Not so Super VR-4

[Ryan]

466134661246614

+/- 25/30km/h Impact into rear of Nissan Cefiro. Like Scott, blinded by sun (left glasses in other car) and didn't see that the car in front had stopped suddenly for pedestrian crossing and this is the result.

Appears minor but enough to f**k me off, there is a hole in the radiator or a hose has split or something, driveable but steering feels slightly different. Awaiting process of insurance claim.

[Kenneth]

bummer dude :( hope it isn't too serious.

[elnevio]

Oh no, gutting! Hope you can sort things out quickly. On the plus side, doesn't look like any of the genuine Super bits have been damaged?

[Ryan]

No, all the headlights work as do the foglights and indicators (tested). The guy that I ran into couldn't have been nicer as well - Nissan Cefiro, didn't look particularly damaged apart from some scuffing.

[low_vr4]

damn that sucks man!

[Gly]

bad luck,

were the super canards lost in the accident? best let the ins co know :)
coz i swear they were there before :D

oh and check the trans cooler hose's the gap was fairly tight before!

check the housings/clips on the lights arnt broken, if they are they will be replaced,
make sure they don't biff the originals the silver insides can be swapped across.

[Joanne]

What a shame :( Hope you can get it sorted quickly. At least you don't rely on it to get to work each day :)

[Ryan]

Nope and I have wife's Mirage as a backup :) Just waiting patiently to hear back from insurance company. Any ideas on how long this takes usually?

[Chris.W]

Nightmare!!!!! Hope it gets sorted quickly for you dude.

[Oggie]

tow bar damage? god i hope not mate.

[low_vr4]

tow bar damage? god i hope not mate.

Doesnt look like tow bar damage

[Ryan]

Nope, no tow bar damage thankfully. Still haven't heard anything from insurance. Will chase them 1st thing in the morning.

[Nick Mann]

:( Hope it gets sorted soon.

[Gly]

usually a week sometimes 2 for the ins (claim forms back and forth and then placing blame etc),
then 1-3 weeks or so for repairs depending on whats being done.

BTW never admit fault, fine print in alot of ins agreements state you cannot admit fault,

[wintertidenz]

Ouch, bugger dude! Hope insurance don't stuff you around.

Unfortunately they may find worse damage once they pull the bumper and other parts off.

[Ryan]

usually a week sometimes 2 for the ins (claim forms back and forth and then placing blame etc),
then 1-3 weeks or so for repairs depending on whats being done.

BTW never admit fault, fine print in alot of ins agreements state you cannot admit fault,

I already admitted fault. Can't really hide from it seeing as I hit him from behind.

[low_vr4]

usually a week sometimes 2 for the ins (claim forms back and forth and then placing blame etc),
then 1-3 weeks or so for repairs depending on whats being done.

BTW never admit fault, fine print in alot of ins agreements state you cannot admit fault,

I dont know where it wouldnt be your fault if you hit someone from behind

[scott.mohekey]

That's nowhere near as bad as mine.. It looks like it shouldn't cost too much to get fixed. The whole front of mine was smashed up so the chassis itself was bent. It looks like yours is mainly the bent bonnet.

Gutted for you. I know how much this sucks.

[Oggie]

Nope, no tow bar damage thankfully. Still haven't heard anything from insurance. Will chase them 1st thing in the morning.

thank goodness there wasnt any... I had ow bar damage on my old str, 5 grand to get fixed.

hope ya get ya ride back on the road soon dude.

[Ryan]

That's nowhere near as bad as mine.. It looks like it shouldn't cost too much to get fixed. The whole front of mine was smashed up so the chassis itself was bent. It looks like yours is mainly the bent bonnet.

Gutted for you. I know how much this sucks.

Cool thanks Scott, that's at least one silver lining :)

[Ryan]

thank goodness there wasnt any... I had ow bar damage on my old str, 5 grand to get fixed.

hope ya get ya ride back on the road soon dude.

Thanks Terry, I hope so too!

[wintertidenz]

May be time to get a bigger intercooler and hard pipe kit fitted? :P

[crazydriver81]

Hope you get it sorted soon Ryan.

May I take a citation? "If an unstoppable force meets an immovable object - don't stand nearby!"

[Ryan]

Hope you get it sorted soon Ryan.

May I take a citation? "If an unstoppable force meets an immovable object - don't stand nearby!"

Yes, the quotation's irony wasn't lost on me /yes

[Ryan]

May be time to get a bigger intercooler and hard pipe kit fitted? :P

Already have a massive enough intercooler fitted thanks :) It's been there a while too...

[aboo]

:( Hope it all gets sorted quickly for you Ryan.

[Wobble]

sorry to see this . hope you get it sorted relatively painless . at least no one was hurt though

[Subaru ETA]

Sucks bro. I will be interested to see how the claim goes - everytime I make a claim, even though it hadn't been my fault, it's always such a drama!

Who are you insured with?

