[crash damaged Defender]

making the 90 photo much bigger, the A Bar has pulled the bumper bolts & bent them at the chassis end & the forward bolts through the bumper, maybe the estimate is probably including a new chassis cost, but it could be repaired if the front section of that side member is straight.

on the right hand side the grille surround has pulled away from the wing too,

The chassis was looked at very closely and is straight and sound, but there is a tiny ripple or dent at the chassis end, on the top, where A bar bracket has bent back and down onto the chassis end. But the engineer said it was not significant. Definately no new chassis on the estimate.

Yes the grill surround is to be replaced, they cost those parts at, grille frame £104 and grille back £130.50

[crash damaged Defender]

Ouch. look to be all around that left front, even the bumper is still straight.

good used panels or new will sort that for a lot less than 6grand.

Double Ouch, look at the back of the tanker, not only did our 90 trash the trucks crash fender it bent under the rear of the floor bed.

[crash damaged Defender]

Here is a photo of the damage, how can they say total loss with no chassis or engine damage?

click the thumbnail to see full size pic.

[crash damaged Defender]

Well its getting worse as we are being stiched up here by both the insurers and the Accident Repairers.

We had the repairers estimate this morning £6200. That is so unreasonable, they are even listing undamaged things like door mirrors, front wheels, horn, and that is just three of many undamaged items they plan to replace.

The worst thing is when I called our insurers "Hastings Direct" to let them know of the estimate cost and to start the total loss procedure, thinking I would then buy it back, I got a shock.

They will not even offer me a salvage valuation unless a salvage company actually remove it from my home address. They say that their engineers will only look at a Total loss vehcle if it is in possession of the salvage company"

I pressured them again that the engineer could come here but they said they do not work that way. They have to pass it over to salvage before a valuation is done. What a load of bo..ocks.

When I asked about getting it back they said "they lose all right or control of the vehicle after it goes to salvage but I could go directly to the salvage co myself after they take it away to ask if I can buy it back. Yeah, some chance I will be that lucky, the salvage co will rub their hands together, It will be "look at this landy 90 county thats just come in lads, it only wants 2 new new wings, bonnet radiator and grill. Its got no rust, air con, alloys, new AT tyres, even the upholstery is unmarked, and only 50k miles with full service history" I will have no chance to buy it of them.

We are now almost thinking of saying, **** the claim, just cancel the claim, if they will let us do that now that is, and then repair it at our own cost. Unfortunately we have a £450 eccess and I dont know if we will still have to pay that if we dont claim as the wife really wrecked the back of the tanker, so they will be claiming £1000s against us.

Or should I go to another repairer who I know personally and ask him for an estimate for £1500 or £2000 and send that to the insurers in the hope they accept it, it will be less than the 60% thing, and then after paying £450 eccess we will have £1500 to do it up ourselves. The only thing is, after my phone call they know I have an estimate for £6200.

Its a bugger.

[crash damaged Defender]

i thought they had to make an offer even if you dont accept it before their responsibility for the loan car stopped.

That's very interesting, I will look into that. Thanks.

[crash damaged Defender]

Hi Dudley/Steve,

Where are you based ?, if you need any help or advice on your claim let me know as I am an independant Assessor/Engineer (dont shout you lot I'm one of the nice ones honest)so know how it all works, & my first thoughts would be to keep the salvage & repair it your self, they may catergerise it a C or D but thats no harm if your keeping the vehicle anyway, & depending on where you are may even be able help with the repairs or painting as this is what I do part time , only just bought myself a 90 & that had been Total losed cat C with the previous owner so he got paid out & then sold it to me so did well for himself, can also help with the value if they mess you about

John

Hi John,

Unfortunately a long way from you John, were in Kent. But I may take up your offer of help even if it is via email or something regarding valuations etc. Good luck with you 90 project, that's if it's not done yet.

Thanks Steve.

[crash damaged Defender]

If they write it off, the insurer will pay out for you to buy as good a car as you had originally. If that means that they have to pay £7500 then so be it. The insurer has an obligation to it's shareholders and as such will offer you as little as they can get away with. Their first offer will be low in the hope that you are desperate enough for a car to take the money and run. If you look out for ads for similar cars, age, condition, mileage etc., than you will be able to show them what it will cost you to get a similar car back. You can always accept an offer lower than the cost of getting a new one if they will allow you to keep the salvage. One piece of advice, if you want it back, KEEP THE SALVAGE IN YOUR POSSESSION. Some cars get broken up and bits go missing before the insurer settles, I have seen it happen. You can also point out to the insurer that they are saving storage charges, though they will act like they do not care, and remember that it will cost them money to collect the salvage from you.

