Through a Hedgerow...
Discussion
Was overtaking a BMW 120d that decided to speed up while I was overtaking him; got past OK, but in the process of turning in (leftwards), came upon a right-hand bend too quickly and ... off 
Estimate I went though at 20-30mph, drivers side pretty well scratched, broken door at sill-level ( about a 6" x 2" ) chunk of fibre glass material and damage (cracked fibre glass) to rear driver side quarter panel.
Driver's side exhaust also twisted off its mount, though still on car... Possible damage to other bits of underside through being whacked onto field.
I am fine though
- stung by nettles trying to get out of the field, and a bit annoyed with myself, but that's about it...
Have 'phoned the insurers (Sovereign, but via MCE) - will report how that goes for the general interest...
Any advice on what to do / not to do concerning getting the insurers to do their duty appreciated.
>> Edited by c4koh on Monday 22 August 09:06
Estimate I went though at 20-30mph, drivers side pretty well scratched, broken door at sill-level ( about a 6" x 2" ) chunk of fibre glass material and damage (cracked fibre glass) to rear driver side quarter panel.
Driver's side exhaust also twisted off its mount, though still on car... Possible damage to other bits of underside through being whacked onto field.
I am fine though
- stung by nettles trying to get out of the field, and a bit annoyed with myself, but that's about it... Have 'phoned the insurers (Sovereign, but via MCE) - will report how that goes for the general interest...
Any advice on what to do / not to do concerning getting the insurers to do their duty appreciated.
>> Edited by c4koh on Monday 22 August 09:06
ZR1cliff said:
Yep least your ok Steve thats the main thing,now at this stage i would become very interested in the geezer driving the car that put his foot down when you overtook,did he stop?
Yep, the fella in the black beemer did stop, asked if I was OK (which I said I was!) and then said I was driving too quickly... I wasn't with full presence of mind to tell ask him why he decided to speed up, but anyway. He then drove off!!
Some bikers stopped and helped me get out the field though - most helpful.
ZR1cliff said:
Steve,now the dust has settled and with a clear mind how do you feel about the stuation,your driving,the guy who sped up driving and what you are going to tell the ins Co.
By the way Good on the Bikers,they always help out in my experiences,glad you are OK.
I've told the insurance company that I put the car through a hedge, that's all that needs to be said to them for the moment...
I would apportion the blame 80% to me, 20% to the driver who sped up, but really it should be 100% to me as I went into the manuever.
Blaming it on the other numpty driver doesn't help - you get them all the time... It's up to a better driver to overcome their stupid, and in the case dangerous actions...
In hindsight, I should have stayed back, so mostly my fault... As I said, approaching the bend too quick, too late and at the wrong angle was the culprit here...
Oh, and the roof was off which didn't help the rigidity of the car, probably added to the pendulum effect...
Try Pete at Mechspray (in Kent) for a quote for repairs and repaint, he's the guy I used when a lady in a Merc very kindly reversed into the side of the nose of Velveteen a few years ago at Donnington.
Mechspray are specialists in fibreglass repair and painting. They did an excellent job and are very "Corvette friendly".
As the car is so specialist you can inform your insurers that you don't any old body shop working on the car and can insist on them allowing you to use a certain paint shop.
Mechspray are specialists in fibreglass repair and painting. They did an excellent job and are very "Corvette friendly".
As the car is so specialist you can inform your insurers that you don't any old body shop working on the car and can insist on them allowing you to use a certain paint shop.
c4koh said:
Steve,now the dust has settled and with a clear mind how do you feel about the stuation,your driving,the guy who sped up driving and what you are going to tell the ins Co.
By the way Good on the Bikers,they always help out in my experiences,glad you are OK.
I've told the insurance company that I put the car through a hedge, that's all that needs to be said to them for the moment...
I would apportion the blame 80% to me, 20% to the driver who sped up, but really it should be 100% to me as I went into the manuever.
Blaming it on the other numpty driver doesn't help - you get them all the time... It's up to a better driver to overcome their stupid, and in the case dangerous actions...
In hindsight, I should have stayed back, so mostly my fault... As I said, approaching the bend too quick, too late and at the wrong angle was the culprit here...
Oh, and the roof was off which didn't help the rigidity of the car, probably added to the pendulum effect...
Respect to you Steve for putting an honest slant on it,although WTF did the driver speed up for?,ive seen this happen in other situations and could only put this down to dead nastiness,why would a person want to endanger another persons life like that as you could argue that if he hadnt of sped up your manouvre would of been safe,i think you deserve 10/10 for showing the control you did when he stopped and made the comment.
Sorry to see you've had an off Steve - good news was 1) you're okay and 2) you did it in a C4. Generally these are repairable cheaply for that kind of damage IF YOU GO TO THE RIGHT PLACE! I had some work done on mine a few years ago, normal bodyshop wanted £1100 (and in truth didn't really want the work), TVR (repair place in Bishop's Stortford) were much better at £800 but weren't knowledgable over the construction so were listing trim pieces that didn't need doing (still rate the quote mmind) but I had the repairs done at MAG American in Bishop's Stortford for £500. He's really good with this kind of thing, although I'm not sure if he still does this type of work.
Alternatively, I could also recommend MARC in Melton Mowbray - he's a great sprayer, has his own jig and has done some great repairs on my old MX6 and also seems to be a wizard with fibreglass etc. judging by his creations driving round MM.
Good luck with the repairs - great description by the way! It seems our cars do bring out the idiots in other drivers (is it jealousy? Proving a point? Inferiority?) - I had a nice gentleman in a VR6 tell me "I drove like a pratt" after I overtook him doing 40 in a 50, straight bit of road etc. Nice of him to take the phone from his ear as he pulled up to tell me this....
Alternatively, I could also recommend MARC in Melton Mowbray - he's a great sprayer, has his own jig and has done some great repairs on my old MX6 and also seems to be a wizard with fibreglass etc. judging by his creations driving round MM.
Good luck with the repairs - great description by the way! It seems our cars do bring out the idiots in other drivers (is it jealousy? Proving a point? Inferiority?) - I had a nice gentleman in a VR6 tell me "I drove like a pratt" after I overtook him doing 40 in a 50, straight bit of road etc. Nice of him to take the phone from his ear as he pulled up to tell me this....
Cheers for the comments, folks.
Having spoken to my insurer and the local (but reputable) garages, I've decided to send it to Bauer Millett in Manchester, who should be able to do a decent job; plus they're quite close.
So far:
MCE very helpful, very efficient!
NIG (sovereign policy) who are the underwriters and dealing with the claim also very helpful + very efficient.
I'll keep a log on this thread really as a record of it all... Although I hope nobody needs to use it in the near or distant future
Having spoken to my insurer and the local (but reputable) garages, I've decided to send it to Bauer Millett in Manchester, who should be able to do a decent job; plus they're quite close.
So far:
MCE very helpful, very efficient!
NIG (sovereign policy) who are the underwriters and dealing with the claim also very helpful + very efficient.
I'll keep a log on this thread really as a record of it all... Although I hope nobody needs to use it in the near or distant future
ZR1cliff said:
Respect to you Steve for putting an honest slant on it,although WTF did the driver speed up for?,ive seen this happen in other situations and could only put this down to dead nastiness,why would a person want to endanger another persons life like that as you could argue that if he hadnt of sped up your manouvre would of been safe,i think you deserve 10/10 for showing the control you did when he stopped and made the comment.
Cliff, absolutely spot on - he was gunning it, and I was a bit stuck, although of course (I've done my IAM training!) I shouldn't have been in that situation in the first place...
But yes, I've had this before (am sure we all have)... in 14 years of driving, and 4½ years with a Corvette, but it only takes that one time...
Anyway to be thankful is I'm still here - as you can see from my description, there could have been all sorts of different scenarios which thankfully didn't come out - cars coming around the bend, trees etc.
ZR1cliff said:
Respect to you Steve for putting an honest slant on it,although WTF did the driver speed up for?,ive seen this happen in other situations and could only put this down to dead nastiness,why would a person want to endanger another persons life like that as you could argue that if he hadnt of sped up your manouvre would of been safe,i think you deserve 10/10 for showing the control you did when he stopped and made the comment.
Cliff, absolutely spot on - he was gunning it, and I was a bit stuck, although of course (I've done my IAM training!) I shouldn't have been in that situation in the first place...
But yes, I've had this before (am sure we all have)... in 14 years of driving, and 4½ years with a Corvette, but it only takes that one time...
Anyway to be thankful is I'm still here - as you can see from my description, there could have been all sorts of different scenarios which thankfully didn't come out - cars coming around the bend, trees etc.
c4koh said:
I would apportion the blame 80% to me, 20% to the driver who sped up, but really it should be 100% to me as I went into the manuever.
I wouldn't be so hard on yourself. Last time I looked at the highway code it was a big no-no to accelerate while being overtaken.
Good luck with the repairs.
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