(http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h18/djbenny1/002-3.jpg)
woop woop lol
a bit of an impulse buy, a lot like the yaris, i saw it on wed, sailed over on thurs and got home again this morning s:D :D s:D
2000 Black MR2 w/ red leather, air con + hard top and TTE twin exhaust
im not going to lie it does have a good few bumps and bruises though nothing major at all only panel i would consider maybe replacing would be the passenger wing as the wheel arch is slightly dented, but might be able to get it pushed out.
exterior condition is probably about 6or7/10 which usually wouldnt be good enough for me but given the price i had to have her! as it was everything i wanted red leather on black w/ air con and hard top. s8) 8) s8)
theres an mr2 passport with a pile of receipts as thick as your fist for services all by toyota including a brand new engine 18k miles ago s8) 8) s8)
(although that begs a question - the engine was replaced because of a "knocking noise" which i automatically assumed to be the precat as it seems to be main cause of engine failure but question is... if it was the precat, would toyota have removed all traces of it from manifold? or even put a new one in?)
the drive home was great, my back was about as close to broke as possible by time i got the yaris over (PX) as it was something like 250 miles from my house to the dealer not including ferry but the mr2 was painless and i could have got straight back in and did another 250 s8) 8) s8)
the reallllly long push of the clutch and accelerator will take some getting used to tho as opposed to the nudge in the yaris!
chuffed to bits s:D :D s:D
Congratulations!
I know you've been posting around here since I got mine, so I'm glad you've finally found one! Black on red is deffo the best combination!
She looks to be in good condition (from what I can see obviously).
By the way, are those facelift seats on a pre-facelift car? Or are my eyes still tired? Sorry I can't give much help on the engine, but I would have thought they'd replace the manifold as well...
Congratz and I hope you enjoy your car as much as I have mine!
If it's the one .. crap, forgotten your name! - djbenny PM'd me about then it also has facelift rear bumper inserts and facelift doorcards (just noticed those - chrome rings on the tweeters and chrome rings on the door handles)..
I wondered if it was ol' ErnieBall's car, actually.
Nice car there, hope the engines a smooth runner.
Shame about the dings and scuffs but like you said, you can take your time and get each bit repaired as you go
Happy motoring!
Mohammed s:D :D s:D
Well done s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce:
What i suggest is you pop the O2 sensors out from the manifold and have a look in to see how the pre-cats are getting on if they're still there. Ithey're there then get 'em out if you want and have a shake of the main cat at the time to see if there's any debris in there. I would hope that Toyota would replace the engine, precats, and main cat ... but it always pays to have a look and check eh s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
Other than that enjoy the permagrin factor
Quote from: "inert2k3"Nice car there, hope the engines a smooth runner.
Shame about the dings and scuffs but like you said, you can take your time and get each bit repaired as you go
Happy motoring!
Mohammed s:D :D s:D
yep the engine is 110% was perfect the whole 250 miles s:D :D s:D
the scuffs arent noticeable in the photo but theyre there! and yea im just gona get them done as i go s:D :D s:D s:D :D s:D s:D :D s:D
yep seats were recently done too s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
woop woop
edit: oh and i forgot to ask, with the new engine going in like may 08, what way does the engine warranty work from there? is it 7 years on new engine now?? or is it like a 2 year parts and labour guarantee??
also forgot to ask, the cover thing that is underneath the engine - roundish plastic thing must be to protect from splashes etc - can they be replaced just i think mine is a little broken in 1 corner i havent had a look yet if i can fix it i will but can it be taken off even? i dont particularly like it!
Quote from: "djbenny1"Quote from: "inert2k3"Nice car there, hope the engines a smooth runner.
Shame about the dings and scuffs but like you said, you can take your time and get each bit repaired as you go
Happy motoring!
Mohammed s:D :D s:D
yep the engine is 110% was perfect the whole 250 miles s:D :D s:D
the scuffs arent noticeable in the photo but theyre there! and yea Im just going to get them done as i go s:D :D s:D s:D :D s:D s:D :D s:D
yep seats were recently done too s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
woop woop
edit: oh and i forgot to ask, with the new engine going in like may 08, what way does the engine warranty work from there? is it 7 years on new engine now?? or is it like a 2 year parts and labour guarantee??
also forgot to ask, the cover thing that is underneath the engine - roundish plastic thing must be to protect from splashes etc - can they be replaced just i think mine is a little broken in 1 corner i havent had a look yet if i can fix it i will but can it be taken off even? i dont particularly like it!
1 month warranty on replacement engine from toyota for me, if your ca is still under 7 years then you may get lucky.
you can take off the cover and you dont really need to put it back on.
Quote from: "NickNJ"Quote from: "djbenny1"Quote from: "inert2k3"Nice car there, hope the engines a smooth runner.
Shame about the dings and scuffs but like you said, you can take your time and get each bit repaired as you go
Happy motoring!
Mohammed s:D :D s:D
yep the engine is 110% was perfect the whole 250 miles s:D :D s:D
the scuffs arent noticeable in the photo but theyre there! and yea Im just going to get them done as i go s:D :D s:D s:D :D s:D s:D :D s:D
yep seats were recently done too s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
woop woop
edit: oh and i forgot to ask, with the new engine going in like may 08, what way does the engine warranty work from there? is it 7 years on new engine now?? or is it like a 2 year parts and labour guarantee??
also forgot to ask, the cover thing that is underneath the engine - roundish plastic thing must be to protect from splashes etc - can they be replaced just i think mine is a little broken in 1 corner i havent had a look yet if i can fix it i will but can it be taken off even? i dont particularly like it!
1 month warranty on replacement engine from toyota for me, if your ca is still under 7 years then you may get lucky.
you can take off the cover and you dont really need to put it back on.
ah right na its a 2000 so its out of warranty but ill get the manifold checked asap to make sure theres none of that garbage in it!!
also can i just check that you guys all have clutches like mine where its quite a long push in and the clutch doesnt engage until its right in, then doesnt disengage until its about 3/4 of the way out? just want to check because clutch was replaced a while ago!
