Rear end collision in no-damage shocker!
Discussion
Afternoon,
Now, Yesterday I was coming back into Leeds along the A64 and we came to some traffic lights. Cars stopping in front, I stopped too, but the old chap in the Jag behind me didn't quite pull up, instead he went into the back of my car with quite some force (I had some coins in the centre console and they all ended up on the back seat, if you're wondering roughly how hard). After checking my girlfriend was OK I got out of the car to inspect the damage. What damage? The front of his car was absolutely fine and my back bumper was pushed in perhaps a centimetre. I opened the boot, it closed fine, I checked the spare wheel bay, it wasn't crushed. The layer of dirt I had on the car may have even protected me from any scratches. The only noticeable (by me, SWMBO couldn't tell) thing is that there is a slight gap between the bootlid and the bumper now, perhaps a centimetre as I said earlier...
There's an example of a flush boot lid, slide the bumper forward a centimetre in your mind and you'll get an idea of what it looks like now. Hardly noticeable and definitely not worth any messing about with insurance (and no f
king bogus whiplash claims either!)
I didn't get the chaps details or reg, which I probably should have done in case I found any problems later on, but hey ho! There's always next time...
Anyway, I was very impressed with both cars' ability to bounce off each other almost unscathed.
Has anyone had any similar experiences? A bump or crash where you suspected the worst, but upon inspection you'd been very lucky?
Also, if anyone has any tips for how to move my bumper back to where it should be (I wish I could just leave it, honestly I do) I'd be grateful. I'm thinking a bit of percussive maintenance might do the trick...
Now, Yesterday I was coming back into Leeds along the A64 and we came to some traffic lights. Cars stopping in front, I stopped too, but the old chap in the Jag behind me didn't quite pull up, instead he went into the back of my car with quite some force (I had some coins in the centre console and they all ended up on the back seat, if you're wondering roughly how hard). After checking my girlfriend was OK I got out of the car to inspect the damage. What damage? The front of his car was absolutely fine and my back bumper was pushed in perhaps a centimetre. I opened the boot, it closed fine, I checked the spare wheel bay, it wasn't crushed. The layer of dirt I had on the car may have even protected me from any scratches. The only noticeable (by me, SWMBO couldn't tell) thing is that there is a slight gap between the bootlid and the bumper now, perhaps a centimetre as I said earlier...
There's an example of a flush boot lid, slide the bumper forward a centimetre in your mind and you'll get an idea of what it looks like now. Hardly noticeable and definitely not worth any messing about with insurance (and no f
king bogus whiplash claims either!)I didn't get the chaps details or reg, which I probably should have done in case I found any problems later on, but hey ho! There's always next time...
Anyway, I was very impressed with both cars' ability to bounce off each other almost unscathed.
Has anyone had any similar experiences? A bump or crash where you suspected the worst, but upon inspection you'd been very lucky?
Also, if anyone has any tips for how to move my bumper back to where it should be (I wish I could just leave it, honestly I do) I'd be grateful. I'm thinking a bit of percussive maintenance might do the trick...
If you take the bumper off you'll probably find the bumper iron is banana shaped, but you should just be able to find a straight on in a breakers and bolt it in. If the plastic shell is ok you'll be good to go, just have a good check to make sure the bit of chassis the bumper brakets bolt to isn't deformed.
The metalwork behind the bumper is now probably bent, with the plastic outer bouncing back into shape, so it looks like no damage.
I really would have got their details just incase of anything. But, its done now.
I had a few.
1. Mk2 golf - Foreign HGV decided to use my lane at the last moment too on the approach to a roundabout, didn't quite realise I was in it. Swiped my n/s/r quarter on the wheel arch, pushed the car around a little. Got out to find the arch trim just needed reinstalling, no damage at all to mine. The front corner of the HGV (the big plastic bumper) was totally destroyed. Got out to a very angry italian HGV driver, not speaking english. I just pointed at my lane and expressed some strong views. No details exchanged.
2. Skoda Favorit (i think thats how its spelt) reversed into my car (stationary) at a petrol station, destroyed a front light and pushed the bumper back, no damage to them. They drove off and gave false details for insurance. I got her address (lives in my village) but my insurers gave up sending her letters after 6 months and basically told me to get the money out of her myself. (And charged me extra for years for being 'involved' in it) - Still makes my piss boil.
3. W124 Mercedes - I was a passenger, only about 14. A mk3 golf failed to see us stopped in a que of traffic, piled into the back of us, front of the golf completely destroyed (immobile), (their) airbags went off and it looked a horrible mess.
The Merc's boot popped open on impact and the rear bumper had some scratches, but apart from that no other damage (we all had whiplash though). The merc looked almost unscaved but the repair bill on a car with almost 400k miles wrote it off. I bloody loved that thing, was promised it when I was 18
I think the thing is, apart from maybe cars in the last 10 years- the only area designed to crumple is the front, the rest to be as strong as possible (old thinking, pre-whiplash days) - if you have an older german car with thick metal and it gets rear ended, you'll probably come out winning (although might need a little physio). Wouldn't want to try it in a 106 though!
I really would have got their details just incase of anything. But, its done now.
I had a few.
1. Mk2 golf - Foreign HGV decided to use my lane at the last moment too on the approach to a roundabout, didn't quite realise I was in it. Swiped my n/s/r quarter on the wheel arch, pushed the car around a little. Got out to find the arch trim just needed reinstalling, no damage at all to mine. The front corner of the HGV (the big plastic bumper) was totally destroyed. Got out to a very angry italian HGV driver, not speaking english. I just pointed at my lane and expressed some strong views. No details exchanged.
