Bahn's prang :'(

[BahnStormer]

Cash in leieu is basically where they give you money and you sort it however.
We were going down that route for Helen's car, hence I bought a strut off here and was going to buy a panel off a breaker etc.
But then I took it to a garage myself and had them send through a quote to the insurance and forced their hand until they just paid out the garage.

Remember it's their insurance and they're trying to come out as cheap as possible. If you tell them you can fix it for 1k less than a garage, (and you actually can), then they'll likely offer cash in lieue.

Well that is good news.
All the arguments you present are all valid and were the same kind of reasons Helen's wasn't written off (it was initially).

A few panels and a light is no biggie

Fingers crossed for you

Well it looks like they're offering the cash in lieu option - essentially the payout is capped to roughly the same as if it had been Cat D'd... but I get the car back (in current condition  ) and a payout to get it fixed, but no Cat D label (so not worth squabbling about the slightly lower valuation/payout)

What are the next steps?

Can anybody recommend a body shop in Sussex that is MR2 friendly - I'll ask @headcase, but I think this involves boring plastics/panels and no turbo's, so not sure if he'd be interested?

Who pays for the retrieval from the secure yard? The lights, etc still work, but it's not really drive-able due to crumbling headlight and wheel arch liner being loose and hanging on the wheel. So I assume it will need to be towed / trucked.

Should I get it delivered to:
1) a local garage/shop? (currently near Crawley)
2) somewhere further afield (e.g. if @headcase recommends somebody in Bexhill)
3) my drive at home (but then possibly have to pay for it to be towed somewhere later as I've only got limited tools and it's deep, loose gravel)...

I'll check with Dean for parts once we know what actually needs replacing.

[ManInDandism]

Cash in leieu is basically where they give you money and you sort it however.
We were going down that route for Helen's car, hence I bought a strut off here and was going to buy a panel off a breaker etc.
But then I took it to a garage myself and had them send through a quote to the insurance and forced their hand until they just paid out the garage.

Remember it's their insurance and they're trying to come out as cheap as possible. If you tell them you can fix it for 1k less than a garage, (and you actually can), then they'll likely offer cash in lieue.

Well that is good news.
All the arguments you present are all valid and were the same kind of reasons Helen's wasn't written off (it was initially).

A few panels and a light is no biggie

Fingers crossed for you

Well it looks like they're offering the cash in lieu option - essentially the payout is capped to the same as if it had been Cat D'd... but I get the car back (in current condition  ) and a payout to get it fixed, but no Cat D label 

What are the next steps?

Can anybody recommend a body shop in Sussex that is MR2 friendly - I'll ask @headcase, but I think this involves boring plastics/panels and no turbo's, so not sure if he'd be interested?

Who pays for the retrieval from the secure yard? The lights, etc still work, but it's not really drive-able due to crumbling headlight and wheel arch liner being loose and hanging on the wheel. So I assume it will need to be towed / trucked.

Should I get it delivered to:
1) a local garage/shop? (currently near Crawley)
2) somewhere further afield (e.g. if @headcase recommends somebody in Bexhill)
3) my drive at home (but then possibly have to pay for it to be towed somewhere later as I've only got limited tools and it's deep, loose gravel)...

I'll check with Dean for parts once we know what actually needs replacing.

Ideally you want it to go directly to the place that it is going to be repaired.  I'm about 20 miles from Crawley, but rarely having cause to go there, I have no idea about bodyshops or garages in that locality. 

The premier bodyshop in my own area is probably Johnsons but it is the type of place that I imagine would seek to source parts from a dealer rather than a breaker to complete a repair.  That's probably another thing to factor in when making a decision.

[1979scotte]

I am sure Patrick Headcase will sort you out if it's not to far for you to go.
He is right by Bexhill station if you need to use the train .

[BahnStormer]

I am sure Patrick Headcase will sort you out if it's not to far for you to go.
He is right by Bexhill station if you need to use the train .

Yep - he's been in contact and we've talked, so I've got the details, so I know where I can get the car delivered

[BahnStormer]

All in progress now: Recovery is booked to get the car back to Patrick today and from there we'll know what the actual repair cost is, rather than the insurance appraisal - hopefully by the end of this week / early next week.

Just as a slight aside: does anybody know how long I get to keep the courtesy car for? Does that time start after the settlement / engineer's report advising on the settlement? I'm sure I saw something about two weeks, but I wasn't sure if that was just somebody else's experience / general advice / what I've been told. I'm pretty sure it was the latter in both cases, but I need to find it in the paperwork.

On that car: When they said what I needed - I said - "just something small for commuting and hopefully not too slow"... Abarth 595 Competizione... it's absolutely mental! Every day I'm saying to myself: I wonder if you could use this as the donor car for an engine swap?!? I mean not this ACTUAL car, I'm sure Europcar want it back with the engine still in it.... but you get the idea. I've genuinely never heard such a characterful turbo-charged engine and it's got 180bhp, so not exactly hanging about.... I mean the rest of the car is sending all sorts of mixed messages: it's like driving a 1:2 scale model of a Renault Espace F1 - quad pipes, venturi rear skirt, bucket seats and decked in alcantara EVERYWHERE, but the driving position, cornering stance and arcing windscreen of an MPV. I don't know whether to love it or hate it, but I'm really looking forward to being back in a '2!!

[Smcknighty]

I had a bmw m4 when someone reversed into my car. Had it for weeks as the claims company were slow doing the repair. Was all good, until the court case when the other party's insurance refused to pay for it...! I wasn't that impressed with that car either, auto, very hard to drive fast down country lanes. Ok on a motorway but where's the fun in that.


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[m1tch]

I have a set of FL headlights sitting in the garage if needed.

[BahnStormer]

I have a set of FL headlights sitting in the garage if needed.

thanks for the offer, but unless you're wanting to split up the pair, I'll just buy a one-off from Dick Sloan / Dean.

I had a bmw m4 [...] I wasn't that impressed with that car either, auto, very hard to drive fast down country lanes. Ok on a motorway but where's the fun in that.

Exactly!! I have driven a lot of 400bhp+ cars that can do 175mph+.... and they just seem like very expensive ways to make 120mph seem boring... I'd far rather be in an MR2 with 200bhp* doing 60mph (or less)... *but that's another project for another day 

[BahnStormer]

Car is with Patrick now - photo evidence, et al! He's confirmed he'll have a proper look over the next few days and give an assessment early next week.

POP QUIZ hotshots: EXACTLY how long / wide is an MR2 bonnet? I think I've found one, but need to check if I can fit it in the back of the A6...

[ManInDandism]

Car is with Patrick now - photo evidence, et al! He's confirmed he'll have a proper look over the next few days and give an assessment early next week.

POP QUIZ hotshots: EXACTLY how long / wide is an MR2 bonnet? I think I've found one, but need to check if I can fit it in the back of the A6...

...would have thought you could get the whole car in the back of that - Thunderbird 2 stylee.

[BahnStormer]

Car is with Patrick now - photo evidence, et al! He's confirmed he'll have a proper look over the next few days and give an assessment early next week.

POP QUIZ hotshots: EXACTLY how long / wide is an MR2 bonnet? I think I've found one, but need to check if I can fit it in the back of the A6...

...would have thought you could get the whole car in the back of that - Thunderbird 2 stylee.

yeah - I thought so too.... but the hard top does NOT fit!

[ManInDandism]

Car is with Patrick now - photo evidence, et al! He's confirmed he'll have a proper look over the next few days and give an assessment early next week.

POP QUIZ hotshots: EXACTLY how long / wide is an MR2 bonnet? I think I've found one, but need to check if I can fit it in the back of the A6...

...would have thought you could get the whole car in the back of that - Thunderbird 2 stylee.

yeah - I thought so too.... but the hard top does NOT fit!

Am working from home today...that old Friday chestnut    Been out and measured at roughly a 1 x 1.4 metres at widest points which would definitely fit in my E-Class.

[BahnStormer]

Car is with Patrick now - photo evidence, et al! He's confirmed he'll have a proper look over the next few days and give an assessment early next week.

POP QUIZ hotshots: EXACTLY how long / wide is an MR2 bonnet? I think I've found one, but need to check if I can fit it in the back of the A6...

...would have thought you could get the whole car in the back of that - Thunderbird 2 stylee.

yeah - I thought so too.... but the hard top does NOT fit!

Am working from home today...that old Friday chestnut    Been out and measured at roughly a 1 x 1.4 metres at widest points which would definitely fit in my E-Class.

thanking you kindly - I'll get measuring on the A6 boot now

[J03]

For reference, I got an mr2 bonnet laid flat in the back of my missus' '09 Auris this morning, so I'd imagine an A6 would devour one.

[BahnStormer]

For reference, I got an mr2 bonnet laid flat in the back of my missus' '09 Auris this morning, so I'd imagine an A6 would devour one.

Thanks guys - I'm getting the impression it would all fit... and that the bonnet is the largest/"squarest" piece that needs to go in: also the bumper plastics (longer, but thinner), front driver's side wing, headlight, fog light, washer bottle and couple of other smaller bits.

Might wait to see what Dick/Dean have in their yard first as I don't think that SouthSide (Slough) have everything I need, so might as well get it all from Rutland, if I can, especially if they have all the painted bits in sable!!

[wotugonado]

There's one on eBay at the moment it's in Birmingham in sable and the bumper has the front spats on    iirc he wants £160

Edit:- ignore me I'm talking through my ar%e. It must of sold .....

[BahnStormer]

Patrick has talked to Dick Sloan @Rutland MR2 and all the parts are in stock, in Sable (where appropriate) and we'll be getting them heading towards my car first thing on Monday

[ilovejapcrap]

Nice to know it's being saved


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[BahnStormer]

I would simply reject their valuation and see how they respond.   I would inform them of your own valuation ( keep it reasonable) and state that you will seek to recover the difference from their client.

If you don't have the heart for that battle...

Take the £3500 and keep the car.  Buy the bits off Dean at Rutland MR 2 and get them bolted on.

You'll be at least £2500 up on the deal.

I HATE the whole insurance scam, so I'd give them the full treatment...

No chance of being "£2500 up", but it looks like I'll get the car properly repaired for a bit less than they're paying out - probably all even once you include the recovery cost back to Patrick and train fare to fetch it... main thing is that it's being fully repaired and not being Cat D'd... which was the end goal: seemed a shame to put that "write off" label against a car that was fairly superficially damaged and would be so hard to replace, especially with those factory extras (AC, heated leather) AND those recent extras (brakes, suspension, hood, etc)...

[Carolyn]

All-in-all a good result.  Though it never happening at all would have been better.

You must have been crushed when it happened.  I know I would have been.

I suppose I arrived at £2500 up by thinking in terms of what I could have done, i.e. fix it myself!

Still, very very pleased that she's on the mend.

[BahnStormer]

All-in-all a good result.  Though it never happening at all would have been better.

You must have been crushed when it happened.  I know I would have been.

I suppose I arrived at £2500 up by thinking in terms of what I could have done, i.e. fix it myself!

Still, very very pleased that she's on the mend.

Yeah - if I'd fought the valuation up a little, accepted the Cat D (and slightly higher payout) AND been able to do all the work for myself, then it would have been ~£2500 up...

Back in the world that the non-rocketcar engineers live in  .... I needed somebody with the experience, space and tools to do the work and as much as Patrick appears to love MR2's, his time doesn't come for free...

I'm sure I could have fought for more, but my argument is pretty much null and void if they're paying enough for the repair and not Cat'ing the car, so I'll gladly miss out on fighting with the insurance company for a few hundred extra and if it means it still gets fixed and no CatD label. Honestly, from what I've heard of Patrick, I'd far rather have him sorting it out with decent 2nd hand bits than new parts and it go to Toyota again - especially after the last trip!!

It's been a hassle and a stress for sure, but the best outcome out of an unpleasant situation.

edit: if I'm looking for a silver lining, then the courtesy car has been a hoot: I'm intrigued to know if you could port an Abarth 595 Competizione engine into an MR2..... not exactly stellar power  (180bhp), but apparently tunable to ~240bhp and it is the most characterful small engine, definitely the best turbo'd engine I think I've ever heard! 

[Chilli Girl]

Great news your 2 is getting fixed and by Patrick - result. 😀

[BahnStormer]

Great news your 2 is getting fixed and by Patrick - result. 😀

Indeedy - he's even giving the rear subframe a thorough check and will scrub it down and treat it, so hopefully good for another 10yrs or until I need a new re-enforced subframe for a supercharged 2GR or similar  (I'm joking a decent turbo'd 1ZZ would be plenty for my needs!)