Reversed Into Post

[celsteve]

Can't believe I actually reversed into a post. Caved-in the rear passenger side panel, that really big one that is also the roof and the other side!! Think it'll be an insurance job, but with a £450 excess it's still going to hurt:-(

To replace that panel and respray it would surely be way over my excess, am getting qoute from MRT tomorrow. I thought they may, being MrT ( even though no other panels were damaged) decide that it will need a complete respray to match the colours nicely. That's what I'm hoping. Never had body repairs done or made a claim before so my fingers are crossed!

First knock in 12 years, not bad going, but it did have to happen to this car!! :(

........Gutted

[littlewener]

I'm feeling for you mate. i'd be gutted

[celsteve]

Thanks. Everything's going wrong at the moment. Just got 3 points, £60 fine. Cat cost me £150 at the vets, got puncture yesterday.....the list goes on!

it never rains, it :censor: p***es down!

[littlewener]

It could be worse. You could drive a vauxhall instead of a celica

[celsteve]

It could be worse. You could drive a vauxhall instead of a celica

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Cheers mate, yeah or the Polo I had before!!

[MIP]

Jeesus. Funnily enough, near exactly the same thing (with near enough exactly the same car). I reversed into a really low post at the weekend and put quite a dent just behind the drivers side rear wheel, not the bumper but the metalwork itself.

Just as the service is due as well, its gonna cost me £250, and thats my friends dad doing it (who restores classic cars for a living), almost certainly couldn't afford toyota. :(

[celsteve]

Yep, same injury as mine and also service needs doing!

It's so gutting isn't it, just more expenses all the time.

It's a bad week for silver 6's!

damn those low posts!

[mikeb]

Bad news mate.

But Toyota would be one of the last places I would consider for bodywork repairs. They will either contract it out to a bodyshop and charge you their marked up rate, or if they have an inhouse bodyshop it's likely to be the worst price/quality ratio you could ever imagine.

Make sure you get several quotes from local body shops, and ask around for recommendations. Panel beating and paint spraying are a tricky craft, and the variation in quality is immense.

I know a great paintwork guy near me, if he isn't 100% satisfied with the result, he will insist that he has the car back to redo the job. Even for tiny little faults that most people probably wouldn't notice. And his rates are excellent too.

If you take the insurance route, I am not sure what your rights are, as you caused the damage yourself. If it was a third party's fault you can nominate your own body shop to do the work. Don't just assume that the insurance company's recommended body shop will do a good job. Often the opposite is true, they are the cheapest, most overworked places, who will rush the job.

[IanGT]

Unlucky mate know how you feel at the moment mines off the road with subframe damage, Wouldn't go toyota to get it done definatley phone around. At least you can drive yours :) Good luck

[daktari]

Gutted for you matey. Like you say it never rains but......... :(

As mikeb says, shop around for a quote. Usually find that small independent guys will do a better job because they rely on word of mouth instead of job lot insurance stuff.

[celsteve]

Thanks guys, it's nice to have people around that understand how you feel. I 'm

waiting for a qote from MrT and another body shop, should have them both tomorrow. Just spoke to girlfriend and a guy she worked with and the manageress both recommended another place who I will go to later today. Apparently the panel will be pulled out rather than replacing, both said the panel would take a while to get here as it's an import.I'm obtaining 2 quotes from each place, depends on if i or insurance is paying for it! MrT spotted slight scuff marks on the wheel so they'll include that in the insurance quote.

It'll be interesting to see how mrT's qoute compares to the others. They have their own bodyshop and only contract out really minor work. A friend of mine had a t-sport and used to take it there for servicing, he said they were pretty good and not too expensive, but I'll stick to independants for servicing and probably everything else! BTW this guy sold his T-sport and bought a blooming 4x4 truck thing because they had bought a big dog !!

I couldn't believe it.

[sotal]

Why would a panel take a long time to get there because it's an import?? It uses identical panels to the UK model. They were both built in Japan in the same factory

[celsteve]

Beats me mate, that's what they both said. I think the dimensions of the import and uk cars differ slightly, maybe that's the reason?

[Spuffington]

Know what you mean mate - I've just come back from a fortnight in Spain.......great, until the last night before flying home, I reversed into a concrete pillar in the hire car.........took out the rear door of a brand new (1k on clock) Astra. Admitedly it doesn't matter too much as it's not my car, and it is only an Astra but pretty gutting on your last day!!!

Luckily, I managed to get away with not paying anything as I had the Collision Damage Waiver built into my policy.

But I know how you feel - it's gutting to realise you're not infallible. :(

[celsteve]

But I know how you feel - it's gutting to realise you're not infallible.  :(

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:D Yeah, reversing into posts was something that has been, until now, reserved for the mother and girlfriend!! :D

[sotal]

Beats me mate, that's what they both said. I think the dimensions of the import and uk cars differ slightly, maybe that's the reason?

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As far as I know they are identical, they are all built first, then the different bits and bobs are dropped in to make the different models. The body Shell is AFAIK identical on any Import/Uk and also ST/GT/GT4. The bumpers and bits like that vary between model but not between countries. I'm sure someone else will be along to confirm this but you could tell them to get a UK one instead.

If they are going to pull it back then it is likely that it will have stretched the metal so they normally bash it back in a bit, rough it up and get the shape back by filling it - I'd prefer a new panel espicially if it's going through the insurance

[celsteve]

Apparently the jap spec is 10 mm longer and 25 mm wider, Just found the info in CC's pinned facts and figures posts.

Doesn't make sense, why aren't they the same?

[daktari]

Probably a trim issue.

[GT4 BOOSTER]

the gen 6 gt4 is different to the st202 , in size, i'd of thought all st202's were the same imho.

jap 202 = Exterior dimensions (LxWxH), mm 4435 x 1750 x 1305

jap st205 = Exterior dimensions (LxWxH), mm 4420 x 1750 x 1305

[MIP]

Drove mine to my mates Dad's workshop last night. The celica looks mightily out of place with the classic merc's and jags being restored (its absolutly amazing what rotted out shells this guy turns into shiny as new cars). So by the weekend, should be good as new, and I'll be £250+ further away from those 17" alloys I want :(

[sotal]

the gen 6 gt4 is different to the st202 , in size, i'd of thought all st202's were the same imho.

jap 202 = Exterior dimensions (LxWxH), mm 4435 x 1750 x 1305

jap st205 = Exterior dimensions (LxWxH), mm 4420 x 1750 x 1305

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What makes the 15mm difference though?? I would have thought it was just a different bumper. I reckon the Shell itself, and the main body panels are identical (I could be wrong though!)

[GT4 BOOSTER]

wheelbase on a gt4 is shorter , due to the 4x4 system.