No don't think so think its about midway(i drive a van too so could be getting mixed up), sounds like your clutch might not have long left but see how you go.
will have to see some more its just im not totally used to it yet obviously will take some time!! na clutch isnt done it has only been replaced recently.
only thing is my gear changes arent nice and smooth yet! will come im sure!
the only thing i have trouble with is getting a quick gear change as it takes quite a while to press clutch, change then release again, mostly like i said because of the distance the clutch pedal has to travel
few changes to cars appearance.
(http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h18/djbenny1/001-2.jpg)
(http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h18/djbenny1/006-3.jpg)
(http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h18/djbenny1/003-4.jpg)
(http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h18/djbenny1/002-4.jpg)
not sure if theres a record for the shortest-lasting mr2, but if there is im pretty sure i just annihaliated it....
needless to say.... abs. gutted
s:shock: :shock: s:shock:
Damn Im really sorry for you mate - Hope you were ok
Mohammed
yea im fine mate cheers, not a scratch or bruise
everyones going to assume i was speeding but all i can say is that i was doing 40 max on a road i KNOW to be slippy as hell, came round a sweeping left hander and the back side slid out, tried to counteract slide but eventually just ran along right hand side ditch and eventually hit a stump
the recovery guy reckons itll be a write off
s:shock: :shock: s:shock:
Gutted for you, but so glad the metal bits protected the fleshy ones.
At least now we know why the washer bottle takes so long to fill up - its huuuuge s:D :D s:D
Hoping you get a good settlement.
about the "settlement" the price i valued my car at on the insurance was a fair price for it, will i get that price??
i mean i valued it at 3500 on the policy which is what i paid but i got a good deal imo
the mileage is recorded at 15,000 in the insurance peoples database, must have been reset when new engine went in
If i were you i would remove hardtop and fixing kit and swap those highly sought after red facelift seats for old cloth or leather ones before giving it to the scrappers as these will be worth about £800 tell them you bought them separately and added.
i dont have seats to replace with s:( :( s:( but i will definitely be keeping hard top and will remove fitting kit, the ht wasnt on at the time
Just buy some cloth ones for about £50 as you will sell them for £300 easy and it wont really affect insurance valuation but £250 profit will take the sting out of your excess.
hard to come by in northern ireland s:( :( s:(
are they easy to replace though i might try and ring scrap yards, also i have the tte twin pipe exhaust, much is a used one of them worth??
am i right that they sell the car to a scrap yard, for them to strip?
Ouch, bad luck s:cry: :cry: s:cry:
What tyres was it on?
Chris
Real bummer mate, just goes to show how different a Rear Wheel Mid Engine car handles in times of trouble!
Happy to swap my seats for yours before they crush it mate
Yeah just 4 bolts and a wire to each seat 15 mins to change both,twin exhaust should fetch £150-200 and MARK iii is giving away a standard one in his "clearing out shed" post.And yes they just sell to scrappers to strip.
Quote from: "uktotty"Real bummer mate, just goes to show how different a Rear Wheel Mid Engine car handles in times of trouble!
Happy to swap my seats for yours before they crush it mate
cant swap s:lol: :lol: s:lol: the idea is for me to get some extra money to counteract the excess and also to counteract them trying to make me a shit offer for car, plus youre in england s:P :P s:P
it was on 205/50/15 at back and 195/55/15 at front i think, im not 100% sure about offsets may have both been 55 or both 50 im not sure but was a combination of 55 and 50. they were also new tyres replaced not more than couple months ago.
thanks bryan is the exhaust hard to change?
main problem is getting this done before they send the dude out to evaluate the damage.
were the tyres the same make and model?
Plusgas 24hrs before is your friend with seized nuts,you would only be swapping the back box so shouldn't be too hard,depends how competent you are with a socket set.Delay the dude saying their is no access and you need to book a day of work etc.
P.s. don't forget to grab these for the hard top as they cost approx £200 to buy.
(http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo149/bryanstorm-2008/BVYs9TBGkKGrHgoH-EUEjlLluUgBKSP0ln8.jpg)
the front 2 were the same markii, and the back 2 were same
ok ill be on with the scrap yards tomorrow see if there are many about but i wont be holding my breath on getting seats.
ill be sure to get all the fixings for hard top though cheers
how about your back box markiii??
cheers
my mates cant understand how im not totally devastated, im gutted but to be honest i think im still in shock...!!
the only reasons i am annoyed though is from a financial point of view..... and that ill never hear the end of it!!
Quote from: "djbenny1"the front 2 were the same markii, and the back 2 were same
Hmmm..... different front to rear by any chance s:roll: :roll: s:roll:
Chris
yea they were
and that will be most of teh reason
im so sorry for your loss. at least it happened before you had done loads of mods to it, and spent even more money on it.
as others have said, i will echo 'metal bits can be replaced, soft fleshy parts, not so easy'
remember dont accept the first two offers from the insurance company, they will try it on.
and probably wet where the mr2 needs more respect, |RWD is a totally different beast to fwd. We've all had a few shakey moments when first starting out with a rwd, so hopefully you'll get straight back into mr2 ownership ans learn from the experience. When I was your age I slid out in an mgf and thought there was something wrong with the car, reality is it was me.
good luck looking for a new one, definately swap exhaust and get that hardtop off and you'll come out of ok.
yea mate i know i mean it did cross my mind that the car is really a lot more dangerous in the wet than a normal fwd car with engine in front, it probably is but at same time i know that theres a lot of people even just on here that drive them year round.
if i had more experience i maybe could have stopped the slide but who knows, live and learn!
you really think the tyres make that much of a difference? i mean i know they keep the car on the road but surely as long as the 2 pairs match?
just off the phone with the insurance company there basically the approved repairer is the next person to phone me to probably arrange seeing car, so what will the procedure be if they do decide to repair (highly unlikely) and if they dont?? first claim s:( :( s:(
cheers
yes mismatched tyres are not good on any car never mind rear wheel drive.
live and learn is the right attitude, you won't do it again! drive like a granny in wet and it perfectly fine. my mr2 is my wet weather winter car so don't be out off by rwd.