[Ryan]

Sucks bro. I will be interested to see how the claim goes - everytime I make a claim, even though it hadn't been my fault, it's always such a drama!

Who are you insured with?

I'm with AutoSure who are underwritten by Vero. I received a call from them this morning saying that I could take my car to the repairer to be photographed and quoted. After being cut off in traffic en route to the place by some juvenile delinquent and her simian co-beneficiary which nearly resulted in another accident, I arrived at the repair place with a full head of steam.

That changed though - two attractive birds on the front desk, Ryan was in his "happy place". Manager of the establishment took photos of the car, licence label, WOF sticker, mileage and the damage of course. Was treated really well and thought that they conducted themselves in a thoroughly professional manner. He said that it would take approximately a week, perhaps more to repair the damage.

Pretty much wait and see for now and whisk myself around in a black Mirage :)

[Fully]

Bad luck mate, I hope you get it sorted out quickly =)

[KiwiTT]

Does not look as bad as mine either ... Sad all the same ... Good luck in getting it fixed soon. I know it hurts when it happens.

[Ryan]

I don't know but I can't help a sneaking suspicion that I might get shafted on this... So far parts required (that they can see) are $1200 + GST + freight + labour. Some insurance company guy is going to assess whether or not it is worth repairing tomorrow.

[KiwiTT]

My repairs cost $7,500 on a $10,800 plus "agreed" market value. I think if it was above 75%, I would have had a write-off ... and that would have really hurt.

[low_vr4]

I don't know but I can't help a sneaking suspicion that I might get shafted on this... So far parts required (that they can see) are $1200 + GST + freight + labour. Some insurance company guy is going to assess whether or not it is worth repairing tomorrow.

Worth repairing? Its so bad it could be a write off?

[Ryan]

They don't know yet... depends on what this insurance guy says. If he deems it uneconomical to repair (which I hope that he doesn't) well... there it goes. Hopefully will have good news tomorrow as I just spent $800 on new tyres for it!


My repairs cost $7,500 on a $10,800 plus "agreed" market value. I think if it was above 75%, I would have had a write-off ... and that would have really hurt.

Well, I would be very surprised if the repairs came to 75% of the car's worth so I am encouraged.

[Kenneth]

If there is no significant panel damage, it could be worth taking the pay out (if they do write it off) and buying back the car and having it repaired yourself.
I have known a number of occasions when this has turned out to actually result in the owner being financially better of AFTER the accident...

[Ryan]

I live in hope K...

[Adie]

Not good dude. I hope this gets sorted soon for you!

[Subaru ETA]

at the end of the day it depends if the chassis rails are damaged. looking at the damage tho i doubt it.

out of interest whuch panelbeater is it at? i know of a few in whangarei

[Ryan]

at the end of the day it depends if the chassis rails are damaged. looking at the damage tho i doubt it.

out of interest whuch panelbeater is it at? i know of a few in whangarei

Louie Berker

[leepft]

ive got a bonnet the same color if u want that and a radiator ill sell u cheap if u want

[Ryan]

ive got a bonnet the same color if u want that and a radiator ill sell u cheap if u want

Will keep that in mind, thanks.

[Wodjno]

Ouch :( Sorry to see this Ryan.. Hope you sort it soon..

Wodj

[Zitchu]

That sucks big time man. I would know I had the exact same thing happen to me about 5 years ago, blinded by sun, van infront stopped quickly for pedestrians, didn't see brake lights/notice they had slowed in time and poor car had towbar and rear bullbars for lunch that day :(

[Ryan]

Zal, you own an Evo and a Galant - is their much difference between the two? I phoned the repair place again today, insurance guy is now only coming on Monday so... guess I have to wait till then.

[thfelipeth]

i saw you yesterday parked across Kamo highschool by the pie shop.. the car doesnt look too bad. the only real giveaway is the bumper. anyway. hope she looks good again soon

[Ryan]

i saw you yesterday parked across Kamo highschool by the pie shop.. the car doesnt look too bad. the only real giveaway is the bumper. anyway. hope she looks good again soon

It wasn't me, my car has been in the repair shop since last week Tuesday.

[Ryan]

Right - have just spoken with insurance guy who has looked at the car this morning. It appears that the repair place are quoting for items that probably are not necessary. According to the insurance assessor:

* No core damage to the FMIC
* No core damage to the radiator - fins are straight
* No damage to my aftermarket ATF cooler
* Lights require replacing (I will be sure to get the old ones back)
* Bonnet requires replacing
* Bumper just requires repaint as it has already been modified to fit the thicker FMIC

[Zitchu]

Zal, you own an Evo and a Galant - is their much difference between the two? I phoned the repair place again today, insurance guy is now only coming on Monday so... guess I have to wait till then.

What kind of differences are you meaning? Just in general?

[low_vr4]

What kind of differences are you meaning? Just in general?

I think he means more performance wise

[Ryan]

What kind of differences are you meaning? Just in general?

