crash damaged Defender

[dudley]

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.

[western]

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

[landmannnn]

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.

Insurers employ loss adjusters to keep their costs down, always room for negotiation.

On my last (only) total loss I ended up getting them to buy me a virtually identical vehicle from a autotrader seller. It took quite a while but worth the long phone calls discussing the options.

Interestingly they bought it from a dealer, I never found out how much they negotiated his asking price down.

[dudley]

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.

[western]

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/

[landrover598]

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.

[dudley]

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, .

[dudley]

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.

[Retroanaconda]

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

[Br1an M]

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.

[Grant.]

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

[dudley]

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.

[dudley]

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.

[dudley]

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.

[V8CAMEL]

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.

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

[GBMUD]

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

[GBMUD]

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

Yup, IIRC the loan car stops at the first offer.

Chris

[nicks90]

keep your fingers crossed they think it is a write off,

you;ll be quids in if the damage is only bodywork and nothing mechanical or chassis related.

my 90 was rolled and classed as a write off, but it took 2 hours of walking around a landrover autojumble to pick up a good condition roof, csw sides, all the glass and 2 doors.

Cost me £500!

ok, i aint bothered sorting the wings out or properly painting the replacement panels - its mainly a trialler - but i would imagine i would only have had to add another £500 to get them professionally painted to match my truck. 6 hours after i got home with my loot, the truck was back on the road and waiting for an inspection and MOT.

So even if the insurers only give you £4K and the motor back - i would anticipate you being up by a couple of thousand at least once the repairs are completed.

Fingers crossed it is just bodywork damage

[barmiebrumie]

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

[dudley]

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.

[dudley]

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.

[dudley]

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.

[Madcowz]

Our Astra Estate was written off just 3 weeks ago after someone hit it from the rear.

I spoke to the Ins Co and went to see the assesor and the car and we ended up with a cheque for our cars book value + £500 AND the car back for free.

A £58.65 light cluster (I treated myself to a Vauxhall one rather than cheapy Ebay stylee) and half an hours worth of T-cutting and a MOT and job done.

We now have the car back on the road and a large cheque.

Strangely enough, the Ins Co's first offer was a good one and everywhere I checked, including a couple of friends in the trade, all said it was a damn good offer and to take it.

Still expect to wake up and find we have no cheque, no car and my arse is sore after being f***ed over by the Ins Co as I just don't trust them at all.

[barmiebrumie]

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.

No problem, just mail me if you need any help, I'm at work all next week & then on holday until the bank holiday, let me know who the ins co are when your ready,

Thanks John

johnfregan2003@yahoo.co.uk

[dudley]

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.