My beautiful europa is now smashed

[Sparkrite]

I am super gutted, I have spent a year and a half getting my car going. I had the gearbox in pieces just days before a faultless 600 mile trip to le mans in france. And my first journey since returning, just 3 minutes from leaving home a stupid woman in a big suv type rear ends me at the lights.
All the back is smashed, part of the boot lid and even the luggage tray. This car was never before in an accident and now its ruined.
What I would like to ask here is advice on the pitfalls of the insurance company that I will deal with. Firstly they are offering to use another company to handle the claim and thus enabling me to not pay the standard £200 excess.
I am suspicious as I have a feeling this will be worse.
Secondly how on earth do I chose who to use for the fibreglass repairs here in the uk. Ive always done my own metal fabrication and painting and knowing the amount of work that goes into bodywork I can understand why so many body repairs are bodged. I am very fussy in this regard and cant see me ever getting a satisfactory result.
I just dont know what to do.

[BDA]

Man, that's terrible, Sparkrite!!  :'(

Sorry I can't help you with navigating your insurance, but hopefully you'll be able to get her repaired and back on the road.

[TurboFource]

How awful! 

[Kendo]

That's terrible. SUVs should be banned.

You might check with the local Lotus parts suppliers. They might know of repair shops near you.

[jbcollier]

Very sorry to hear this.  Thankfully you are where chassises and bodies are more readily, and less expensively, to hand.  I can't help you with UK insurance law and procedures as I'm in Canada.  Spyder can supply a chassis, and fit it if need be.  They also restore cars so should be able to do the bodywork as well.  Complete bodies and repair sections can be had from Boss Motors:

https://www.facebook.com/Boss-motors-1852531295061863/

They have the original factory models AFAIK.  They have been advertising in the Lotus Club news since forever and I have only heard good things though I have had no direct contact myself.

[EuropaTC]

Heck that's bad luck, I feel for you.

Trying to be practical, the first thing is have you got an agreed value insurance on the car ? Most classic policies do have and that would make things easier to argue with the insurance company regarding repairs, etc.

Bodywork isn't so tough, all the parts are available and unless the rules have changed you are within your rights to expect it be repaired at either a Lotus dealer (oh yeah) or approved specialist. Banks are the obvious ones but there are others who do full scale restorations & bodywork.

One thing that does concern me is if the damage is as far as the luggage tray then there could be damage to the rear of the chassis legs. That could prompt an insurance company into declaring it a write off. If they try that route then it's important to make sure it's not classed as a complete write off, never to be rebuilt, etc.

If the other insurance claim it's not economical then there might be the option to buy the salvage and rebuild yourself. Hence the write off category will be important, if only because we don't want another Europa permanently removed.

As for dealing with insurance companies, I am assuming your insurance company is going to claim off the other party ?  Although it's many years ago, we were rear-ended at a roundabout (wife's brand new car, less than 200 miles on the clock) and it was the first time I'd ever had to make a claim.  In that instance our insurance company appointed a legal firm who gave us loads of forms to fill in, after which it all went away.

The legal bods made sure the 3rd party paid our excess, apparently very important for future insurance purposes, so make sure that happens. They also insisted the car was repaired at the main (supplying) dealer rather than a body shop appointed (approved ? huh ?) by the other insurance company. 

So if that's the deal you've been offered, it worked out ok for us. Car back as new, no outlay and they even came back with compensation, something I never thought of. Check out exactly what they're offering and why, it might be similar ?

Brian

[JR73]

Terrible news and I’m sorry to hear that’s happened.

If you where rear ended then I assume that it has been classed as a ‘no fault’ by yourself? - this is generally the case as the person that hit you from behind is generally considered to be ‘at fault’. If this is the case then you shouldn’t have to pay any excess as the claim will be paid for by the other parties insurance which will cover your excess, any hire car required, injuries etc…. If it is a ‘no fault’ on your part then make sure you get it in writing from the company handling the claim (personal experience here, two years after a ‘no fault’ claim it turned out that the case hadn’t been closed on the insurance database by the company that had to pay out and I spent about two weeks chasing around to get it resolved as it caused issues on a different insurance policy that discovered the discrepancy - and it was my problem to resolve, not theirs!)

