Let this be a warning - poorly 16v Mk2 - update - insurance pay out!

Let this be a warning to those who shod their rear wheels with sub standard shoes and drive like plonkers! ie. Me:



Too fast on a wet roundabout, understeer, lift-off oversteer... over compensate with the opposite lock... spin car the other way into a high curb.... Then thank your lucky stars you didn`t flip it over or hit anyone else. Slidy, slidy, smashy smashy[:^(]

As I ended up:



I have no one but myself to blame, but I will say that I had replaced the front tyres with some that have decent-ish grip in the wet (Michelins) but left firestones on the rear which I already knew were pants after last winters fun and had noticed the back wanting to step out a few times even driving quite slowly. I had even said to my wife earlier in the day "Hang the expense I need some good tyres on the rear!"



Live and learn.



I will also add that less then 20 mins after I spun out, a Seat Ibiza was spun out by another car which understeered into the back of it at exactly the same spot.

 

couldve been worse

cheap and easy repair

 

True!

Bent the brand new wishbone and popped the ball joint at the front as well as bending that rear arm and the brand new strut too I think[:^(]

Good job I`m fully comp... and was dealt with be a friendly copper

I`m gonna blame the extra weight of the kitchen tiles in the boot (also nicely smashed)

 

insurance will write that off without a doubt

id diy it , even if you have to use second hand bits for now

 

Agree - don't understand why you'd want to use your insurance.

Hope you get it back on the road alright.

 

I have agreed value insurance so if they write it off then its no problem as long as I can buy it back, what`s the point of having expensive fully comp, agreed value insurance if I don`t use it?

Any way I will see how they assess the damage (or rather how a garage of my choice assess the damage).

 

I think the point is that, given what MK2s can be picked up for, it's usually cheaper to replace a MK2 out of pocket in the long run than claiming it off insurance. All depends on how your NCB and premiums would be affected. Plus if they write it off and you buy it back, you have a MK2 with a lower resale value.

Looks like something you could easily fix yourself by getting hold of a replacement rear beam and wishbone, etc.

 

I see your point but I would still like to consult them, I don`t need to make the claim if I think I would be better off paying for repairs myself. However I would also like to try and claim for the kitchen tiles I had in the boot (which if I`m reading ins docs correctly should be possible).

And as for resale value... my Mk2 is not something I ever intend to sell on (unless I really, really need to for any reason). It was soon to cease being my daily and I was intending on restoring it further, which I still intend to do. TBH I`m still a shock a bit at damaging my baby

I`ll see how it goes!

 

as soon as you mention a crash that will be recoreded against you , it will put future premuims up

the car will be a recoreded write off ...wont help if you plan to sell it any time soon

a second hand rear beam , cleaned up and painted and new wishbone ,bj and strut will have it repaired in a weekend for under 200

cant see the point in using the insurance ....please think it out before calling em

 

Take note of the above points. Also some companies wont allow buy back. No point having a recorded car for the sake of a few hundred quid and a weekends work.

 

plus insuring a recorded car may be a problem /dearer

 

Problem is I think the damage is worse than it looks. Shut lines not right anymore for the bonnet and drivers door, also near side wheel seems to be toe out a bit which is worrying. I`m no mechanic either so would pay to have it fixed at a garage.

And can you not have the car re-tested etc after repairs and have the record of a write-off removed.

I have already informed the ins company as i have 0 to fix it up again having spent all my money on it in the first place. If it comes to it I will scrap it and forget the whole thing. Maybe I`ll buy an old AX or something.

 

You cant have a write off removed from the records, if its been written off previously it stays on there

I would get a full assessment on the damage and then have a serious think about what way to play it

 

Yeah I`ll do that. I`m just annoyed with myself more than anything... I hate being to blame and having to admit it but who doesn`t.

I`ll see what my friendly local specialist says, but ideally I would like a full asessment of the damage because I don`t want an unsafe car and where possible I want any work done professionally and with new parts...

If I make an insurance claim then I will get a courtesy car and have all the work paid for etc and will claim for tiles that were damaged, they will pay the cost of recovering it to the garage etc etc etc

I will wait to see what they say on Monday but if there is no benefit to making a claim over just paying for repairs then I won`t claim.

 

Poorly 16v update - quote for repairs

Had the car recovered to my local VAG specialist this morning and just got the good/bad news.

So, the damage then:

OS Wishbone, lower ball joint, outer CV and drive shaft need replacing; (maybe the strut too)
Front subframe was bent so needs replacing;
Rear beam and rear offside rear strut are bent;
OS hand brake cable needs replacing;
Plus the cost of 2 G60 steels and the bearings for the OS rear.
Plus approximately 11 hours labour at 40 per hour.

Total of approx 1100-1200 pounds for the repairs (that`s new parts [where possible] and professionally installed).

So an insurance claim would mean loss of 2 years no claims and a 15% loading on next years premium (not too bad).

However... on the plus side it is insured for 2500 and as such would not be classified as an uneconomical repair and I can have it fixed by my local specialists (hopefully). I have already spoken to the insurers about this.

So I think in the long run I am better off making the claim as they will pay for all the repairs (minus the 200 excess) and I really can`t justify the expense of paying for the repairs. It seems that it pays to get good insurance.

So opinions anyone???? I am leaning toward the claim. The agreed value would also still stand after the repairs so the car would still be insured for 2500.

 

if you don't have the money/skills to repair it yourself then your really only left with the claim option?

 

yeah nothing a confident diy'er couldnt do over a couple of weekends ....but if its beyond you then claim away

 

A DIY`er could have all that done in a day or two, and it`d probaby only cost 200-300 (based on new parts other than the subframe).

But claiming would be a no-brainer in your situation;

Costs you 200 now, and probably the same on next year`s premium (no big deal if you pay your policy monthly)

Agreed value being kept is a good one, so again no loss there.

Good luck with it.

 

be ideal to get the subframe etc blasted and painted before fitting....worth asking if they can get it done