Bad luck strikes yet again...

[Calfskin]

Yes... Not long after getting back on my feet from the bad luck that hit me in February, fate decided to deal another cruel blow. This time to Rene.

There I was, doing a good deed for a mate and let him a space so he wouldn't be late back from lunch that I reversed into a big Frontera... How I didn't see it I don't know but I didn't and all I heard was a sickly crunch...

I got out and to my amazement, the only damage was to the driver's side tail light cluster and a very very slight scuff to the boot lid. Fortunately, I had a spare one in my shed but the Frontera came off much worse. The bumper came in at an angle and fouled the wheel so it needed to be towed away... There goes my NCB... .

However, this story may have a good ending. Due to my impending loss of my NCB, it has now become uneconomical to keep 2 cars so 1 has to go. And to everyone's amazement, it was the Saab that went... While I loved all that open topped driving with really comfy seats and the breathtaking perfomance it was just too thirsty and I'd hazard a guess at my premium next year for it. So Rene has been given a stay of execution and the money from the Saab is going to put him right. I am going to get the suspension sorted and that heater fixed and then I'm going to get the accessories I always promised him. So I'm going to be sourcing ZX Volcane alloy wheels, TZ bumpers (preferably with front fogs) and if I can find one, a leather interior. Oh, and install those bigger speakers I keep putting off. And maybe then, a respray but we'll see.

So, hopefully a bad story with a good ending... But watch this space. Bad luck tends to come in threes... LMAO

Calf

[ken newbold]

[Barnsley BXer]

and maybe a new pump

[richard]

It's amazing the damage you can do to other cars and not have a scrape on yours. About 7 years ago some bloke in a sierra came across the front of my last Xanta. This resulted in him loosing his back bumper and his NCB!!! My Xantia was totally unmarked! Just goes to show you that these Cits must be strong stuff!

Good luck on your BX work. It will be worth it!

[silverfox]

Don't laugh but a few years ago I had a Proton (which was a great performer but I couldn't stand the ridicule from my son!) and I was stopped in a traffic queue, looked in my mirror to see a Maestro bearing down on me while the driver was eye-balling a chick on the pavement! I could tell he was going to hit me and took my foot off the brake to lessen the impact. It shot me forward and I was able to miss the car in front (I always stop a safe distance behind the car in front). I leapt out expecting my boot to be stoved in and was astonished to find his front smashed along with a headlight and steaming radiator! My damage? A few scratches to the steel bumper! "I'm supposed to be going to Blackpool" he cried! "You're not now are you mate" I responded unsympathetically"!

[tim leech]

I had my new beetle (company hack) 3 days, whilst in slowmoving traffic I looked away and you guessed it they all stopped! I didnt and rolled into the back of a N reg Fiesta Si at aprox 5 mph. I got out to see a very slight crack in my number plate but no other damage. The rather irate and literally challenged driver sporting a baseball cap and tracksuit unleashed a torrant of abuse on me saying the same thing had happened to him 3 months before in the same place!

We swapped details, later that day he popped down to our bodyshop to get the car inspected, I saw no damage at the time of the incident, it turns (so he claims!) out that the slightest nudge had pushed his rear panel in (and made it rust through in 4 hours ) and bent the boot floor so now the boot didnt open! Since then he has tried to claim for a broken tail lamp a bent exhaust (one of those huge drain pipe efforts) and god knows what else! Its now in the hands of our legal department as hes taking the piss lol

Just goes to show there are some dishonest people around!

[DavidRutherford]

it's for reasons like this that I now carry a cheap, but working digital camera in the car with me at all times. It means I can take a number of photo's of any incident, and avoid any such idiotic claims.

That said, an ex of mine who had a ford KA was bumped from behind by another KA, as she was waiting to pull out onto a roundabout. The KA that had hit her had minimal damage, but her KA had a bent rear panel, bent exhaust and the boot never did line up properly after that. A surprising amount of damage, but I doubt the impact was as slow as 5mph... 15mph more like it.

[richard]

A freind of mine is currently involved in a similar wrangle. She hit an elderly BMW 5 series with her MR2 no damage to her car, and no damage to his at the time although was rusting badly on the front wing. By the time it reached the agreed inspection venue it had a stoved in rusty wing!!!

She wanted to take pics with her camera phone at the time but he was not having any of that and was very 'firm' in that!!!

It goes to show you that the person you have an accident with may not be a particuarly nice person. This guy was a real nasty piece of work!!!

[DavidRutherford]

She wanted to take pics with her camera phone at the time but he was not having any of that and was very 'firm' in that!!!

She was perfectly entitled to do so. If someone starts getting shirty like that, it's time to call the police.

[Terry Brooks]

This reminds me of the time I ran into the back of a Fiat Punto in my 2CV,the Punto was untouched,my 2CV needed a new bumper & grill and a dent knocking out of the bonnet.
There's an amusing story to it actually .....
My mates brother-in-law had died,he was'nt exactly a friend but I did have the odd pint with him occassionally and his sister [my mates wife] asked me to attend the funeral at 11.00 am ......I was working until 12 that day so I declined to go to the funeral but said I'd go to the wake [to be held in our local] to have a drink and remember "Old George".
On my way home from work I'm not really concentrating on driving thinking more or less about my mates missus and hoping she wasnt too upset and down about the whole thing.
I approached a traffic island and saw it was clear so put my foot down to get round when there was an almighty bang ......I'd hit a Punto.
I leaped from the car and accused the driver of pulling onto the island in front of me but he claimed I was behind him when he approached it,not to be "conned" by this I told him in very colourful language that he was a lying b*st**d,he still insisted that he was right,which did nothing for my mood or language ....it was only when he explained to me where I'd turned onto the road from [he'd seen me pullingout of our works entrance] that I finally believed him .....he then said he wanted my insurance details,I didnt have them on me so I asked that he followed me home and I'd get them for him .......He asked me where I lived and I gave him my address and asked him if he knew where my house was ...his reply??
"I should know it,I'm your local Vicar" [He didnt have his dog collar on Honest
Anyway he followed me home,and while I was getting my insurance details he examined his car and concluded that there was no damage at all to it ......so he let me off.
When I got to the wake,a tearful mates missus said to me "It was a nice service,they did our George proud"
My reply ..............."Yeah I know,Ive just bumped into the vicar"
I know George would've seen the funny side of that.

[Barnsley BXer]

Good tale Tel