2. Skoda Favorit (i think thats how its spelt) reversed into my car (stationary) at a petrol station, destroyed a front light and pushed the bumper back, no damage to them. They drove off and gave false details for insurance. I got her address (lives in my village) but my insurers gave up sending her letters after 6 months and basically told me to get the money out of her myself. (And charged me extra for years for being 'involved' in it) - Still makes my piss boil.
3. W124 Mercedes - I was a passenger, only about 14. A mk3 golf failed to see us stopped in a que of traffic, piled into the back of us, front of the golf completely destroyed (immobile), (their) airbags went off and it looked a horrible mess.
The Merc's boot popped open on impact and the rear bumper had some scratches, but apart from that no other damage (we all had whiplash though). The merc looked almost unscaved but the repair bill on a car with almost 400k miles wrote it off. I bloody loved that thing, was promised it when I was 18
I think the thing is, apart from maybe cars in the last 10 years- the only area designed to crumple is the front, the rest to be as strong as possible (old thinking, pre-whiplash days) - if you have an older german car with thick metal and it gets rear ended, you'll probably come out winning (although might need a little physio). Wouldn't want to try it in a 106 though!
crosseyedlion said:
I think the thing is, apart from maybe cars in the last 10 years- the only area designed to crumple is the front, the rest to be as strong as possible (old thinking, pre-whiplash days) - if you have an older german car with thick metal and it gets rear ended, you'll probably come out winning (although might need a little physio). Wouldn't want to try it in a 106 though!
yep. When I first started driving I reversed into a parked car (got flustered by a woman that wouldn't reverse back into a space in a road full of parked cars, even though she had to go about 20 feet rather than the 50 feet I had to, forgot I had a turn of steering lock on and the car didn't go in the direction I though it would). Totally my fault and I went and found the owner of the car I damaged. I had a tennis ball sized dent in the plastic rear bumper shell that popped out. Her citroen C3 needed a new wing, new door and the A-pillar jigging back straight. Not my finest moment 04mmurkett said:
Afternoon,
Has anyone had any similar experiences? A bump or crash where you suspected the worst, but upon inspection you'd been very lucky?
I was in a huge rear end shunt last year. I was left semi concussed, whiplashed, dizzy as a top and sore for days. Strange thing was when we looked in our mirrors there was nothing there. We got out (I was the passenger) looked at the back of the car and there was no damage. The driver heard and felt the impact but wasn't as badly hurt as me. Has anyone had any similar experiences? A bump or crash where you suspected the worst, but upon inspection you'd been very lucky?
Later when we got to the next job we worked out what had happened. My driver was a work colleague and fellow surveyor. In the back of his company Astra Estate was a set of ladders that were a bit too big for the car. To fit them in he had set then at an angle propping the end of the legs either side of the front passenger seat headrest. He then placed a big heavy case containing a masonry drill, spare battery and charger on top of the ladder. When he had to stop suddenly at a roundabout the case ran up the ladder like a locomotive up a set of tracks and leathered the back of my headrest.
i was rear ended in my J reg poverty spec 106. icy country road, car coming the other way. i stopped in time, the car behind me didn't. his car, a 2006 suzuki swift, needed a new bumper, grill, 2 headlights and a bonnet (as a rough guess)
only damage to my 106 was the square cover on the bumper for the tow hook had popped out. i pushed it back in and drove home
only damage to my 106 was the square cover on the bumper for the tow hook had popped out. i pushed it back in and drove home
bertieg said:
i was rear ended in my J reg poverty spec 106. icy country road, car coming the other way. i stopped in time, the car behind me didn't. his car, a 2006 suzuki swift, needed a new bumper, grill, 2 headlights and a bonnet (as a rough guess)
only damage to my 106 was the square cover on the bumper for the tow hook had popped out. i pushed it back in and drove home
I stand corrected :vonly damage to my 106 was the square cover on the bumper for the tow hook had popped out. i pushed it back in and drove home
Some cars seem to hold out well, check out this X6! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KunioaC3Ja8&sns...
I was expecting a lot worse when a lorry reversed in to the front of my Z4, there was visible damage but no where near as bad as expected. The bill however was massive!!
I was expecting a lot worse when a lorry reversed in to the front of my Z4, there was visible damage but no where near as bad as expected. The bill however was massive!!
Riley Blue said:
Lift the carpet in the boot and look at the floor between the wheel well and back of the car, is it distorted in any way?
Good point. I had a fairly new company Xantia written off by a rear end shunt. I was breaking hard at the point of impact forcing my nose down and my arse up into the air. The little Fiesta that hit me was also standing on its nose and the accident left my car sitting on its bonnet with my back bumper uncomfortably close to its windscreen. Apart from a bit of scuffing at the bottom of the bumper my car appeared unscathed. That appearance was, however, deceptive and the damage to the underside and chassis was enough to have my car put to sleep.
Got rear ended in my Laguna. I was stopped when I got hit by a fully laden Transit pick up. Apart from one of the number plate lights been pushed through it looked OK. All rear lights survived and no obvious damage to the bumper. Got the guys insurance details and was glad I did. The bump happened at night so told him I would look for further damage the next day. Boot floor needed straightening, tailgate was warped ( I initially thought the lock had been damaged and that's why it felt different when closing). Garage told me the crumple zone design accounted for the tailgate and the fact I'd no whiplash, as it had been a fair old thump. £2k worth of damage which was sorted through the insurance. The thing is if it wasn't for the number plate light damage I noticed first, I may have thought I had got off scot free and not looked for any further damage or got the other drivers details.
Upon further inspection, with the bumper still on, it appears that the bumper has popped a couple of screws on the left hand side and that is why it is forward. The right side is still in line. No warping of the boot floor or in the spare wheel bay. I'll whip the bumper off at the weekend and have a look underneath with a hammer at the ready but with a bright torch up there everything looks to be straight enough. Still, no harm in making sure!
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff