RB260z

Woody928

Events Officer
Staff member
Club Member
Gutted for you mate, such a shame when you've put that much time and effort into a project like this.That being said I'll echo again what everyone has already said that at least no one got hurt, albeit I know first hand the feeling and frustration of being caught on the other side of someone else's actions.

As Rob mentioned I'd get in contact with your Insurers asap as they will likely want to send someone over to inspect the car and level of damage before deciding how to proceed. Some of them prefer to see the damage as it was rather than fully stripped down as well.

Good luck with it and keep us posted, hopefully the car had an agreed value which will offer you a decent level of protection.
 

Wyn

Club Member
Spoke to the insurance who have asked me to get estimates to repair the damage
So in the mean time I've been gathering parts and putting it right as best I can so it can be moved
Decided to change all the suspension arms so have removed them and replaced with stock, but with new joints/bushes etc as I go along.
Got me front valance as well as a rear strut and new insert that's now built up ready to go back in
Also had a go at knocking the spare wheel well out as well as pulling that lower rear quarter panel out.
Not too bad now considering it was bent up double under the rear chassis rail
Hopefully not too long it will be rolling again
 

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Have they not been to inspect? I would have thought thats how they'd do it? Would they not write it off, which would mean you can buy the salvage and build onto a new body? how were all the other suspension arms and joints?
 

Wyn

Club Member
Have they not been to inspect? I would have thought thats how they'd do it? Would they not write it off, which would mean you can buy the salvage and build onto a new body? how were all the other suspension arms and joints?


No I asked and they just told me to get estimates to repair it :confused:
tbh I guess they might right if off, which isn't going to happen. So I will get it repaired myself and send them the bill.
I have pictures of the damage and the work so its their call.
As above have now changed all the arms and replacing bushes and joints in the process.
Also got a recon rack on order so it should be all good when done
 

uk66fastback

Club Member
I don't know why you are even touching it. It's an insurance job. Let them sort it and pay for it, that's what the insurance is there for. You can take it to the garage of your choice I think now as well. Why would you want it to repair it yourself and send them the bill (which I am sure you can't anyway) ...

?!

Guy on Pistonheads spent a few years restoring a genuine Dimma-bodied 205 Gti back to concours nick and then some **** has rear-ended him in it. Yes, he has sourced all the new body panels and stuff so it's not pattern parts being used etc - but he ain't doing the bodywork (and he replaced many things on it himself originally inner wings, sills etc so he knew what he was doing.)

But it's an insurance job. Like yours is. I just do not understand why you are removing bits etc and all before anyone has even come to assess it? Genuine question: are you hoping they think it's not as bad as it perhaps is so they don't writ it off? If it's going to go on a jig it is going to have to be stripped anyway, surely?
 
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Wyn

Club Member
It's not that bad as the shell is straight, other then the quarter damage which will repair
The rad support was only on a single skin so straightened easily
The suspension parts that are damaged can be unbolted and replaced which I am doing. The other parts are now on order
tbh I have no interest in seeing the car wrote off for money, so I will do the donkey work to keep costs down.
Whatever they pay out I will probably only pay back in increased premiums anyway !
Time will tell
 

johnymd

Club Member
I wouldn't like to trust a garage to put my car back together so I can probably see why Wyn is getting involved.
 
It's not that bad as the shell is straight, other then the quarter damage which will repair
The rad support was only on a single skin so straightened easily
The suspension parts that are damaged can be unbolted and replaced which I am doing. The other parts are now on order
tbh I have no interest in seeing the car wrote off for money, so I will do the donkey work to keep costs down.
Whatever they pay out I will probably only pay back in increased premiums anyway !
Time will tell

Straight by eye is a gamble, especially with the torque you're running?
If it tore the suspension strut out, all those hard mounted points that would have gone through such a shock force.

With insurance they'd have to make as good as new, you might have the car off the road for a few months but that's what it pays for. Any premium increase would be minimal in the scale of things.

Totally get why you want to take control of the process.
 

Woody928

Events Officer
Staff member
Club Member
Just my 2p but I'd also go with the consensus of letting a specialist strip it down and assess it (at your Insurers expense) before going from there.There's a chance that you may even get the car back on the road quicker than doing it yourself.

People buy insurance for exactly this purpose so why not make full use of it? I work in the insurance industry (not motor) and find it amusing when people think they're saving themselves massive amounts on their premium by doing lots themselves. Surely these are the exact circumstances under which you would make full use of your cover? (Not knowing what you have as an agreed value I'm sure there's a fairly healthy pot to play with) Unfortunately you'll now have a claim on your record regardless of fault (circumstances I'm very familiar with) which is the main consideration above all else.

I can appreciate that this is something that you have worked very hard for and built yourself however are there no specialists in the country that you would trust to sort it out?

I don't mean to cause offence I'm just curious to understand why and contribute If I can :)
 

Wyn

Club Member
No not a problem. As said I am replacing what I can whilst I can
The rear quarter was damaged by the strut, nothing else.
That came apart as an outer lower rose joint snapped allowing the rubber top mount to pull apart.
That I can see no mounting points on the shell have been moved or damaged
I know what other parts the car needs and where to get them.
As it is I've replaced all the suspension arms/tie rods and sorted/rebuilt another rear strut within a week or so.
If I left that lot to the insurance to sort out it probably wouldn't happen, let alone organise another custom exhaust
Once the car is back on all 4 wheels and rolling then I can take it to have the bodywork done
(Did I mention I've also sorted the wheels) another 2 month "not available" wait avoided
Certainly I'm not going to repair the body work, but do what I can in the mean time
 

STEVE BURNS

Club Member
The thing also with Wyn is he is the sort of guy who wants to be hands on as much as he can or he gets completely bored if he is not doing something when he can rather than just sitting there twiddling bits of his body
 

uk66fastback

Club Member
Fair play to you Wyn for getting on and doing stuff. You certainly don't hang about. Best of luck with sorting out recompense though for the replacement stuff from the insurance. I'd still have had an assessor round before I touched anything (and to discuss what I could do). I hope it's painless from now on in.
 

Wyn

Club Member
Well all the arms are now changed and the nsr suspension is 99% built back up ready to go
Had a few peeps around for to quote on the body, so now waiting to see what figures they come back with. Not that it matters

Poor ol Sausage looks as upset as me, but at least she was there to help me smile when she could :)
 

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Woody928

Events Officer
Staff member
Club Member
FairPlay man, sounds like you've got various parts and the time/inclination to just crack on with it. I hope it all works out for you and you can get the car sorted and back on the road asap with Summer just around the corner! :thumbs:
 

candy red

Club Member
Good to see the car coming back Wyn, even better to see sausage making a come back :lol:

Good luck with it all Wyn ;)

Derrick :D
 

bluejon

Club Member
By coincidence Wyn, I had my Z in for it's MoT today (passed). When I was picking the car up this afternoon, one of the garages parts suppliers had dropped in, saw my car and mentioned he'd seen a few weeks ago, a Z with black bonnet crashed on the verge near Thame, wheels bent etc. I knew it was you straight away. I don't think he'd witnessed anything though. Hope you continue ti get things sorted...
 

Wyn

Club Member
At last, I have a genuine quote to paint and repair the n/s of the Z car
All repair/body trim parts are here now (other then the recon rack)
That should arrive v/soon from a Z supplier of Z parts on a FARM so I'm told
Car is booked in from the 12th so need to get trims removed n ready
Will update when I know more :)
 
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