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Hi Everyone, My Proton has just been involved in an accident (not my fault), and is due to be taken away by the other party's insurance later on today, for assessment. They have advised me that due to the age of the vehicle and extent of damage it will more than likely be written off. I've spent a great deal of time, effort and money on this car and would hate for the insurance company to look in the price guide and see 1991 Proton = £100, and offer me something stupid like that. I know they don't care what you have spent on it over the years, but it means a lot more to me than simply an old banger as other people would look at it. I will definitely be buying it back either to repair or to use as parts to do up another one. All the kit is factory option Proton stuff, not home made parts. It has an LPG conversion with specially made filler that looks like factory and has the same fuel flap as the petrol flap on the other side, so nobody can tell its on gas. Conversion is fully certificated and declared to insurance and DVLA. Respray 2 years ago cost £1000. Recent repairs to body work cost more than £300. It has a low mileage engine from a donor car (32,000), which is declared to DVLA. Is there any way I can argue the value of this car so that I can have a hope of getting a decent payout? Could anybody from here write me anything that could argue these are appreciating classics, and are really dwindling in numbers. It is not an Mpi as most people call it. It is the earlier 12v Proton which is much rarer, especially with the original Proton bodykit and wheels option. I only know of 2 other cars with these options, and one of those is a hatchback model. The other is owned by a guy who lives in Scotland. Doesn't want to sell it. Any advice is appreciated. Some photos below of the car pre and post accident damage. The damage is all confined to the front end. I have all the parts required to fix it apart from the skirt and the fog light. Skirt will have to be hand repaired in fibreglass and if the fog light is no longer available from Proton (most probably isn't), I will have to find some similar ones and alter the skirt to accept them.                     |
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First of all, don't let them take it away, as you will probably never see it again.
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1993 Fiat Panda Selecta
2003 Vauxhall Combo 1.7DI van
2006 Mercedes Kompressor Evolution-S AMG SportCoupé
"You think you hate it now, wait til you drive it"
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bortaf
Posted a lot
Posts: 4,549
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don't let them take it anywhere!! they can coeme out and access it. once they have it you'll never get it back and if you do they will probably charge you storage, never let anyone take whats yours it's leveradge for them  once you have the payment and it's cleared then they can come get it IF you want them too that is. |
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R.I.P photobucket
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Could you get confirmation of rarity and factory options from a Proton owners club? I'm guessing there is a Proton owners club out there somewhere.
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There is a Proton Owners club yes. Unfortunately they don't seem to know much or want to know about anything thats not a GTi or a Coupe. No love for these models from them I'm afraid. Its more like Max Power than Retro-Rides over there.
They've already taken it by the way. But I've made it clear nothing is to be removed or destroyed as it is my vehicle and it WILL be repaired. They assure me thats no problem, and I will be able to buy it back at scrap value if they write it off.
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Last Edit: Jan 9, 2012 18:49:04 GMT by se325919
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Best thing to do is keep the car, let the assessors come out to you, make sure its going to be a category 'C' or 'D' (cat A or B is breaking only), they will give you a price which you will have to haggle for as much as you can get while pointing out the recent costs you have paid (no doubt first offer will be £50-£100), then fix the car yourself, VIC check it (if cat 'C'), and enjoy driving it again.
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1993 Fiat Panda Selecta
2003 Vauxhall Combo 1.7DI van
2006 Mercedes Kompressor Evolution-S AMG SportCoupé
"You think you hate it now, wait til you drive it"
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86mike
Part of things
Posts: 453
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Write off for sure, but like the other guys say don't let them take away, take the cheque and fix it yourself. Haven't seen one of these in easily 15 years :-) Keep it alive.
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If it's not your fault, you should be able to make them repair it, that is what I was told by a firend who used to work for Norwich Union. If your not at fault, even if they want to write it off you can demand they repair it - apparently.
But yeah even a broken light would write off most car's over 10 y/o these days.
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CIH
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,466
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They'll want to write it off, 100%. You're not under any obligation to them whatsoever. Most likely outcome is they'll offer you payment inlieu of actual repairs.
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Last Edit: Jan 9, 2012 20:41:11 GMT by CIH
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1900sr
Part of things
I like Mantas me!
Posts: 875
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^^^^^ what Joem said.
You are entitled to be put back in the position you were in before the accident so you can insist they repair it. Might be a fight, but that's your entitlement.
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Last Edit: Jan 9, 2012 19:47:45 GMT by 1900sr
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V-Force
Part of things
I like Hondas.
Posts: 846
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Will almost 100% be a write off, but I thought you could insist your car is repaired to the standard that it was pre accident (if that's possible, obviously not if it's in two halves or something) if it's the other driver's fault?
