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Was in a customers yesterday just off the SW side of the M25, and saw what is probably the first serious accident to a B7. Blue car, hit very heavily on the N/S/R by a truck who's brakes had failed.

The damage is above the rear chassis legs and is in as far as the base of the rear screen. No airbags set off, but the car needs a new shell. Prive £7,000 from Audi, and I guess from my bodyshop experience about 120hrs labour, so about £4,000. I would guess with other bits it will add up to about £15,000 repair, so not commercially a total loss.

However, I hope the owner says he wan't a replacement - I definately would. Having been in and around the repair industry, a car is never the same after a significant repair, especially a shell change.

This then of course begs the question, what will happen to the salvage? It would be criminal for some back-street muppet to put it back on the road. My suggestion is that it is purchased back by Audi and crushed, or at least the decent bits (4X4, engine, drivetrain and interior) are kept and the car definately taken off theroad.

What are other peoples thoughts?

I will try to get some pics, I am back there in a weeks time or so

Jon P

It will be back on the road in no time.

A certain beloved Boxster S I knew was rolled sereval times in a field and written off - it is now driving around again

Some poor moopet may even pay near to list for it......

I would agree Jon. My girlfriend's mini has never been the same after it was rebuilt (marginally avoided being a write-off, and took 8 weeks to fix). And that's in a car with 120bhp. ITs hard to put one's finger on what's not right with it, drivability wise, but it isn't as sharp as it was. Also, bits keep going wrong on it now, and it keeps havign to go back to the bodyshop who fixed it (BMW and Mini-approved shop no less) for bits to be re-done, including run-flats not warning, not working etc!! Could be bloody dangerous.

On this basis, I don't think I'd want to be in a 400+ bhp car and chuck it around if had been in such a big shunt. Hopefully Audi will see sense, as it may even be their necks on the line if something catastrophic on the car was to fail..... which would be very bad PR as well. I'm sure they could more than offset any loss by flogging the nearly new engine, gearbox etc.

Just my 2p,

Tim

My insurers spent £15k on my old TT (worth around £20k at the time).

It drove fine afterwards. I guess it's a case by case thing.

Dont think its the first Jon,

An Irish B7 met a nasty end over here about 6 weeks ago,left the road,down an embankment and into a field...a mate works at the supplying dealer and he reckoned it was dead,vast amount in parts alone to repair and some very messy underfloor,bulkhead damage that would be a very tricky repair.
Yet it sold for big (read silly) money for salvage and the chap who bought it is going to repair it........by the time he has it repaired it might cost him 10k euro less than an undamaged car and he then has a high profile car that was hit hard and that the entire trade know about......it wont be pretty when it comes trade in time......

VST wrote:Dont think its the first Jon,

by the time he has it repaired it might cost him 10k euro less than an undamaged car and he then has a high profile car that was hit hard and that the entire trade know about......it wont be pretty when it comes trade in time......

no doubt that one will find its way to mainland Britain then.........

Highly unlikely as the fact that the car was irish registered and had had our VRT tax paid on it would make that uneconomical...... in the trade over here we call cars like that wedding ring cars.....cos you end up married to them

did you manage to get any photos

If the guy refuses it back then with that kind of damage it'll end up on the register as Cat D so it won't fetch list!

Looks like here's the second!

Makes you want to cry..

Makes me want to call the scrap yard and make an offer for the engine.......

Big hit but the car stood up well, look at the A pillar and drivers door.

What a mess, it's got orange powder all over it. That'll never come off.

BlingBling wrote:Makes me want to call the scrap yard and make an offer for the engine.......

It's a Cat D so will be back on the road soon enough....

Looks like there's fingerprint dust on it so no doubt lifted with keys from it's gutted owners house and crashed by lowlife.

It's for sale on Internet auction, anyone wan't to guess what it fetches?

Cheers

Ben