The car you've always promised yourself- Accident hell, Help

[pogweasel]

Arseflakes.

[FredTransit]

I just replied to this on RR (and I don't like to post much on there). You don't have to go to where any insurer tells you to go. Ford are not the only supplier of parts for the Capri, come to think of it I bet they don't have any at all. Have a good look at the interweb, and try specific online forums like www.capripower.co.uk and www.oldskoolford.co.uk there will be parts and help on both of them.

It's not good news, but you have a nice example there and there's no reason it won't be nice again.

[Mike D]

Cheers Fred, I have had a gander on the interweb, and it seems expressed panels do wings, id prefer it sorting with genuine ones though, as i've had more than enough experience of non genuine crap fit panels on cars to last me a lifetime! Good news I can specify a bodyshop though, well hopefully anyway! Just got to find a good one now!

[trigger]

What a shitter! But don't panic, I'm sure you still can get bits for these, Even if they are pattern parts from someone like Maldon auto panels in Essex who are very good at stocking older parts (They even still stock panel parts for my 1602!), I'm also sure can even recommend which garage fixes it as long as they are accident approved so hunt around for a classic friendly shop who should be able to help you.Also start looking on autotrader and other such places for similar Capri's in the same pre-accident condition to yours, The higher the price the better so you have prove to what it's worth.

[FredTransit]

That's a good point actually, £1400 is a good price for a clean one, so I am sure they can be found for more.

[scruff]

What a shitter! But don't panic, I'm sure you still can get bits for these, Even if they are pattern parts from someone like Maldon auto panels in Essex who are very good at stocking older parts (They even still stock panel parts for my 1602!), I'm also sure can even recommend which garage fixes it as long as they are accident approved so hunt around for a classic friendly shop who should be able to help you.Also start looking on autotrader and other such places for similar Capri's in the same pre-accident condition to yours, The higher the price the better so you have prove to what it's worth.

Agree with Trig - I had a old berk run into the back of my Land Rover a few years back (then worth about £500). He bent the rear crossmember and I was sure it would be curtains for it, but he admitted liability and the insurance man came out to see it. Do NOT let the vehicle leave your driveway! Anyway they paid out and £800 of work at a garage later it was sorted. Took quite a while though...

[retrogeezer]

Do NOT let the vehicle leave your driveway

Yeh, I forgot to say that...And as already said, you can specify the garage for repairs but it will still need authorisation from the insurer so no crazy repair estimates.

[FredTransit]

Agreed, don't let it out of your sight at any cost. Even if they agree to your quote, they might try to slap your company with storage charges, which will edge the pay out slowly towards the value of the car. As already said, another insurance can't write off your car, but they can have a teddy out of the cot moment about charges, and that will slow things up, and add to the storage fess, and put the price up, you get the picture.....

[Mike D]

It won't be going anywhere til i'm happy with the estimates!

 

It isn't too bad a dent really, but fixing it on the car would entail lots of wag, hence i reckon it wants a new wing.. Pics coming in a mo

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dieselnutjob]

I believe that the insurance company have the right to either repair your car, or to write it off, whichever is cheaper for them.However, if they do decide that the car is worth next to nothing and therefore decide to write it off there is a tactic that you can use.The point of being written off is that they are giving you enough money to buy another car of similar age / mileage / condition. Therefore I think that you then have to write to refuse their offer and hunt around for another nice Capri, and then go to the insurance company and say, "that one's just like the one your client ruined, I want that one, buy it for me"Years and years ago a colleague of mine did that and actually got the replacement car he wanted.Also because you've had an accident it's going to put your renewal costs up, even though it wasn't your fault. Ask your insurance company if you don't believe me. I think that morally that's a loss on your part and should be covered by the other party's insurance. Not sure you'll get very far with that arguement but it might be interesting to try.

[dollywobbler]

I'd better just add then that my non-fault accident did NOT affect my premiums though again, this was a classic policy.Reckon I'm going to get clattered this time though!

[Lankytim]

Very bad luck with that bump. It looks a stonkingly good car- it looks very repairable though.Maybe next time your on the phone to the insurers you should mention you have a migrane/flashback/very stiff neck coming on you have to go and sit down.

[Cavcraft]

Bummer, gutted to hear what happened. Make a note of any similar Capris for sale and use it as 'evidence' if the third party's insurance try and have you off over value.

[trigger]

That does look very repairable, A decent panel beater could knock the worse of that out, Then just a thin skim of filler and paint.Have you spoke to the lady about not involving the insurance company if she foots the bills?, Might be cheaper in the long run for both of you with your premiums, Get an estimate first from a few local bodyshops and see how much it will cost.

[retrogeezer]

Mike, I used to be a car sprayer and I'm being honest when I say if that was my car I would want that wing repaired.These days they can pull out a lot of that dent, tiny welds are put in the crease of the dent and a puller is used to pull the metal out again. Yes, it will still need 'some' filler but this is far preferable to cutting off and fitting a new wing, breaking all the factory sealer and underseal in the process. You would still have filler put on the joint to the front panel anyway (plus any other dents in the new panel) It will also keep the nice join of the wing to the A-pillar in the door shut and hopefully they can keep the paint repair localised to just the front wing and an easy blend in along the front panel.It's far preferable to keep the original panel with a small repair than cutting it all off and it also means it will be cheaper and the insurance company won't write it off.Again, just make sure it's a good bodyshop...

[trigger]

^^ WHS, I used to work in a bodyshop as well and i see it's repairable, It's much better getting the old wing repaired than having it removed, sourcing and trying to fit a crap fitting pattern part that will never line up and that ends up rusting 5 years down the road.That's not a particularly big job for any decent bodyshop to do.

