Bad luck Chris - I know how it feels.

On the other hand, if the insurance gets antsy - and remember, it should be the other party's lot that get the bill - there's a nice 20v in Belgium...

I've only just seen this thread, sorry to see this, but at least you're okay and she still looks fixable. As stated by others, push for as fair a price as possible from the insurers and decide where to go from there. Two of my cars are CatC and CatD respectively, but repaired to a high standard. Even the MOT centres can't spot the repairs. Good luck with the insurance claim.

Chris,
what a .....

Good luck; hope it goes well

Sorry to hear about your crash. Glad your ok Chris

I've only just seen this thread Chris, Gutted for you mate.but your ok and thats all that realy matters.

sorry to hear this chris ,happy your ok.

Nooooooo! Sorry to read this Chris, logged on for the first time in a bit to see two gone in as many days. Bad times.

well insurance contected me last hursday and said the car was still in the compound but they thought it would be a write off. book price is £1600.00 what did i think of that? I told her She said it was ging to a workshop tomotrrow and an assessor would look at it and they'd get back to me. Not heard a thing since then.

I have got a hire car. That arrived the day after the accident. After taking all my details the lady at Admiral said "d oyou want a car similar to your own" I said "yes that will be great" wondering what they'd send me, a jag perhaps or an Aston Martin

Next day a four door Deisel engined Toyota Avensis rolled up It's ok but it's boring

It's similar Chris. It does have four wheels.

(Deisel Toyota Avensis)that must be the one that looks like a coupe from the moon,lol

Dammit, they just been on.

Write off and can't improve their offer of 1600.0 (less my excess of 350.00!) Told them to escalate the matter as i'm not happy with that, but she reckons that's all the other insurer would expect to pay. Repairs quoted at C4k. All I can do is send her evidence of worth if I think it's worth more but they're not interested in anything that I've spent on maintenance. They have to get the cheque issued today too as it will effect the hire car arrangment or something? They say that won't impede any further offer. If I manage to convince them it's worth more they'll make an additional pament (yeah right)

Looks like i'll be leaving the coop fold for a while - not the forum though - couple of months driving the punto until a loan finishes. Then a new car loan and a new car.

hmmmmm whats out there for 5 or 6k I wonder

Rubbish - they're just doing that to rush you into a decision

Go back to them with HARD evidence - your meticulous maintenance DOES make a difference, as you will obviously be able to demonstrate the difference in asking prices for a Coupe with and without the specialist history that your car has

I'm worrying about this too mate and I feel your pain, how many miles did the car have if you don't mind me asking?
The way the insurance companies are set up is virtually criminal! They blame the rise in 'Whiplash' claims but consider the way my claim has been handled:

Insured by Royal and Sun Alliance, brooker is Kwik fit, since the accident I've been passed onto a company called URL, who then passed me onto another lot called A1 Claims. They in turn passed me onto a Law firm for 'whiplash' and they then sent my details onto another firm to carry out the logistics of the claim who then instruct a 'Dr' to carry out the examination. I haven't touched on the hire car part and its as bad. Each of these firms pay the other for passing on the info AND make money. TBH it's a joke and there should be a law against it.

Anyway, sorry to hear your news, I'm not expecting any better

Best of luck getting any more out of them.

I wrote my 306 Roland Garros off (at a leisurely 5mph!) and they gave me sweet FA for it even though I sent them adverts for other Garros's showing it was limited edition and not a standard run of the mill 306. Sent them my history file, a tonne of pictures etc.

Spent about 3 weeks chasing them and eventually they got back to me and refused to budge.

Direct Line - I'll see you in hell!

Don't give up - when I crunched my 20vt back in 2002, the first offer was about £3k - the eventual settlement was £6k

That's rubbish luck Chris. I suspect that'll be classified a Cat C, and even if you were offered to buy it back for @10% of the (eventual - keep fighting it) settlement you wouldn't be able to repair it within the settlement total

I wrote off my ex company BMW ten years ago, was offered 5k, eventually settled for £8k. So long as you don't accept the £1600 in full and final settlement, you should be able to justify and claim the additional it's worth (what is your valuation?).

