Tuckshops Ultima
Discussion
Stig,
Soz when I saw "designed for road use" thats all I read. On re-reading I see what you mean.
Dr. J
It sounds like you had a lucky escape for your wallet but unfortunatlelly everyones luck runs out eventually
All this talk of spinning reminds me of someone who spun a beetle pulling out of a junction with a mighty 60 Hp 
. Later a bearing blew on his engine. The next engine burst into flames half a mile from his house. The next one blew a piston. The fourth engine has been OK so far but he doesn't really drive the car anymore. I have really tried to discourage him from working on cars anymore even to the point of keeping his cars for long periods. You don't even want to know what he did with some breakpads 
Soz when I saw "designed for road use" thats all I read. On re-reading I see what you mean.
Dr. J
It sounds like you had a lucky escape for your wallet but unfortunatlelly everyones luck runs out eventually
All this talk of spinning reminds me of someone who spun a beetle pulling out of a junction with a mighty 60 Hp . Later a bearing blew on his engine. The next engine burst into flames half a mile from his house. The next one blew a piston. The fourth engine has been OK so far but he doesn't really drive the car anymore. I have really tried to discourage him from working on cars anymore even to the point of keeping his cars for long periods. You don't even want to know what he did with some breakpads I finally got to see the pictures, glad to see both of you are still alive.
Do you plan on rebuilding it? In the US you can buy back your totalled car from the insurance company for almost nothing. I am sure you could salvage a bunch of parts if you decided to build another one. If not buy it back and part it.
mark
Do you plan on rebuilding it? In the US you can buy back your totalled car from the insurance company for almost nothing. I am sure you could salvage a bunch of parts if you decided to build another one. If not buy it back and part it.
mark
Wow guys,
Thankyou for all your kind thoughts and suggestions.
In answer to some of your points:
+ I had originally tried to find out about the traction control option .. but was persuaded that I wouldn't need it as I already had LSD (I can't remember who said that)
+ Gails 6.3l/410hp/484ft engine seemed to be a reasonable compromise between reliability and resale value.
+ I don't think I'm going to rebuild the car. It's an amazing feeling to give 'life' to a weird mash of mechanics; But to do it again - and consume another year of weekends doesn't have the same feel-good factor.
Tuckshop.
Thankyou for all your kind thoughts and suggestions.
In answer to some of your points:
+ I had originally tried to find out about the traction control option .. but was persuaded that I wouldn't need it as I already had LSD (I can't remember who said that)
+ Gails 6.3l/410hp/484ft engine seemed to be a reasonable compromise between reliability and resale value.
+ I don't think I'm going to rebuild the car. It's an amazing feeling to give 'life' to a weird mash of mechanics; But to do it again - and consume another year of weekends doesn't have the same feel-good factor.
Tuckshop.
If you do end up buying it back for parts, depending on what survived the wreck, I would be interested in buying the shocks, brakes, exhaust, and possible the engine from you. If you don't want to deal with it maybe we could arrange for me to buy the whole car from the insurance company through you.
mark
mark
Sounds like it's probably worth taking the cash, but it's a difficult decision without a detailed inspection of the car to identify what can be salvaged.
I would have thought that it would be optimistic to assume that you can salvage £10k's worth of parts and you would need to spend a fair of time and effort breaking it up and selling it.
There is a fairly limited market for the bits that can be salvaged so the insurance company may be willing to haggle a little and offer more cash with the wreck.
I would have thought that it would be optimistic to assume that you can salvage £10k's worth of parts and you would need to spend a fair of time and effort breaking it up and selling it.
There is a fairly limited market for the bits that can be salvaged so the insurance company may be willing to haggle a little and offer more cash with the wreck.
I would say that it all depends on how much you spent on the mechanicals. The bodywork looks totalled from your picture, and I would be surprised if the chassis wasn't badly bent too. Therefore, the only bits you can look at using are engine, gearbox, loom, fuel system, the Max Power stereo and those rather odd interior lights..... All assuming that they're undamaged (or repairable).
You are in the lucky position of knowing what all of the components cost, so if you go along and see what's going to be reusable, and it would cost more than £13k to replace, go for the cash and wreck option.
This all assumes that it wouldn't unduly upset your girlfriend if you did it.
James
PS. It looks like the woks survived, so that's £39.98 worth of salvageable gear already.
You are in the lucky position of knowing what all of the components cost, so if you go along and see what's going to be reusable, and it would cost more than £13k to replace, go for the cash and wreck option.
This all assumes that it wouldn't unduly upset your girlfriend if you did it.
James
PS. It looks like the woks survived, so that's £39.98 worth of salvageable gear already.
I thought LSD's made wet weather handling worse. In a normal car when it hits oversteer normally the inside rear starts spinning, but because of the diff the outside rear doesn't and so still keeps some traction.
Tuckshop said:+ I had originally tried to find out about the traction control option .. but was persuaded that I wouldn't need it as I already had LSD (I can't remember who said that)
With a LSD if the inside rear starts spinning too much it will force the outside rear to also spin - thereby loosing all static traction from the tyres.
