Sorry to hear this. If they do write it off try to do a deal to buy it back. Your engine is worth around £5k with another £1k for the gearbox. It's got to be worth saving though. I'm gutted for you mate
I Hate Drunk Drivers!
- Thread starter bp;ptxus
- Start date
Bugger! That's bad mate, I feel for you 
Hope you get it sorted.
Hope you get it sorted.
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2018
- Points
- 145
- Location
- Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
- Model of Z
- Z4 E89 20i sdrive roadster
Boutard ! Off with his nuts ! That sounds fair exchange . . .
Gutted for you. I hope you can get a satisfactory outcome.
Send me a PM. I can help with some of the parts. Straight off certainly a bonnet (black) and wheel liners. The bonnet is decent but will be cheap as will be glad to get it out of the way.
I'm in Swindon. You will need a van to pick a bonnet up.
I'm in Swindon. You will need a van to pick a bonnet up.
time for a Kobra or ferrari replica?
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As already said. Don't let them write off the car. See if you can negotiate cash and sort it out yourself. But make sure there's no chassis damage as you probably wouldn't want to take that on. You will have a big clue from if they want to write it off as a Cat N (non-structural) or Cat (S) structural. Though they don't always get it right.
First things first - It could have been a lot worse - You're alive to tell the tale. Keep reminding yourself of that every time you get down in the dumps about it. Second, it's not just any old Z3, it's an M Roadster. And it's not even any old M Roadster, it's a rare and sought after version, with low mileage to boot. Those factors should increase it's market value, so with luck it won't be an economic write-off. However you might need to impress these points on Adrian Flux. Third, if it is written off and you have to do a deal, there are plenty of people on here who could help out - Not for me to say, but maybe even a Zedshed project to bring it back to its former glory?........
Everyone who has responded, thank you so much! Its wonderful to "feel the love" from the other members of the Z3 family, wherever you are ! I am thankful no one was hurt, and once I get more information about the nature of the repair, I will speak to AF, if it doesn't go my way. I am already collecting stats about the Z3M and sample values , based on what's out there. I am even thinking about suing the guy personally for the loss in value, I am THAT mad
. But first things first...
. But first things first...No chance with an S54! But, it's always worth considering
Everyone who has responded, thank you so much! Its wonderful to "feel the love" from the other members of the Z3 family, wherever you are ! I am thankful no one was hurt, and once I get more information about the nature of the repair, I will speak to AF, if it doesn't go my way. I am already collecting stats about the Z3M and sample values , based on what's out there. I am even thinking about suing the guy personally for the loss in value, I am THAT mad
I don’t blame you, make his life miserable. I hope your insurers can sort this out for you without having a write off on its history.
Really sorry to hear if your trouble, as other have said the point that there were only 73 RHD S54 Z3Ms made really needs to be noted by the insurance company. There are documents on here and other sites that show this fact, Jonttt a member in here compiled an extensive list with this information.
From my armchair I am looking at the parts list above I honestly think the repair is quite minimal, the parts above are bolt off/bolt on, there is no reference to any structural work and no rear beam assembly on the list so they must be confident that the car is straight. The only part I don’t understand is the R outer B Pillar, is this a cover?
I see no reason why they would write this off unless the labour/paint charges are really high, you mentioned in your first post that there was a small dent in the bonnet but I see they are looking to replace it, does it need a new bonnet?
Just another thought regarding the repair shop, chose a decent shop to sort this, this may not be BMW, remember most BMW technicians will have never seen this car before as it is too old, I would send this to someone like @Sean d for the bodywork in a heartbeat over BMW because Sean is superb at his job and he cares!
Hope this gets sorted for you.
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Thanks a lot for the tips! I shall wait to hear from the Insurance Company, and proceed accordingly. WRT the bonnet, there is a small dent and the two cracked grilles. In the old days of skilled.panel.beaters, it probably could.have been beaten out! Once the grilles are on, it's barely visible, but if it isn't pulled out, the grilles cannot lock. I was surprised that the whole bonnet would need to.be.replaced!!
p.s. here is the cost breakdown:
This is why cars are written off. £800 for a new bonnet I expect. Compared to £50-£100 of panel beating. Of course it can be fixed. But it doesn't suit the insurance company that way. They will throw doing it properly/to manufacturer standard/warranty at you. Adrian Flux may be a little different as they are a specialised insurer.
Btw. This is a reminder to everyone to consider specialist classic insurance with fixed value. If you have an S54 Z3M worth £25-£30k they would be more challenged to justify writing it off with £10k of repairs.
Be careful what you wish for! I just had a recent conversation with AF about a fixed value, and after what they told me decided not to do it (unlike my Mk2Golf GTi). In hindsight...
Reason to do it for the VW was because it is even more rare than the S54 - it's the oldest Mk2 in the UK (on a 1984 July A-plate - one of 19 used to introduce the Mk2 before official launch with different strip on the August B-plate, actual production date 06.03.84) totally original, other than the SS exhaust and a K&N filter, and I bought it from my Company when the lease was up, so owned by me officially since 1987.109k on the clock.
I will say, however, once the S54 is done, I will get an appraisal and get the fixed value!
I will say, however, once the S54 is done, I will get an appraisal and get the fixed value!
Not sure if people are aware of this and forgive me if you are - not intending to teach anyone to suck eggs.
You can use a company of your choice when looking at repairs following an accident. If the insurers signpost “their” repairers, be aware that “their” repairers pay an annual fee for the privilege of being referred. They look to recoup this and this will be reflected in estimates. It is also an interesting exercise in pricing the parts yourself if an estimate is submitted from the insurer’s repairers because they will inflate the cost per item. Bearing in mind that they will get a trade discount which they ordinarily keep.
Don’t let the insurers write your car off. It’s your car and you alone can decide it’s future. They may put a lot of pressure on you to write it off and have the nerve to take it off your hands.
You can use a company of your choice when looking at repairs following an accident. If the insurers signpost “their” repairers, be aware that “their” repairers pay an annual fee for the privilege of being referred. They look to recoup this and this will be reflected in estimates. It is also an interesting exercise in pricing the parts yourself if an estimate is submitted from the insurer’s repairers because they will inflate the cost per item. Bearing in mind that they will get a trade discount which they ordinarily keep.
Don’t let the insurers write your car off. It’s your car and you alone can decide it’s future. They may put a lot of pressure on you to write it off and have the nerve to take it off your hands.
Tends to be 50% of the insurer’s (perceived) value of car and the insurer will push for a write off.