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A close shave (though the lamppost wasn't so lucky)

VirusKiller

VirusKiller

Well-Known Member
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444
Location
Milton Keynes (ish)
I lost control on ice this morning and wrapped my 12-year-old E-Class around a lamppost. I was the only person involved and got away with (apparently minor) steering-wheel induced bruising on the bases of my thumbs.

Car possibly a write-off, lamppost definitely; hitting it certainly saved me from ending up vertical in a ditch. And thank goodness for solid German engineering. The lamppost trashed the front left of the car, but the engine and cooling system seemed to survive. I was able to drive the car up to the low-loader once it had pulled me off the grass.

Feeling very lucky; so many things could have been worse.
 
Maybe you should claim off the council for putting the lamp post in a silly place and ruining you car? you never know your luck.Only joking good to know nobody hurt but your no claims,I had a bit of a slither myself in the early hours of this morning at 70 on a local motorway,that really gets the adrenaline flowing...john
 
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Glad to hear that your ok, shame about the car, but that's what insurance is for. Have a nice hot bath and spend the day relaxing, 'cos in two days time your going to realise that it's not just your thumbs that you've hurt.
 
a couple of years ago i went of the road on the left hand side i tried to correct it spun across to the other side into a ditch spun out back ended back into the ditch and thats where i stoped broke a rib while i was at it,
the insurance paid out no probs
 
Joel, glad to hear that you're OK. We had a night of freezing rain here the other day. Lots of similar little incidents. Gets expensive, though. Might be a good idea to get a proper quote to get it fixed, there's no claims and so on to think of. And often the write-offs are because of excessive use of new parts, when good used ones can be found for a third of the price...
 
Sorry to hear about it, and glad you're more or less OK.

Top advice from Taz, by the way, he's spot on.

Unfortunately, I think the insurance company will write the car off, for the reason Kev gave. If you're attached to the car, one option might be to let them do just that, they'll classify it as either a category 3 or 4 write off, which means it's an uneconoimic repair. Then buy the salvage off them, the going rate being 20% of the pre-crash value. You can then get your local independent German car specialist to put it back together using pattern spares, eBay bits and used stuff. That should leave you ahead. I've recently helped a mate dojust this following a low speed off on his bike. The insurers wrote it off, paid him £2,700 and he bought it back for £540. We fixed the damage for about a hundred quid and a couple of hours work, and he's now back on the road, with a bike with a couple of cosmetic marks, and with a couple of grand in his pocket. If you do this, just bear in mind you'll need a fresh MoT.

Good luck

Jon
 
After reading about Welsey McGoogan, I'm right with you there!

I'll investigate the costs of getting it fixed privately, but I suspect it's going to be simpler and cheaper to get another car. The front, bonnet and near-side wing need sorting out and that's even before checking to see if there's been any structural damage.
 
gladsaxisme said:
Maybe you should claim off the council for putting the lamp post in a silly place and ruining you car? ....
Click to expand...
when I was doing my apprenticeship, a fellow apprentice wrapped his car around a tree, writing off his car.
The council billed him for the tree surgeon who had to remove the tree as it was also severely damaged and unsafe :crying:
 
kevgermany said:
Jon, don't you need a special MOT once it's a write off like that?
Click to expand...

Yes, you need to get a write-off checked by a VOSA centre to check it's all safe to put back on the road. You won't get your V5 back until that's done, and it's marked to say soi, so you do have a reduced market if ever re-selling as a lot of pwople don't trust a rebuilt write-off and won't buy one, and those that do makr the price down accordingly.

I know from experience when I rebuilt my 924 after a front and rear shunt. In my case it still worked out worth doing. The book value was never going to withstand the cost of a couple of new Porsche body panels, which is all the trade was interested in doing, so it was written off. The reality was it didn't need anything like that, just a couple of secondhand parts plus my time to do the work.

With the cost of buying the car back, doing the repairs, and the reduced re-sale value a couple of years later, I was still better off than taking the write-off cheque and buying another as it was immaculate and was a car I'd put a lot of time into and absolutley loved it. It was one of the very last ones brought into the UK. So for me it was worth it.

Depends how much the car means to you really,

regards, Phil
 
kevgermany said:
Jon, don't you need a special MOT once it's a write off like that?
Click to expand...

Depends on the category. If it's a cat D write-off you don't need anything. If it's A, B or C you need a VIC from VOSA. However, you're not under any circumstances allowed to put a Cat A or B on the road anyway. Cat A cars have to be crushed, Cat B can be broken for spares. Cat C can go back on the road subject to a VIC and Cat D just need an MoT.

What Phil says isn't quite right about VOSA checking the repair is roadworthy, What they are actually checking for is that the vehicle is genuine and not being used for ringing. Lots of great, and dependable info at http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motorin...e/AdviceOnBuyingAndSellingAVehicle/DG_4022107
 
Turns out they are taking it to Warwick rather than locally in Milton Keynes "because it's a Mercedes", so I've also got to factor in picking it up from Warwick if I choose to break it.

Oh, and the insurance company wouldn't give me a courtesy car for tomorrow (I am entitled to four days if the car is written off, more if it's not), because my car is not yet at the garage and they won't insure my car and a hire car at the same time!!!!!
 
jonf said:
What Phil says isn't quite right about VOSA checking the repair is roadworthy, What they are actually checking for is that the vehicle is genuine and not being used for ringing. Lots of great, and dependable info at http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motorin...e/AdviceOnBuyingAndSellingAVehicle/DG_4022107
Click to expand...

Ah yes, you're right. It was a few years ago now, I seem to recall that after the VOSA checkover I had to get a new MOT (standard one from any garage, nothing special) before I could get the V5 back. Something like that. It was all pretty straightforward at the time.

Phil
 

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