Car vandalised - what will this cost me?
Discussion
Parked the Elise in my usual spot at work (I've been there 11 years). Working away until my senior nurse comes in between patients, cradling something small and orange.
She's been taking stuff out to the bin and found my passenger side wingmirror in bits on the ground (although neatly put the bits against the wall).
There is no way another vehicle could touch it, where it was, so it must be either the delivery guy for the next doors butcher bringing his big trays in, or deliberate vandalism. Frankly I'm blaming the butcher delivey guy, we believe he's done similar before, but without witnessess we can do nothing. I'm going to post some notes to the neighbours to see if they saw anything, but not hopeful.
How much will a new wingmirror cost me? It's orange
She's been taking stuff out to the bin and found my passenger side wingmirror in bits on the ground (although neatly put the bits against the wall).
There is no way another vehicle could touch it, where it was, so it must be either the delivery guy for the next doors butcher bringing his big trays in, or deliberate vandalism. Frankly I'm blaming the butcher delivey guy, we believe he's done similar before, but without witnessess we can do nothing. I'm going to post some notes to the neighbours to see if they saw anything, but not hopeful.
How much will a new wingmirror cost me? It's orange
Don't know the price, but just a post to sympathise, sorry to hear that 
Hopefully it was just carelessness rather than outright deliberate vandalism - why would a vandal put the pieces neatly against the wall? At least if it was carelessness it's less likely to happen again, whereas spiteful vandals can strike repeatedly (I've been put off soft-tops for life after my girlfriend's MX-5 had its roof slashed three times in a row, parked in the same spot)...
I don't think the mirror unit is that expensive - but painting it may be. Which orange have you got? My Exige is burnt orange, and that paint was ridiculously expensive stuff...
Hopefully it was just carelessness rather than outright deliberate vandalism - why would a vandal put the pieces neatly against the wall? At least if it was carelessness it's less likely to happen again, whereas spiteful vandals can strike repeatedly (I've been put off soft-tops for life after my girlfriend's MX-5 had its roof slashed three times in a row, parked in the same spot)...I don't think the mirror unit is that expensive - but painting it may be. Which orange have you got? My Exige is burnt orange, and that paint was ridiculously expensive stuff...
You'll need to get it painted though
If the delivery guy has rammed it with his trays, then I would be looking for wing damage too, front and rear, the mirror scoops inward of the side profile, in other words it's hard to knock the mirror assembly off without touching the rest of the body. I'd ask him if he knows anything about it next time I saw him, if he looks up to the right, he's lying, oh, hang on that might be the left.........
While waiting for my order at my local Chinese one night a few years ago, I witnessed through the shop window, a t
t in an old 1980's BMW driving along the side of my TVR Griff leaving rubber marks all down the side. I tracked him down by driving around the streets in the area, and there is was, a knackerd old 7 series BWM parked on a driveway. The engine was still warm and my paint was on his car.
I knocked the door, he answered and claimed to know nothing about it, I showed him my paint on his car but he still denied it. I left saying in a calm voice 'I know where you live' I never did anything about it though.
While waiting for my order at my local Chinese one night a few years ago, I witnessed through the shop window, a t
t in an old 1980's BMW driving along the side of my TVR Griff leaving rubber marks all down the side. I tracked him down by driving around the streets in the area, and there is was, a knackerd old 7 series BWM parked on a driveway. The engine was still warm and my paint was on his car.I knocked the door, he answered and claimed to know nothing about it, I showed him my paint on his car but he still denied it. I left saying in a calm voice 'I know where you live' I never did anything about it though.
Edited by LOTUS F1 on Sunday 31st January 09:38
My GF had her side window smashed overnight when she stayed over her friends, thankfully nothing was stolen but it still made my blood boil, she was and still is very upset about it. We suspect it was a deliberate act and it has been reported to the police, as I type this we're waiting for Autoglass to turn up. Also had someone scrape down the side of my car (thankfully not the Lotus, but still!) last week at my place of work, fortunately the guilty party 'fessed up to it, failing that the security cameras would have pointed me to the person who I'd have probably quite happily kneecapped.
I can't help with the fixing of your mirror, but there'll be a fair few of us who could empathise....
I can't help with the fixing of your mirror, but there'll be a fair few of us who could empathise....
Its a Metro or Rover 100 part-not the most glamorous source....
When the same thing happened to mine i got one off ebay and i was able to unlip the painted shell from mine and rebiuld it on the new mirror.
Fitting it was a bit fiddly, the screws are under the small stickers inside the door, and i had to get an angle drive screwdriver to get in.
Good luck
When the same thing happened to mine i got one off ebay and i was able to unlip the painted shell from mine and rebiuld it on the new mirror.
Fitting it was a bit fiddly, the screws are under the small stickers inside the door, and i had to get an angle drive screwdriver to get in.
Good luck
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