BUT, sadly, such are prices currently, that £1600 for a standard 20vt model even with specialist history is probably about the money

Why not take the money, buy Nick's Scotty, and fight to justify your sprinty is worth more and pocket a few £'s

Sorry to see what's happened! At least you're not injured.

You mentioned the figure they offered minus your excess. Surely you won't get stung for your excess as it's not your fault?

As has been said you need to fight for a better price. There are too many specialist jobs that cost a lot but not reflected in these cars value. Perhaps getting some proof of the cost of getting belts, turbo and a clutch change could aid your case? After all the idea of insurance is to put you back to a position prior to the incident, which 1600 doesn't do.

Insurers try to hang onto the excess until they have recovered it from the third party in my experience after a previous car was damaged whilst parked.
I got it back in the end - it took 2 or 3 months I think.

Yeah it's a right PITA Shifty Mine had about 120,000 miles on it! and that puts me in a bad position. I think I'm going to have to take my sprint blue coloured glasses off and accept that it's never going to be worth much more than the 1600.00 they've offered. I know Nigel has posted he got a much better deal but Nige, I'm afraid time, coop prices and mileage have moved on since then.

Chris - I'll happily accept that prices aren't what they were when I bent my Coupe, but the ratio of increase shouldn't be too much different - it has to be worth a try to find some good Coupes that have sold for £2.5k+

Bear in mind that my Coupe had 123,000 on it when I claimed and at this point, it was only five and a half years old - 120,000 isn't particularly high mileage for a Coupe of your vintage

Yoy could have your pick of coupés at that price point Chris.

I really feel for you Chris and I think you putting on your 'realistic' hat is the only way forward. Nigel's experience isn't really comparable to your current one.

Good luck

I was just about to replace your keyring as well - free of charge for you

Tough luck C2

Good luck with getting it sorted. It's got to be worth another shot to get a few more £££ out of the insurance

Well i did try but they wouldn't have it. I sent them half a dozen adverts of coops that were for sale at better prices and my last lot of bills. (and they were quite big believe me!) But the coops for sale were all lower milage than mine and the bills were just seen as maintenance.

I'll be driving my Punto for a while why I decide what to do next. I wont be going for another coop though. I never posted on any of the "My coop is great" threads as I always saw that as tempting fate but my coop was great! Used as a daily driver (apart from last winter when I SORNed it) It never missed a beat in 8 years. Two or three days off the road in all that time, once when a battery cell failed and once when my downpipe snapped. An injector failed a couple of months ago and was replaced and that was it. Not bad for about 65000 miles of motoring.

I would be really disapointed if i got another that wasn't as reliable. Hats off to proccy and others that hang in there but I think I'll be looking for something else. I is old now. Maybe a Skoda or a Volvo or something

Jesus H.

No sorry. Coupe for you.

No Chris! Naughty! You is NOT old (mentally!) Oh come on, have a coupé! Don't leave the fold!

Chris; you know mine's a daily driver (and a Sprinty too) and as we live in the same town (and my in-laws live literally around the corner from you), you're bound to see mine on a regular basis. Can you imagine the sense of loss you're going to have everytime that happens? The thought that you bought the wrong car when you could have had your choice of some of the best coops out there (especially within your price bracket)?

Nah, you're probably right; old age is catching up and you need a " retirement car"! I'll have to make it my life's mission to blast past your Volvo everytime I see it on Merton Bank Road!

On a serious note; you're one of the most level-headed guys I know so you'll have thought long and hard about this before reaching your decision. Good luck with whatever car you choose.

Besides which, we both know you'd still be on here even if you were using public transport!

C2D, please don't, whatever the circumstances, read the LE140 restoration thread.....






.