# The Insurance Company are NOT Happy



## QFour (Sep 16, 2013)

After being hit while parked in a petrol filling station the other parties Insurance have just had a quote for repairing the damage to our SWIFT MH and they are NOT HAPPY ..


  

It would appear that the cost of repairs is going to be considerably more than the E-Type ..

They plan to remove the side skirts and the wheel arch cover but they also have to replace the two end parts as they normally break when you try to remove them. They say that the cost of the parts is astronomical.

The Loss Adjusters they have now appointed at extra cost seem to think that repairing a couple of bent panels on a FIAT DUCATO can be done by most garages and have suggested I could get a quote from Vic's Autos. I then pointed out that it was not JUST a FIAT DUCATO that it was a little bit more than that. They then suggested that it may be possible to get the parts required from elsewhere so I said who do you suggest HYMER .. It all fell on deaf ears and I am to expect a visit between 8am and 4pm when I can talk to the Loss Adjuster. I said that I had no intentions of taking more time of work to speak to him.

I also suggested that if it was going to go on much longer they could collect it at their expense and leave me with a suitable replacement MH while it is away at whichever repair center they want to take it to.

She accused me of being difficult ..

Now if it had been a normal accident and I was in some way responsible for some of it then I would expect to have to jump through the odd hoop but this guy could not wait and tried to squeeze between us and another car also filling with petrol. After he hit us he just carried on and parked by the pump. When I asked for his insurance details he just said the wheel had slipped in his hands and he had lost control. He also pointed out that it was going to cost considerably more to fix his than ours. Evidently he has not heard of SWIFT parts prices.


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## REC (Sep 16, 2013)

Sounds like the beginning of a long saga, none of which was of your making! Wish you luck...stick with it! Someone should tell the e-type that patience is a virtue!


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## NeilD (Sep 16, 2013)

You would think that someone who drives a classic car like that would show a lot more care than he has shown.I hope you get the right outcome from the Insurance company without too much disruption to yourself,your van looks very new ,you must be gutted

All the best Neil


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## yorkslass (Sep 16, 2013)

you have my sympathy. why do people assume they are dealing with vans when in many instances the value and cost of repairing motorhomes far exceeds that for most cars. good luck.


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## maxi77 (Sep 16, 2013)

Do not let them bully you, a mate runs a body shop but he used to work for the insurance companies. He will simply take the vehicle and paperwork and a week later you get the vehicle fixed and the claim sorted. Give the insurance company  the warning that if they do not get things underway in say 5 days you will employ a loss assessor. Do a google, but these guys work for you and get paid by the insurance company so are at no cost to you, yes it puts up the cost of the claim but in this case whose fault is that


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## oldish hippy (Sep 16, 2013)

and tell them it had better be up to hymer standards and not just a rub down,filler and paint job as that is not acceptable make note of your time and phone calls and lack of usage


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## Harmergeddon (Sep 17, 2013)

It is your van and you have the legal right to have it fixed at wherever you want.
Don't let them take your vehicle away and get it fixed with the correct parts at a recognised garage. As its not your fault they have to pay for everything.


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## baldybloke (Sep 17, 2013)

I suspect you have fully comprehensive insurance?, if so contact your insurance company, and ask them to sort it out, giving them all the information, they should be able to arrange all repairs (to the correct standard), and reclaim all costs against the other party, after all that is why we pay for fully comp insurance, to minimise our inconvenience and costs should we be involved in an accident


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## Tbear (Sep 17, 2013)

All their faffing about has cost them a fortune already. If they spent less on advisers, adjusters and the like and just payed up when it is obvious they will have to. We would all be paying less for our insurance and you would have been back on the road by now.

