Pheasant nil, MR2 one

[Anonymous]

No nice way to say it - I killed a pheasant tonight   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:  

I wasn't exactly hanging about so it's safe to say that it was a quick death, it appears that I decapitated the poor birdie. Had a quick peek (from a distance, through my fingers) at front of car when I got to my destination - initial glance showed feathers (the remainder of a wing I think) and "stuff" on the bottom of the front spoiler / bumper thing. It was raining on the way home so I took the long route so I could drive into the rain and hopefully wash some of it off, picked out all the puddles and everything. Got home and attacked it with the hose - being a girlie I figured its best to do it in the dark so I don't have to look at it all - but it won't shift and it looks like I've cracked the mesh stuff, also a little rectangle thing in the bumper thing had popped out but I think I've pushed it in again.

Think it'll be a trip to the jet wash tomorrow but am concerned that I may have damaged something - is there much at the front end that could be damaged by 50-60mph pheasant?   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:   I know I'll have to look properly in daylight, but TBH it's not something I'm looking forward to.   s:cry: :cry: s:cry:

[Anonymous]

Can't help regarding damage, but hey, does'nt it shake you up when this sort of thing happens. I've hit a bird (feathered type) that was bad enough so a pheasant, wow, must have been a real thwack! hope there's no damage to your 2.

[markiii]

had a friend with a MK1 hit a blackbird travellign toward him at similar speeds. went straight through the rad.

assuming the grills are all intact you shoudl be ok.

[Anonymous]

Can't help regarding damage, but hey, does'nt it shake you up when this sort of thing happens. I've hit a bird (feathered type) that was bad enough so a pheasant, wow, must have been a real thwack! hope there's no damage to your 2.

I felt phsically sick by the time I got to where I was going! Didn't dare look but had to obviously. Am actually feeling pretty guilty about killing her (it was a female - only saw it for a scond but long enough to spot that much). And as for the car - I dread to think what's happened - have had a look using a dim torch (don't want to see too much really) and it looks like there's "stuff" firmly attached to my car - a good blast with the hose didn't shift it, and to make it worse I think the head is jammed in still. ugh! The BF isn't around for a few days so I have to sort it myself, sometimes being an independant girlie really doesn't pay off   s:cry: :cry: s:cry:

[Anonymous]

had a friend with a MK1 hit a blackbird travellign toward him at similar speeds. went straight through the rad.

assuming the grills are all intact you should be ok.

nope, grill appears to be broken   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:   will have a proper look tomorrow once I've psyched myself up for it .

[heathstimpson]

The damage shouldn't be too bad. Not like when a deer ran into my car about fourteen years ago  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  Absolutelky wrecked the side of the car and gave the missus a heart attack  s:? :? s:?

[Liz]

Sorry to hear what happened Sandie, get some rubber gloves on before tackling that one...yuk, gross!

I have only had one Road kill and that was in my Calibra, this huge badger ran out from the side of the road and made that horrid bump bump as it went under the offside wheels.
My Stupid question afterwards after seeing the poor thing lying in the middle of the road splattered......is it dead?

I felt awful, particulary as I had a picture of a badger stuck on the side of my car with a cross through it by "persons unknown"..

[Slacey]

Not a pleasant (or is that pheasant?  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  ) situation. Hopefully there won't be any damage to the radiator, which is behind the grill / bumper.
At least now you have an excuse to fit Chrom Design or similar mesh grills!

[Anonymous]

I get loads of the buggers on my road to work usually 3-4 per journey.  However so far I've been lucky.  Be glad it wasn't flying also... girl at work had one hit the front of her bonnet and boy did that leave a big dent.

[Anonymous]

Yep, bird damage can be quite "impressive" if that is the word. I nearly had the side window on my Mk1 taken out (cracked it nicely though) by a pigeon flying straight into the side. Left a bird "imprint" on the window, as well as the crack and in the rear mirror all I could see what a flapping ball of feathers, so it didn't die instantly. I felt very guilty, even though I didn't actually drive into it. Luckily, a Saab about 100 meters behind me drove over it and put it out of its misery for me, but you still feel bad.

Hope there is not much damage Sandie and thank yourself lucky it didn't try to take off when it saw you. My cousin had a Crow go straight through the windscreen on the passenger side because of that. He took a picture of it when he came to a stop (was on holiday, so had a camera with him) and the bird is halfway in and halfway out of the screen. If you are going fast enough, they can be like bullets!

[markiii]

if the grill is broken dead centre, that bit is replaceable. if it;s anuywhere else, it's new bumper time I'm afraid as teh mesh is integral on 03's

[Anonymous]

I hit a pheasant the day after I got my MR2. I must have been doing about 45-50mph.

It snapped the number plate in two and tore out one of the screws that holds the grill on. The grill still looks fine but you can push it back at the top centre.

I'm planning to put a new screw in over easter while I'm fitting my strut brace - only two years after it happened!

The radiator was fine, if a little feathery. It does shake you up a bit though.

Paul.

[Anonymous]

ok - the damage, starting from the outside and working inwards...

number plate cracked
bottom part of bumber cracked from the outside to the mesh (which is why the feathers wouldn't shift last night), and pop out rectangle thing now wonky
mesh buggered - all 3 bits adrift
vertical strut behind grill, running from bottom of rad to bonnet catch - bent
radiator - pushed in, doesn't look good
strip running under front of bumber also wonky

also - have noticed a small, high pitched buzzing noise from front end when bonnet is up - appears to be coming from area beneath washer bottle etc although hard to tell cos I havent taken the trim cover peice off (and don't particualrly want to - guts went in all directions including up into the bonnet release catch bit, suspect it won't be pretty underneath).

have run it for a while, temp doesn't exceed half way but steam from front end (am hoping it's steam and not smoke).

so, all in all not looking good - new rad, bumber etc. and yes I know, it could have been worse.

bollox. am most definately not a happy bunny   s:cry: :cry: s:cry:

[Anonymous]

Buzzing is probably the power steering pump which is normal.

So its more like Phesent 1, MR2 0   s:shock: :shock: s:shock:    s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[GSB]

Hmm, reminder to self... See if Pelican Racing still make those trendy mesh grilles...

[Anonymous]

If you are going to hit anything, hit an Alsation dog...I did in my Mk1 and it bounced right off, totally unharmed.  The owner told be that it had been run over three times that year.......suicide?

[Anonymous]

If you are going to hit anything, hit an Alsation dog...I did in my Mk1 and it bounced right off, totally unharmed.  The owner told be that it had been run over three times that year.......suicide?

  s:lol: :lol: s:lol:    s:lol: :lol: s:lol:    s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  

I've yet to hit anything in the '2, but I did manage to get a pidgeon whilst driving my parents' Escort estate: it did make me chuckle when all I saw out of the rear windscreen was a mass a feathers floating back to earth: reminded me of just about every cartoon I ever watched as a kid!   s:D s:D  


Sorry to hear about the damage though Sandie. Not good.

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear about the damage though Sandie. Not good.

tell me about it! I'm gutted   s:cry: :cry: s:cry:   Not as much as the pheasant obviously   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:  , and no doubt if i wasn't so p'd off about it I'd be making allsorts of sicko jokes about it. At the risk of speaking too soon I'd like to say thanks to you all for avoiding the use of bad puns etc on this subject. spose I've tempted fate now tho?   s:evil: :evil: s:evil:    s:evil: :evil: s:evil:  

Have spoken to insurance company and am waiting for a call back . That'll be another £150 excess down the drain then   s:cry: :cry: s:cry:

[Slacey]

At the risk of speaking too soon I'd like to say thanks to you all for avoiding the use of bad puns etc on this subject. spose I've tempted fate now tho?   s:evil: :evil: s:evil:    s:evil: :evil: s:evil:  

Did you miss mine then?  s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  

Have spoken to insurance company and am waiting for a call back . That'll be another £150 excess down the drain then   s:cry: :cry: s:cry:

Do you definately need a new radiator? If yes, then I expect the insurance is the cheaper option, but if it is repairable, it may be as well for you to sort the work yourself maybe?

