My R53 burnt out

[OIGMatt]

Hi Folks

I'm a (very) long term lurker, spend many a lunchbreak perusing readers' cars but seldom have much to post about.
Over the past 18 months or so I have been rejuvenating my R53 when time allows. It's one of the last of the R53 Supercharged models, a December 2006 registered car with FSH and 85k miles.

I haven't totaled up the spend, but I'd guess I've probably spent £4k+ completing the following:

Minor corrosion repair on door and hatch, partial respray (bodyshop)
New Bilstein shocks and springs all round
Fully poly-bushed throughout
SS exhaust
4 x Toyo Proxes
-15% SC pulley
Gearbox & diff oils
Coolant flush
Water pump (Mini)
Sump Gasket
Full timing chain kit and associated gaskets (orranje)
Gear selector cables (Mini)
Oil filter housing gasket
Clutch assembly (LUK)
Rocker cover gasket
Pressure relief valve (Mini)
Rear main seal (Mini)
Supercharger service
New locking wheel nuts (Mini)
New thermostat (Mini)
Crank position sensor gasket/o-ring (Mini)
Spark plugs NGK BKR7EUQ (Suited to reduced pulley)
Coolant Expansion Tank (Mini)
New rear calipers/discs and pads
New handbrake cables x 2 (OEM)

Anyway, most of the above I've done by myself in a lock-up that I have use of. I finally got the car finished and drove it to my local garage for its' MOT. It didn't quite pass first time, but they undertook a couple of tweaks and the car passed the MOT late on Friday. Unfortunately, I didn't get time to go and collect it. So I'd had to leave the car with them over the weekend, with a view to collecting it today (which, after 18 months off the road, I was very much looking forward to).

Unfortunately, someone dropped their van off at the garage yesterday afternoon and parked it alongside the Mini. A short time later (having watched this back on the garage's CCTV) the van catches fire, looks like from within the passenger compartment) and burns out. The damage on the Mini is (obviously) a total loss. The fire brigade arrived and prised open the bonnet etc, but in truth the car would have been ruined regardless.

So, my question is, do any of you fine people have any experience in justifying the value of your pride and joy in similar circumstance? I imagine the book value on this car is probably £2k at best. In reality, to find a similar condition car to mine would be virtually impossible and certainly likely to cost in excess of £5k

[ChickenvanGuy]

Can't help with the valuation but I really feel for you, what a sickening feeling that must have been to see it like that.

God luck getting it sorted and eventually getting another project.

[President Merkin]

I'm running the same car with about the same amount of time, parts & effort into it. It often occurs to me that if it's written off for any reason, the financial value is peanuts but the meaning to me is huge. Mine caught fire a few months back when the starter cable rubbed through & shorted out. As luck would have it it ended with a load of smoke & sparks and I got away with it. But I definitely feel for you as a fellow Mini botherer. Sadly though, the insurance will look at it & see a 20 year old hatchback and that will be that. Best to source another & go again if the will is there.

[jfdi]

Oh no. That's sickening. Is anything salvageable off the mini? If so, could you buy it back from the insurance strip it, parts for the next one, then scrap it.

[andy43]

Crap that’s awful. No useful advice or experience except I’d suggest going to the insurers with all your receipts and proof of similarly restored/looked after cars for sale as price comparisons. If yours was insured at ‘market value’ you sadly may lose out.
What a shame. We had a 2005 MCS - it was a fantastic thing, a proper little go kart.

[The test driver]

I would get on the R53OC facebook page and ask the same question, there's a couple of dealers on there that specialise in R53's and the values clean ones are trading for is going up and up. Even non-GP/ JCW's with low miles are commanding surprising prices now.

[Ebeneezer Smith]

Is that a private plate on it that you want to keep?
If so you need to get on line to DVLA and put it on retention before you put in your insurance claim otherwise you will loose it

[georgeyboy12345]

Looks like a northern Irish plate

[Krikkit]

Gutted for you, what a shame!

Unfortunately the insurance company will likely struggle with valuation as they'll probably just look straight to the CAP/Glass valuation, you'd have to find an identical-spec car on something like autotrader which is in similar condition.

[sixor8]

That is a real shame to see that, I've considered one of these myself occasionally. In this situation, is the claim on your own insurance, or can you claim against the van's insurers? Justifying the value to a 3rd party insurer may be even more difficult.

As it happens, a grey R53 Cooper S went through a classic auction yesterday at ACA with a guide price of £3500 - £4500. Admittedly it was a JCW, but with 83k miles on it. It went for £5200 + buyers fees:

https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctions/2...

Edited by sixor8 on Monday 3rd April 09:43

[OIGMatt]

As a useless forum newbie, I don't know how to do the quote/reply thing. So, in no particular order:

Thanks for the kind words.
I hadn't updated the insurance to reflect the increased value, so I was aware that there was a risk if anything happened to it. Only got myself to blame there I guess, but I hope not to be claiming from my own policy, so maybe that wouldn't make a great deal of difference anyway.

The engine and gearbox (which is where most of the work was) look to be okay, but it's possible that there's some internal damage....so, a re-shell is a possible consideration, just not sure I have the time/inclination now.

I'm on the R53 FB group, so I'll mention it there, just not sure how much it matters what I (and others) think it's worth.

It's a private plate that I got years ago to hide the age of a very old (but otherwise respectable) 530i that I was running whilst in receipt of a car allowance from work! Not too fussed about it, but I might try and put it on retention

[OIGMatt]

This was mid-project. I know a lot of people would have done this over a couple of weekends, but it ended up sitting for months at a time

[President Merkin]

Be careful dealing with the insurance. If as you say you didn't tell them about the work done to the car & they discover a 15% pulley, then you're on offer for modifying the car which you have done.

[edc]

Were the mods insured, not just for risk but for replacement? Do you have a standard market value type policy or a more specialist policy like an agreed value?

[OIGMatt]

It's a good point. The modifications: pulley, suspension, exhaust were all declared (I'm old enough that it doesn't change the premium that much)
It was more the re-commissioning costs and the idea of an 'agreed valuation' policy that I hadn't addressed

[edc]

OIGMatt said:

It's a good point. The modifications: pulley, suspension, exhaust were all declared (I'm old enough that it doesn't change the premium that much)
It was more the re-commissioning costs and the idea of an 'agreed valuation' policy that I hadn't addressed

They won't cover labour costs for mods and unless you have specific like for like nod cover or an agreed value policy your layout will be based on a standard equivalent condition and mileage car.

[and31]

That’s terrible.I’d be gutted if anything happened to mine

[OIGMatt]

edc said:

They won't cover labour costs for mods and unless you have specific like for like nod cover or an agreed value policy your layout will be based on a standard equivalent condition and mileage car.

I worked out the quote thing!
Yes, that's pretty much as I feared, just curious to see if anyone had any experience of arguing the case on what constitutes 'like for like' on something that's a bit different/specialist

[DaveyBoyWonder]

Hate to say it but the mods are minimal so doubt they'd affect the value of the car too much - the rest of it could be seen as normal servicing parts etc so despite the fact you've repaired some rust around the famous rusty rear lights, insurance aren't going to be bothered about that.

Think you're going to struggle to get anything more than what they'd normally pay out for a near 20 year old Mini. Bad news - I absolutely loved my two R53s and would have another in a heartbeat.

[Krikkit]

President Merkin said:

Be careful dealing with the insurance. If as you say you didn't tell them about the work done to the car & they discover a 15% pulley, then you're on offer for modifying the car which you have done.

That wouldn't matter if you're claiming through the 3rd party insurance, it's irrelevant what your coverage is like.