Aah Nothing like a good Rant in the morning

Richard


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## cdmoreear (Sep 17, 2013)

*get some big guns*



User1 said:


> After being hit while parked in a petrol filling station the other parties Insurance have just had a quote for repairing the damage to our SWIFT MH and they are NOT HAPPY ..
> 
> View attachment 17152 View attachment 17153 View attachment 17154
> 
> ...



hi my advice is get some professional help.  Insurance companies treat you completely different when you have got some big guns and let them know your not afraid to use them
Accident Managment -*Home
Check out the link and good luck
Cdmoreear


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## sasquatch (Sep 17, 2013)

Unfortunately insurers do not consider that whilst your 'home' will be built on a Ducato or Transit they know diddly squat about coach-built models or it may be intentional to avoid extra costs,filler is cheaper than new panels.
Stick to your guns and mention the various arbitration services you can call in. Have you contacted Peter Hambilton for a repair quote, Hymer Repairs and Hymer Servicing from Hambilton Engineering UK - Hymer Servicing and Repairs  ?


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## Teutone (Sep 17, 2013)

there is a difference between damaging something YOURSELF or having it damaged by somebody else. Why should I put up with a repaired part when (under my care) I had an undamged part all the time? Sure a few things can and should be repaired if the replacement of part is getting diffcult and may result in even more damage.
But then I expect compensation in money for the loss of my vehicles value. I can hear a future buyer " can't pay you that price because it's REPAIRED...."


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## sasquatch (Sep 17, 2013)

So in order to prevent or minimise loss.what do you do in the original situation? Don't take the van out? In any case the claim is not for 'betterment' but a repair. If I were the owner of a classic such as the 'E' type involved.I would either drive it VERY carefully or take it to shows on a trailer.
Repairs to a coachbuilt vehicle are beyond the realm of a panel beater and sprayer. The question here is that the insurers are attempting to shirk their responsibilities.


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## shawbags (Sep 17, 2013)

User1 said:


> After being hit while parked in a petrol filling station the other parties Insurance have just had a quote for repairing the damage to our SWIFT MH and they are NOT HAPPY ..
> 
> View attachment 17152 View attachment 17153 View attachment 17154
> 
> ...



As usual they are quick enough taking your cash , the insurance companys know how much these campervans cost to repair , he's trying it on , don't let them string it out give them an ultimatum ( GET ON WITH IT !! ) ,if he doesn't send him a solicitors letter that is normaly enough , Shawbags.


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## Smaug (Sep 17, 2013)

FWIW, I have had ABS weld repairs to a panel on my MH & one on a broken hood cover on my wife's Saab, I defy you to be able to spot either repair. In both cases the cost was about 10-25 quid vs cost of 100's for a replacement part or several tens for a used part (the MH panel was not available either used or new at any price)

My own insurance company (LV) offers an uninsured losses service for pursuing claims against negligent third parties - this doesn't affect your no claims.


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## QFour (Sep 17, 2013)

*Update*

Talked to selected repair garage today their estimate for the whole job is just under £1800 including Vat. That is to remove the side panels clean and refinish. The paint on them is rubbed through so no filler required just cleaning and 2 pack finish to match. The front side skirt needs removing as it has a slight bend in it and needs to be reseated.Supply and fit a new wheel arch trim as the one that is on will cost more to repair than fitting a new one. They also need to replace the ends of the panels as they normally break when you try to remove them. They are rather thin ABS material. The Repair Garage recons I should take it to a SWIFT Agent and give the Insurance Company the bill for new side pieces as well. The back one is £900 + Vat the front one is £1200 + Vat and Brownhills charge £60 an hour. Add to that the other bits wheel arch trim etc and you are looking at a bill of perhaps £3000 + the cost of a loan vehicle.

I told the Insurance Company today that it either goes to my selected repair garage for repair or I will take it to Brownhills and leave it with them till its fixed BUT we have holidays booked so I will need a MH while they are repairing it and we all know how long these simple little jobs take.

At least the repairer I have picked only needs it for a week. They will collect it and deliver it back when its done. Parts take about 3 weeks to arrive.


