Bit of a shunt

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RAGNAR BENSON said:
I'm pretty ****ed off. At the end of last week, I was driving homewards in my 90 when a French driver rounded a blind bend in a small hatchback on the wrong side of the road right into me. I swerved to avoid a full head on crash but was unable to completely avoid the shunt. Everyone walked away, and my insurers have told me that the other person's insurer has accepted full blame, so at least my no claims should be intact.

The result was a contact that almost certainly wrote the other car off and was taken pretty much in full by my left front wheel. The 90 looked pretty straight other than a slightly flattened wing and a buckled front wheel - it steered on to the recovery truck perfectly. However, the (insurer approved) garage is saying that as well buggered suspension on that side, the chassis has taken damage which may well necessitate a new chassis.

The insurers are sending an engineer to assess my 90. There is talk of 'beyond economic repair' being banded around, but I don't buy a word of it...it's coming back to me and getting sorted whatever happens. The garage quoted a figure of 4 grand for the chassis alone - without the other stuff - the insurers apparently use genuine LR parts only. I would be more than happy with a galvo Richards chassis for a quarter of that price but they are apparently unlikely to go for it.

Can anyone explain to me how there can be talk of a write off when the other side have accepted full blame for causing the accident and buggering up my property? This seems just plain wrong to me. The other driver/their insurer damaged my 90 and I want it repaired, end of.

I would really prefer to have it done at my local LR independent place whom seem like top blokes. I will chat to them tomorrow.

I only had new front tyres fitted the day before and brimmed the tank the same day. I guess you could say I was almost tempting fate.

I am massively ****ed off. Any advice on this would be welcome. It's starting to get me down.
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Is it your insurer saying it is b.e.r or the French insurer?

Are you insured fully comp or third party?
 
Hi, the other party is now U.K. resident and insured here.

I hesitate to tempt fate by saying this, but I think it just.....may...be sorted. With the luck I'm having at the moment however, anything is possible.

Watch this space.
 
Stand your ground with the insurers. Our 1st disco had a suspected bent chassis and insurers tried to write her off, they backed off once I got a local indy to check the chassis's geometry, and then paid out to repair her.
 
I saw the engineer's report today. He told me over the phone that he was going to look into chassis repair, but the report seems to ignore this suggestion and to simply state that a new (genuine Land Rover) chassis is required. I guess he couldn't be bothered with it in the end. Fair one - he owes me nothing - maybe I'll get to repay the favour in this life or the next.

I have been told that this equates to £4000 for the chassis alone which means write off. Sod that. My tratter was utterly mint before this and is utterly intact having taken an (albeit hard) glancing blow to the left front wheel. Writing it off seems just daft. I'm just not prepared to bin a cracking vehicle like that. It goes against the whole idea of a modular adaptable repairable vehicle. It's just bollox.

This seems like the perfect opportunity to future proof - to bin the standard issue land rover rot box (although the current chassis is coated and completely free of corrosion) and have a galvo chassis fitted. Jeez, it would probably have to be done one day anyway. I've had a brief chat with my local independent (top blokes) and the numbers are very encouraging. I think this is the option. I f-ing hope so.

I just have to see what I've got to work with from the settlement and take it from there.

Defenders are like Dualit toasters. You don't throw them out. You mend them and crack on.

This will be done. God it's been a pain in the arse though. And it's not over yet.
 
Whatever you do, don't accept what the insurance company offers!

You are entitled to a full rebuild if that's what it takes!!
 
Oldseadog said:
Whatever you do, don't accept what the insurance company offers!

You are entitled to a full rebuild if that's what it takes!!
Click to expand...

I'm hopeful that's what I'll get, but it looks like I'll have to do the legwork to secure it. I just want my land rover back. It's the best motor I've ever owned and the only one I've ever lost to someone else's reckless inattention to the road. I'm starting to feel pretty bloody bitter about the amount of trouble this no-fault shunt is causing me.

I'll be honest - I have no experience of locking horns with these buggers. It's a real learning curve. If I can get my tratter repaired and back on the road, I'll be happy.
 
demand a new Richards galvanized chassis

Pull your numbers together with a written quote........ Blue haze did it and won....... Hang tough and don't wussie out, stand your ground
 
Last edited:
Fecking basitids!! but Your insurance will be affected slightly, as you've had a claim whether at fault or not! Robbing gits!!

As for them writing it off, they have to put you back in the position you was in before! It's not you fault, they wanted to write my old pug 205 gti off for a door and a wing and plastics! It was parked lol I wasn't even in it, told my insurance company to tell them I wanted it repaired and that was that! Even told em where I wanted it done and they had to do it!

Good luck fella!
 
RB - read the thread that explains the problems I had.

1. Your insurance coy represent you - if you have any doubt about their part demand to speak to the manager and tell him that you have been miss-sold the policy and want to complain - you now have their attention.

2. Get about three examples of landys similar to yours that are for sale.

3. Demand to know how much they value your landy at - then argue it is worth more.

4. Question their repair figures - find cheaper. I got a Richard's chassis paid for.

5. They (insurance coys) are a profit making organisation that only want your hard earned cash. Be a bastard with them and play hard ball. Do not accept any first time offers - they'll give you more.

Good luck
 
I received some figures over the phone from the insurance company today and think I should now be sorted for a galvo chassis refit and repair of the other bent stuff.

It looks like the beast might just ride again unless there are any other nasty surprises in the pipeline. We shall see. Fingers crossed. :eek:

Thanks for the advice chaps. :)
 
Hippo said:
Bet next time you'll buy a vehicle without a chassis. Like a Freelander. :)
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Except then when the "chassis", which is the whole bodyshell in a Freelander, gets bent in an accident it's not possible to replace it - meaning the vehicle gets written off.

The fact that you can buy a Defender chassis off the shelf and replace them just the same as you would replace a set of brake pads, in my view makes them far more sustainable than monocoque bodyshell vehicles.
 
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