G40 Rear ended! :'(

[Fred]

That aint no right off.
It may be that insureance will want to
but all it needs is someone who knows
what their doing.
It may not be cheap but they will cut that
out and either replace the panel or Tin bash it
back into shape.
I would repair it before re-shelling it.
The ebay link is probably the best option if
you don`t know any good metalworkers.

Fred.

[G-spot]

That aint no right off.
It may be that insureance will want to
but all it needs is someone who knows
what their doing.
It may not be cheap but they will cut that
out and either replace the panel or Tin bash it
back into shape.
I would repair it before re-shelling it.
The ebay link is probably the best option if
you don`t know any good metalworkers.

Fred.

I got to agree, to many people in the insurance industry are just bean counters these days, as are too many specalist cars owners!!(IMO) anyway, stop fannying about, get the plastics off it, get your panel beating hammers out, a few bits of wood, maybe a small bottle jack may be handy.  A few tacks of weld wire and a drag hammer, then a minimal amount of filler, splash of paint, new light(and probably bumper, though you could leave that till funds allllow), and Job Done! Easy do it over a weekend!

[PeteG40]

Well depends what you call a write off - uneconomical repair is a write off.  Its not beyond repair, but when glass's guide values a g40 at about £600, you'd have to argue heavily to get any paint repairs on any g40! 

Even if you look at a value of £1500 - a rear bumper is £150 from vag, a new rear light £60 a paint shop will argue that they'd have to spray the side of the car at a cost of approx £350...+ labour etc etc etc.  So if you want to go through insurance, i dare say it will be an uneconomical repair write off.

A rear quarter replacement is costly in terms of time.

I'm all for saving g40s, but if it were me I would sound my insurance company about salvage retention and re-shell it - either that or sell the car/engine and buy another whole g40 if you can't be arsed with the re-shell.

Pete

[Dan]

I think you can buy the light panel and the panel underneath it. So it looks repairable to me. Even if you have to cut bits off a scrap shell. Don't write it off straight away !

[tdh-syorks]

personally i wouldn't have anything to do with the insurance company, i'd see a local back street body shop that'll do it on the cheap, tell them you will get the new parts ie light and bumper and get them to repair. when someone crashed into my merc i told the insurance that there was no damage to the car what so ever other than a small crack in the paint which i could live with, even tho they insisted i should have it repaired i said no. the advantage of this is that there's no claim and your premium stays sweet next year too, so it might cost you a few quid but its better than them doing it and working out a silly price as Pete said and probably writing it off.

[jez1272gt]

I got to agree, to many people in the insurance industry are just bean counters these days, as are too many specalist cars owners!!(IMO) anyway, stop fannying about, get the plastics off it, get your panel beating hammers out, a few bits of wood, maybe a small bottle jack may be handy.  A few tacks of weld wire and a drag hammer, then a minimal amount of filler, splash of paint, new light(and probably bumper, though you could leave that till funds allllow), and Job Done! Easy do it over a weekend!
[/quote]

Easy to do it over a weekend? Yeah if you have the knowledge/skills and the correct tools and facilities to do it! Not something the average diy'er will make half a job of!

[breadman]

Anything is repairable, but the insurance company will definately see it as a right off. Uneconomic repair is what they'd say.
It is all down to the insurance company of the other driver anyway, assuming that it was the other driver's fault? It will be them that decides the outcome, though you may be lucky enough to get a payout as opposed to enforced repair.
I'm pretty sure that a skilled bodywork man could properly repair the existing rear quarter. However, trying to find a back street garage that works to a very high standard is not easy. I've seen so many so called "repairs" that are still visible up close. To my mind, a proper repair should be impossible to see from any angle including from the inside.  

[Nick_S]

To do a repair on that properly without replacing the rear quarter, you may need access to a jig. Even then there will be an element of bog filling. Would be ideal for an enthusiast panel beater to by the car off you as is, so long as you don't go through the insurance.

My salloon G40 had a similar shunt in 2006. It took some of the impact on the roof skin, so decided it wasn't worth pulling out.

[samg40]

Isnt there some sort of obligation for the other partys insurance company to put your car back to pre accident condition if it isnt your fault, which if they've run into the back of you it isnt. I'd fight it and get it repaired properly unless it has done proper damage to the shell in which case I'd want it resehelling anyway.

Proper gutting though, looks like a nice car.

[breadman]

The other driver's insurance company are under no obligation to repair the car if it is deemed to be beyond economic repair by one of their nominated repairers. If this is the case, which it almost certainly will be, they'll pay you a cash settlement on the book value of the car.
A similar thing happened to my car even though the damage was very minor. A new bonnet and grill was all that it needed and they wouldn't repair it. Instead they paid me £400!

[G-spot]

Sorry guy's I know I've been quiet on here for the past few months, and I'm probably a bit tired and grouchey at the moment, by why are people driving cars like ours if you ain't prepared to tackle jobs like these, it ain't chuffing rocket science, I'm getting more and more pissed off these days with the atitude of 'Its too expnsive to repair' or 'I don't know anyone that does that type of work', go to a library, pick up some books, gain some knowledge and hone your skills at your own pace, even if its one crappy repair at a time, seriously, and with the added support of the heplful advice you can get on the internet through the right people on forums like these, then nothing becomes unachievable.

Right thats my rant over, time to sleep I think, back when I can! Happy Motoring

[PeteG40]

i agree with your sentiment jason

but its down to personal opinion. re-shell or repair, a g40 stays on the road... the repair is ok if you do it yourself, may always be a shit repair, depending on skills.  If someone else does it might be ridiculously expensive!

i dont have skills for that rear quarter. so i'd probably reshell

[Justin14100]

Doing the best I can, waiting for a £1300 payout too!

[Justin14100]

Oh, and before I forget.

Thanks for all the help and advise guys!

[GSBellew]

Thats fantastic, great to see you fixing it rather than just scrapping it.