If you had an LSD and it started raining that could explain why the rear completly lost it....
J
Excellent news tuckshop! If it were me, I would go with the £50k providing it covers your initial outlay. I think I would have a problem trying to get aquainted with the car again as from personal experience it's hard to "love" a car again after something as dramatic as that has hapened. When my concours Capri 3.0S (ok I know, but they were cool in those days) got T-boned by a woman that couldn't see out of the junction so she just pulled out, i had to let it go - too much time and effort spent to start over again.
How is your girlfiriend now? I hope she is recovering physically and mentally. When I impersonated a trapeze artist on my motorcycle it took me a long time to get back on it.
Something should be said in praise of your insurers MSM, as it would seem that they truly are a reputable firm for dealing with your claim so promptly. We all moan about the ridiculous costs that insurance companies ask for but clearly in this instance you got what you paid for.
Will you build another one, I wonder?
How is your girlfiriend now? I hope she is recovering physically and mentally. When I impersonated a trapeze artist on my motorcycle it took me a long time to get back on it.
Something should be said in praise of your insurers MSM, as it would seem that they truly are a reputable firm for dealing with your claim so promptly. We all moan about the ridiculous costs that insurance companies ask for but clearly in this instance you got what you paid for.
Will you build another one, I wonder?
Ouch! Fair point as I am about to insure next week! (at long *loody last!)It looks like another policy with a £5K XS
There is a fairly limited market for the bits that can be salvaged so the insurance company may be willing to haggle a little and offer more cash with the wreck.
I agree their price seems a little high. Maybe allot can be salvage, but from the pictures it doesn't seem like 13K worth. I would try to haggle some. You know what every part cost so just go over the car add up the pieces that can be sold + your time to pull and ship the pieces and compare that to the 13K.
If you don't buy it back try and find out which salvage yard the car goes to that way people will know where to go for bits and pieces.
Its not an ultimatum they've offered you - you just need to ask for more time to consider it.
£13k for the wreck, hmmmmmm - engine, gearbox, wheels, brakes, interior parts, air-con etc ......
If someone was in the process of building/just about to order, then it looks like you've got most of the parts they'd need if they orderd a new chassis and bodywork.....
I'm sorely tempted..... sorely tempted indeed!
>> Edited by mondeoman on Friday 6th December 15:48
£13k for the wreck, hmmmmmm - engine, gearbox, wheels, brakes, interior parts, air-con etc ......
If someone was in the process of building/just about to order, then it looks like you've got most of the parts they'd need if they orderd a new chassis and bodywork.....
I'm sorely tempted..... sorely tempted indeed!
>> Edited by mondeoman on Friday 6th December 15:48
Sticking my neck out here but my view is that the wreck should go back to the factory.
Then whatever is salvagable will be stripped and checked by the factory.
I must admit if it was me I would take the 50k and start totaly afresh, you can even go out a buy a similar replacment for that kind of money if you don't fancy building one again.
Then whatever is salvagable will be stripped and checked by the factory.
I must admit if it was me I would take the 50k and start totaly afresh, you can even go out a buy a similar replacment for that kind of money if you don't fancy building one again.
Oh my god Just came to check on the sight after my hols. My best mate nearly Died in a Head on colision with a road sweeper at 70mph. The sweeper was stationary, he was in a VW Passat (pre airbag) the dash pinned him to his seat, he had his Coller bone sticking out, broken ribs, glass cuts everywhere, and has lost 2 Days of his memory. He was in Itensive care for 2 Days, and I not ashamed to say I got alittle emotional. So forget the car, it served it's purpose you walked away.
Life's to valuable, and somtimes to short, we hope to see you around but if we don't Enjoy it together WHATEVER you do.
Best wishes Clive & Heather.
Life's to valuable, and somtimes to short, we hope to see you around but if we don't Enjoy it together WHATEVER you do.
Best wishes Clive & Heather.
Sorry to hear/see this! Main bit is the fact you are alive and well! - but moving on, I know how it feels having bent mine twice, once when overtaking with a bit too much right foot the car JUMPED 10 foot to the right and I went grass skiing. I have a standard 355Ho engine, my worry is some guys are putting saturn 5 rockets in an ultima - You just dont need it!
Rebuild the car, get back in, and drive safe!
Rebuild the car, get back in, and drive safe!
shithotfast said: Sorry to hear/see this! Main bit is the fact you are alive and well! - but moving on, I know how it feels having bent mine twice, once when overtaking with a bit too much right foot the car JUMPED 10 foot to the right and I went grass skiing. I have a standard 355Ho engine, my worry is some guys are putting saturn 5 rockets in an ultima - You just dont need it!
Rebuild the car, get back in, and drive safe!
'You just don't need it'
Maybe, but if that was the case none of us would drive anything that did more than 70mph as that's the national speed limit.
I assume yours does?
Thought so.
Gassing Station | Ultima | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff