Not a good day

[Palfrem]

Just picked up on this thread.

I know how I'd feel if my car was damaged to that extent.

Good luck with the claim, some consolation in that no-one was hurt and I hope it all pans out well for you.

 

[nick mercedes]

The nail-biting continues. Called into the bodyshop to discuss and whilst sympathetic, they can only report to Insco assessor who will have the final say. I have requested that I meet with him if a write off is initially considered. So, another few days to wait.

Assessor is god.

You need to bypass the bodyshop and speak to him, put to him that you've spent a fortune on this car and it's not just any old 124 coupe.

Request a contract repair to keep costs to a reasonable level, failing that a cash settlement - if they write it off it will be recorded and they don't always let you buy them back.

If it looks like it's going to be written off (good chance) get the plate on retention sharpish.

It's always better to keep the car at your address, that way it does not vanish on a copart lorry, £300 a day hire cars don't help...

 

[219]

Let's hope first for an amicable solution .

However , when my S124 was written off and my ins co didn't want to play ball with a settlement and letting me keep the car ( mine was a cat B though , and no way was I going to fix it ) I had to remind them that the car was still my property until such time I had accepted any settlement , also I had only reported the incident to them and had not made any claim . When it was clear they were offering a paltry sum and I told them I had no intention of claiming and would be keeping the car , they were not happy . I made more than double what they were offering by breaking the car .

Despite my telling them that I was happy to keep the car on my drive , they still instructed a company to uplift it and I had to tell them not to come .

Obviously Derek's near concours coupe is an entirely different proposition to my estate which was only worth a grand or so and would have needed a new shell , but the principles of ownership and settlement are the same .

 

[WDB124066]

Does the Merc feel out of date compared to this new thing del...?

 

[Howard]

As others have said , hang into it , once it goes to their yard , they hold all the aces.

 

[del320]

Does the Merc feel out of date compared to this new thing del...?

In a word - no.

Strip out all the glitz and sparkle of a brand new car and compare only seat comfort, steering and weight of controls, and the merc is its equal.

At the speeds I normally drive at, the Merc feels just as secure and responsive whilst engine note and absolute acceleration is superior.

Safety, convenience and economy are the key areas where, obviously, the coupe lags behind light years.

Luddite that I am, I really have little use for many of the features - auto lights, wipers, mirrors, seats, cameras, keyless, paddles, soft close - lovely toys though they are. The basic driving experience is little different - a testament to the 124s 25 year old design.

The assorted buzzers and bongs I can do without. It would make a lousy bank robbery getaway car.

 

[ChrisA]

Meanwhile I'm swanning around in this:

Then it all falls apart under brisk acceleration - and it is very brisk - when it sounds just like you'd expect from a 2.2litre 4 cyl diesel.

Quick £200 remap and rag the $hit out of it

 

[Abb]

Quick £200 remap and rag the $hit out of it

Only you Chris...only you!

 

[219]

Just put it through a sign and onto a roundabout.

Looks like it'll need a wing, front bumper, headlight and spotlight, plus labour and paint. And one wheel repairing.

Hopefully not a write off.

2003 sl350 with 60k miles?

It's been written off today,

Don't mean to be pessimistic , but am I alone in thinking that the damage is not entirely dissimilar to Del 320's CE ?

 

[219]

Derek , don't know if this is of any help , but this has been sitting on this used car dealer's forecourt for a few months now , probably because it is LHD . Perhaps he will be open to lower offers , and it could be a suitable donor car for many parts ? If you bought it as a donor car , there may well be other forum members interested in parts you don't need to fix your own car .

Used Mercedes-benz 300 Coupe in Paisley, Renfrewshire | Auldhouse Motor Company

 

[V12]

The C124 looks much worse off than the R230 does when comparing pics side by side.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Very gutted to read this Del, I have been in this very same situation. Fingers crossed it isnt a write off, however it would look like its going to go that way.

On another note, I think that Mazda 6 is fantastic looking (for a saloon). Saw one drive past other day, they are huge and have a slight maseriate (sp?) look about them - I might be alone in thinking this

 

[del320]

On another note, I think that Mazda 6 is fantastic looking.

...It's not a Mazda...

 

[scillyisles]

Very gutted to read this Del, I have been in this very same situation. Fingers crossed it isnt a write off, however it would look like its going to go that way.

On another note, I think that Mazda 6 is fantastic looking (for a saloon). Saw one drive past other day, they are huge and have a slight maseriate (sp?) look about them - I might be alone in thinking this

ermmm you might want to brush up on your car knowledge it is not a Mazda but an Infiniti

 

[scillyisles]

In terms of write off or not - my guess would be that the car needs the following parts :
Wing £246
Bumper £550
Bumper mid crashbar section £112.
Bumper Chrome Strip £93
Innerwing £375
Headlight £342
Headlight under panel 14.64
Headlight mid panel £69
Slam Panel £198.
which is around £1500 in parts at MB prices but a lot of these parts could easily be found second-hand which would reduce the cost substantially.
In terms of labour to repair I think you could add the same again in costs say £1500 or possible £2000 depending on where the work is done.
Provided the chassis/body has not been twisted/distorted, this car is easily repairable and should be repaired as it will suffer no ill effects from a repair like this. If they do write it off, then I would get the car repaired myself if I was in your shoes.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Whoops!

Viewing it on my phone screen, looked like a Mazda logo

 

[219]

ermmm you might want to brush up on your car knowledge it is not a Mazda but an Infiniti

Trouble is , with modern cars , that one pretty much looks like another - what with expanses of plastic and jellymould shapes .

 

[grober]

Looks like an Acufinexus "F Sport" to me.

 

[esox]

The assorted buzzers and bongs I can do without.

They come with bongs these days?

Now that`s what i call fully loaded.

 

[GP801]

I had something similar a couple of years ago in the S124 when hit a small deer. Only difference was I needed a new grille but no wing. The repairs came to £1500 all in using genuine new parts for the bumper, grille, lights etc. To me this is eminently repairable even if you do need to sort it out yourself. It is incredible how the labour costs drop when it is not an insurance company thats paying.
About 5-6 years ago our son had a 300E-24 saloon that was extensively damaged by a drunk driver in Valencia. No way would you have wanted it repaired. The assessors for Direct Line contacted Charles Ironside to value it and basically gave him what he said less the excess.