MNlotus Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 (edited) i was so happy to put on my new wheel spacers and drive today until this happened. I came up on a patch of road that was under repair with bumps and gravel and braked. The lady behind me in the ford explorer didn't brake. The back bar got pushed into the body work. I have no injuries which is the most important part. The car drove home like nothing happened. What do you guys think, easily fixable? Edited September 27, 2014 by MNlotus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
locost7018 Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 Looks like about $75995.00 in damages. Which just happens to be the price of a new ultra fast Caterham!!! Can't see any body damage. Just the license. Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNlotus Posted September 27, 2014 Author Share Posted September 27, 2014 Looks like about $75995.00 in damages. Which just happens to be the price of a new ultra fast Caterham!!! Can't see any body damage. Just the license. Russ Haha, i wish i could get the new caterham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randychase Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 We repaired a rear ended seven much much much worse than that. Is the gas tank okay? Check shock attachments and make sure shocks are straight. Check the suspension bits, specially the A Frame part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNlotus Posted September 27, 2014 Author Share Posted September 27, 2014 We repaired a rear ended seven much much much worse than that. Is the gas tank okay? Check shock attachments and make sure shocks are straight. Check the suspension bits, specially the A Frame part. thanks for the tips! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcarguy Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 MN, Is the body work dented around the gas cap, or is that the lighting playing tricks on my eyes? Regardless, after repairs, I'd leave ths new wrap-around tag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MightyMike Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 Jeez - glad YOU and the car are okay. What the heck was she doing so close? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomove Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 I got rear-ended twice. Once in 2003 and I had the other driver's insurance pay for it. It was a pain in the butt. I took it to a reputable race car guy (although specialized on Sunbeam Tigers) who had fixed a mangled Caterham before. It took forever (maybe 3 months) and he used too thin aluminum that ended up wavy. Total was about 4000 bucks IIRC with new tank, fenders and some painting. Then I had one in 2012 where a fellow Sevener hit me in the rear quarters. I opted to fix it myself since I felt kind of partially responsible for leading recklessly. That was not a big deal at all and took maybe 80 bucks in aluminum sheet and 2 or 3 days of work. But at least I got it right and used the opportunity to strengthen the rear end a bit. More info here If the other driver was insured and you know somebody who can fix it professionally, no-brainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wemtd Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 (edited) Glad you're ok.... If you were towed (even flat bed) make sure your frame was not racked/distorted. Edited September 28, 2014 by wemtd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee break Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 If the other driver was insured and you know somebody who can fix it professionally, no-brainer. That's the big question, how do you find someone capable to fix a Caterham? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 Sorry to hear of your misfortune. how do you find someone capable to fix a Caterham? By asking around on here! There may be no one local to this car that has worked on Caterhams but quality vintage restoration shops should be able to do the work. For piece of mind, it may be worth shipping the car for repair to a quality workshop that knows what they are doing. I would be making the claim with your insurer and having them seek recoveries from the other driver's insurer. Depending on who you have they may or may not follow that protocol (e.g. Hagerty vs Daily Driver insurers). But at least your insurer has a vested interest in trying to keep you as a customer and give you good service. They should not penalize you on future premium increases as it was not your fault and most insurance companies have that feature in their rating plans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNlotus Posted September 28, 2014 Author Share Posted September 28, 2014 MN, Is the body work dented around the gas cap, or is that the lighting playing tricks on my eyes? Regardless, after repairs, I'd leave ths new wrap-around tag. Yes she impacted the bar and also made contact with the gas cap which got pushed in a little bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNlotus Posted September 28, 2014 Author Share Posted September 28, 2014 That's the big question, how do you find someone capable to fix a Caterham? I know the Top Gear shop in MN and they said they can already fix it, just waiting to hear back from the insurance company... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNlotus Posted September 28, 2014 Author Share Posted September 28, 2014 Sorry to hear of your misfortune. By asking around on here! There may be no one local to this car that has worked on Caterhams but quality vintage restoration shops should be able to do the work. For piece of mind, it may be worth shipping the car for repair to a quality workshop that knows what they are doing. I would be making the claim with your insurer and having them seek recoveries from the other driver's insurer. Depending on who you have they may or may not follow that protocol (e.g. Hagerty vs Daily Driver insurers). But at least your insurer has a vested interest in trying to keep you as a customer and give you good service. They should not penalize you on future premium increases as it was not your fault and most insurance companies have that feature in their rating plans. Yes, already talked with my insurance company and I'm am not going to have to pay anything since i was hit from behind while moving, thats a relief at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNlotus Posted September 28, 2014 Author Share Posted September 28, 2014 Jeez - glad YOU and the car are okay. What the heck was she doing so close? I don't know but she was following close since i never even saw her in my side mirrors. I drive defensively and am always looking in my mirrors since its such a small car, i have a feeling she might have been on her cell phone, but she hit me from behind so ill never know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNlotus Posted September 28, 2014 Author Share Posted September 28, 2014 since i got rear ended i thought i might as well upgrade the rear end a little… so far i already have the carbon rear light blocks and back up lights here… http://www.carbonmods.co.uk/Products/carbon-fibre-rear-light-blocks-for-caterham.aspx http://www.carbonmods.co.uk/Products/carbon-fibre-reversing-fog-light-blocks.aspx and also bought a rear diffuser… http://www.reverie.ltd.uk/product_detail.php?search=caterham&part_code=R01SB0121 and since my car had the license bar thing i think i am going to have that removed and have the lights and license plate moved up to the back body panel like this… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdca7 Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 I had the clear brake light cover like those on your car, and found that they were less easily seen than the standard brake light covers. Even though the clear light covers with LED's look cool, you might consider changing out to standard brake light covers. Also, since our brake lights are mounted lower than most cars, I just installed a brake light bar on the roll bar - this is something everyone should consider! Justin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVP66S Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 Also, since our brake lights are mounted lower than most cars, I just installed a brake light bar on the roll bar - this is something everyone should consider! Justin I agree. We drive small cars so I added an LED bar from CBS to the roll bar. http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/28-led-high-level-brake-light Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveStruve Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 If your looking for a change to the 3rd brake lights, may I suggest a pair of led strips attached to the roll bar. They are fairly effective. http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p74/xcritic/Lotus%207/IMG_1327_zpsd2adc1a7.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNlotus Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 I had the clear brake light cover like those on your car, and found that they were less easily seen than the standard brake light covers. Even though the clear light covers with LED's look cool, you might consider changing out to standard brake light covers. Also, since our brake lights are mounted lower than most cars, I just installed a brake light bar on the roll bar - this is something everyone should consider! Justin yes i will consider this, the brake light on the bar would help with safety. Its scary that that her bumper was only two feet away from my head…. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now