18 replies to this topic

[jonsharman]

Hi All,

 

Does anyone have a view on if my beloved MINI can be repaired based on the pictures below?  I was taking the car home yesterday having had some minor paint repairs carried out in readiness for the final assembly and, before I knew it, I was on my side!  I hit a pot hole in the road at about 30 MPH that then sent me toward the embankment you can see in the third picture and has then turned the car.  Given I had some forward momentum I seem to recall going over twice and sliding about 10 feet before coming to rest where I had to kick the front window through to get out.  The good news is that, despite a bit of traffic on the road, I didn't hit anyone else and, other than a small cut from the glass, I'm OK yet Eddie has seen better days!

 

I bought Eddie in August last year and have spent the last 5 - 6 months having new front and rear sub-frames, all new running gear, brakes and an engine rebuild to name but a few.  I've got Classic Insurance and the incident is reported but I know they will want to write the car off and, whilst I should return a fair price as his value is protected, I'm just not sure I'm ready to let go of Eddie just yet!  Too much money and effort has gone in for him to be turned into little bits and so, if there is a chance he can be repaired, I'd be interested to know of anyone who could help!  I won't get back some of the investment I've made in the various repairs and want to explore all the options.

 

On the O/S you can see the damage to the roof, the door does not open and the front wing is shot.  The wheels and suspension however seems to have survived the roll.  On the N/S the fuel tank cap came off but the tank is intact and the door opens.  When we turned the car back onto it's wheels (a very helpful farmer and his farm hand stopped to help) it sat square and level so I don't think the floor pan or the frames have suffered.  The boot isn't closing any more which makes me think the rear panel has gone.  Is it a case of trying to repair the shell or might it be easier to get a new (old) shell and transplant all the good bits?

 

He has been recovered to a compound and I have reported the incident to my insurer.  As no-one else was involved I am in a position where I can cancel the claim if there is a chance of repair.

 

Best,

 

Jonathan

 

 

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[pusb]

If a pot hole caused you to crash, make sure you put a claim in to the local authority.

It really isn’t acceptable that you’re going to end up out of pocket due to their negligence and someone could’ve been killed

[Sussex_pete]

Looking at your pictures and the description of what happened, my view would be that reshell will be quickest and most economical route to take. The big question will be how much money are you prepared to invest in Eddie in order to keep him roadworthy. If all the good bits you have added are salvageable, it may even be worth considering breaking Eddie, sell off the good bits that you don't need, keeping the good stuff and then look for an Eddie-look-a-like that you could build up again. Just my two penn'orth, for what its worth.

[dyshipfakta]

Sorry to say it will certainly be written off and I think you would be hard pressed to get everything square again. I think sadly that shell is toast.

[jonsharman]

If a pot hole caused you to crash, make sure you put a claim in to the local authority.

It really isn’t acceptable that you’re going to end up out of pocket due to their negligence and someone could’ve been killed

 

Thank you for the advice - I've reported the damage in the road to the council this morning and provided them with pictures etc. and will await the response.  There are two quite poorly maintained sections of road very close to each other and have made clear the need to act with urgency.

[jonsharman]

Looking at your pictures and the description of what happened, my view would be that reshell will be quickest and most economical route to take. The big question will be how much money are you prepared to invest in Eddie in order to keep him roadworthy. If all the good bits you have added are salvageable, it may even be worth considering breaking Eddie, sell off the good bits that you don't need, keeping the good stuff and then look for an Eddie-look-a-like that you could build up again. Just my two penn'orth, for what its worth.

 

 

Sorry to say it will certainly be written off and I think you would be hard pressed to get everything square again. I think sadly that shell is toast.

 

A shell it is then!  I'm awaiting a call from the the loss-adjuster on Monday - the policy states that if they deem it a Category A or B then I don't have the option of accepting salvage which will be a real shame given the 'newness' of so many of the components.  If this is the case I think I will just have to cancel the claim and go from there.