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1999 Impreza WRX typeR STI Version 5 Limited
1999 Civic VTi-S Aerodeck
2005 Bora TDI daily
Several other 90s Hondas (shhh they're sleeping)
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ScORTED
Part of things
ITBs = Bwaaaarp
Posts: 427
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echoing the above, thats a defintate write off, only panel damage though so should be a D but assessors usually pull letters out of their  . Don't let them take the car off your drive. insist they put it back as it was or find you an identical model with the same options and milage / condition as yours. You should not be out of pocket in anyway after an accident where the other party is found liable. |
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"In engineering there is an answer to everything, It's just that we're usually too ignorant or too dim to see it." Keith Duckworth If you'd binned it into something that either didn't move, or survived intact (like I did, well, technically I landed on top of it, skillzorz... |
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Thanks for the response guys. I'm going to have an uphill battle here to get them to put it back to how it was. I'm ready to do battle though. This car has been my pride and joy for the past 2 years and I've poured money into it because I planned on keeping it forever really. I can't afford to let it go due to something like this, that wasn't even my fault. Unfortunately they have already taken it away. I know where it's gone though and I have been assured that nothing will be removed or destroyed AND if it comes to it, I will be able to buy it back at scrap value. I was unable to open the bonnet due to the front edge being folded down, but they will need to open it to look inside. Hopefully there is no damage to the chassis. The bumper has crumpled nicely as it was obviously designed to do, and the rad was not touched. The bumper does bolt into the chassis legs at the front though, so lets pray its not bent the car. As long as it hasn't repairing it is totally possible as I have nearly all the parts as I have mentioned earlier. I've even got the paint in stock. Its just the cost of getting it done. I want to make sure I'm not out of pocket at the end of the day.
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Ryannn
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,421
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My mini got repaired when I got driven into a few years ago. My insurers were trying to arrange a salvage place to come get when the other party's company rang me to arrange repairs!
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I would DEMAND it is now delivered back to your property, once the assesment is done, get it out of the yard ASAP, you don't want someone putting a forklift through it to shift it as its only an old proton. Tell them they can have free storage at your place. You don't have to go through your insurance company you can make a claim directly against the guilty party, is it wasn't your fault you should be able to have it put back how you want it (within reason). I wouldn't trust anything the insurance company tell you unless you have it all written down or failling that a recording of the conversation on the telephone - make sure to tell them you are recording it though. They may let you buy back at scrap value but that does not mean they aren't going to slap it with a break only classification.
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A mate had a series one golf gti that got forcibly taken from behind by some tit not concentrating on what was going on in front of them. They wanted to write it off but in the end he got payment inlue of repairs, basically they give you the money to get it repaired and send you on your way with the car. If you already have most of the parts then you will be quids in, probably best not to tell them you have the parts tho |
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omega
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,060
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got to agree you need to get it back.my mates sierra had a accident like yours they took it away got told he could buy it back for 180 pounds but the storage fee was 22 pounds a day cost him over 500 pounds to get it back and the 2 new tyres had been swappped and the radio had gone
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Also as dodgerover says above demand that you want it back as soon as the assessment is done. The insurance company won't be storing the car, they will be paying some one else to store it. As soon as a car like this comes in the first thing the storage people will do once the assesser has said its not worth fixing is put a screwdriver straight through the petrol tank. We store accident damaged cars for a repair center up the road and I've sat on my lunch break watching them do it, they also rob bits of them for their own cars.
The insurance company will have little control over what happens to your car in that yard, they won't know or care, as far as every one on that side of the fence is concerned that car will be written off and crushed.
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Good God, you need to get this back, like omega says, its the storage fees that kill the deal, often costing more than what the insurers pay out.
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1993 Fiat Panda Selecta
2003 Vauxhall Combo 1.7DI van
2006 Mercedes Kompressor Evolution-S AMG SportCoupé
"You think you hate it now, wait til you drive it"
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Also as dodgerover says above demand that you want it back as soon as the assessment is done. The insurance company won't be storing the car, they will be paying some one else to store it. As soon as a car like this comes in the first thing the storage people will do once the assesser has said its not worth fixing is put a screwdriver straight through the petrol tank. We store accident damaged cars for a repair center up the road and I've sat on my lunch break watching them do it, they also rob bits of them for their own cars. Yep, we once picked up a customers Orion from storage that had alledgedly come in minus all the flexible brake pipes!! Get it back ASAP and make a note of the condition - look under neath to see if they've been shifting it with a forklift and check its still got a battery on it, - make sure the fluids haven't been drained too before you start it. |
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once you have the payment and it's cleared then they can come get it IF you want them too that is.