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## gaz2676 (Sep 17, 2013)

nice one bud stick to ya guns they wanna get arsey its gonna cost an arsey price... looks like ya got it nicely under control .....KUDOS mate


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## Firefox (Sep 18, 2013)

Ultimately these huge repair bills for small scrapes feed back to the underwriters and mean increased premiums for all of us next year.


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## Teutone (Sep 18, 2013)

you haven't sold a lot of vehicles lately? I mean in the UK and not 15 years ago in the Desert. I am not asking for betterment or a profit, just for the loss I have suffered. I look after my vehicles and make sure they are in as good condition as they can be. If somebody doesn't take the same care for MY belongings, then pay up!
Just when I look at my car when washing it makes my blood boil, a new car park dent almost every month from people open doors without care. And you get a lot of devaluation and moans for this from a buyer.
Suddenly the car is worth a lot less because it has "not looked after". Well by me it has.

Dealing with insurance is garanteed to make a loss for one. My wifes car got written off when a caravan on the motorway lost a wheel and hit her with 70mph. Even they asked for the value of the car and I could prove that there wasn't a comparable vehicle for sale in the whole of UK for the price they paid for it, they only paid what the "glass guide" listed. My wifes car was in prefect condition, well cared for with almost no dents and shiny paintwork. She ended up with a lesser spec car and 2k out of pocket.

That's why I am asking for compensation. To cover the LOSS I make because of some careless individual.

PS when we insured the new car I almost lost it on the phone to the insurer when they insisted I tell them the value of the car. What's the point I asked her, YOU have already decided what it's worth. If it happens to be that I have paid LESS than the glass guide is saying the car is worth, have a guess what happens when it gets written off....

If the insurance would treat us with some respect and some sort of fair, I would do the same in return. As long as they try to rip me off, I am not willing to back down.

And don't say "this is why we all pay so much for insurance". It's because some people DAMAGE OTHERS property and they have an insurance to pay for it. So pay TWICE for what they damage. Your loss and increased premiums


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## Skatts (Sep 18, 2013)

We had a school run mum pull out into the passenger side door our our 4x4 
There was no damage to our tank ,other than a clean patch on the door trim lol
There was slight scuffage on her bumper that would t-cut off so we decided not to claim and put it down as 'one of those things' although we did inform our insurance as you are meant to but asked them not to take the matter further .
Next thing we know ,she is claiming against us!!!!! Turns out she didnt have the guts to tell her hubby what really happened !


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## landyrubbertramp (Sep 18, 2013)

I come to the conclusion that the insurance companies unofficial callued with each other prob put it down to professional curtesy . If 2 parties have insurance and one hits another even if the person takes responsibility it seems that the insurance companies don't work for ur best interest as a innocent party but drag things out for no good reason citing keeping repair costs down when I think it's to keep each insurances costs down yet savings with this approach are not past down in premions enough just my take


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## philstoke (Sep 18, 2013)

Another problem is if you have an accident that is not your fault and you get your transport fixed through the other persons insurance, you don't get compensated for all the inconvenience, phone calls letters, emails and time spent sorting it out


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## landyrubbertramp (Sep 18, 2013)

Good points you have made thief David il like to add one . It's only my opion of course but I don't get why ppl use fiancé to purchase a n home as I thought the thing was a means to freedom in a sense and having to buy an over priced machine with interest and the worry of payments ain't freedom . A friend of mine just brought a bee focus nice car I said after a quick look . Pity the car owns u instead of you owning the car . £300 per month Jeeze . Just thinking out load my options that all


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## Byronic (Sep 18, 2013)

If you estimate the value of your vehicle is worth more than the market value given say in  in Parkers or Glasses guide or whatever the Insurer uses for estimating market value, you can as an option obtain an Agreed Valuation assessment Policy with some insurers. It will probably be a condition that you provide evidence eg  photos or an inspection by a professional assessor. 
It's probably only worth the bother if your vehicle is worth a fair bit more than the market value eg  classic status.


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## Deleted member 5816 (Sep 18, 2013)

*Insurance*

Most forget that any form of Insurance is Legalised Robbery, they pay the least amount they can get away with on any claim. not what you insured for That's a fact.

