Rear Ended

[Hodsonpe]

I'm Mr Grumpy now! Just back from over 1000 mile trip in France to be rear ended at a junction less than 2 miles from home. Car now has a very crumpled bum. He's hit the left corner, pushed the fog light in a long way, twisted the rear panel, pushed the metal floor forwards into the bulkhead behind the seats and so on.

 

Clearly it's a least a new rear panel etc. the chassis tubes behind the panel don't "appear" damaged but it's hard to know. The tank is fine and nothing's touching it, no leaks.

 

The way the carpet in the boot has moved its almost as though the left side of the boot top by the roll bar has risen although I don't see how it can or would.

 

I reckon he was probably only doing about 5MPH but it's amazing how much gets damaged.

 

I'm with Adrian Flux, any thoughts about repairer? What do Flux normally do? My only person I can think of is Arch to look at it. Any advice chaps?

 

Somebody had a similar experience very recently but search as I have, I can't find it😃

 

Argh, what a rotten end to a trip, try as I can there is no positive to this as the car was in cracking condition ☹️

 

Paul.

 

 

[leon]

Arch won't take the car but they will repair the chassis if required.

 

Give Andy Belcher at Tech7 a buzz in the morning (if you need his number pm me) he will assess, advise and liaise with insurer and Arch if required and can deal with all the other bits that may be out of shape or damaged.

 

PS. what rotten luck but at least no one hurt and the car was not bent before the trip.

 

Edited by - leon on 25 Jun 2014 22:00:10

[Hodsonpe]

Yes a good point Leon, Arch wouldn't want the whole car as is.

 

I will give Chris at 7Workshop a call tomorrow as he's been great and I'll PM you too.

 

Ta

 

Paul.

[Ian B]

Paul, sorry to hear that. The same thing happened to me a couple of years ago, but in France (and they didn't stop ).

 

Andy or Chris are good calls, or you could also try Mick Attree who is a bit closer in Erith

 

[Rattie]

Oh dear. Same happened to GRR a few years ago in a car park. I got Taylors Foundry Motorsport to strip, take to Arch for reskin, paint and reassemble. Chris should be able to do the same.

 

Arch did have to jig one of the bottom tubes back down into place as the skin had pulled it up a bit.

 

Hope you get it sorted soon

[Ianroden]

Paul,

 

I had a very similar experience when someone reversed into the back of my caterham - it almost sounds like the same damage.

 

In the end, I had to have the rear basket changed - new fuel tnk (I wasn't going to take chances even though it was only slightly dented) - new rear panel and a new rear wing.

 

I took it to someone I trusted for an assesment and estimate (SPY Motorsport). They were the ones that scoped all the damage and provided me something to go back to the insurance company with. I claimed through the other side's insurance directly, to avoid any hassle with my insurance company.

 

Once the assesment/estimate had been provided to the insurance company, they sent out an assessor who looked at the car and was pretty much baffled - mainly as he had very little experience of specialist sports cars, so basically said that if I trusted the place that did the assesment, then he would go and chat to them and sign off the claim.

 

Once the claim was signed off the car went to SPY for them to manage all the work - which was the strip, return to Arch (and it shouldn't really be done by anyone else), respray and rebuild.

 

All sorted over a two month period (which included Christams) so not at all bad.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Ian

[Dave H]

When someone drove into the back of my Seven I took it to TSK in Erith - rear panel replaced, but no chassis damage. They did a great job and Tony is a pleasure to deal with.

Worth giving him a call,

 

Dave H

[Golf Juliet Tango]

Sorry the hear this news.

 

[Myles]

Indeed. Ten years ago, I'd just got back from my first group tour (from Midlands to Scotland) when someone reversed across the road and belted into my cf rear wing.

 

Ring was toast and panel needed replacing - but no chassis work. I left it as-was for a while (due to issues sourcing a matching wing) and ended up stripping and rebuilding the car myself - arch did the panel work.

[Hodsonpe]

Thanks for all your replies chaps, makes me feel a bit better that your repairs all went ok.

 

I've spoken with Chris, it's booked in for him to sort out and I'm happy that all will be well in the end. I've just got to sit it out. I bet we have the best weather ever now while I'm waiting too

 

Paul.