505 replies to this topic

[wingnut]

Go on mate,fight for every penny.Nice to see its not been written off

[malcs_miniturbo]

26 quid for a new clubman front bumper get me 3 please.hope you sort all this out as loved looking at your gt on here gave me guts to work mine

[surfblue63]

Good to hear it's not been written off.

 

Good luck with squeezing more out of the insurers.

[72clubman]

Thanks, I'm glad they're not writing it off. I don't want to seem greedy but on the other hand I don't want screwing on the payout. Their cost breakdown of parts is just ridiculous. 

I've also been using the GT as my daily so I'm now screwed as far as a car is concerned. 

 

They also won't transport the car from the garage where they did the assessment back to my house! So I have to fork out for that too! 

[Nino]

What an idiot.... and then he just trys to run multiple times...... grrrrrr

 

I'm really really sorry for you and i hope you get it on the road again soon !

 

Kind regrads Nino

[72clubman]

So as the car hasn't been declared an insurance write off I was free to collect her, well after much too and froing from the insurance company and garage.

 

As the car was trailered there they didn't deem it roadworthy due to the proximity of the wing to the wheel. I kindly informed them I could easily make it roadworthy but didn't want to interfere with the damage before it had been assessed. 2 waver forms later, and 30 seconds of pulling the wing back and it was fine! They didn't find any movement to the subframe either so I drove her home! Didn't feel any different which is good.

Now I just need to agree on a suitable settlement.

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly she won't be repaired anytime soon, I have an incredibly busy 2 months ahead of me with uni so she'll be tucked away, and I'll be catching the bus... 

[surfblue63]

Looks like you'll be busy in the winter then.

 

Good to hear that it drives OK.

[Jared Mk3]

She looks so sad like that, but at least you have her back.

[Badboytunes]

What  a wayneker the biker was ! With regards to the CIL payment, I suggest looking on sites such as autotrader and similar sites and print off similar spec vehicles and note the prices. With this forwarded to your ins co, you should be able to fight for an increase due to the specific parts for your car. The CIL payment is based on the engineers report that was done on the instruction of your ins co ( i assume you are claiming from your own insurer? ) . You could always instruct an independant assessor to give another report and compare the results. Im not sure how much this would be tho. I see your in Leic, I work in the credit hire industry and "might" be able to help you out with an assessor.........

 

 

 

Also, your vehicle should have been returned to you. However, its good to see that it is back in your possesion.

 

 

I really hope you get this sorted and she is back on the road, I have enjoyed reading this thred.

 

 

Cheers

Edited by Badboytunes, 25 April 2014 - 06:31 AM.

[Matt Zane]

Ask them how they have arrived at the CIL settlement figure, and ask them to evidence this (request the engineers report) they have more than likely based the costing on generic Mini parts and not Clubman specific. (Especially if the damage was assessed at a Vauxhall dealership.)

Then put together a comprehensive list of the parts (based upon the engineers report) that need to be repaired along with verifiable costing and draft a letter to your insurance company and show that the settlement figure they have arrived at is too low, I would advise you to do this in writing or e-mail, as then you can't be interrupted by an overzealous claims handler.

 

The Cash in Lieu settlement may be reduced by the amount the insurance company are able to obtain the parts on a discounted rate, however, it still needs to be reasonable, and if the parts they are using are not the correct ones, then they will have to do better.

 

If they do not budge (which will be unlikely if your letter is well reasoned and provides verifiable evidence), then lodge a written complaint, state that you are now having to rely on public transport and taxis, and this is causing you a great deal of inconvenience, and state that if you are dissatisfied with the answer they provide you will be taking the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

 

If you find that the engineers report falls short of the mark regarding the assessment of the damage (this will be unlikely) then by all mean, instruct your own independent engineer to provide a second opinion, you'll be able to recoup this cost from the insurance company. You won't have to evidence the cost of the car, as its not a total loss (insurance write off) and its an agreed valuation. 

 

I hope this gets you somewhere! If you run into any problems drop me a PM!

 

Cheers,

Matt

[72clubman]

Thanks to both Matt Zane and Badboytunes, real top shelf advice. Pretty much to the letter what I did the day I received the offer! I think you're spot on Matt that they've quoted for regular mini parts not clubman stuff. I don't think they've realised how hideously expensive they are these days! 

 

The assessment vauxhall did was actually pretty accurate, their list of parts that they said needed replacing was identical to mine. They also had a reasonable amount allocated for the cost of labour and repainting. So a reassessment shouldn't be necessary but I really appreciate the offer of help.

 

I'm only really fighting them over the value they put on the replacement parts, and have done exactly as Matt said.  I've sent them a comprehensive list of all the parts listed with part number references and multiple verified costs from the major mini parts supplies, which on heritage parts are pretty consistent. My main reference being directly back to BMH's website.

 

I really do appreciate the help and I'll let you know how I get on.

 

Thanks Joe

[72clubman]

No news yet from the insurers, so they haven't completely dismissed my argument straight away which isn't a terrible thing.

 

I haven't been able to bring myself to start stripping the poor girl so I've been acquiring parts and renovating instead.

 

First was a new clock binnacle as although mine was in really good nick the chrome had rubbed off!

Enter ebay special!

 

 

Since I had my lovely wheels off I'd noticed they'd started to look really tatty. I believe the finish on them is original which is quite amazing, but where the faces are suppose to be polished the lacquer has become damaged and peeled making them look rubbish. So I had a go at re-finishing them, the paint is still lovely so I'm not touching that! 

 

This is how they start off.

