Bang!

[vixen1700]

So had a new lockable parking bollard put in by the flat's management company the other day.

Got in this morning, fired up and slowly reversed out then BANG!

Moved forward and my wife picks up this:



Which I'm assuming is part if the 'box bellhousing

Right now I'm so fked off that 1 I can't drive the car and 2 my parking space is useless because of the height if my fking stupid car.

Any tips/advice welcome at the moment to calm me down.

[phillpot]

vixen1700 said:

Any tips/advice welcome at the moment to calm me down.

cup of tea and order some JB Weld

[Penelope Stopit]

Claim against their insurance, everything should have been checked before the job was signed off, the company that installed the bollard should have made sure your car could clear it

Thee above is posted in good faith and assumes that the bollard was in its down position when the car was driven over it

[phazed]

Locking posts stand up about 4 inches when in the closed position.

I would be exceptionally wary about driving my car over one of these.

Our cars are very low and if your car suspension has sagged a little and also with the weight of the driver, (possibly passenger as well) then there is a very likely chance of catching the lowest part of the car on the bollard.

I would be seeking a new bell housing long-term. If you remove the existing bell housing, no doubt it could be welded.

Bad luck!

[vixen1700]

A bit calmer now. So assuming I can get a replacement, is it a big job to replace it?

Is it a standard Borg Warner T5 box, no TVR oddities?

Thanks for any info, as I'm not all that mechanically minded.

[hyphen]

phazed said:

Locking posts stand up about 4 inches when in the closed position.

Unless you fit flush/get a telescopic one.

[phazed]

Changing the Bell housing is not a DIY job if you haven’t any experience or equipment.

It is a gearbox out operation and worth checking if the clutch needs renewing at the same time.

Then while you are down there, check the fuel lines and have a general poke around .

[blaze_away]

I would be talking to my insurance company. Many of us have legal cover nowadays so let them take pn the hassle and expense. It is an accident afyer all.

[ianwayne]

Absolutely an insurance claim. Unless you don't want it on your record (I presume it's on a classic policy?).

[N7GTX]

phazed said:

Changing the Bell housing is not a DIY job if you haven’t any experience or equipment.

It is a gearbox out operation and worth checking if the clutch needs renewing at the same time.

Then while you are down there, check the fuel lines and have a general poke around .

^^^^^ this. You can probably get one from one of the usual TVR breakers (TVR Glen in Ashington) if you ask them to separate it from the gearbox. Breakers normally sell the box and housing complete but some cash should get them to send you the housing.
Or, maybe Powers,or Topcats will have one lying around as they fit 6 speed boxes with their LS conversions.

[LLantrisant]

do you have the standard shocks and coils fitted ? than you may have good chances for a claim.
if you have an aftermarket suspension-setup, which allows lowering the car the insurance may reject your claim

[vixen1700]

LLantrisant said:

do you have the standard shocks and coils fitted ? than you may have good chances for a claim.
if you have an aftermarket suspension-setup, which allows lowering the car the insurance may reject your claim

All standard, but I don't think I'll involve the insurance company.

It's more just annoying rather than anything else, I'll have to contact the management company to fit a thinner pole or move it away from the hightest point it is now( very slight incline on the parking bay, but enough to cause this)

Now just need to find a bellhousing without the rest of the gearbox.

To say I wss in a st mood yesterday was an understatement, now just have to concentrate on getting it sorted.

[Andav469]

vixen1700 said:

LLantrisant said:

do you have the standard shocks and coils fitted ? than you may have good chances for a claim.
if you have an aftermarket suspension-setup, which allows lowering the car the insurance may reject your claim

All standard, but I don't think I'll involve the insurance company.

It's more just annoying rather than anything else, I'll have to contact the management company to fit a thinner pole or move it away from the hightest point it is now( very slight incline on the parking bay, but enough to cause this)

Now just need to find a bellhousing without the rest of the gearbox.

To say I wss in a st mood yesterday was an understatement, now just have to concentrate on getting it sorted.

There is a T5 TVR bell housing in eBay, not cheap though at £400

[Classic Chim]

Are the bell housings specific to TVR then or can you get one off another car model? Compared to other cars if it is specific it’s probably cheap at £400 in comparison.
I would’nt like too think what one costs for say a Lotus or Porsche

[phillpot]

Andav469 said:

There is a T5 TVR bell housing in eBay, not cheap though at £400

Mmm TVR Glen, given that his prices are around double what anyone else charges you should be able to get one for a bit less than 400 notes!

[vixen1700]

phillpot said:

Mmm TVR Glen, given that his prices are around double what anyone else charges you should be able to get one for a bit less than 400 notes!

Well that's what I'm hoping, so will have to ring round a bit tomorrow, but there's not much online.

[ianwayne]

You may have to buy a whole gearbox with bellhousing. Swap it over and sell on the box itself, or if you can get one that's lower mileage than yours, swap the whole lot and sell on your gearbox maybe?


Is it a T5 box (I see your car is a '94 from the profile) ? The earlier models had an LT77 gearbox.

Edited by ianwayne on Sunday 9th September 15:48

[ianwayne]

Duplicate post for some reason...

Edited by ianwayne on Tuesday 11th September 14:43

[Sardonicus]

Thats a T5 bell housing piece get a replacement then get that damaged one TIG welded and move it on it will still have value done correctly and will be perfectly serviceable

[vixen1700]

Had to bite the bullet, £400 it was.