[GSB]

Check with Toyota and a few radiator suppliers first, as the MR2 radiator can be re-cored, so there may be cheaper options...

[Anonymous]

bollox. am most definately not a happy bunny

I don't think the pheasant is too happy either  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

When on holiday in Menorca a few years ago I ran over a Tortoise, it lifted the rear wheel off the road   s:!: :!: s:!:   There was a very loud CRACK.
Still makes me feel sick thinking about it.

[Anonymous]

If you are going to hit anything, hit an Alsation dog...I did in my Mk1 and it bounced right off, totally unharmed.  The owner told be that it had been run over three times that year.......suicide?

ROFL - Never hit anything in the '2 but hit a few things in the 100K miles i did in the Astra.

I got a phesant....one ran out a bush in front of me and me and my mate pissed ourselves laughing (in a nervous way) made a joke...."Ah bugger, missed it" then another one DARTS out straight under the wheels.....was kinda funny at the time and then not once realised what had happened.

Then i'd met me g/f and taken her back to my place for the first time....was all happy and smily (use your imagination) and a fat assed badger ran out infront of me.....nothing i could have done as he just cam flying out the bush....well more waddling...and straight under the wheels....felt sick after that one.

My mum has a Volve C70 T5 Convertible and they went on holiday last week, i went out to her car and all i could see were two little feet sticking out the grill wobbling, some stoooooopid bird had flown/crawled in and got stuck..........i helped it out and it flew off.

Suppose all this comes from living right in rural sussex.

[Anonymous]

Did you miss mine then?  s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  

nope, just chose to ignore it   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

Do you definately need a new radiator? If yes, then I expect the insurance is the cheaper option, but if it is repairable, it may be as well for you to sort the work yourself maybe?

I'm no expert but it isn't looking good.  and the bumper definitly needs replacing - it has a big crack in it now, right in the middle. The grill is knackered, the vertical strut between grill and radiator is bent. Either the strut or the pheasant (or both) have made a big dent in the rad.  can't get an answer out of Mr T now but can't see that lot being less than £150.

Have just taken a load of pics - if I can suss out how to download them and get them on here I'll show you, but they're a bit gross (even if I was hosing it down in the dark last night). Maybe I can email them to someone a bit more IT-minded than myself?   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

Insurance co have been on the phone - they're sending a truck out to get it - told them about the steam at the front end so they say best not to drive, fair enough. They won't release a courtesy car until they have mine at their garage, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow for that delight.

[Anonymous]

Out of interest, where do you stand from an insurance point of view if your car ends up damaged...?  i.e. do you lose your no claims unless you  pay for the damage yourself?

Or does that depend on whether Mrs Pheasant or Mr Pigeon has taken out a third-party insurance policy   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

Sundance   s8) s8)

[Anonymous]

Out of interest, where do you stand from an insurance point of view if your car ends up damaged...?  i.e. do you lose your no claims unless you  pay for the damage yourself?

I've got protected no claims discount, so I "only" lose the £150 excess, and my premium will go up next year. Still, considering I'm already buggered for next year cos they've already paid out for £2k worth of repairs when a vectra rammed me then drove off (i.e they can't get it back) a bit of pheasant damage is just a drop in the ocean   s:evil: :evil: s:evil:  

Or does that depend on whether Mrs Pheasant or Mr Pigeon has taken out a third-party insurance policy   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

Sundance   s8) s8)

  s:evil: :evil: s:evil:    s:evil: :evil: s:evil: