill that's probably getting on for double the value you've quoted for the car there.

Also be very careful dealing with them...keep a log of exactly every time you contact them and what's been said.  The folks you've dealt with in person have been fine, doesn't mean the company (or rather their insurers) won't be utter arseholes.  

I got hit by a lorry back in 2006 and they were absolutely fine to deal with - right up to the point at which we actually tried to get the money they had promised us out of them.  It took *months* to get sorted.  All over £750 (which to me at the time was a lot - I had to chose between buying food or having fuel to get to college some weeks) which to them was like accidentally dropping a ten pence coin down a storm drain.

I really hope you can get the car sorted, but where the main impact there was really doesn't fill me with hope.

[MJK 24]

My Scirocco took a knock from the bin men.  There was no black ice involved, only midsummers inattention!  Nearly 9 years ago now 😬 

[MisterH]

13 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Not meaning to be depressing, but I'd not hold out too much hope for repair.  At least without needing major investigative work and probably the  time on a chassis jig etc (if that's even possible - bearing in mind Volvo tending to be big on impact absorbing areas that are designed to deform).  That impact point on the front of the passenger door will almost definitely have pushed the pillar backwards if it's hooked it firmly enough to pick the car up onto the kerb and shove it into the car behind with some force.  Looks like there's quite a dent under the rear bumper too, so the boot floor etc may need work.  Front wheel has obviously taken some fire as well so the suspension/steering will at the very least need to be very thoroughly checked.

The "peeled" wing looks the most dramatic, but that's largely cosmetic damage, it's the shunt on the front of the door pillar that's got me worried.

It sucks, but I'd be very surprised if it's not written off as even discounting the headaches in sourcing bits for something this old, you would probably be looking at a bill that's probably getting on for double the value you've quoted for the car there.

Also be very careful dealing with them...keep a log of exactly every time you contact them and what's been said.  The folks you've dealt with in person have been fine, doesn't mean the company (or rather their insurers) won't be utter arseholes.  

I got hit by a lorry back in 2006 and they were absolutely fine to deal with - right up to the point at which we actually tried to get the money they had promised us out of them.  It took *months* to get sorted.  All over £750 (which to me at the time was a lot - I had to chose between buying food or having fuel to get to college some weeks) which to them was like accidentally dropping a ten pence coin down a storm drain.

I really hope you can get the car sorted, but where the main impact there was really doesn't fill me with hope.

Thank you for your concern and grounded opinion. The wing is just a case of putting a new one on, the biggest issue will be getting the chassis cleared. on closer analysis I don't think the A pillar has been affected as such rather the door hinges have been pushed, but without compromising the rigidity. My biggest area of concern is indeed the rear bumper area as I am always suspicious of things that look too good to be true, but it is rated for impacts up to 5mph, so maybe? Either way this will be done properly, and if it is totalled I have plans in place. I have it in writing that they will not take the car, so hopefully parts can find their way to the right people 

[MJK 24]

Do you have an agreed value policy?

[MisterH]

11 minutes ago, MJK 24 said:

Do you have an agreed value policy?

Not on my one I don't think, its a mainstream provider for young drivers, there was little choice

[MisterH]

8 hours ago, Missy Charm said:

Let us know how the interview went, won't you.  

Well it went good I think, it wasn't technically an interview, more of an induction, as it's been done through personal contacts. They've agreed that I can start whenever the Audi is ready so that takes some pressure off at least, so I am relaxed about that. I am anxious about the Volvo just a bit, need to see what the repairer says, but we know him and he has definitely done worse...

[MisterH]

Today many things happened. My Father did his best impression of the Sculptor while we attached the space saver wheel to get the Volvo mobile again, the insurance company is being very slow so might as well do something...

 

In good news however the Audi is back, and with the right wheels fitted the ride has been transformed 

My next job is to attach the rubbing strips and side trim, so will be popping down to Halfrauds to get some numberplate tape to do that, Blanco the AutoShite Cat will be watching keenly 

With the Starter motor repaired and the car back on the road I hope it will be ready for a daily round trip of 88 miles to Havant and back, especially as some of it will be on Smart Motorways, whether or not I will survive, I do not know, but I am hopeful, just hope that Misfire is just a spark plug

 

 

[dave j]

Good to hear an update of sorts on the Volvo. Would it make sense to try and remove the wing completely to see what state the inner wings are in? Or do you need to wait for the insurance company to do something?

[MisterH]

1 hour ago, dave j said:

Good to hear an update of sorts on the Volvo. Would it make sense to try and remove the wing completely to see what state the inner wings are in? Or do you need to wait for the insurance company to do something?

Well right now we don't have the right tools to do it and I am nervous about doing too much tampering with it. Got a text just now saying they want to send some engineers over. All sounds fine but they make engineers sound like the Men In Black