 

 

 

 

 

Many hours later...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

& a comparison with a untouched wheel

 

 

 

This took me about 2-3 hours to do this one wheel,  and I can now understand why the quote I had to have them done professionally was so much! 

This is just the preparation work as well as I haven't even started the polishing process yet. 

 

Joe

 

 

 

[keefr22]

Hi, I just found your thread last night, & was really enjoying reading it all the way through - until i got to post 204 - what a little b'tard! But as with the others, really glad she wasn't written off, & with the quality of the work you'd done on her before, I've no doubt she'll be back as a beautiful little GT!

 

I wonder if I could ask you a couple of things - where did you buy the Ultragrips from? I've been doing some googling since I saw them on your car last night but haven't had any luck finding any. I instantly recognised the tread pattern when I saw the first pic in the thread, as they were what i ran on my road rally Escorts back in the 70's...!! I'd love a set on our Clubby!

 

Also, you seem to be really well clued up on GT's/Clubby's, is this just from experience or can you recommend any good reference books on the cars? I grew up with MK1 & 2 Escorts when they were current cars so got to know my way around them really well, but had no interest in Minis back then, so trying to find my way around them now is a tad confusing on times...!!

 

Good luck with the rebuild! I hope you'll post about it on here?

 

ATB
Keith

[Badboytunes]

Is the wheel that is closest to the camera damaged? It looks like there is a buckle byt the yellow dot on the tyre......

[72clubman]

Good news everyone! 

My insurance company agreed with my counter offer and have offered me a nice cash in lieu settlement which I should be receiving shortly. Now to begin collecting parts. I've already bought a complete original sidelight so thats a hard one off the list, thank you ebay! Next is to place a whopping great order for some lovely heritage panels. I skipped a few corners on this car (bodywork wise) so everything will be rectified at this point. If I'm going to have to fork out for paint the metal underneath is going to be perfect! The mechanicals are still perfect as I only redid them last year! Might swap the cones over though, the rears a bit too low for my liking.

 

I did contemplate just paying someone to do it, and although there's some amazing people out there, there's also some shocking ones. If you want something doing properly, do it yourself. (if you're capable this is) Case in hand, I fully accept that I can't paint, so this will be done by a trusted friend. 

Sadly I'm really stuck for time at the moment so it may take a while for me to get around to it, the results should be worth it though. 

 

 

Hi, I just found your thread last night, & was really enjoying reading it all the way through - until i got to post 204 - what a little b'tard! But as with the others, really glad she wasn't written off, & with the quality of the work you'd done on her before, I've no doubt she'll be back as a beautiful little GT!

 

I wonder if I could ask you a couple of things - where did you buy the Ultragrips from? I've been doing some googling since I saw them on your car last night but haven't had any luck finding any. I instantly recognised the tread pattern when I saw the first pic in the thread, as they were what i ran on my road rally Escorts back in the 70's...!! I'd love a set on our Clubby!

 

Also, you seem to be really well clued up on GT's/Clubby's, is this just from experience or can you recommend any good reference books on the cars? I grew up with MK1 & 2 Escorts when they were current cars so got to know my way around them really well, but had no interest in Minis back then, so trying to find my way around them now is a tad confusing on times...!!

 

Good luck with the rebuild! I hope you'll post about it on here?

 

ATB
Keith

 

I'm glad you enjoyed reading, as I've said before and as the title suggests I never intended on keeping it!! But I've really grown rather attached to the little bugger. 

 

 

Well what do you know, I keep forgetting that because of these threads my cars all over the internet! The Goodyears actually came on a set of wheels. I bought them as part of a job lot of wheels last year so purely by chance. It looked like they'd been on those wheels for some time. There was rumor of them being reproduced a few years back but nothing came of it I believe. 

 

I pulled them off once they decided to eat my front wing, that and they rubbed the rears as the slightest sign of any weight over the rear!

I still have them in my garage though.....

 

Ahh my GT knowledge. Everything I've learned has been over the past few years, a lot of internet research, through books, going through original brochures, (this is a massive help).  Also looking at the cars in the flesh is really helpful, just take what people say is original with a pinch of salt. A lot of what I know came from my dad, he's really into his mini's, especially GT's and Coopers,  he's also been around them for a long long time. I'm actually still quite young, my GT being 14 years older than I am, so I can't claim from experience yet. I think I've built up quite a wide array of GT knowledge, got a little obsessed really! 

 

If you don't fancy trying to source the brochures this website is brilliant, especially if you want to get into the real details of it. 

 

http://www.delius.pw...5gt/default.htm

 

 

Another goldmine of information is the mini cooper register forum, the 1275 GT section has some really good information if you go back through it. It used to have some serious traffic and was very active, but due to virus scares and being down for a number of months it's really quieted down.

(I have a thread on there too)

 

http://forum.minicoo...-gt/-1275-gt-aa

 

for example here's a really good list of the original colour charts for each year.

 

http://forum.minicoo...70-s-bl-colours

 

 

 

A book I got a lot of information on the racing history of GT's was this one. 

 

http://www.amazon.co...s/dp/0947981403

 

I hope this helps you get a grasp on it, and please ask any more questions if you think of any.

 

A full and comprehensive rebuild will be posted about on here as soon as I get around to it! 

 

Joe

 

 

 

Is the wheel that is closest to the camera damaged? It looks like there is a buckle byt the yellow dot on the tyre......

 

There is a slight bit of damage to the rim at that point but it's only to the very outer lip, I had a look when I had the tyres changed over. No problems sealing or holding air.

Edited by 72clubman, 01 May 2014 - 01:22 PM.