Keep the seats - let it go, buy Carlts and put your seats back in!

There is a good lad. Get it repaired to the highest quality, badger Carlt though he may like it as its an against the odds uneconomical high grade repair?

Already spoken to him but he doesn't want to take the job on

Bad news mate, I cannot believe how fragile these cars are

they really are bad in the crumple zones, to put this into context, I ( years ago, and don't laugh ) had a R5GTT, crashed the front end about 6 times, YES, 6 times at the minimum, and bust the rad, headlights, bonnet, bumper etc....

NEVER NEVER got a hint of a write off, as the body shell was just too tough, the longitudunal runners were like iron, the coop, is it seems made of potato mash, I just shudder to think If I ever bump mine, I will simply set fire to the fcukka, not even worth making a claim

another one bites the dust, and it looks sooo superficial, agreed, the damage behind the rear bumper is worse than it looks, but why the hell is it SO soft ? I bet if the bumpers were proper moulded fibre glass, they absorb tons more energy, compared to our pathetic abs plastic jobbies

I'd love to do it, i love a challenge, much prefer doing something hammered like this than a boring re-spray on some nail, but im just bored of them. 6 or so months ago i'd have been craving to get my dirty mits on this repair job. I'd soon have the insurance company coughing up

Ive got cappo's in still and its so near done, finally got my oven rebuilt and all that so were near back to normal. Just need a break from them to be honest. Need to get my own coupe's into shape, get the workshop all sorted how we want it and sort a nice car for myself.

Wrong time for us, thats all i think. Just please don't let it die, its waaaaaaay too good to be hacked, there's plenty of neglected sheds around for that.

Sorry to hear the bad news LJW.

You have to pay good money for that info.

Besides, there's probably more LE's on the forum than the DVLA database, remember most, upto and around half of LE's wont say LE on the logbook, so a DVLA check wont be at all accurate.

Gutted for you Luke

Thanks for your condolences
Also thanks for the advice posted and PM'd
And thanks to Carlt for the telephone chat and advice

Happier Days

Really sorry mate, she was a real beauty. Hopefully you can get it repaired and she will live on!

Luke, the force was not with you that day

Good luck in getting a result you're happy with though

sent you a pm, he does do jig work and it isnt too far from you.

Roo, an LE owner on here had the same situation with his LE. He came an cut the back off one of our cars when me and my mate used to break them, think we charged 50 quid. Then when the back was off it was cut down to the boot floor, a rear panel. And welded back on. He bought a slightly bent bonnet and had it tidied. In the end it looked like new. It can be done,

Rich

I hope this can be put back (safely!) on the road - I reckon LE's from this point onward will become damaged repaiarables due to their increasing rarity (& being brilliant cars!) & people appreciating their status - bit like the Clio Williams. I KNOW for a fact that wrecked one's were being put back on the road after major shunts (guy I knew found out his old one was written off & then being driven around weeks later when the new owner phoned him up!).

gutted for ya fella

Got the estimate from my local body shop today.....£7,021 inc vat

Yay i wasnt far off then £6000+ vat (£7050)

LJW, you could buy a good new one for that and fix it up with all the parts you manage to strip off the old one...Do whats right for you and try not to get to emotional about it. Unless you have money to throw away that is...

@JLW... its time to see sense, go out side, get some of you closest friends round a mourn its death, I know it wont be easy but sometimes you need to pull the plug, i know it hard but you need to think about it financially now and not as your pride and joy. Once you have spent 7k it wont be worth 7k.

I know it hurts, but its time...

In away I envy you, you have been set free!!! I can not see me EVER selling my LE its death is the only way I could move… NOW GO, enjoy other cars

And there is a very nice vinci one on autotrader for not much more than 5k. or another red one for 7.5k

So common

why dont all us le owners put an ad on piston heads, its free and all advertise them for 9k then jlw can send these adds to the insurance company, in return we have to all advertise when ever others crash, plus owners might want to do the same for them

also my log book doesnt say le like carl said dvla dont even know!!!

Ask yourself this question. Can you guarantee that you can go out with £7000 in your pocket and buy an LE as good as the one that's been damaged in the right colour with known provenance? I don't think you can. I'd be tempted to get your car fixed. Better the devil you know.

Repair it repair it repair it for gods sake repair it

That was an insurance quote ?

I would take the money and get the car back and then decide to either break or repair.

That was an estimate - it has been sent to the insurance company.

I'll be getting it fixed

After 7 months my LE is back to full health!

From G

To Gent

I’m going to get the car detailed and get some better pics over the next few weeks.

I had the car de-badged and the boot lock removed (this really tidies up the rear end). Also had the wheels painted darker.

I’d like to say a big thank you to Joe (CountryCruising) as without him I doubt this LE would be back on the road. He sourced, and delivered, all of the parts required – one of the parts being the rear end of a coupe!

I’d also like to say that Burntmill Coachworks in Harlow have done an amazing job. It really does look superb in the flesh. If anyone wants work doing to their coupe they should pay them a visit – even if you have to travel a fair bit, it’ll be well worth it. www.burntmillcoachworks.co.uk

Although the difference between what it cost me to get it fixed, and what I got paid from the Insurance co. was £3,000, I’m glad I did it.

Wow! Well done for sticking in there and getting it repaired. Looking forward to seeing some more pics once its been detailed

Yes is was a sad day when I saw your LE Luke, but it looks being straight and painted again, I look forward to seeing some fantastic photos many thanks to you also, Steve and his team have done a great job

Here's some pics of your LE at Steve's taken when I brought a couple of panels down

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m255/freakin_existential/dented%20coupes/DSC03591.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m255/freakin_existential/dented%20coupes/DSC03586.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m255/freakin_existential/dented%20coupes/DSC03585.jpg

The rear end had certainly taken a whack, first glance it doesn't look too bad but it had moved the rear cross member in a mile, and with the space saver in place transferred further damage to the back of the boot floor panel

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m255/freakin_existential/dented%20coupes/DSC03588.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m255/freakin_existential/dented%20coupes/DSC03590.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m255/freakin_existential/dented%20coupes/DSC03587.jpg

Got there in the end