I did something stupid. Is this a write off?

[911Ads]

Decided that we would all go to a park to cycle this afternoon.
Put the bikes on the roof (you can see where this is going, right).

Totally forgot they were up there and crash! Hit a height restriction entering the carpark.
Gutted.
So a fair bit of damage to the roof, bikes were ok.
Car is a Mk5 golf GTi. Annoyingly had 4 PS4s fitted on Saturday. It's got 100k on the click but was very clean.

What's the thoughts, is it repairable?

Edited by 911Ads on Sunday 21st April 18:57

[blue_haddock]

That doesn't look too bad. Just leave it as a battle scar!

[blue_haddock]

That doesn't look too bad. Just leave it as a battle scar!

[911Ads]

Also a few songs in the roof...

[Dinoboy]

Id have a go at fixing that myself, heat it up- push the dent out from inside then go mad with cutting compound and machine polisher. Nothing to lose.

[911Ads]

As I said, just disappointed. It's the wife's car, she's not to annoyed as she totally forgot about the bikes up there too.
Will take to a body shop on Tuesday but no idea if repairable.

[GroundEffect]

Does it stop you using the car? No. As you were.

[Xcore]

It will probably write the car off if your where to claim on the insurance. But why would you

[DuraAce]

GroundEffect said:

Does it stop you using the car? No. As you were.

This.

Its repairable - anything is if you have enough money.

Might need a new roof skin to make it mint (I know you can fill it but with the roof having so much flex it's not easy to make it perfect)
Insurance claim could be an economic write off as a roof skin change won't be cheap.

[Mr Gearchange]

I feel your pain - I did the same with my Audi A8, pedal dug into the roof and left a big dent and gouge.

I was pulling into a supermarket car park late at night so had the pleasure of the assembled throng of Barrie’s jeering and laughing.

My solution was to wait until a knobend in a van rear-ended me on the M40 a year later to write it off.

It was at junction 8 on a Monday morning if that helps?

[Julian Thompson]

Awwww - so sorry to hear this - if it’s any consolation there are other equally absent minded amongst us....

“My mate” (ok it was me) - decided it would be a good idea to get a defender to take the bikes rather than putting them on the roof.

Guy at the dealership offers to let me try a bike in a SWB defender (this would be 2013) and so I went down there with my little Alfa Mito with the bike on top.

Bike doesn’t fit. Bugger. Ah well - console myself with a nice meal in Manchester on the way back home... this multi storey will be perfect to park the car....

....BANG.

And you know the worse thing? When it went bang I thought “what was that!!!!!” - took me about 3 seconds to have that “oh crap” moment!!!!

Bodyshop will fix that for you no bother - roof skin is all in a day’s work.

[Skyedriver]

Did this taking an old exhaust to the tip. Wiped out the roof rack too.

[Cloudy147]

Dentmaster and then chipaway could sort that I'm sure?

[gazza285]

Mk5? So at least ten years old. A shame if it was mint, but personally I’d leave it as it is.

[rallycross]

gazza285 said:

Mk5? So at least ten years old. A shame if it was mint, but personally I’d leave it as it is.

Yep me too just leave it as is.

[InitialDave]

If you want it fixed properly, yes, it'll likely be more than the value of the car. But it's not essential to continued use of the car, so I'd leave it as-is, orther than touching in any paint damage that could lead to rust.

[911Ads]

Thanks for all your comments. It helps that I'm not the only one to have done this.

I'll take the front roof rack off and see the damage there. The back bar bent like a banana and all 4 cycle carriers bent too.


The car really was very clean. Having a look on AT. This is a very close example;
I just found a great car on Auto Trader.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2019...
It's a 56 plate, my wife is the second owner, full service history (with invoices) and has the big screen nav. We've had it 4 years.

I may use it as a motorway hack and she can choose a replacement.

Do insurance companies (nautical themed one), allow you to buy back the car if written off? I need to weigh up reporting it or leaving as it is.

[Blanco92]

I reckon that could be made a good 90% better by pushing/pulling the dent out. Get the headlining out, warm up the area from underneath and push with something nice and round. Maybe a localised paint repair after.

I have used PDR techs in the past with good results. If you’re Northern I may be able to recommend one.

911Ads said:

Do insurance companies (nautical themed one), allow you to buy back the car if written off? I need to weigh up reporting it or leaving as it is.

I was with a subsidiary of the said nautical themed ins co, and they allowed me to buy the car back at scrap value (circa £140... including my tank full of petrol!) after I’d wrote it off (car was worth circa £1k). My only advice to you if doing this is make it clear to them from the outset you are interested in buying the salvage, and don’t let them take the car away from your possession at any point.

[Mexman]

Easily repirable to a body shop with a pin welder puller.
Pull it all out, skim of filler and repaint.

[911Ads]

Mexman said:

Easily repirable to a body shop with a pin welder puller.
Pull it all out, skim of filler and repaint.

This is effectively what my local body shop has said. He said he was quiet at the moment, so I left the car with him. I've used him before and happy with his work, so fingers crossed.

I'll post a picture once I get the car back.