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HughN · Alfa Arna Joined: 08 Jun 2003 Posts: 7 Location: UK

I had a little argument with a artic he other day and damaged my Series 3 16V - only few days after spending the weekend spraying and blending out al of the rust spots, etc. Aaaaggghhh. Its not worth involvig the insurance company as it was 50:50 blame and not witnesses.

The doors was dislodged and the A pillar is a bit, err, 'mis-shapen'. If I get a new wing and door, do you think this s repairable (by me), or will I have to write off the car.

I'd rather keep the car because I am pretty skint and having spent a lot of time, money and effort on the car - which I really, really enjoy - it seems a shame to scrap it.

Boo ho hooo...
(Not the best pictures in the world, I'm afraid.)

Cheers

Guest · Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2003 2:09 pm Post subject:

It's repairable.

My father used to work as a consultant director at a garage group in Belgium. You should have seen what they could repair! One couple bought an ex-demo Rover 200, but before delivery some other customer borrowed it for the day and wrecked it (after wrecking her own car and another demo). The garage quickly repaired it but the dash had an inch gap between itself and the right-hand door. Luckily the new owners didn't realise what they had bought and later said it was the best car that they had ever owned.

Somebody I know who works in the automotive business in the UK used to be involved with the importation of PSA products back in the late eighties/early nineties and told shocking stories of badly damaged Peugeots being fixed and sold as new cars. One such case was a 405 which he initially mistook for a cabriolet, "I never knew they did a 405 cabrio." The car was 'fixed' and delivered to the customer. Therefore everything is possible! Wink

Gary UK · Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2003 4:24 pm Post subject:

All you have to worry about is the fact that the damaged area is part of the safety cell which is designed to crumple in a specifed way. So if you are unfortunate enough to have another crash this area may collapse in a bad way.

BUT as the 33 crash test figures don't make good reading anyway (at least you don't end up with an engine in your chest as from the front enders I've seen the engine tends to be pushed under the car) bodge away plus it looks fairly minor.

Is the wheel base still identical on both sides if not it will need jigging otherwise it may not brake in a straight line.

Hugh N · Guest

Cheers Gary,

It wasn't a prang that impacted the front of the car or anything - the artic turned a sharp left whilst we were stationary on the sliproad. The Saf-T-bar at the back got caught between the wing and the door and gave them a bit of a tickle.

I had nightmares last night that I'd have to go out and buy a old Mondeo etc., Noooooooooo......

I was going to patch it up with some foil from a Kit Kat since it is about the same gauge as the pillar!

Cheers

Hugh

Gary UK · Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2003 4:38 pm Post subject:

If it's that thick it must have been a well made one. Plus I've seen the rot behind the plastic wheel arch covers on MOT'd 33's that would make your toes curl and yours looks pristine.

If the door hinge points are out of alignment just get a bit of 'scaffy pole' flatten the end and drill three holes for the mounting points and rive into place.

As this damage wasn't caused by frontal impact u r laughing (well as much as u can be in the circumstances.)

It's one of the very last Mk3's by the looks of the wheels?? Might be worth sourcing a wing and door from a 33 of the same colour (all the 33's I've seen with the 5 spoke split rim alloys seem to be silver), saves the chew on.

Had the same shit happen myself a while back with a bus deciding to hang a right, right up the side of my fathers car while I was stationary waiting at a junction. And £150 excess means it's me a bit of cataloy and a spray gun. I feel like fitting a video camera in my cars so when some Muva Fuka does for you with no eyewhitnesses you have some thing to back you up.

And as for Mondeo's at least when you go to the Ford parts department you get treated like a god rather than some divvy (Reg Vardys can go kiss my Holy Ass, they think customer service is giving the punter an oil change and charging them £100, how dare I want to purchase spares to fit myself, WANKERS!! WANKERS UNBEFITTING OF THE TITLE 'ALFA ROMEO MAIN DEALER' PAH!!!!!).

Guest · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:42 pm Post subject:

Yes, they seem to forget the people that stuck with their 'eccentric' poor-selling cars during their troubled times. Now they are in the Yuppie/BMW market they can treat us like dirt when we want a part for a ten year old car...

shitbmxrider · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2003 2:15 pm Post subject:

legally, they only have to service parts for 7 years after the last example of the model is made
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bah......anyone want my 33?