screech - bang - Oh No !

[pae]

Damn, I was going over to Goodwood to watch the trackday earlier today when - bang - I was car no. 3 in a 6 car shunt. Yes, 6 cars. We were all pretty close to each other because it was a sharp stop but the one at the back piled in and concertina'd all of us.

The car that hit the back of me (a Primera) came off worst on initial inspection as it's front was completely pushed in, smashed lights, bonnet folded up in the centre. The glass is still embedded in my rear rubbing strip which shows how it ran under the back of me, because the lights on a Primera are a bit higher up than the rear bumper level on a 924.

I've now got a pushed in rear bumper and number-plate panel, and a kinked exhaust where it rammed straight into that. The front has a crease in the badge panel and the bumper pushed back far enough along the top edge that the washer jets are half under the badge panel.

Otherwise looks OK and drove home alright. That'll make a lengthy claim form. Police in attendance, because as we all pulled forward and off the road the one right at the back just drove off ! Followed by the fifth one in line pretty sharpish ! Luckily someone got the numbers. It seemed to take an age to swap details with copies for everyone.

So, Frontrunner may be in doubt, chaps. I'll keep you posted

Phil

..........what should I check out for when it gets a close inspection, bearing in mind the exhaust has been pushed hard? []

 

[Guest]

oh no you poor person, i feel your pain. i hope it all works out ok in the end

 

[andymarsden1]

bloody hell m8e,[][][] suppose as long as your allright thats the main thing. Did anyone get the number of the last car because the penalty for driving off if your involved in an accident is pretty hefty. Must say he deserves it as well. Hope you do manage to go to the frontrunner event, im having a few problems as well, but ill sort it out, lol. Not too shure what to say about the exahust cos im not too technically minded.[8D]

Andy

P.S. Tell ur car, Get Well Soon

 

[924nutter]

Phil, I am so sorry to here about your misfortune. You seem too have suffered a similar fate to that which befell the turbo I bought from Ebay. You just want to get out and strangle these idiots who drive so close they cant stop. Too busy playing I'm keeping my ego up with the Porsche!
The front bumper brackets will be bent, they are desiged to deform, and if the bumper is back as far as that probably the panel behind the bumper will be distorted too, mine was. Also the bumper may have distorted the recess for the headlights, making their operation difficult. Almost certainly the crumple zone at the front will have started to collapse just as mine had. At the back the spare wheel well might have taken a shove from the bumper, and you may well find that the hatch doesnt open and shut properly now. The rear panel is double skinned at the point where it says PORSCHE and damage to that is difficult to repair as there is no access to the back of the panel. I just hope they dont assess it as beyond economical repair, but it isnt the end of the world, even if they do, as long as it is cat C. Cat B or A requires that the vin plate be removed and the vehicle can only be used for spare parts. This is a requirement of the insurance companies, and they are very strict about it. At cat C the DVLA will retain the V5 for the registration mark, and you should be able to buy the car back fron the insurance company, and effect repair on it yourself, like I did with mine. You then have make an appointment to take the car to an approved testing station, which is easy enough to find from the DVLA's website, where they will verify the identity of the car and check that it has been repaired to a roadworthy standard. They will then issue a certificate of authorisation which will allow you to apply for the V5 for the registration mark. I do so hope that it doesnt come to this for you, but bear in mind that before my turbo was hit up the bum pushing it into a transit, the owner was advertising it for over 3 grand which seemed like a reasonable price but his insurance company(Norwich Union Direct) still assessed it as category C. Best of luck with it. I have a portapower ( dent pusher-outer if you like) and various plates and graduated club hammers if the worst comes to the worse. Come to that I don't mind lending a hand too. I did a 1983 944 nearside front back in October, so bad that the spotwelds had split on the plate below the headlight, and the headlight area was detroyed, and it needed a new front wing. He just sold it on Ebay last week for £1550 and the new owner drove it back to Scotland.

 

[usermjg]

very sorry to hear it m8 i know if it was me i dont think i could write about it so soon after the event []

Marc

 

[PaulHere]

Oh blimey []

Hope things aren't too bad damage wise and you are back on the road quickly

 

[pae]

Thanks all.

I don't think it's as bad as nutter describes. Certainly the headlights and tailgate operate fine - the headlights were up at the time of impact because it was wet and cloudy, and they still go up and down OK now.

It doesn't look like the spare wheel well has taken any impact either, but I know what you mean about the double-skinned bit.

I felt pretty miserable all weekend I can tell you. Ok, the front needed some stone chips re-painted so I can look on the bright side about getting that sorted now [&:], but the back end really was in perfect condition. Still, good bodyshops do work wonders - let's hope so. I'll let you know what the verdict is as soon as I know.

Phil

 

[924nutter]

I am so glad to hear that Phil, the impact must've been at a much lower speed. Is there any sign of a kink in the rear quarter panel, at about 11 o'clock over the wheel arch? I haven't had the best of luck myself this week. The nutter was nearly out for the count, for good. I have an umbillical hernia, which decided to burst on lap 26 of the GP and I have just come out of hospital. What with the gearbox saga on the turbo, the 928 is just going to have to stay at home for another year. I am on the mend and should be able to drive to F/R 2005 but I guess you wont be getting that lamp seen to now.

Oh and as a general bit of info, I am trying out a set of blue dashboard illumination lamps on mine. £5 from Ebay. They look bang up to date but do reduce the overall level of illumination slightly.

 

[pae]

That doesn't sound like much fun - glad you're mending.

Phil

 

[usermjg]

You poor devil Mr nutter, good to hear your on the mend though
[]

Marc

 

[924nutter]

Must be getting better, I had the barbeque alight tonight. Thanks for your concern guys. Should CU Sunday.

 

[pae]

Hi Nutter, careful with that barbeque.

Had a look at the rear panels last night and can't see any sign of a kink in the panels - I think it was slow enough speed to be fairly light damage, restricted to the bumpers and the panels immediately by them. Took a few pictures yesterday evening, I'll post them soon.

Getting 2 quotes on Friday, will let you know the result.

Phil

 

[Guest]

Phil,
Pleased that you are ok-I lost a friend in a road traffic accident some years ago.
I hope that your car can be resurrected.

All the best,

Noel

 

[pae]

Hopefully you'll see it's not too bad......

 

[pae]

and again...

 

[pae]

again............

 

[pae]

and now for the other end............ (it looks the same on both sides)

 

[pae]

and finally ..............

 

[Guest]

Blimey, the way you was talking i thaught it was worse than that. you have hardly got a scratch on it.

 

[924nutter]

Looks like £76+vat each end for bumper brackets, a pound of filler and two tins of grandprix white at £10.50. You were lucky.