As has been mentioned, there are plenty of places that can either supply repair sections of body work and panels (Boss Motors and Banks have moulds for everything related to your TC) and even more that are capable of doing good quality repairs. Don’t just allow the insurance company to send it to their ‘approved bodyshop’ as you really need to insist it goes to a specialist that is familiar with both fibreglass repairs and Lotus cars. (Lots of TVR specialists out there that are pretty good with fibreglass repairs and paintwork for example and a fair few of them will be familiar with Lotus too). - don’t allow the insurance company to write it off as a total loss either.

I know that Richard @Banks used to do insurance repairs (he is a VERY good painter/body man himself) but I’m not sure if he’s still actively doing that sort of work - might be worth a call as he may be able to recommend someone if he isn’t doing it anymore?

Anything can be repaired, it generally looks far worse in the aftermath (coupled with being totally gutted at what some dumb a** has done to your pride and joy) but there’s no reason why it can’t be returned to as good as it was.

[4129R]

I have used a company in Attleborough Norfolk to repair my fibreglass bodies. They are ex Lotus people.

https://attleborough.cylex-uk.co.uk/company/hardtops-direct-ltd-13720693.html

Tell them Alex recommended them. They have done all my 7 Europas. 

[Sparkrite]

Thanks for the replies guys. On the insurance point I have been advised not to let a management company handle it as was suggested yesterday by the insurers . I have had another look at the car today and the rear impact pushed what is quite a flimsy boot tray with enough force to impact the alternator which is now slightly forward and offscew ,even the flexible hose on the original air box got all crumpled up as it too was forced onto the carb intake box. I cant see chassis damage but something has happened as there is about 9mm of play at the clutch release arm,whereas before the was just 2mm. Maybe the round bare hoop for the gearbox mounting is pushed forwwrd. The majority of the damage seems to the rear panel and does not go forward beyound the rear wheel arches, although the boot opening is now wider than before so something has bowed out.The car will never be the same to me, sure it can end up with a shiny coat of paint but its no longer the original undamaged shell as it left the factory. I do not feel like keeing it now.

[europa88]

I really feel for you, its all our worst nightmare.
Do you have membership of Club Lotus as the help and advice is second to none (Apart from here of course). There are quite a reasonable amount of Classic lotus body repair specialists in the South of the UK and the repairs are done to a high standard. I understand how you feel but most Loti have picked up some body work damage over the years. Mine had a complete front corner replaced back in 1980 and it was virtually indistinguishable from new.

Spyder would be a good port of call I think as they have a skilled paint and body guy on site as well as their chassis expertise.
AFAIK Richard winter is a one man band now and other than tech advisor to lotus supplies etc he no longer takes on any direct work.
Good luck

[4129R]

I have used a company in Attleborough Norfolk to repair my fibreglass bodies. They are ex Lotus people.

https://attleborough.cylex-uk.co.uk/company/hardtops-direct-ltd-13720693.html

Tell them Alex recommended them. They have done all my 7 Europas.

I have 2 spare engine covers, rear lights, and two spare rear bumpers, and if Hardtops Direct want to borrow a Europa to take a mould off, I am nearby.

Boss Motors near Sneterton can make the luggage trays. They are thicker fibreglass than the originals, and good quality.

[dakazman]

🥱😭 , OH NO.
  I’m at a loss for words, except to say I’m glad no one was hurt.
Dakazman
 

[Bryan Boyle]

🥱😭 , OH NO.
  I’m at a loss for words, except to say I’m glad no one was hurt.
Dakazman
 

having been in a couple shunts, both on 2 wheels and 4 wheels, this is the most important thing.  I know, sounds trite, but it IS just a car and not worth a life. 

Dig in, figure out what to do, assemble the troops, and march ahead.  No, it will never be the same, pristine car you had.  It could even conceivably be better...

[califkid_66]

first thing is i hope you walked away with no injuries suv versus lotus you are lucky
as for insurance im insured with a classic car insurance they asked me if i had an evaluation of the value of my lotus if i had they would have based the price on that evaluation
she gave me three options
one evaluation two i say how much i want to insure it for or three go with market value of other lotus in similar condition the price is made according to that
when you got your insurance on the contract it should be written
good luck hope everything works out ok

[RafM]

Really sorry to hear this but it sounds like you weren't injured so good news there.

I would say get it repaired, I have nearly finished a TC restoration using a new shell from
Boss Motors (that's how I bought the car)
 
To be completely honest, the mouldings and panel fits were terrible and took months of work to get
right. The PO had worked on the body, but I think he gave up and sold the car. You will be much better off
getting a new rear end grafted on, it may look hopeless but in reality it's a pretty simple job.

As the saying goes, perfection is the enemy of good.....