Car was hit on the way to work this morning - am gutted!

[Dave]

you should notify your insurance company to be on the safe side so at least they have it on record, rather than 3 or 4 weeks down the line reporting it and no doubt causing hassles.
Your insurance crowd won't mind cos it's not costing them anything but it's better to be safe than sorry.

[Muad_dib77]

Sounds like good advise Dave.
I'll give them a call later today. I need to talk to them anyways.

Now with regards to the car David (previously refered to as Mr.Fixitall) is dead sound.
His Shop is small but busy. Busy shops usually means good shops.
He wasted no time - threw himself on the ground in the car-park area - crawled under my car.
The bracket holding the bumper on to the impact bar is knackered (Bar itself is fine though, and hasn't moved at all).
The bumper itself can possibly be fixed - he wont know for sure untill he get the bumper off and aplies some heat to it. (Bent bumper + heat = bumper going back to original shape).
If that doesn't work, or I'm not 100% happy with the result he'll order me a new bumper through mitsi. He did mention that there could be some delivery time (in the past he'd seen everything from 2weeks to 3months).
At this point I mentioned that if it came to ordering a replacement bumper I'd rather order one and he put it on his bill - as I could get it faster. (que JJ & RedDragon ) He was fine with that.
The passengers side rear "plastic-inner-wheelarch-thing" has broken.
Also the License plate is in a bit of a state, looks like it needs Ironing or something.

When I got home I crawled under her myself - and I found a 2" tear in one the points that hold the bumper on to the bracket. So I find it very unlikely that he'll be able to sort it with heat and bending alone.
Me thinks replacement bumper.

GAH. Am in no mood to go fit alarm now - called the only fitter guy I know of and he was all "Nah mate - I only fit the alarms I supply". Bunnocks! (sp.?)

[Muad_dib77]

Garage man just rang.

He'll take the car tomorrow evening - I should have it back wednesday morning if I'm happy with the result.

While he has the car he'll give me a lend of one of his. (Prolly a banger)

nice though.

[kevinod]

He'll take the car tomorrow evening - I should have it back wednesday morning if I'm happy with the result.

So he'll have it for about half a day? won't it need painting?

[Muad_dib77]

He's going to test fit the bumper before going through the painting..


If I don't like it - there's no point in painting it..

..I have made sure that he knows that unless the lines are 100% like new, I wont approve..

(If I don't like it - I get to pick an aftermarket bumper!)

[Muad_dib77]

David refitted my bumper yesterday - and I'm amazed..it looks awesome.

He didn't paint it yet but he's going to take care of a few other scratches for me as well.

He's kindly given me a lend of his 99 Hyundai Accent...oh dear god..It beats walking - but my legs have WAY better handling than that shed. I'm sure that car is in breach of several human rights.

[kevinod]

He's kindly given me a lend of his 99 Hyundai Accent...oh dear god..It beats walking - but my legs have WAY better handling than that shed. I'm sure that car is in breach of several human rights.

noi to anyone who has or ever had a Hyundai, but those things have always looked cheap somehow...

Glad to hear the bumper is working out, what did you go for, the one with the skirting?

[Muad_dib77]

No No...It's still the original Bumper.. I swear to god It looks better than when I got the car! I am absolutely astonished.

That Hyundai should have been called "accident" rather than Accent. It has worse handling than an old Massey Ferguson (I know I used to drive one!).
My Diahatsu Charade Saloon 1.3 was quicker.

But hey - all the Hyundais are good value for money - and they have an amazing Warrenty scheme, I can totally see why people a lured in.

They do do the Coupe which is a pretty nice car.

When I do go for a different rear on my P&J I think it'll be the DC, unless of course I spot something sleeker

[Muad_dib77]

Getting my baby back this evening...I'm almost certain there will be tears of joy.

The paint job had better be spot on!

[IrishPhoenix]

Cant beat a good 'paint' job! lol

[Muad_dib77]

Hopefully it'll be a paint job so good I wont be able to shake my dip-stick at it.. or something..

[Muad_dib77]

GAH.

Picked up the car last night..at about 9.45pm...pitch black, p1551ng rain.
Had a look at the car in the ligh ot the workshop. Looked fine..Looked very good, was well impressed.

Work up this morning, look out the window. Not impressed.

The bumper itself is awesome, but the color is wrong. Felt like somebody stabbed me in the chest when I saw it.

