Other half hit fox..go through insurance or not??

[johnnyboy12]

Hey guys
Long term reader but first time poster here...

Other half came in tonight and said she hit a fox on a NSL at around 55-60mph. Went out to inspect the damage and can see that the middle/bottom of the bumper (below the number plate) is missing, the fan is bent and the radiator looks to have taken a hit too. I'm assuming all three will need to be replaced.

The car is a saxo worth £1.5k max. I'm wondering whether it is worth going through insurance (£350 excess plus whatever the future cost is of declaring the incident on her policy and mine as a named driver) or taking to a body shop myself and bypassing insurance. Any thoughts on the approx cost a body shop will charge for the parts/labour, or which option you would take? Won't have chance to take it to the body shop for a proper quote for a few days...

Cheers
JB

[Hugo a Gogo]

fix it yourself, for fox sake

[Nigel Worc's]

I'd where possible get some 2nd hand parts, and get one of my mechy mates to do it.

[Raize]

Bypass the insurance. They WILL simply take it back from you in premiums.

[Codswallop]

Given the value of the car, it would be well worth not going through insurance imo. There is a small chance that at insurance repair prices, the car might be a write off if there is sufficient damage underneath.

If you get pattern or used parts from a dismantlers and fit them yourself or use a indy bodyshop, you might be able to sort the whole lot for the cost of your excess.

[tbc]

show me a Saxo worth £1500

i've yet to see one in 2012 above £800

[Ennoch]

You'll get a radiator and fan from a scrapyard for £100 max I'd have thought, probably £50 if you avoid the ebay-esque ones and go for a traditonal cash in hand place locally. Twenty quid on some coolant and you're done. You can then hold out for a bumper in the proper colour by using some of the online used parts finders/checking ebay. It'll save on paint and probably only be another fifty quid. It's perhaps a bit daunting if you've not done this stuff before but a fox isn't going to have done any real structural damage underneath the skin so the likelihood is that what you can see is what you have to fix! Remember to get some spare hose clips and bumper fastenings for when you put it all back together. Don't go through a bodyshop and definitely don't go through the insurers, it'll cost you your excess and then increased premiums for the next god-knows how long!

[johnnyboy12]

Codswallop said:

Given the value of the car, it would be well worth not going through insurance imo. There is a small chance that at insurance repair prices, the car might be a write off if there is sufficient damage underneath.

If you get pattern or used parts from a dismantlers and fit them yourself or use a indy bodyshop, you might be able to sort the whole lot for the cost of your excess.

Thanks - good point re potential write off. Car is 04 reg vtr with low mileage and FSH (just had cambelt done too) so don't really want to run the risk of it getting written off) and getting c£600 net from insurance company.

[Ari]

Even if you can find the fox, it's unlikely to be carrying insurance...

[Davie]

johnnyboy12 said:

...and getting c£600 net from insurance company.

Good luck! Half that probably. I'd get it looked at by someone in the know, ie quick look underneath to see if the crossmember etc have taken a hit and then if all is well and basically cosmetic, replace what it needs to keep it mobile/legal/safe and then hold out for the the likes of a suitably coloured bumper etc in due course. As for labour costs, evrybody should have a mate with a socket set and oily hands who takes payment in beer in situations like this. But then again, radiator, fan and bumper on a Saxo... not a difficult job.