All good things come to an end

[sjoe]

After over a year of ownership it looks like it might all be over.
I crashed on thursday while towing a trailer with a supra onit that i had just bought.





The surf doesnt look too bad but the tow bar has been dragged about 8" towards the drivers side so am hopeing the chassis rails arent bent.
If i can i will buy it back but may not be worth it.
If anybody has any advice on getting the most out of insurance companies would be much appreciated.
Obviously all p*** taking welcome

[Albannach]

Will the Supra's seats fit a Surf

[gwh200]

I cant be sure, but the Supra...is it a convertible, and if so, the roof mechanism looks like it might need some attention.

I cant offer any insurance advice, other than they will play hardball with you. Stick to your guns over what the things are worth...and consider getting a moped.

[TonyN]

Thats a sad sight.

Supra number plate is kinda appropriate...

Been vagely considering buyng a car for fun, am torn between a Supra or a TT Legacy at the mo.

[budweiser]

i bought mine from the insurance for £250 the only damage was a dent on rear passenger door, and broken wheel arch extension, they shouldn't be too bad, unless a mate buy it for you

[meooo]

Will the Supra be covered by your insurance?

[budweiser]

what about the trailer has that been written off too?

are you looking for a new trailler??

[sjoe]

The supra and trailer were only covered for 3rd party so i even have to pay the recovery, all this happened about 160 miles from where i live.
I managed to get the trailer home but both axles are bent so is the chassis and just about everything else.
Supra has been signed over to the recovery firm with the cost of scrap being removed from my bill.
The surf is still with recovery awaiting inspection from insurance.
Had been looking for a supra for ages, only drove the damn thing for about 5mins, and now its being crushed.
Not sure i will be able to afford to insure a surf after all this has been paid for.
Its just luky i have a 2nd car and a fzr1000 just in case.
think it must have happened alot like this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCfFbQpmqWk

[yoshie]

It's a scary feeling I was very lucky a couple of years back towing a integra behind my baby blue 3rd gen. I managed to catch it and stop. My wife was in the truck at the time, she has not be in anything since while towing.

You need to be very careful of the nose weight to much weight behind the trailer axle and you can get into trouble.

I hope you don't lose to much cash mate.

[HONEST AL]

All good things etc etc

Joe,I wouldnt dream of taking the p*ss,I am sure you feel bad enough already.
Firstly I hope no one was hurt,you can always get another Surf
Having just been through the same thing I can only tell you what happened to me.
I bought my truck 5 years ago this month,92000 miles,bit scruffy but spotless underneath,£2500 and she was mine.Door cards off,side steps off,all interior trim removed and several gallons of waxoyl later,both inside and out,a good polish,some good spots and fogs and she was fit for the road.To say I was pleased with her is an understatement.I have a Saab 9000 Griffin 3 litre sat on the drive,not touched it in 5 years,I just love driving my Tonka.I may fit the black leather front seats in the truck and scrap the Saab.
All that ended last August Bank holiday,28 mph on a quiet(but moist) country road,we were side swiped by some knobhe*d in a taxi.Scuff mark on front wheel arch,drivers door,rear door and totally demolished rear fibreglass wheel arch,some scratches on rear1/4 bumper.After two inspections they decided it was "uneconomically viable to repair" ,a total write off.£1700 plus vat to fix!!!!!!
To this day I do not know how they arrived at the figures but they offered me £2300 in recompence for the repair(less £200 excess) so in effect £2100.
The other party later denied it was his fault,even though I had an independant witness(also glad I called the police to attend the scene).
At the end of the day,and with numerous phone calls and letters I got £2300 plus anything I was out of pocket.The insurers told me that if I wished to keep my vehicle I would have to pay salvage and get it mot tested to make sure it was safe,considering the only real damage was the rear wheel arch I did not worry too much.I am told that the salvage figure is a fixed sum and not negotiable,but try anyway.The wheel arch was fixed with a part off here,£10, and £34 for primer,colour coat and lacquer,jobs a good one.
The advice is,
Never ever admit to anything at the roadside,
Make sure you get all his information,he must give it to you by law,if he cant or wont,think about calling plod,if no one is hurt you dont have to call the rozzers out,but notify them of the accident asap,not too sure of the legal requirement here but I would do it to be on the safe side.Try and find out if there is any cctv nearby,it may help your case later on if a problem arrises
Take lots of photos at the scene,his damage,your damage,and his number plate if you can,get one of him if possible and also the road from both directions.Make a note of the weather and road conditions.If the other driver is in the wrong I would never do it "off the books",if the other driver subsequently denies liability you could be right in the glabber,so to speak.Your insurers will never back you if you dont keep them advised of everything,you know what they are like.
Be meticulous,buy yourself a notebook and write everything down,as it happens or at the very least on the same day.Draw a good diagram of the accident scene,take names and address of any witness.It is almost impossible to remember accurately what was said or done a month after the event,I was once told it is known as a "contemporanious record" and may be admissable in court.
Keep a file of letters ,yours and theirs,in date order,again its easier to find if its all in one place in chronological order.
I know you would probably want to rip the other driver a new one but be courteous at all times,if he looks a bit iffy,call the plod,because they will check his insurance,mot,and suchlike at the roadside,it gives you the heads up as to whether your claim will go through ok.I even checked the other drivers tyres for tread depth,when it comes down to it ,its either you or him that pays so make sure its him.

I cant guarantee the legal accuracy of any of the above,but it is how I dealt with the situation,I am sure one of the adults will be along before too long to put me in my place and correct any spelling errors,but I managed to get my money back and I kept the vehicle,so at Easter time I am a happy bunny.
On a closing note,I have a spare front bumper,dark grey,NOT CHROME,with indicators.If it will help you out then its free to a good home,you pay the postage,all the best and I hope you sort it out soon,Regards,Alan

[sjoe]

My costs so far
supra £700
Recovery of supra £350
Trailer recovery £210
Getting the trailer home £100
Trailer replacement £1000

Lukily my boss has been good enough to lend me a grand if not i would have been well and trulely f*****.

Thank you all for the advice and kind words so far.

Honest Al if i get the surf back and can afford to put it back on the road i will take you up on the offer of the bumper, thank you that is very kind. Im glad you got your money back, and everything worked out ok for you.

A big thanks also to thrifty for offering to help me out if possible.

As soon as i knew i couldnt stop it, i skipped fear and went straight to anger, and just started swearing like a mad man, there was nobody else involved, i was alone in the truck and im not injured so i guess it could have been worse.

[sjoe]

the surf has been written off as a cat c, and if i want to buy it back i need to collect it from strood by thursday or i will have to pay extra storage so doesnt look like i will be getting my truck back.
Im still waiting for the first offer shoud be tomorrow
If anyone is in the strood area and willing to pick my truck up and keep it somewhere untill i can afford to get it home please let me know.
Thanks

[Vagrant No2]

Where in Norfolk are you ? I am in Wisbech and used to be an Insurance Engineer so can give you an opinion on the Surf chassis if you want.

[sjoe]

im in sea palling, near wroxham.
the surf is in strood, Kent and i dont think i will be able to afford to get it home.
thanks for the offer though.
Does anybody have any advice on dealing with the offers proceedures?

[scottiedog]

im in sea palling, near wroxham.
the surf is in strood, Kent and i dont think i will be able to afford to get it home.
thanks for the offer though.
Does anybody have any advice on dealing with the offers proceedures?

Sorry to hear about your accident, glad YOU are ok and that is the main thing.

I'm in Strood. I can offer your truck a resting place for a couple of days to give you more time.
Talk to me, if I can help you in any way I will.

S.