I'm calling yerman when I've had luch - If call him while I'm hungry I'll be really rude to him - which would make him less likely to comply.

My baby is ruined!

[CJ]

The bumper itself is awesome, but the color is wrong. Felt like somebody stabbed me in the chest when I saw it.

A34 steel silver can be awkward to match but it shouldn't be too difficult for a decent paint mixer-uper to get right, what gets me about this kinda thing is that its obvious that the spray painter notices the difference in most cases but chooses to say nothing in the hope that the customer won't pick up on it.

CJ

[Muad_dib77]

See the mad thing was that last night in the light of the work shop it looked fine. Then this morning it was all wrong.

I'm going to go out and stare at it for a bit. Have asked three co-workers now and they haven't been able to spot anything wrong at all. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive.

CJ do you feel like being paint judge?

[CJ]

CJ do you feel like being paint judge?

Sure, PM me and I'll get drop over and take a look.

CJ

[Muad_dib77]

CJ came by..had a look and agreed..the color is wrong..

I rang Dave the bodyshopper - and he got pure annoyed with me.

It'll cost you x amount..yadaya..

The thing is the bumper had already been respayed once when I left the car in..But there was no way it was as far off color wise as it is now.
However..when I was at the bodyshop 1st Dave said - the bumper color is very slightly off to the car color - do you see.. and I said yes...Cause I saw what he was on about...Only then it was "slightly" off...now it's just off.

Can't really fault his workman ship on the car - but the color is definately off. way off.

[kevinod]

CJ came by..had a look and agreed..the color is wrong..

I rang Dave the bodyshopper - and he got pure annoyed with me.

It'll cost you x amount..yadaya..

Reminds me of PTFTO's hassle with his bodyshop... (wonder if he got sorted out after)

I'd say stick with it, it won't cost YOU x amount, if its going to cost anyone it'll cost the bodyshop guys to put a poor job right, or worst the guy that hit you, himself and his buddy bodyshop guy can sort it out between them.

[Dave]

threaten insurance so if that's the case..... if the job is not to your satisfaction that's what i would do!!

[CJ]

I rang Dave the bodyshopper - and he got pure annoyed with me.

It'll cost you x amount..yadaya..

Call up the guy who smacked into you and tell him to get on the phone to the bodyshop and get it sorted out ASAP, you shouldn't have to be dealing directly with them, he's the one who's gonna be paying the bill anyway. If he gets the hump, tell him that you'll have to go thru insurance, whether or not thats possible now, i don't know, but it might scare him into getting the finger out.

CJ

[Muad_dib77]

That sounds like a plan. God I hate this...I should have just gone to mitsi in the first place.
Am I right in thinking it shouldn't be my problem to get this sorted.

GAaargh - to make things even better I haven't got yermans phone number with me (the guy who crashed in to me).

Just for arguments sake, does anybody know what it would be to get the bumper respayed.. TBH I'm reluctant to let Dave the bodyshopper near my car with paint again.

[kevinod]

Am I right in thinking it shouldn't be my problem to get this sorted.

Definately, wasn't your fault, and the other guy has even taken responsibility for it.

[Muad_dib77]

I am furious with anger atm.
have taken the rest of the day off... I need to go home and find the phone number of the guy who crashed in to me. I need to make sure that he doesn't pay Dave until a resolution has been found.

[soc]

I am furious with anger atm.
have taken the rest of the day off... I need to go home and find the phone number of the guy who crashed in to me. I need to make sure that he doesn't pay Dave until a resolution has been found.

Sorry to hear this Maud - it really sucks when people act like assholes!

[Muad_dib77]

Well...I couldn't get hold of the guy who crashed in to me..cause I stupily lost his phone number.. How stupid is that.

So anyway..I drove to the bodyshop place..hoped that we could sort it out like adults..


Just wasn't happening... In fact it very nearly came to blows.. Only for me getting out of there before yer man completely lost it... He was in my face from the minute he saw the car. I asked him 3 or more times to stand back and calm down. When I went completely bananas a threated to throw me off his property and keep my car I pushed him away..and said something along the lines of "F..k this sh.t, I'm leaving now.."

For good measure I made a mess of his yard by flooring it and doing a "twisty"....real grown up stuff to be doin'.

I think I'll but this down to experience.

[Dave]

has the cop that you rang not got the other guy's number?