[mab01uk]

Get the car back and strip it for bits to add to another Mini or a new shell, it is a write off as repairs to that shell would be costly both in time/labour and materials, if it was a rare valuable Mini anything in theory can be repaired but in this case it is very unlikely to be worth it.

A new BMH shell is also expensive (see link below) so you might be best to look for another Mini, if you use a secondhand shell then under DVLA rules you should use the original cars V5 and registration number and not from your damaged car. If you intend to use your existing ID on a new BMH shell all is ok but if you use another used shell as many have done in the past bear the DVLA rules in mind before going public......

http://www.bmh-ltd.com/minishell.htm

Edited by mab01uk, 16 February 2019 - 09:31 AM.

[Innzy]

Gutted for you, especially coming back from the paint shop must be a nightmare! Usually the insurance company will let you buy back the salvage for a reasonable price. Since all the running gear is new I’d be tempted to do that, then transfer everything into a different shell.

[jonsharman]

Get the car back and strip it for bits to add to another Mini or a new shell, it is a write off as repairs to that shell would be costly both in time/labour and materials, if it was a rare valuable Mini anything in theory can be repaired but in this case it is very unlikely to be worth it.

A new BMH shell is also expensive (see link below) so you might be best to look for another Mini, if you use a secondhand shell then under DVLA rules you should use the original cars V5 and registration number and not from your damaged car. If you intend to use your existing ID on a new BMH shell all is ok but if you use another used shell as many have done in the past bear the DVLA rules in mind before going public......

http://www.bmh-ltd.com/minishell.htm

 

Thanks for the advice!  I'm not attached to the registration number so can use the details from any shell I might be able to find.  I think I will get the car back on Monday and remove all the damaged bits to see what has survived and, that way, I'll know what I need to look for in terms of a transplant shell / chassis.

 

I'm not experienced enough to know how to move the relevant parts from one car to another so am finding that a little daunting.  With that said perhaps I should embrace the positives, start reading some material, watching some videos and be excited for the challenge of getting the job done!

[mab01uk]

 

Get the car back and strip it for bits to add to another Mini or a new shell, it is a write off as repairs to that shell would be costly both in time/labour and materials, if it was a rare valuable Mini anything in theory can be repaired but in this case it is very unlikely to be worth it.

A new BMH shell is also expensive (see link below) so you might be best to look for another Mini, if you use a secondhand shell then under DVLA rules you should use the original cars V5 and registration number and not from your damaged car. If you intend to use your existing ID on a new BMH shell all is ok but if you use another used shell as many have done in the past bear the DVLA rules in mind before going public......

http://www.bmh-ltd.com/minishell.htm

 

Thanks for the advice!  I'm not attached to the registration number so can use the details from any shell I might be able to find.  I think I will get the car back on Monday and remove all the damaged bits to see what has survived and, that way, I'll know what I need to look for in terms of a transplant shell / chassis.

 

I'm not experienced enough to know how to move the relevant parts from one car to another so am finding that a little daunting.  With that said perhaps I should embrace the positives, start reading some material, watching some videos and be excited for the challenge of getting the job done!

 

 

If and when you strip it (the easy bit!) take lots of photos at every stage for reference purposes and label/box everything for when you do a transfer of parts to another Mini or shell.

[Archived3]

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Edited by Mrplastic, 17 March 2019 - 10:47 AM.

[ukcooper]

its a NO from me id sue roof is fubar......

[nicklouse]

where is the pot hole? i cant see one.

[jonsharman]

Perhaps it is easier to see here - I've hit the first one and gone left into the bank which has then turned me over due to the incline.

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Edited by jonsharman, 16 February 2019 - 12:24 PM.

[DeadSquare]

You have got to be VERY   FIRM with your insurers.

 

They are going to ignore your pleas and tell you that it is a write off.

 

You need estimates from people who know the value of a classic Mini in the condition that your car was before the accident.

 

In my opinion, that car is not a write off, but, it can not, economically, be made to look like new, however, it can be made safe to drive while you love it and save for a new shell.