RIP my beloved punto

[2scoops0406]

Yes, but it's what you get out of that litre! Although Punto's are very economical aren't they? I test-drove a 1.2 16V once, amazing engine for the displacement. If they had stuck a 1.6 badge on it I wouldn't have questionned it!

To be honest you might not find any cost benefit from a small diesel over a Punto, increased purchase cost and roadtax might offset the economy gains.

Did you drive it around where you live, if my fading memory serves me, you've said it's very flat around you. This makes a huge amount of difference, even a 1.2 can be nippy on the flat, but show 'em some hills, and the lack of torque shows badly.

 

[Steve]

Last night
country lane
Approaching a junction
and it was wet on the road
no need to slow down.

Mmm, live and learn...

you think i would be driving recklessly with my entire family in the car? eh?

cheers for the advice Moz, appreciate it!

 

[securespark]

The junction in question is actually at the bottom of a slight incline,

Do the white lines approaching this junction get shorter?

This warns of approaching hazard.

Are there any warning signs at all? (Triangular ones)

Are there any "SLOW" signs on the tarmac?

Etc.....

If not, it might be worth contacting the LA.

Crafty -

I'm off the Rotherham tomorrow- can I avoid this junction??!

 

[empip]

This may help you feel a little better or luckier .... crafty !

http://www.wreckedexotics.com/

What will they come up with next ??

Notso funny ..... KIA with porsche Boxster .. The other side of high velocity mixed with concrete pillars.

 

[Steve]

update time

Engineer from norwich union phoned the other day and asked me what i wanted for the car. i told him i had seen the price at £2500 in parkers and the like. He said that they aren't there to rip me off and the car is (was) worth £3000. I said thats fine, as i wasn't expecting that much! I do have £1k i can access if i need to, but i dont want to, its in savings, and i dont reckon i will be able to find a car as good as that one for under 3k.

 

[empip]

I do wish you had asked for £5k .....
You know this ! ... You don't ask, you don't get ... Musn't be sentimental over a lump of scrap iron .. Easier said sometimes..

 

[Steve]

just got a letter from the third party insurers - hastings - saying "with the circumstances before us, our client was not to blame" words to that effect, and saying they will be recovering their costs from my insurer. The damn cheek. Happens my mum was on the phone to solicitor at the time, and she asked them about this, the solicitor said they have no grounds to claim they weren't to blame, since she has seen pics of my car and the way the damage occurred it must have been their fault. It is just a standard letter they send to third parties she said. Anyone heard of this?

Also had word about my rental car, when i recieve the cheque for the balance of the settlement £2630 (3k-370 excess), i have 5 days to get a new car before they pick the micra up. Do they think i'm superman? Will go car hunting on sunday.

OOI, anyone ever bought a car on Ebay? There seems to be some good bargains on there but i am wary of buying such a large item (disclaimer, i am not selling any item on ebay, nobody i know is selling anything on ebay, and i am not trying to score ebay hits)

Oh, and i am claiming for the £370 excess as part of the solicitors personal injury / expenses claim

 

[AdamW]

Good luck. Glad to hear the system works for someone. I've found out I'm being done for 3 years NCB because of the uninsured c**t who drove into my car and then claimed it wasn't him. I should have 4 years ncb when I renew at the end of the month, now I've got 1 year.

All because the police lost the paperwork and caused all manner of delays.

 

[Spark123]

Happens my mum was on the phone to solicitor at the time, and she asked them about this, the solicitor said they have no grounds to claim they weren't to blame, since she has seen pics of my car and the way the damage occurred it must have been their fault. It is just a standard letter they send to third parties she said. Anyone heard of this?

Yes, it is common practice for one parties insurance to blame the others, it happened to me too.

OOI, anyone ever bought a car on Ebay? There seems to be some good bargains on there but i am wary of buying such a large item

I always take it as buyer beware, please note on ebay if you bid on something and win you are contractually obliged to purchase it unless it has been mis-represented. Other things to look at are the likes of autotrader for local sales or go to a car salesroom. With the car salesroom you pay a bit more but at least you have comeback should something go wrong.
The best thing you can probably do is find someone who knows about cars such as a mechanic and take them car window shopping with you.

 

[empip]

Don't panic buy.
Ebay ?? Last place for a motor... Who sells there? Why? Charity it ain't.

Don't try to stretch that money too far ... When the 'bargain' grinds to a halt you may rue the day.

Franchised Dealer £ 2945 you pay.
Independent Dealer £ 2705 you pay.
Private Good £ 2540 you pay.

Part Exchange £ 2280 you receive .. if you are lucky.
Less if not pex .. Trade price.

Between Nov and xmas bad time on the road .. dunno why, 30 yrs of commuting taught me that.

Salutory lessons on Insurance .. They only concerned with dosh.

Accident ? Do grab any witnesses, 'Sorry guv, my fault' means little without being witnessed .. knock for knock is easy for insurers.

 

[Steve]

right, i went out today, bought myself a new shape ford fiesta TDCi in oyster silver. Very nice drive, 53 reg, got remainder of Ford warranty. cost just over 5k. I have had to pull together all the money i own. i fell in love with the car though - i had to have it. all the extras - air con, lecky windows, cd player, its gorgeous. I bartered too - got full tank of diesel, and road tax 1year, for free (it originally came on his computer as £110 extra for road tax, then he went away and reloaded the screen and it said "extras £30 fuel, road tax £110")

Phoned insurance up to change existing policy to cover it, charge £22 until january renewal. Also went onto norwich union online to see how much is will be at renewal, its not much more than my punto. I ws wondering though, should i keep my no claims? i claimed off my insurance company, but it wasn't my fault - they can reclaim this money from hastings, the third party insurers. I really hope i can keep the no claims, because my insurance will double, literally, without it

 

[empip]

I am allowed two claims before losing 'no claims bonus' BUT as has been said here before, they'll just up the premium.
eg. £600 - 60% no claims = £240.
New premium plus a little for having attracted a collision .. £900 less 60% =£360

Now if you had protected premium and no claims you'd be in clover.

Hey it may not be that bad at all .. But then again you could have increased premium and lose no-claims.

Cut your losses, I'll give you a grand for the Ford, now, without seeing it, or £900 if I test drive it .. okay?

I guess old son, the people to ask are the insurers, we can merely 'pull your chain' ..

 

[Steve]

As an update, I recieved the cheque today for my injuries and losses. Which concludes all my passenger's claims and my claim. Thank god thats over with.

I know its an old thread, but relevant.

 

[markie]

Cut to the chase, how much.

 

[securespark]

Ay up, they don't call you Crafty for nowt, lad!

Glad it's all over.

I've had a bad year. I had an accident last March where someone went into the back of me and claimed it was my fault.

It was looking grim until I managed to persuade my insurer's solicitors I had a case (the damage suggested I was in a position the third party was disputing). It got to the point where my insurer's solic's sent out court papers. I was hoping it would go up before the beak, then I could mention the dog she had bounding around in the cabin with her, but I promptly received a cheque by return of post, settling up.

So that was good news. Unfortunately, it was countered by a severe whack up the arse while I was parked & picking up a curry. Expensive take-away!!

Nobody owned up to that of course, so that went against me, as did a lane-change by someone on a roundabout who didn't look first.

Usual story. You stop, see several drivers eyeballing you & they won't stop & be witnesses. 50/50......

So my insurer offered me renewal (previously £600pa) at £3K.....!

So I went elsewhere, and got it for 900. Still astronomical for 2 claims (back to 0%......) and a 40 year old , but there you are.