You muppet! s:scared: :scared: s:scared:
But i am glad you're ok... it's been stated soooo many times, same make and manufacturer all around and maintain the stagger. Or ..... you know what happens now.
Live and learn - wise words indeed, as you've just bought the car then you haven't had the chance to suffer depreciation and the insurance company "should" be sensible about their offer.
Sorry to see that, let's hope you get a fair price from the insurers.
If it makes you feel better, wheel alignment also makes a MASSIVE difference to these cars in the wet. My car is 2000 and I had to drive like a granny in the wet for the first 2 years. I put it down to the characteristics of the car as other members compained about the same thing. It was absolutely fine in the dry but lethal in the wet (the back stepped out whilst cruising at 40mph in a straight line once!).
After driving another MR2 in the wet, I realised there was something seriously wrong with mine and it turned out to be the wheel alignment. I had it sorted and it transformed the car, I've had no problems since!
If you do get another one, which I hope you do, be sure to get the alignment checked.
Jason
s:scared: :scared: s:scared: Just thought I'd look at the posts on the 'new car' thread as I thought it was getting a lot of attention and seen this! Unlucky mate, glad you're OK, I think you might be on the record for time with the car before killing it. I always drive slow in the wet, accelerated in a straight line once on the M6/A14 in 2nd after coming off the roundabout between them and back end went a bit haywire, not had any problem since then as it put me off accelerating quickly in the wet.
As you p/x the Yaris was it from a dealer? Not been brought up yet, but think you could fight compensation for having mismatched tyres as it was sold to you in an unsuitable condition so you wouldn't have to claim on the insurance? (I like getting out of spending money on things).
I hope if it is a write off you do get hold of something just as good and this doesn't put you off the car.
it hasnt put me off the car as such, as i know its a great car, but in hinesight im not sure if its practical for me.
to be honest i dont think i would get another one unless i could afford to just use it when weather was good.
im currently looking at mk4 golf gt tdis but who knows, i may end up with another 2 but i doubt it, simply because i couldnt get one here for anywhere near the money i paid for mine and i couldnt be arsed going over the water again s:( :( s:(
Quote from: "djbenny1"to be honest i dont think i would get another one unless i could afford to just use it when weather was good.
I got through a winter with almost completely bald Yokohama Neova tyres on the car (in fac, by February they were slicks), and that's with the turbo kit fitted... not a hint of sideways action unless I wanted it, either.. The MR2 isn't a summer only car, really it isn't.
2nd that, mine has been my only car for several years and boosted to silly power levels too (as is Aarons).
phil
I know it's like I said I realise loads of people use them year round, but I won't have one in winter because it's kinda put the fear in me now. May have been tyres, and i'm sure a large part of it was my driving but the worrying thing was how it was so easy to do, not that I was trying to do it because I wasn't but I know myself I wouldn't have taken that corner any different in any other situation.
Tbh, it sounds as if the 2 is not for you, if you do not feel confident and comfortable driving one, there is little point in having one.
You may just have been very unlucky, i had a mk1 for 11 years, spun it 360 degrees once after having it 7 years, albeit on ice, but i knew the ice was there and was driving accordingly.
Mine is used all year round, it is my only car and there is nothing wrong with the car in the winter, it is not just a summer car.
Quote from: "djbenny1"I know it's like I said I realise loads of people use them year round, but I won't have one in winter because it's kinda put the fear in me now. May have been tyres, and i'm sure a large part of it was my driving but the worrying thing was how it was so easy to do, not that I was trying to do it because I wasn't but I know myself I wouldn't have taken that corner any different in any other situation.
Chances are it was the mixed tyres that caused the problems. Any car can get into a spin if the front tyres grip better than the rears, but with the engine up the back it will not be so inclined to self correct as a front engined front driver.
Even on the well worn RS2s the car will generally understeer slightly before oversteer gets a chance to happen and the rear will tell you it is getting sketchy. Having said that, it can still bite unexpectedly, so some respect for the layout is called for and in standing water even the well experienced in a well set up car can come a cropper. When conditions get very poor I can still make good progress, but on a twisty b road my cooper D is probably faster.
Chris
Yea may well have been.
I do feel unlucky but fact is I only had the car 3 days and didn't really had a chance to get to grips with it. So I do feel a little unlucky that it did happen, but at same im much more grateful it didn't happen at 70 on a busy motorway.
Pickup guy comin to get the car tomorrow so I will let you know what happens. Truth be told I will be happy with either result (write off/repair) as Endsleigh guarantee the repairs for 5 years. Everyone who has seen it though says it will be written off. Car is valued at 3500 on insurance and I told them that's what i paid. Obviously not letting on I have the hard top. What you guys reckon they will offer me?? Do they basically just offer crap amount hoping you will say yes? And is there a point at which they say "ok we can't help you then"
as you'd literally just paid £3500 for it three days earlier, I don't think they can offer you anything else! I assume you have the receipt?
Jason
Do you have a copy of the ad where you got the car from, or a reciept? As you only had the car a few days i would imagine they must pay out what you payed, minus your excess of course.
Other downside though is your insurance is going to rocket, you may want to look at skateboards.
Yea I have receipts. That's not so bad then.
Yea insurance is going to go up about 500 quid on a golf gt tdi 115. Depends whether or not they let me keep a year of my ncb if they do I'll have 1 at the end of this policy and that's the criteria I hae been quoting for.
Quote from: "djbenny1"Truth be told I will be happy with either result (write off/repair) as Endsleigh guarantee the repairs for 5 years. Everyone who has seen it though says it will be written off.
Sorry to read of this, bad luck.
That is 100% a write off judging by the pictures - if the roof is as badly knackered as it looks, fixing that alone would be enough to write off the car if it is worth £3.5k.
S
Guys quick question Anyway to drain the fuel tank as I filled it yeserday....
Cheers
Quote from: "djbenny1"Guys quick question Anyway to drain the fuel tank as I filled it yeserday....
