Some stupid old lady has hit my Chim! - Door repair advice!
Discussion
Don't believe it, one of my neighbours has hit my Chimaera!
Scrape on door where her bumper hit it, and obviously pushed the door in and has cracked the fibre glass for about 6" underneath the wing mirror!
I AM FURIOUS!!!
She didn't tell me about it, I noticed it and started asking around my neighbours to see if they knew who had done it, then to her credit she put her hands up and admitted it. She said she knew she had hit it, had a look but couldn't see any damage - I guess this shouldn't really surprise me as she didn't see my car in the 1st place, so why would she see the crack!
I didn't even know she had a car, she has only had her car for 1 week after not driving for a year!
Anyone had to repair their door before or have fibre glass repairs done?
Can it be repaired or will it need a new door?
Can anyone recommend a garage that can do the repairs??
Thanks,
Tim.
Scrape on door where her bumper hit it, and obviously pushed the door in and has cracked the fibre glass for about 6" underneath the wing mirror!
I AM FURIOUS!!!
She didn't tell me about it, I noticed it and started asking around my neighbours to see if they knew who had done it, then to her credit she put her hands up and admitted it. She said she knew she had hit it, had a look but couldn't see any damage - I guess this shouldn't really surprise me as she didn't see my car in the 1st place, so why would she see the crack!
I didn't even know she had a car, she has only had her car for 1 week after not driving for a year!
Anyone had to repair their door before or have fibre glass repairs done?
Can it be repaired or will it need a new door?
Can anyone recommend a garage that can do the repairs??
Thanks,
Tim.
Very sorry to hear that. Accidents happen but she should've stopped.
Last year an old lady pulled out of a service yard and straight into a parked car outside the Off Licence. She went to drive off so I blocked the way and told her I'd report her for failing to stop.
I moved and she pulled up some distance away. She'd pushed a door and rear wing in. When she came back she denied having touched it! Luckily I gave a statement and the guy got his insurance through.
Needless to say she'd also been drinking and been into the Off Licence for a top up!
Last year an old lady pulled out of a service yard and straight into a parked car outside the Off Licence. She went to drive off so I blocked the way and told her I'd report her for failing to stop.
I moved and she pulled up some distance away. She'd pushed a door and rear wing in. When she came back she denied having touched it! Luckily I gave a statement and the guy got his insurance through.
Needless to say she'd also been drinking and been into the Off Licence for a top up!
Really sorry to hear that Tim. There is a body repair shop just round the corner from yours on the Southdown industrial estate. Might be worth popping round to see them....
I know it seems like bad luck but I'm dealing with this at the moment, so it could be worse!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
I know it seems like bad luck but I'm dealing with this at the moment, so it could be worse!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Edited by BagOfOldRats on Sunday 24th February 18:55
First the mirror, now the door, are you having a bad year Tim?
My Chim is currently in being painted/repaired in a place I consider to be up to the job. Everything seems to be going the right way but as the saying goes it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.
Hope to have the car back some time next week, happy to let you know how it turns out - they are in Stansted BTW.
My parked car was hit by a young bloke in a Range Rover so it isn't just an "old lady" problem
My Chim is currently in being painted/repaired in a place I consider to be up to the job. Everything seems to be going the right way but as the saying goes it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.
Hope to have the car back some time next week, happy to let you know how it turns out - they are in Stansted BTW.
My parked car was hit by a young bloke in a Range Rover so it isn't just an "old lady" problem
I'll try giving option 1 a call, although they may be a bit far...
Simon - read about your engine troubles which is really bad luck. Hope it gets sorted soon. Between us we could put a decent one together!
Ribol - Be interested to hear what you think of the place when you get your car back.
Simon - read about your engine troubles which is really bad luck. Hope it gets sorted soon. Between us we could put a decent one together!
Ribol - Be interested to hear what you think of the place when you get your car back.
Nothing quite so valuable involved, but I had a car, and some old guy backed into it. Somehow he managed to reverse down his drive, across the road, and into the side of my car which was parked opposite the entrance to his drive.
It's not like it was a narrow road. Quite wide actually, because people commonly park on both sides of that road, and there is still room for two lanes of opposing traffic.
My car was bright red like a warning sign, and he still didn't see it. Sadly I was too far away to get there in time, but I watched him do this from a distance, otherwise I'm sure he would have driven away.
When I spoke to him, the back of his car was resting against my drivers door, and he was like "Noooooo it wasn't me!"
I think wit some of these older drivers, they don't want to admit to themselves that they've had an accident, let alone other people. Poor old bugger. He came good in the end, and it was one of my easiest "no fault" claims.
It's not like it was a narrow road. Quite wide actually, because people commonly park on both sides of that road, and there is still room for two lanes of opposing traffic.
My car was bright red like a warning sign, and he still didn't see it. Sadly I was too far away to get there in time, but I watched him do this from a distance, otherwise I'm sure he would have driven away.
When I spoke to him, the back of his car was resting against my drivers door, and he was like "Noooooo it wasn't me!"
I think wit some of these older drivers, they don't want to admit to themselves that they've had an accident, let alone other people. Poor old bugger. He came good in the end, and it was one of my easiest "no fault" claims.
Ozzie Dave said:
Be careful fiberglass damage is not immediately obvious and may take a while to show properly, the damage is more often than not delamination that takes a while to show but shows when water gets in under the paintwork then makes itself known.
sorry.
Yep agree with Dave,I've been working with GRP for nearly 40 years, Its not just a case of filling all the crazed areas, it will need to be done properly with at least one third of the cracked fibreglass lay up being ground away,and new laminate applied,then ground back...filled..primed,and finally painted, it won't need to be re gel coated before paint. Not a lot of people know that the majority of crazing on fibregass mouldings is done when the item is first removed from its mould in the factory and may stay hidden for years. Polyester resin is still curing even after 20 years, then it starts to get really hard, thats when the crazing starts to show especially on areas like the bonnet which have been continually heated up.sorry.
Anyway i don't do repairs anymore but i can recommend a chap named Dave, goes under the pistonheads name of 'Plasticman'
Good luck,let us know how you get on.
Dave
Edited by valhalla on Monday 25th February 22:21
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