The last car SWMBO wrote off (well, had written off by another driver, a Rover 400) we were allowed to keep the car for free as it did not then cost the insurer to get rid of it. Just as well as it only needed a new bumper (plastic bumper with a tear in it) so I re-MOT'd it and it is still going today with no new parts and a full value payout.

Chris

Hi Chris,

I am glad I opted to get it back home. And I won't let it go anywhere. My first reaction was to fight and make the insurers get it repaired for me. But all these positive responses about taking it as salvage and repairing it myself has got me wanting to do it.

I am tempted to just say ok to them, and let them total loss it, incase my accident repairers estimate (when I get it) changes their mind.

Thanks Steve.

[crash damaged Defender]

I rolled my td5 130 back in febuary, had it insured for €18,000. My brokers had an accessor look at it and he

wrote it off straight away, he may as well be looking into a bush, all she needed was a new cab, (4 doors, roof, front and back windows.)I baught it back as salvage for €250 and got €12,900 back in my pocket So far ive spent near 8grand putting her back on the road including €1200 paint job and got a full suspension kit and unimog axles for my 110. to reinsure it they wanted a doe cert(mot)and an engineers report(he hadn't a clue either, took a couple of pics and got me to drive it 200 yards then jam on! took €180 for the pleasure!)

got her reinsured with the same company for the same money with no change in premium. happy days.

We paid £7500 for this S reg TDI privatly in June. I think i did ok, but I fear the insurers will not think that is a fair market value. I recal I could have got newer TD5's for the same money.

But as it is only the front bolt on panels and possibly radiator and fan to replace and spray, it cant cost more than a few grand. If I, like you, can buy it as salvage for about £250 I should be ok. Even if they pay me a carp market value.

But it is early days yet. They wont quote a market value, I may get more than the £7500 I paid for it.

[crash damaged Defender]

There's a company called Hobson Bros, (they advertise on eBay or just Google it)

they have a lot of new take off parts and are just land rovers, and the owner ( I think its Jeff(?)) Would be able to help you out with new take off type panels

He usually has everything in stock as well and has been good at doing deals in the past for me!!

So would recommend that!

If you want I can dig out his phone number for you?

HTH

Grant

Thanks Grant,

I will have to wait now for a repair estimate to send to my insurers and if it is less than 60% of what they say the market value is, it can be repaired. 61%+ and I will be buying the parts and doing it myself I think.

[crash damaged Defender]

If the damage is as minor as it sounds, then the very idea of scrapping it is just irresponsible. Unless the chassis is twisted etc then it's worth replacing the panels/rad and your Defender will be back good as new. Add it to your count of accidents partaken of and won

This is why so many good cars, especially Land Rovers, get wasted. Stupid insurance companies

Yes it is minor if you class external panels as minor.

Our insurers wanted to get a salvage company to recover it from crash site. I was not happy with that so they said I could bill them for my own recovery and have it examined personally and forward estimate on to them. But the accident repairer who looked at it this afternoon was also suggesting that he would probably have to say it was a total loss, mainly because of the labour, I should get his report in the post soon.

Looks like I will be buying it back as salvage.

I will have to get the wife a little run around for the time being because the horrid insurers do not supply a loan car if they say the words "Total Loss" even if you have comprehensive insurance.

[crash damaged Defender]

Get some old wings, bonnet and grill off ebay for a few quid, get them fillered and resprayed to match your truck and bolt them on. You could probably do this for less than your insurance excess if you get the spraying done for cash. I'd personally do that, and not even bother with the insurance company.

I will start looking if we go down that road. Thanks.

[crash damaged Defender]

all these stock good quality salvaged parts/panels, next best thing to LR genuine brand new or other sources panels

http://www.equicar.co.uk/

http://www.cws4x4.co.uk/

Thats great Western.

We bought the TDI and not a TD5 so I could service and maintain it, and knowing that the insurers are so keen to scrap it hurts. As far as they are concerned we may as well be talking about a plastic family car, they dont even consider how replacable the landie parts are. Wife did more damage to the rear of the Fuel Tanker than our landie, .