Cheers
Good thinking, make sure you get the air out of the tyres too. s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
Lmao I would if it was worth anything
seriously though can it be drained there is 50 quids worth in there!!
Siphon, but be careful, don't swallow any.
Quote from: "Wabbitkilla"But i am glad you're ok... it's been stated soooo many times, same make and manufacturer all around and maintain the stagger. Or ..... you know what happens now.
At least the brits still get it... Stupid SCers who think you can mix and match. s:roll: :roll: s:roll: /rant
That said I'll echo what everyone else is saying. I'm not sure what your winters are like in the UK but where I live we've got plenty of snow and ice and I drive year around. With proper tires of course. Never had an issue but then again I also never mixed tires either.
you can;t syphon a roadster tank
I've tried
Ah right just wasn't sure if siphon would work because I know in some cars they made the chute twisty to stop siphons going in!!
Will give it a go!
Quote from: "markiii"you can;t syphon a roadster tank
I've tried
We've another idea incase siphoning doesn't work though s;) ;) s;)
if involves drilling the petrol tank personally I'd just make sure teh insurance company covers th extra fuel and not risk putting yourself into orbit
Pull out the passenger side rear bin, take the fuel pump out and siphon it out through the large hole that's left.. that's your best bet with the tank in the car..
Yea Aaron that was what we were thinking only we were going to leave the pump on and use it to pulp it out vi the feed to the engine will let u no how we get on
Unfortunately (and I've done that in the past on other cars s;) ;) s;) ) the coupling at the fuel pump end isn't a straight barb, and you can't get the fuel hose off at the engine end, otherwise I'd have said that s;) ;) s;)
Unlucky man. I wouldn't blame yourself, you didn't have proper time to "learn" the car, the tyres were mismatched and it was wet.
I hope the insurance give you a decent amount. I can't imagine they'd go far off the market value seeing as you only bought it three days ago s:scared: :scared: s:scared:
After reading what everyone has said, I'm going to take a little more care in the rain, because this is the only car I have all year round. Glad your OK though!
Well we got it sorta done with a hose with a smaller hose down the middle of it. Slow but it's working!!! Got about 3 gallons so far!!
QuoteI wouldn't blame yourself, you didn't have proper time to "learn" the car,
That would put him at fault... He should have been driving slower given it's a new car. Even if it is a sports car, he doesn't know it's quirks or if there's something wrong with it (Like mismatched tires).
Someone should make this thread a Sticky so we can just point people here when they come along and whinge when we tell them that it's critical to have the correct tyres on the car. Proof and pudding, as it were.
That's a serious suggestion too, btw.
just want to make sure that you arent implying that i whinged about tyre pressures, are you?
Haven't seen any post where you mentioned tyre pressures, so no. That's okay though, because I didn't mention tyre pressures either. s;) ;) s;)
Quote from: "Dan M"Someone should make this thread a Sticky so we can just point people here when they come along and whinge when we tell them that it's critical to have the correct tyres on the car. Proof and pudding, as it were.
That's a serious suggestion too, btw.
Well on SC at least this kind of thread proves nothing. "He just over drove the car" is what I hear all to often when I pull up a thread similar to this in a discussion about mixing tires. Frankly I just gave up and now let people do what they want. I'm not their mommy. It is nice to see a board that still embraces safety though and my hat's off to you guys.
Quote from: "Dan M"Someone should make this thread a Sticky so we can just point people here when they come along and whinge when we tell them that it's critical to have the correct tyres on the car. Proof and pudding, as it were.
That's a serious suggestion too, btw.
Funnily enough I was thinking the same s:D :D s:D
Chris
Quote from: "Dan M"Someone should make this thread a Sticky so we can just point people here when they come along and whinge when we tell them that it's critical to have the correct tyres on the car. Proof and pudding, as it were.
That's a serious suggestion too, btw.
It's not a bad idea, if we make the op anonymous. But as Darkday says, most people just don't take advice.
If enough roadsters go to the scrappers early it should bring the price of 2nd hand parts right down and push the price of the remaining cars up a bit,lets hope.
That looks a sore one.
It will def be a write off, no doubt about it, and you certainly want it to be regardless of a 5yr warranty for the repairs.
If you want to get the best price for your car you have to be proactive.
Get online and find similar roadsters with comparable levels of age, mileage, spec factor in the exhaust, seats etc.
And I'd be wary of hauling stuff off it, some insurance companies can get sniffy about such things.
Talk your car up and remember it's not just a case of getting what's it's worth but also what it will cost to replace the car like for like.
My first roadster was written off a month after I had it (although in very different circumstances) and i got a great price by proving the market value for a replacement plus factoring in the costs involved for travelling to get it etc.
I
mind if i ask what happened yours disgress??
also, am i right in assuming that the insurance company WONT in any circumstances pay more than i have given as the value of the car??
for example the cheapest mr2 roadster within a 40 mile radius of me is an 01 blue, 4,695 no hard top (overpriced i know but cars here in NI are always dearer)
cheers
also, about stickying this so people will know that right tyres are be all and end all - fact is no one knows what caused it; i did say it before, but the road it happened on is EXTREMELY greasy in places, although to be fair i never thought the corner it happened on was but who knows
and also im not entirely happy about being made an example of
Quote from: "djbenny1"also, am i right in assuming that the insurance company WONT in any circumstances pay more than i have given as the value of the car??
The insurance company cover your for replacement of the car, not your declared value or purchase price. You need to provide objective evidence to them that demonstrates the cost to you of replacing the car, so find adverts for cars with similar mileage and age, trim level etc and aim for that plus your sourcing costs.
Quote from: "djbenny1"also, about stickying this so people will know that right tyres are be all and end all - fact is no one knows what caused it; i did say it before, but the road it happened on is EXTREMELY greasy in places, although to be fair i never thought the corner it happened on was but who knows
and also Im not entirely happy about being made an example of
Know what you mean about being made an example of. I think that lots of people here have read countless threads about matching tyres and how critical it is on this type of car. I have been on this board for a few years now and every month sees the same advice being given and often ignored. With names removed, this could serve to actually get the message across to people. I know we will never know what caused the loss of control, but the MR2 on matched tyres has a tendency to understeer rather than swing its tail, so it is most likey going to be either tyres or too much gas too early.