As Mike suggested, performance wise. Quicker to 100km/h? Does an EVO also have the turning circle of a pregnant yak? In what ways is an EVO better than a VR-4?

[Kenneth]

Hmm... "core damage" shouldn't be the criteria. It should be as it was before the accident which takes into consideration what it looked like.

And make sure they pressure test rather than visual (if not replacing), it only takes one crack you can't see to make them worthless.


Right - have just spoken with insurance guy who has looked at the car this morning. It appears that the repair place are quoting for items that probably are not necessary. According to the insurance assessor:

* No core damage to the FMIC
* No core damage to the radiator - fins are straight
* No damage to my aftermarket ATF cooler
* Lights require replacing (I will be sure to get the old ones back)
* Bonnet requires replacing
* Bumper just requires repaint as it has already been modified to fit the thicker FMIC

[Ryan]

Hmm... "core damage" shouldn't be the criteria. It should be as it was before the accident which takes into consideration what it looked like.

And make sure they pressure test rather than visual (if not replacing), it only takes one crack you can't see to make them worthless.

The way he described it sounded pretty much exactly like it was before. The only real damage seems to be the bonnet, lights and bumper. I expect to hear from the manager tomorrow who has been away in Auckland for two days (great) and shall insist on viewing it myself seeing as it is right around the corner and is in bits already.

Your pressure test advice is heeded and I'll make sure that they do that also.

[Zitchu]

As Mike suggested, performance wise. Quicker to 100km/h? Does an EVO also have the turning circle of a pregnant yak? In what ways is an EVO better than a VR-4?

For getting my giggles I prefer the Evo over the Galant by far, mainly because of the difference in the power delivery (as most comes in a big lump, instead of the smoothness from the VR4).
There is no doubt that the Evo is a fair bit quicker, but that feeling is enhanced due to the delivery difference.
But yea overall it obviously goes, stops and corners quicker and with more feeling IMO. Sorry if it seems like I'm rambling haha. Both cars have been set up quite differently aswell so the performance comparison may be slightly warped. (Evo has braces, sway bars etc now, and Galant is my daily car so lots softer)

Edit - oh and the turning circle is better, but not by very much.

[Ryan]

All good man :) Thanks, I would like to own one sometime. It has been on the wishlist for a while now but other stuff just keeps coming up! :(

[Ryan]

Repairs have commenced.

[low_vr4]

Go Evo 6 RS depending on how much your wanting to spend

[Bouncy]

Hows the repairs going Ryan? any news yet?

[Ryan]

Hows the repairs going Ryan? any news yet?

On the phone with them now... bumper is being primed and painted. Best case Friday afternoon, worst case - Monday.

[Ryan]

I am going to get it at 1700 this afternoon :) I hope that they've done a good job.

[scott.mohekey]

Fingers crossed for you!

[low_vr4]

Good luck mate!

[Ryan]

Well I must say that I am quite impressed by their work. Not only did they wash and vacuum my car but also added a couple of screws that were missing to the sideskirts. They also touched up my windscreen wiper arms where the paint had been flaking off. They also removed the gum residue left over from where the previous owner had glued chrome strips to the door edges.

Here are some photos of what it looks like - I'm loving my new front bumper. They've also replaced and painted (to factory) the radiator mounting bracket:

4718747188471894719047191

[Kenneth]

looks good dude. :thumbsup:

[Gly]

looking good! needs to be lowered :) and brembos :D

(no im not offering mine or to pay for it)

[Ryan]

looking good! needs to be lowered :) and brembos :D

(no im not offering mine or to pay for it)

Damn... but yes, I thought the same thing, there is an acre of space in those wheel arches. Trouble is that if I get it lowered, I'll be scraping everything in this town!

[low_vr4]

Damn... but yes, I thought the same thing, there is an acre of space in those wheel arches. Trouble is that if I get it lowered, I'll be scraping everything in this town!

I wouldn't get it lowered, keep it original and save your exhaust and the bodykit

[crazydriver81]

looking good Ryan. And yes, it needs to get lowered! :D

I may have a D2 coilover kit available for small money in a couple of weeks. You can leave it on standard height but can get it lowered at a later stage. Just an idea...

[Fully]

Looks sharp =)

[KiwiTT]

Great work done there ... Other than "mine" ;) ... that Super VR-4 is one of the best looking cars around.

As said above ... Just slightly like mine ... only 40mm ... makes a world of difference in the looks (and handling, I suspect) ... don't really need "brembos" ... unless you have a problem stopping with the current brakes :D

[Ryan]

Thanks for all the positive comments guys. Future brake and suspension modifications are planned however I have a placed a moratorium on upgrades until November once I've returned from overseas.

[chchthomo]

as shane quoted, real sharp looking super.

[Bouncy]

Looks good there Ryan.

Its good to know they did a good job.
Im looking at getting my leggy touched up, lots of scratches and stone chips etc.

My brother in law got his GTX mazda fixed there a few times.