Alf






Teutone said:


> you haven't sold a lot of vehicles lately? I mean in the UK and not 15 years ago in the Desert. I am not asking for betterment or a profit, just for the loss I have suffered. I look after my vehicles and make sure they are in as good condition as they can be. If somebody doesn't take the same care for MY belongings, then pay up!
> Just when I look at my car when washing it makes my blood boil, a new car park dent almost every month from people open doors without care. And you get a lot of devaluation and moans for this from a buyer.
> Suddenly the car is worth a lot less because it has "not looked after". Well by me it has.
> 
> ...


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## ricc (Sep 18, 2013)

most people in the uk seem to regard their car as some sort of status symbol when in reality its a tin box on wheels to get you and your accoutrements where you want to go , when you want to go in the dry and warm.   as such its a tool to do a job same as any other...and the bottom line is if you spend as little money as possible on this particular tool youve got money left over to spend on summit else.

.  on the odd occasions ive sold a working car the whole process has been a pain in the posterior due to the buyer expecting everything to be as it was when new... its far less hassle to run a vehicle to the end of its useful life then sell it to a scrapyard or for parts as seen. knowing the dents and scrapes and aircon not working etc aint going to matter to the scrapman takes the hassle out of car ownership.

ive made the mistake in the past of claiming on the other driver for a no fault dent... you still have the hassle of declaring the claim at every insurance renewal on all your vehicles for the next five years... let alone the hassle and time wasted sorting the claim at the time..

i just find it less hassle to run older vehicles till they finally die., which is usually structural rust ,.. i know this approach wont suit everone but it works for me.


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## landyrubbertramp (Sep 18, 2013)

My approach is the same ricc . I have a Landriver as it always holds its value and have had it four years n plan to have it for another 2o . It's an 89 worth no more than 4k and it will always be worth that much or tidier snouts if kept maintained in 2o years .


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## QFour (Sep 18, 2013)

We also have to remember that we are insuring ourselves against all the others out there who don't bother. I noticed in the MAIL the other day that the figure for uninsured cars is rising as cost of living goes up.


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## Byronic (Sep 18, 2013)

Not really of any consequence how people regard their cars in other countries eg such as Spain or France. You're dealing with the culture as it exists in this country, if people are brought up to regard a car as an important   status symbol or that personalised registration plates attract attention and give exclusivity then that's what is going affect insurance premiums, claims, degree of grievance felt etc etc. I don't imagine 2 people will see things exactly the same way. 
As for Spain it seems your rising level of status is commensurate with the rising the number of dents your car accumulates, especially in a new or expensive car. Think about it, nothing displays wealth and status (or a large debt) more than a casual disregard for the Rangerover, or the Hispano Suiza ha ha.


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## Teutone (Sep 18, 2013)

I am glad that we have you on here to explain the real life to us. You are really good with generalising. So if I wash my car (which I haven't done for many month now), I automaticly have to be a person who has a shabby house???
And if I drive a BMW I am a attention seeker who spends all his money on personalised number plates? And I shouldn't be angry if people disrespect my properties and damged them? It's just a tin box in the end. Well, it is. But I paid for it and look after it. No matter how old it is or what the value is. Even if you dent my £1000 runaround, I am still not happy about it. Where do you draw the line? Some yob keying and denting your 21 year old Hymer. Yeah doesn't matter, it's just a means of transport.
But why do I even respond to you? It's like feeding sugar to a cow and then licking the backend expecting it to taste sweet...


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## Firefox (Sep 18, 2013)

Insurance isn't legalised robbery, it's a very competitive market faced with fraud, false whiplash claims, or £3000 bills for minor scrapes.

Put yourself in the position of the underwriter. Would you insure someone for £250 for 365 days, when on any one of those your client could cause a £3000 minor scrape, or hit someone at 3mph be faced with £5000 faked up whiplash litigation. You're taking a big risk so where would you set your premium? £250.. £300... £500... more ? 