Chris
Quotetoo much gas too early.
I would have said letting off the gas myself. I think if he gave it too much gas it would either understeer or give some oversteer but still be controlable. OR maybe it was too much gas then letting off...
thats reassuring about them having to replace the car, but i have a new question then;
if i demonstrate how much it will cost me to replace the mr2, say (for example only) we both agree it will cost 4000 to replace my car; do they then make sure that i go and buy an mr2 with that?? do they maybe buy an mr2 for me? or do they give me the money and am i free to buy anything??
i am actually really shaken up by it like, but its like i said, if i had crashed going too fast, id know
although i am thinking you may be right, i may have gone into the corner at x speed, and the back end slid out, but after that im not sure how i tried to control it (more throttle/less throttle/same) but obviously it wasnt the right choice and its totally because of my lack of experience i.m.o.
Quote from: "djbenny1"thats reassuring about them having to replace the car, but i have a new question then;
if i demonstrate how much it will cost me to replace the mr2, say (for example only) we both agree it will cost 4000 to replace my car; do they then make sure that i go and buy an mr2 with that?? do they maybe buy an mr2 for me? or do they give me the money and am i free to buy anything??
i am actually really shaken up by it like, but its like i said, if i had crashed knowing i was going too fast
although i am thinking you may be right, i may have gone into the corner at x speed, and the back end slid out, but after that Im not sure how i tried to control it (more throttle/less throttle/same) but obviously it wasnt the right choice and its totally because of my lack of experience i.m.o.
To my knowledge, the insurance company give you the money and you buy whatever you like. Never heard of any clauses to prevent that (unless it is a gap insurance or new car like for like policy).
The art of catching a slide in any car is to expect it. Reading the road and knowing how your car will respond are things gained from experience, tuition and experimentation. The MR2 is a relatively stable car and you can get away with quite a lot, but it has the engine in the middle so if the tail gets away, you are treading a fine line to bring it back. I have tried to drift mine but can never hold a good angle (especially in the wet) and end up catching it or abusing it and spinning.
Once the back starts to slide you need to gather it up before it really develops. Staying on the gas will not remove the cause of the slide, but getting off it too much will transfer weight and grip forward making it worse. Opposite lock will be needed, but you need to unwind it before the car swings the other way. The joy of the MR2 is that it is a great communicator and the interactions and signals it sends are subtle and accurate. This makes it a challenging and rewarding drive. But one you need to build up the bond with before you relax in the wet. I drove mine like a granny in the wet for the first few weeks.
Chris
yea chris i know what you mean
i mean i want to believe that it was the tyres and that if this situation had taken place about a month later, the outcome would have been very different, but the truth is its just got the fear in me now! so im not sure what will happen
plus a good mr2 is hard to find near me, will have to wait and see what happens its like i said
i really am torn, i'd love to get another mr2 but at the same time, i dont - its hard to explain!
ps i just watched the butterfly effect - what a great film!!!
edit: forgot to ask - if insurance company are going to have to replace my car like for like anyway if i declare that i have a hard top, should i not just declare it then??
Quote from: "djbenny1"yea chris i know what you mean
i mean i want to believe that it was the tyres and that if this situation had taken place about a month later, the outcome would have been very different, but the truth is its just got the fear in me now! so Im not sure what will happen
Seriously, if it happened a month or a year later, mismatched tyres could still drop you in it. No matter how good a driver you are, if you have a bit less grip at the back than at the front in a mid engined car you are at the mercy of lady luck.
Quote from: "djbenny1"plus a good mr2 is hard to find near me, will have to wait and see what happens its like i said
i really am torn, i'd love to get another mr2 but at the same time, i dont - its hard to explain!
ps i just watched the butterfly effect - what a great film!!!
edit: forgot to ask - if insurance company are going to have to replace my car like for like anyway if i declare that i have a hard top, should i not just declare it then??
Once bitten it is difficult to get back to it I suppose. As for the car value, the hardtop is part of the spec and this could help you with replacement valuation. Just because you value it with one, it is unlikely that when they come to collect it they will notice the hardtop missing. Tough call.
Chris
I'd definitly sit on it for a few days before making a decision. I know the feeling, you're constantly second guessing yourself and your ability to drive after an incident like that. There's not much you can do about it now but you can move on with life and avoid situations like that in the future. If you do get a new MR2 just make sure it has a staggered setup with the same tires all around. Then next time it rains drive extra slow, go to a parking lot and have some fun. IMO you really do have to get to know this car before you can catch it in a spin. At least for me it wasn't natural. For me I was able to drive slow for the most part and get away without a spin until winter came around and I was able to practice alone in the snow and really understand how the car behaves in a spin.
EDIT: And plus one for mismatched tires being bad even if you're experienced. We've got a punk on SC just today in fact who is saying experience makes up for not having stagger/mismatched tires and it's just stupid to think that. If you think you're a good enough driver that you can do stupid crap like that chances are you're just a punk kid who's full of it.
An airfield day can be a good opportunity to learn the limits and beyond too. Don't know about your area but we have an organisation down here on North Weald airfield with Car Limits. Good fun, especially when it rains.
Chris
ah ok so you think i should not let on that have it, but try and give them prices for 2's with hard tops?? sneaky sneaky s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
will see what happens tomorrow when they pick it up!
yea couldnt agree more.
really need a couple of hours on a wet track to get to know the car like but i dont think anywhere does that here s:( :( s:(
Quote from: "darkday"EDIT: And plus one for mismatched tires being bad even if you're experienced. We've got a punk on SC just today in fact who is saying experience makes up for not having stagger/mismatched tires and it's just stupid to think that. If you think you're a good enough driver that you can do stupid crap like that chances are you're just a punk kid who's full of it.
yea im not familiar with the physics of it, i like to understand everything im told, anyone who knows me will tell you that if someone tells me something and its new to me, first thing i
ALWAYS say is "why??" s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
but the situation i have in my head is kinda like this:
if you have worlds best ice skater, put him in roller skates, then send him out on the ice - a kid with ice skates who has skated maybe 2-3 times will still be better
[edit. what i mean to say is a pro in a car with wrong tyres still wont be able to handle it! if tyres really are that big a deal]
maybe an extreme but thats what im guessing its like (although i still find it hard to grasp as tread pattern seems like such a minor thing! [my wheels were staggered btw - 205 rear 185 front incase that changes anything])
Quotei still find it hard to grasp as tread pattern seems like such a minor thing!