[Pete-M]

Looks repairable to me. I had a very similar accident years ago in a 3.0S - a car I'd waited for about 10 years to buy.

 

Oh, for new bits..

 

 

€391.51 + postage from Germany... so not cheap, but they are out there.

 

These guys are superb for old Ford bits, unfortunately they're near Munich, but they've come up with the goods for everything I've needed for my Mk2, they speak English and they don't rip you off with postage.

 

Pass their name on to the insurance assesor and they may well approve repair. I did similar when someone twatted the Jensen, they offered me £1500 to repair it and then I pointed out that the wing and bumper alone come to nearly that, the insurance swallowed the bill and did it.

[Mike D]

Marvellous news, so long as it's up to the same standard the car was before i'll be happy, Makes no odds to me about the insurance doing it, hers have rung me and admitted its their fault, so it wont go against me, she needs her car repairing too, and has protected no claims anyway..I'll have to have a look around at body shops then, there is a place called Capri Gear in Market Rasen which aren't too far from me, they sound suited to the task, but i havent seen anything of their work..

[scruff]

I would have thought the right bodyshop will have a geezer there who will absolutely love working on a Capri for a change. Good luck! P.S. Try Classic Coachworks in Peterboro', I am guessing you aren't a gazillion miles away.

[retrogeezer]

You want somewhere with a spray booth and ask to see some of their paintwork.If it was me, I would also ask (nicely) for photos of each stage of the repair. Just give them a disposable camera or something.

[Guest]

Sodding old women! The worst thing is that people who go past your house will think you've been driving it like a berk and have spun into a tree.If the paintwork is good on the car I reckon it'll match up fine!

[mattblack]

Have you spoke to the lady about not involving the insurance company if she foots the bills?, Might be cheaper in the long run for both of you with your premiums, Get an estimate first from a few local bodyshops and see how much it will cost.

I would be very wary of doing this. I got stung when a woman ran into the back of my MK2 Astra estate. It suited me not to go through the insurance as they would have written the car off, and I didn't fancy the hassle of finding another car. To cut a long story short, after about 3 months I all ended up with was an unfitted secondhand tailgate in the wrong colour... On the other hand, the bloke that ran into the back of my Megane ponied up £170 for a new bumper, and I 'repaired' the old one by sticking a sticker over the split...+1 for 'repair' rather than 'replace', BTW.

[Ratdat]

That's mega unlucky Mike, but it looks like a pretty easy repair to me. I wouldn't go for a new wing either. I wouldn't think it'd even be a very costly repair. Be nice if they'd just get on and repair it rather than pissing about with write offs.

[Mike D]

Fingers crossed I can sort something out. I'll get onto that Capri Gear place tomorrow and her insurers are calling me then too so I'll see what I can work out!

[Anglevan]

HI Mike What a shitter for a such a lovely motor. Firstly definatly dont want a wing on that. It will repair all day long with the right equipment. Unless the wing is rotten elswhere (which it looks like it isn't) the last thing i'd want to be doing is disturbing all those factory seams even if you have a genuine wing (which are like rocking horse poo) Spurrious Capri wings fit like a glove on a foot. Dont worry about the colour thats easy these days - and theres enough decent repair shops that should be able to match that up no problem. The bumper can be sourced spurious but the end caps again are impossible to find new genuine. Spurrious ones are ok (my 2.8 is fitted with em and I'm fine with em) As for insurance if you want some help with repairers in your area let me know, if there is any advise I will give is be present when the engineer turns up and tell him straight away what you want (ie not total loss - it's not anyway looking at those pics) Don't be greedy on your settlement that your after - try and be fair, if your fair with them they will be fair back. Out of interest who is the other driver insured with ?? I've just helped someone get a cash settlement for a Fiesta Supersport that had similiar wing damage .. not total lossed and all parties happy with agreed settlement.Are you looking for a cash settlement or just want it repairing ?? I know a lot about this as Ratdat / yourself might remember so if you PM me i'll help as best I can .. (thats if you want / need it)

[Mike D]

I just want it back to as good as it was, it's just going to be a case of trying to find someone good enough to do it. The other driver is with Direct Line, I know they will use either Hartwell Ford or the Car Clinic in Grimsby as i've had stuff done through them before, and they did a right crap job!

[Anglevan]

I just want it back to as good as it was, it's just going to be a case of trying to find someone good enough to do it. The other driver is with Direct Line, I know they will use either Hartwell Ford or the Car Clinic in Grimsby as i've had stuff done through them before, and they did a right crap job!

Yes dont go to either of those, to be honest you dont really want a car like that to go through a fast shop. Theres a story going round near me that one of the above and it wasn't Hartwell fitted a back wing on a Saxo without taking the old one off !!!As for Direct Line - get the name of the engineer (I might know him / her) John Clark bodyworks might do it for you - expensive but have a good reputation/ also as you go to John Clarks there is a classic car place on your right - he's ok. (if you want addresses / details let me know)Theres a guy in Immingham thats good, does a lot of race bikes -- spray something !!! I cant think but i'll find out if your interested.

[Mike D]

Spray Bay? I've seen a few bits theyve done and they look good, about 3 mins from my work too!

[retrogeezer]

Yep, keep away from any Direct Line bodyshops.....rush,rush,rush in those places..

[garbaldy]

thats not to bad a dent and as said above easily sortable still a bummer though and in your head you will always know that its been damaged which tends to affect the way you veiw the car from now onwards if you know what i mean the local garage here fixes allot of rally cars after numerouse offroad excursions and they are far worse than that so i wouldnt wory to much