If anyone thinks they can provide cheaper cover, then invest your savings and set yourself up as an underwriter. It's not that easy - you may even have to be be prepared to lose money in bad years.


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## Byronic (Sep 18, 2013)

The point is David W is that by bringing in the Spanish and French as examples of having more balanced attitude(possibly) to the car I was merely stating by the Spanish example I give as a for instance, that all cultures have ways of showing off status, exclusivity, wealth, albeit in different ways. Perhaps the French are not quite so brash, but maybe ownership of ze little ski chalet in Chamonix is what they let slip out at a dinner party.

I  am surprised you managed to find a 416 that wasn't 100% rust, although not surprised you've found the  mechanicals are all you would have expected from Honda. I expect you know that Honda engines rotate anti-clockwise or at least they did, but not alot of people know that,nor want to I suppose:drive:


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## Tco (Sep 18, 2013)

Notwithstanding all the talk about scams and fraud, it is possible that a good quality repair could be achieved by a competent practitioner.  I managed to punch a hole in the plastic rear corner moulding on my van by dint of reversing into a lamp post. It was repaired by our local bodyshop to the extent that it was impossible to detect a repair had been carried out.  It cost me £100 cash in hand and took a day and a half to achieve.


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## QFour (Sep 18, 2013)

Feels like I got Highjacked .. fftopic: :ditto: :lol-061: :lol-053:


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## Byronic (Sep 18, 2013)

No we're not really talking about cars per se, we're on about about snobbery and associated matters, and what people in various countries may find reason enough to be snobbish/elistist about, in this country cars figure prominently, in other countries cars not so much, but they do have their own predelictions ie alternatives.

I didn't think the Rover 416 of any era to be particularly immune from rust at least not on the salt streaked roads of good ol' Essex, but certainly the early variants were something else ....think Lancia.

However we should be on about the OPs post really sorry about that!


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## vwalan (Sep 18, 2013)

Harleydavidsdad said:


> My Rover is a BMW, now, where did I put that tin of finest beeswax and the saddlesoap???
> 
> 
> Dohhh.



remember that the first bmw,s were austin seven  built under licence by wartburg in eisanach, in 1928
bet bmw drivers would like to forget that .
bmw stands for big money wasted doesnt it /ha ha .
i,m told thats the reason bmw bought austin rover . some old legal thing allowed it . 
mind i think i would sooner have a wartburg .


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## Firefox (Sep 18, 2013)

> Notwithstanding all the talk about scams and fraud, it is possible that a good quality repair could be achieved by a competent practitioner. I managed to punch a hole in the plastic rear corner moulding on my van by dint of reversing into a lamp post. It was repaired by our local bodyshop to the extent that it was impossible to detect a repair had been carried out. It cost me £100 cash in hand and took a day and a half to achieve.



^
That's what I'm talking about. The real scammers are not the insurers but the body repair shops and the claims lawyers laying on heavy costs because "insurers will be paying". 

I know there are loss adjusters but even these guys can get overridden. And their fees are yet more costs which need to be met out of the premiums.


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## Byronic (Sep 18, 2013)

vwalan said:


> mind i think i would sooner have a wartburg .



You'll be needing Preparation "H" for that Alan


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## vwalan (Sep 18, 2013)

i understand all about bmw they took over the dixie factory then built austin sevens in the wartburg factory . the bayerische motoren werke did make good engines . in 99 i did some time helping out in the wartburg museum workshop . in eisanach . great fun . they also built fords and later used vw engined vehicles all badged wartburg .shame that bmw lost the factory though after the war . but the first bmw,s werte made in the wartburg factory . i think its funny . 
when i see a bm ,i think wartburg .ha ha .
the war almost crippled them thats why bmw built iso bubblecars under licence . 
had a factory in uk as well building them .very interesting history is bmw .