You're not even scratching the surface with your thoughts on this.
You've got sooo much more then tread pattern going on here. First off tread compound is crucial. The compound will determine how much overall grip you have both in dry and wet to a degree. It can also react differently to temperatures. Then you've got sidewall stiffness. This will affect spring rates and just how the car feels overall. As you mentioned earlier tread pattern is big especially in the wet (Sound familar? :p ).
Now let's just take an extrememe example to illustrate my point while keeping things simple. Let's say you have a summer tire designed for dry conditions up front and a all season tire in the rear. So you're driving along happily minding your own business and taking some corners at a decent pace on a warm sunny day. You've got a staggered setup so what's there to worry about? You'll get some understeer if anything right? Well no, that summer tire is going to grip like a mother F-er and that all-season is going to give way MUCH quicker. Now switch it around and if it's raining you'll get crazy oversteer since the all-season will be better in the wet. In fact with the differing sidewalls it can be very difficult to feel what the car is doing as well so even though you may be good at driving and able to recover normally you can't because everything is just "wrong".
Might I also add that we've had cases where people were driving on the highway in a perfectly straight line at normal speeds and the car felt unstable. After putting the same tire all around the car felt perfect again. The issue of mismatched tires is extremely complex IMO and one cannot begin to go through all of the possible issues that can arise from mixing tires.
yep all of the above, plus make sure they are GOOD tyres, not your cheap ditchfinders (no pun intended)
I worked out many years ago that all of my accidents in my youth were in teh wet, since then I've always made sure my tyres are good in teh wet even if it means sacrificing a little dry weather grip
get the roadster on teh right tyres and it will communicate sop well you know exactly how much grip you have to exploit, thats why I keep recommending the Yoko Neovas, they are teh nearest thing to telepathy you can get
Quote from: "djbenny1"... after that Im not sure how i tried to control it (more throttle/less throttle/same) but obviously it wasnt the right choice and its totally because of my lack of experience i.m.o.
Can I just say that this shows a level of maturity not often seen on car forums - especially (sorry to generalise s:) :) s:) ) by younger drivers. Usually the tendency is to blame ice/diesel/the magical spin fairies, rather than ourselves. Not that I want to see anyone demonstrate maturity after a big accident, but you know what I'm getting at, hopefully!
Quote from: "markiii"I worked out many years ago that all of my accidents in my youth were in the wet, since then I've always made sure my tyres are good in the wet even if it means sacrificing a little dry weather grip
You clearly weren't trying hard enough Mark s:P :P s:P My first big accident was sticking a diesel Metro in a ditch at 70 on a dry sunny day! Ahem. Granted it was a heap - it turned out the front subframe was in two halves
before the accident (can you say cut 'n' shut?). Anyway, I digress..
Quote from: "aaronjb"Quote from: "djbenny1"... after that Im not sure how i tried to control it (more throttle/less throttle/same) but obviously it wasnt the right choice and its totally because of my lack of experience i.m.o.
Can I just say that this shows a level of maturity not often seen on car forums - especially (sorry to generalise s:) :) s:) ) by younger drivers. Usually the tendency is to blame ice/diesel/the magical spin fairies, rather than ourselves.
Big +1 on that. Best bet is to take it as a learning experience. I think having a little fear is a good thing for driving, riding etc - it means that you don't feel invincible, and it is those drivers that do that are a risk. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.
ps. those spin fairies are sods!
Crikey. Just logged on and thought you'd been 'modding' with all the comments but i didnt expect those kind of 'mods'.
Sorry to hear about your crash but glad you got out ok. That's the main thing that you are ok s:) :) s:)
Sarah
Quote from: "djbenny1"mind if i ask what happened yours disgress??
also, am i right in assuming that the insurance company WONT in any circumstances pay more than i have given as the value of the car??
for example the cheapest mr2 roadster within a 40 mile radius of me is an 01 blue, 4,695 no hard top (overpriced i know but cars here in NI are always dearer)
There is a thread on here somewhere, basically a pissed up yobbo crashed into it outside my flat and scarpered to the pub. Just 27 days after I picked it up!
My insurance company didn't pay any attention to the value of the car I had given, the impression I get is that that figure is more to get a ball-park and is more often cited to allow the value of rare or older cars to be properly assessed.
In fact I ended up with a comfortably higher payout than the car had originally cost me. It's not your fault that if you got such a good deal in the first place that a replacement will result in spending more (and it did cost me more for a replacement).
I'd be using that MR2 in NI as a major bargaining point, it's not your problem if it's overpriced and point out that the hard top is worth an extra £500-800 on top.
It's a bargaining process, don't accept their first or second offer, prove you know your stuff about the car and go from there.
As for a replacement if you're contemplating a Golf TDI then maybe the MR2 just ain't for you (nothing wrong with that)? They are completely different cars and frankly at your lower budget I'd always be a bit nervous of running an older MR2 and keeping on the road.