[crash damaged Defender]

No reason why you can't obtain front panels from any of the normal LR parts suppliers such as Craddocks/Paddocks] or use good condition salvaged parts from Equicar or Autocraft4x4, these panels are all bolt on items anyway.

tell your insurers you want the vehicle back either repaired or as salvage to repair yoyurself

Thanks Western, but LR parts suppliers were first list of phone calls today. Paddocks and others tell me that recently the body parts supplier they all use went bust. They are trying to get hold of the tooling to manufacture themselves. But just now, no bonnets in stock and only bits and bobs of other panels. They direct me to Land Rover directly for genuine replacements. But I am not rushing in to this, so I can keep looking if I go down this road.

I really wanted feedback if it was worth replacing the front parts or scrap it.

Thanks.

[crash damaged Defender]

Defender Verses a Fuel Tanker.

Today my wife drove our Defender 90 300 TDI into the back of a Fuel Tanker.

She was fine protected inside the defender. Although she has bent all the front body bolt on parts from the bulkhead forward except for the offside outer wing panel.

New Grill assembly

Nearside wing assembly

Bonnet

The radiator and intercooler have been pushed back toward the engine, and may need to be replaced but there is no actual damage to the engine, chassis or bulkhead.

As soon as we informed our insurers of the damage they instantly told us it was a total loss. But this S reg landie has a beautiful spec, air con, alloys, paint job and only 50k miles.

The insurers may allow me to keep it and sort out the repair myself. I feel confident that I have the skill to replace the body parts and then take it for painting. However it looks like body panels are now not easy to get hold of.

I get the feeling that the insures are not going to come close to offering me the £7500 I paid for it 2 months ago. So what do you guys think, what would you a front panel rebuild involve for a novice?

Thanks Steve.

[Alarm obstruction]

Well as the description say's, I have just fitted a standard defender 90 (with bulkhead) dog guard and when bolting it in place I noticed that the rear facing ALARM SENSOR fitted just above the drivers seat belt fitting on the head lining trim is completly obscured by the frame of the dog guard. I only presume that this sensor is a movement type thingy and so will obviously not pick up any intruder movement in the rear of the vehicle now. Ooh, just thought, maybe its deliberate so you can leave the mutt in the back with the alarm on, .

I am thinking I can move the sensor to another possition but I would like to know how they work first so I know how far away to refit it and do not fit it in a bad place.

Can anyone help?

Oh I wont be able to respond for two weeks as were of on a defender touring holiday.

Thank you.

[90 bumperettes]

They look very professional. How much are they to buy? Including postage LOL.

[battery charging light]

Sorry Aragorn, your correct I meant Volts not amps. And Western also pointed out the problem would be the diode pack. I have taken the battery off to day and put it on charge so I can get out to a 4x4 jumble tomorrow. I will get a new alternator on Monday.

Thanks again.

[battery charging light]

Thank you all. I will get a new alternator, great things these forums.

With what you have said I put a meter on the alternator and battery to do a test and with the engine off the battery is reading 11.3 Amps and when I start the engine it only runs up to 12.8 Amps and that is slowly, I think it should wiz up to about 14 Amps when engine is running, so its not charging properly. I can understand why the previous keeper had to have the battery changed just before she put it up for sale. I think running it with lights and Air Con fan the other night drained the battery a bit and the battery warning light is on as the battery is low. I bet if I put the battery on charge tonight the light will not be on tomorrow.

And I am sorry for buying a defender with Air Con, but as I said before the wife let me get rid of her car as well as my van to buy this landy so I had to make the change as user friendly as possible for her too. Need not have worried, she loves it.

[battery charging light]

Hi all. I hope I post this in the right spot!!! This is my 1st post on here, I am not just new to Land Rover I am new to 4x4 having just got rid of my beloved Renault Van and the wife’s Rover to share a Defender 90, on an S registation (one of the last TDIs I understand)

I think/hope I made a wise purchase as it’s a genuine 46K mileage with full Land Rover service history, Lady owner, never been off road (not yet anyway) in great condition and none of the bad bits for a 10 year old landy that I was warned about when looking to buy.

Only been driving it for two weeks and so far FANTASTIC but tonight the battery charging light came on after I switched the engine off. The light stays on even when keys removed from ignition. Switch ignition back on and the light goes out as you would expect. But why does it stay on when ignition is off and it’s parked up?

Any help anyone?