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## QFour (Dec 4, 2013)

*Repairs Update*

We have waited a long time for Brownhills to get the parts and the MH has now been taken away for repair. It's not gone to Brownhills :lol-061: though

We have been promised it will be back all shiny and new on FRIDAY ....


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## QFour (Dec 9, 2013)

*It's Back ..*

Thanks to S&L Automotive the MH is back and ready for London on Thursday .. Bit of Christmas shopping ..


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## GinaRon (Dec 9, 2013)

Nice end to a bad experience - good luck and happy travelling:wave:


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## molly 2 (Dec 9, 2013)

Hope you are happy with repair, did you have to pay your exes?


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## QFour (Dec 9, 2013)

molly 2 said:


> Hope you are happy with repair, did you have to pay your exes?



No nothing. The other guy hit us while we were parked and his insurance company admitted liability. We used S&L Automotive as they were recommended by Saga and the other insurer were happy to deal direct so we did not have to pay anything. Got a couple of minor dings sorted as well   . SWMBO said it looks really good. I had a quick look tonight but it was a bit dark.


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## Tezza33 (Dec 9, 2013)

Firefox said:


> ^
> That's what I'm talking about. The real scammers are not the insurers but *the body repair shops* and the claims lawyers laying on heavy costs because "insurers will be paying".
> 
> I know there are loss adjusters but even these guys can get overridden. And their fees are yet more costs which need to be met out of the premiums.



Not the Body Repair Shops fault in any way, I did a lot of Insurance work and you cannot use pattern parts or even repair panels unless it involved just a rub down and respray, it has to be repaired to as new (there are exceptions if original panels are not available), that is why when you go for a quote the first question they ask is "is it an Insurance claim?"


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## QFour (Dec 10, 2013)

Everyone is in for a piece of the action. You should have seen the original quote using new parts.  The side skirts were £1200 without the rest of the bits. We finished up having the side skirts refinished. A new wheel arch trim and the rear corner one was repared and painted to match. The guys at S&L Automotive have been really good. They came and collected it and did have It ready for the Friday but could not deliver Iit back as they were short staffed but we could have collected it. Anyway everything is sorted now. Biggest problem Is getting parts which is why they have Ivested in kit to repair the old ones because the parts just arn't available for some of the older beasts ....


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## Deleted member 775 (Dec 10, 2013)

glad to hear everything is ok ,as accident repairs can be a nightmare nowadays . its about time repair instead of replace was adopted ,it would work out cheaper in many cases ,less vehicles would be written off due to cost ,and if you could pick where you wanted to have the vehicle repaired instead of insurance companies farming the work out to repair centers that charge the earth .i worked in the motor trade and we used to take accident work we repaired instead of use new parts a lot of the time ,just as good a job but cheaper .i only have had one car written off thank goodness a lada riva a few years ago ,  for a dent on the front wing and a broken headlight .the assessor came out spent 10 mins looking at the car went and about a week later i had a letter from the insurance company saying uneconomical repair  offered me a payment cannot remember how much i accepted . a while later i got in touch with the company asking what they intended to do with the car ,there answer was nothing it would have cost too much to have it picked up so i could do what i wanted with it . i repaired it second hand head light, and filler and paint for the wing  and ran it until the mot ran out  must have cost all of a tenner to mend it . ps i know it was a lada but it was a great car


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## Deleted member 775 (Dec 10, 2013)

i wouldent buy new even if i could afford to (well i could if i got chukkied up to my arm pits) for a start off depreciation massive loss as soon as you register in your name ,then to park it out in the gutter for some idiot to bash dent scratch or attempt to nick .have to pay a monstrous insurance premium only to be told if you need a claim that its not worth half of what you payed for it ,not for me.  my last van saw me a nice profit when i sold it after 6 years of great enjoyment as for my cars last one a seat Alhambra cost nothing it was swopped for an merc that was basically scrap due to immobilizer probs, 2 years running  little spent on it  as i never ever service a car apart from safety issues brakes/steering ,  sold at  a nice profit of 400 quid .now a rover 25 175quid its payed for itself already so owes me nowt if i  scrapped it tomorrow i would be in profit, thats cheap motoring in my opinion .they only get fully comp insurance as its cheaper than third party. as soon as a car costs me it gets squashed