Sit on it for a few days. 6yrs ago when I was your age I wrote-off a 1.1 106 by heading into a field. It's a gut wrenching feeling (made worse as it was my mum's motor) but you get over it and improve as a driver.
yea i know what you're all saying
i suppose what i REALLY want to find out is whether an mr2 with the right tyres, driven by me round that corner at the same speed in same conditions would go round no problem. in which case it would really put my mind at ease and i would be happy to get another 2. the question is though am i willing to spend the insurance money to find out?
i'm not so sure s:( :( s:(
good to know about the insurance payout too disgress ill be sure to get as many good high valuations as i can s:wink: :wink: s:wink: the fact that my car was in the database as having only 15k miles on it must be worth something too right? i reckon it must have been adjusted after toyota replaced most of the engine?
if i get 4000 paid out i will be very happy as after selling the hard top i will have 4500, take off my excess (450...) and the difference in my insurance next year, ill be back at what i paid for the car, 3500. will try to get more than that though... s8) 8) s8)
benny, you seem to be in a bit of a flap. take a breath and count to ten.
ask yourself these simple questions.
1, why did you want an mr2
2, how much effort did you put into finding the right one
3, how much effort did you go to in buying and collecting the one you selected
4, what was the feeling you had when you first took the keys for it
5, what was it like when you drove home in it for the first time
6, did you keep looking out of the window when you got home, to see if it was still there.
7, did you get worried when someone parked within 100m of it
8, had you heard horror stories about how this car is a widow maker
9, did it feel like it had 500hp and you were terrified of pressing the accelerator in case it sped off leaving a trail of flames, incinerating all other road users
10, did you want to go to a max power cruise and show off your 140bhp 'monster' and drag race all fast n furious style?
have a look at your answers, im guessing that you bought this car because it was a little different, a little special, and made you feel nice inside. fine, you broke the first one. most likely to be a COMBINATION of incorrect tyres, and lack of driver skill (known greasy road or bad corner)/infamiliarity of a new style of driving.
this car is not high performance. its weight is perfectly distributed between its wheels, its handling is sublime. now, i am a driving god and i say that with no bragging intended. regardless of which car you are in, your driving style has to meet the conditions of the road in front of you. on this occasion, you failed. i never span my car (apart from a deliberate session on southport beach, but thats a different story) s:D :D s:D , i never locked up or got out of control, and i always always drive to the conditions of the road i am on. if you get your money back, you should NOT be scared of getting another one, just in case you have a mishap. 85% or more of the folks on here use this car in all year round conditions, it is not a summer car, its for enjoying.
some years back, i treated (lol) myself to a rover 214 SEi, like the sable colour, half leather, nice alloys etc. i chopped in my old astra and off we went happy campers. 5 days later, having covered 152 miles, i hit some black ice on the M60 flyover by the Trafford Centre. i overcorrected the steering and started a series of 3 x 360' spins, hitting the inside of the bridge, taking 2 feet of the front of the car, spinning some more and hitting the outside of the bridge taking another corner off the car. i was smacked in the face by an airbag, the seat belts exploded and pulled me into the chair. i came to rest in lane 1 pointing the wrong way, with no lights on at 0600. scratched around the footwell for my cigs and my mobile, and phone the feds.
cause = too much speed compounded with lighter steering than i was used to (hence over correction) black ice on the motorway, and late for work.
result = very nervous about driving in icy conditions for about 3 months. also i always slow down a little on that bridge regardless of the time of year. its automatic.
did it put me off buying another rover 214 SEi ? nope. i was just gutted i could not afford another one!!!!
pull yourself together man. get another one. learn to drive it properly. make sure your tyres match and pressures are correct. drive accordingly. read/ask here for help and advice. there are loads of people (me included) who are desperate to get one of these little beauties, but other life factors are getting in the way. you are in prime position. get your insurance company to work for you. thats what you pay them for.
rant over
E
end result = happy campers all round.
i would recommend that you dont start trying to fiddle the insurance or get involved with selling the hard top. sometimes people have been investigated and little discrepencies arise. end result. no payout, and no car!
plus, if you do make more out of the insurance, it comes out of my premium next year !!!!! and that does not make me smile
yea enid i know what youre saying, but at the end of the day it has just shaken me up a bit!
about the insurance, they WILL have to pay more though if i give them the hard top though won't they??
just out of curiosity, whereabouts would you guys say the centre of gravity of mass in the car is? i know it IS "mid engined" but to me as a complete novice it looks like the engine is in the rear, and as such all most of the weight would seem to be over the back wheels?
also its a shame i didnt take down the make/models of both sets of tyres, maybe could shed some more light on it
the hard top is technically part of the car. if you insert your reg into any of these 'value your car' websites, it will pop up with ac+hard top as the model. if so, then you are being a bit naughty to try and recover that and sell it. it is your own choice of course, but i would hate to see your claim rejected for trying to swindle them. the value of the car is reflected with the hard top already on. it is more valuable than one without it, but not as much as you would get from a private sale.
the engine is in front of the rear wheels, albeit not a great deal. hence the name MID ENGINED. you think of the weight of you, and all the gubbins at the front end, then it aint gonna be far off centre. thats the whole point!!!
a crash will shake you up. thats only natural. and again, it is a powerful learning tool, that should stand you in good stead for the future, albeit an expensive and distressing lesson.
i never go round a corner at more than 8/10ths of what a car can do. that leaves me (as in individual) a comfortable margin between safety and performance.
make and model of tyre is not important. the important bit is that they were different. it has been explained above by others. but it does not take a genuis to work out that different tyres will grip and behave differently. its not your fault for not being aware of it, and FWD are a lot less sensitive to it. but i bet you a hundred pounds that you wont let it happen again.
just buy another one and have done with it.
I think its classified as mid engined because the engine sits in between the front and rear tyres even though its in the back of the car
Mohammed
Quote from: "enid_b"but i bet you a hundred pounds that you wont let it happen again.
correct sir s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
well the thought of getting another one is definitely growing on me more and more but whether or not i want to go back to england for one is another story, we will see how it goes
i just rang the repair people (its with them at the minute) to let them know that i had the hard top, he says he will let them know that i have it but wont give it to them just yet as it wasnt on the car, so im keeping everything right s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
Benny, did you tell your insurers you had a hard top? If not, keep quiet, if yes you may find under the terms of the insurance it was not covered as it ws classed as a mod, in which case it is yours to keep.
If you want to get another 2, and you see any in Scotland, i would be glad to check it out for you before you come over the water, for a few guiness of course s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
Aaron is right about your maturity here, it is refreshing and i think you and the club will fit well together. Take a few days to consider all your options.
The car shouldn't have spun, if you consider yourself to have been driving 'normally' around that bend, if you know what I mean. Mismatched tyres and bad alignment both cause this, I can personally confirm and vouch for both. On the case of the alignment, mine was found to be within manufactures tolerances. The tolerances set by Toyota are simply huge!
I'm pretty sure if you get another one and the tyres and alignment are done, the handling in the wet will be fine. Certainly don't let what happened affect your desicion to buy another.
Jason
(http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h18/djbenny1/screen-1.jpg)
if only they knew! s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
edit: in case you cant read it it says "mismatched tyres can inversely affect the cars handling"
edit
mr2 is totally out now, the year of NCB i was building up is gone aswell, so im back to 0, mr2 is £2200 in that case....
ouch,
What happens to your present policy? Is is still active? If you buy another, can it not be covered by your present policy still for the next 12 months? I guess you'll still have the problem of zero years NCB at the end of it though.
Jason
Quote from: "muffdan"ouch,
What happens to your present policy? Is is still active? If you buy another, can it not be covered by your present policy still for the next 12 months? I guess you'll still have the problem of zero years NCB at the end of it though.
Jason
Might be if Benny buys another mr2? As you say though at the end of that time he will go back to zero no claims with a claim history, not good.
Perhaps they could give a rough quote of what they would expect his renewal to be?
Re: everything that's being talked about here. I haven't been following too closely but it has been said before that Insurance companies /underwriters visit these public forums from time to time. Read into that what you will when discussing keepies and swaps and etc.
wasnt aware of that spit, but we were just talking about it. i did consider it but i have declared everything now and its all "by the book".
good show that man!
djb, you have PM re: developing a sticky on this topic.
Ste
I bagsy thread naming rights as it was my awesome idea s:D :D s:D
You're very welcome if the OP OK's it Dan - what did you have in mind? "Morgan's first rule of ownership" perhaps? s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
I was thinking something more like 'BOW DOWN AND LISTEN TO MY WORDS OF WISDOM YOU USELESS FOOLS[/color]', or something equally as subtle.
I'm saving your suggestion though for the thread about how not to jack up your car on the stock jack when working on it though s:oops: :oops: s:oops: s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
(http://www.ekonanet.co.uk/dan/ekona_fonz.jpg)
Safety First!
spit pm'd me and i gave him the ok to sticky this
so insurance is almost sorted
car has been confirmed as a total loss, and i got my first valuation today:
somewhere around £4350 which minus my excess (a whoppin £450) leaves me with £3900.
im chuffed with that as first offer i was expecting something rediculous, but obviously i told them that it would be very hard to replace the car for that sort of money here, and especially with hard top. she told me i was free to appeal that to get more as long as i could prove it would take more than that to replace the car; SO i suggested that we could leave the money at that, and i would hold on to the hard top (they know i have it but they never mentioned coming to pick it up as yet) as i could use it on another car if i bought one without HT. she took note of that and says someone will ring me back on monday.
i have to say; very pleasant (well, as pleasant as i think can possibly be expected) experience with endsleigh so far, and going by what has happened up until now i will highly recommend them to anyone s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
so you guys reckon i should take the next offer? or should i push them again?? i mean whats the point at which they say "ok we wont resolve this so we will have to get an ombudsman in", and they cant go back on the £4350 can they? because truth be told i think its very reasonable
cheers
I think the trying to keep the hardtop idea is a thought as you can at least get your excess back if that works out and you'd have got a very nice price for it. I'm not so sure whether you can push too much out of them as that does sound to me like a very reasonable offer. Good luck anyway! Bummer on the new insurance premium price with 0 NCB though s:( :( s:(
yea hopefully they will let me keep it there is a guy on here interested and he is just down the road so maybe will get a result there s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
yes the insurance will suck! but its only going to be bad for this next year, when im 21 will drop away down again despite only 1 years no claims (if i dont crash!! *fingers crossed*)
Quote from: "djbenny1"when Im 21 will drop away down again despite only 1 years no claims
Yeah you tell yourself that, if you believe it then I'm sure it will happen s:) :) s:)
Quote from: "onion86"Quote from: "djbenny1"when Im 21 will drop away down again despite only 1 years no claims
Yeah you tell yourself that, if you believe it then I'm sure it will happen s:) :) s:)
http://www.endsleigh.co.uk/car/no-claims-bonus.html
and we all know insurance drops when you reach 21
and ive checked insurance prices for if i was 21 and they are a lot lower despite having only 1 year NCB
Quote from: "djbenny1"Quote from: "onion86"Quote from: "djbenny1"when Im 21 will drop away down again despite only 1 years no claims
Yeah you tell yourself that, if you believe it then I'm sure it will happen s:) :) s:)
http://www.endsleigh.co.uk/car/no-claims-bonus.html
and we all know insurance drops when you reach 21
and ive checked insurance prices for if i was 21 and they are a lot lower despite having only 1 year NCB
You also have to bear in mind that even as you continue to accrue NCB, you will still be 'penalised' for the claim for the next 5 years...
I can't remember any age seeing a sharp decrease in insurance - it just steadily fell as I piled the years on! s8) 8) s8)
claim finally settled today
in the end i agreed to a value of £4750 which leaves me with £4300 after my excess. the salvage guys are coming for the hard top though.
very pleased and even more pleased with the service endsleigh provided, highly recommend them!
time to get some new wheels sorted and then maybe back to a 2 in a few years when assurance isnt gonna rape me! s:evil: :evil: s:evil:
that is a stunning settlement/
I know prices are really firm at the moment, but wow! - that must be forecourt prices
good work on your settlement. yeah the hardtop was the loss of an extra bonus, but its all karma. if you had tried to keep it, they would have offered you 4k. mark my words, earl is a legend
Now that seems like a result awesome payout should take a little of the sting out of it all. Keep In touch let us know what you get, and I distinctly remember premiums plummeting at 21 so don't leave it to long before you get back in a 2.
Take care