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## n brown (Dec 10, 2013)

I am a long-standing member of The Last Owner's Club. I buy a cheap motor ,then kill it.this may take only a couple of days,once it was an hour, but I consider I'm well ahead ! I have a corsa I paid 300 for 3 years ago,no real expenses,my van I paid a lot for,also about 3 yrs ago,2900,and because of it's modern features has cost me a few hundred more,but still cheap apparently.my old merc 307 cost 800 and I sold it for 400 after abusing it for eight years,with one oil change,which my son in law insisted on doing for me.
  my corsa has been quite seriously keyed a few times,hard to avoid in supermarket car parks- I just hope they didn't bend their key,i've been sat in it while careless drivers have reversed into me,i don't even look at them,just wave them away usually.it's very stress free overall,and no ripoff annual services either !


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## molly 2 (Dec 10, 2013)

Their is a lot of talk about rip of bodyshops. The problems they have is firstly insurance company's pay a heavily discounted Labour rate ,then they get a discount. On all parts and materials used  .they dictate wether parts are repaired or replaced, oh and then the government sticks their 20% on Body shop health and safety costs disposal of hazardous waste high energy costs
Ie paint booths expensive tools welders ramps.non productive staff  The list goes on.


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## Deleted member 775 (Dec 10, 2013)

old cars are quite a good buy and especially rovers at the minute, old mans car with a so called notoriously  unreliable k series engine ,so they say. early ones were bad and got a bad name in the trade and it sticks ,cars and dealers.i have done quite a few miles now in the old blue dog and use motorways a lot ,the number of newish cars broken down on the hard shoulder is amusing, thousands of pounds worth of broken down heaps making thousand of pounds for garages in repairs ,what a rip off and all to look posh on the drive .give me my couple of hundred pound s*i*ters any time .


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## Deleted member 775 (Dec 10, 2013)

n brown said:


> I am a long-standing member of The Last Owner's Club. I buy a cheap motor ,then kill it.this may take only a couple of days,once it was an hour, but I consider I'm well ahead ! I have a corsa I paid 300 for 3 years ago,no real expenses,my van I paid a lot for,also about 3 yrs ago,2900,and because of it's modern features has cost me a few hundred more,but still cheap apparently.my old merc 307 cost 800 and I sold it for 400 after abusing it for eight years,with one oil change,which my son in law insisted on doing for me.
> my corsa has been quite seriously keyed a few times,hard to avoid in supermarket car parks- I just hope they didn't bend their key,i've been sat in it while careless drivers have reversed into me,i don't even look at them,just wave them away usually.it's very stress free overall,and no ripoff annual services either !



i once had a woman back into a old vauxhall carlton i had ,scuffed my bumper a little you could hardly see it amongst the other scuffs.she got out of her car a new fiesta if my memory is correct  her rear bumper was cracked badly.  she was a trembling wreck i had to sit her down and ring a relative to come and get her .they were so apologetic and asked if there was anyway they could recompense me ,they dident want to go through there insurance, i said look at my car its old and battered, i am not bothered about it at all it overdue for the scrappy,  but yours has come off the worst just told her to calm down after all a car is just a car they can be replaced


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## molly 2 (Dec 10, 2013)

n brown said:


> I am a long-standing member of The Last Owner's Club. I buy a cheap motor ,then kill it.this may take only a couple of days,once it was an hour, but I consider I'm well ahead ! I have a corsa I paid 300 for 3 years ago,no real expenses,my van I paid a lot for,also about 3 yrs ago,2900,and because of it's modern features has cost me a few hundred more,but still cheap apparently.my old merc 307 cost 800 and I sold it for 400 after abusing it for eight years,with one oil change,which my son in law insisted on doing for me.
> my corsa has been quite seriously keyed a few times,hard to avoid in supermarket car parks- I just hope they didn't bend their key,i've been sat in it while careless drivers have reversed into me,i don't even look at them,just wave them away usually.it's very stress free overall,and no ripoff annual services either ![/QUOTE
> 
> 
> ...


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## Deleted member 37170 (Dec 10, 2013)

I was taught when a small boy "Look after your things, don't throw your toys around"  later in life my cars have been my "Toys". I have had many over the years and have treated them as I do all my belongings, with care and respect.
I really do look down upon today's use and abuse young people. I think the old respect for property was the right way, it may not be anyone else's way but it was the British way, and I for one still think that way.
Bye the way.... I must be a self centered, egotistical sort, because I have a personalized number plate and I love it, it's mine, it is personal to ME.


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## n brown (Dec 10, 2013)

Bopper said:


> I was taught when a small boy "Look after your things, don't throw your toys around"  later in life my cars have been my "Toys". I have had many over the years and have treated them as I do all my belongings, with care and respect.
> I really do look down upon today's use and abuse young people. I think the old respect for property was the right way, it may not be anyone else's way but it was the British way, and I for one still think that way.
> Bye the way.... I must be a self centered, egotistical sort, because I have a personalized number plate and I love it, it's mine, it is personal to ME.


 I can understand that if the object in question is a good quality item,made by people who care about detail and finish,and built to last. this certainly doesn't apply to any car I ever had ! a tin box built to last 3 years,or whatever the guarantee was,full of design flaws that only show up after a few thousand miles,and built to rust. I do however care about the decent quality tools I own,and look after them, but the one advantage about living in a consumer society is it's good for the less advantaged who are happy to recycle


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## Deleted member 775 (Dec 10, 2013)

i suppose its down to personal choice .many people take pride in a new car ,thats fine i suppose if i had one i would .but as i say i cannot see the point in spending a lot of cash to park something in a gutter at the mercy of any idiot. i admire anybody that wants a new car and really looks after it  .i have old cars and like to see them clean and tidy but i care little for them ie if they get bumped scratched .i used to lavish love and tenderness on them, i used to do all my own servicing and any body work necessary to keep them looking nice, but now i seem to run them until they wont run anymore maybe its because i am getting old and careless now .if a car lasts me a year then i am well happy . usually at mot time if they want up to 200quid spent on them i will do it otherwise its scrap time and i never buy a car with less than 6months mot


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## Deleted member 775 (Dec 10, 2013)

Firefox said:


> Insurance isn't legalised robbery, it's a very competitive market faced with fraud, false whiplash claims, or £3000 bills for minor scrapes.
> 
> Put yourself in the position of the underwriter. Would you insure someone for £250 for 365 days, when on any one of those your client could cause a £3000 minor scrape, or hit someone at 3mph be faced with £5000 faked up whiplash litigation. You're taking a big risk so where would you set your premium? £250.. £300... £500... more ?
> 
> If anyone thinks they can provide cheaper cover, then invest your savings and set yourself up as an underwriter. It's not that easy - you may even have to be be prepared to lose money in bad years.



we all or most of us complain about car insurance .i think it quite a bargain when you look at it .if you was allowed to drive (but had to pay out of your pocket) without cover can you realy say you could pay for any damage caused . in the event of a relatively minor  bump not to mention a serious one .it can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds up to a million or more if any fatalities occur ,and we have all that cover for a few hundred  quid a year. but then again i will be the first to moan at renewal time i suppose


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## shawbags (Dec 10, 2013)

I still stick with old motors there simple and easy to fix , 1 Sherpa with the old Perkins engine , 2 LDV Pilots , 1 LDV convoy ( Ford engine ) , Merc 308D , Merc 508d , no end of VW type 2 campers and in my younger days Mini's , loads of them , and many other cheopo vans and cars , The Citroen C15 Romahome has the old 1.9 XUD engine still cheap and chearfull and runs great , never paid more than £1500 for any motor , normally a lot less .


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