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| Sticky Member Since: 07 Dec 2008 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 245   
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I think one of the major issues with insurance write off's is the insurance write off category assigned to the vehicle subsequent to the accident.
This is where you need to make a decision about whether the Defender is going to be a keeper or something you may wish to sell on at some point. I think most insurance companies will sell you back the vehicle and settle the balance, however convincing them to not assign a write off category will be where I would focus my time. |
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1st May 2017 7:36pm |
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| mk1collector Member Since: 17 Sep 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 6769 
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As above, if they say they want to write it off, ask to buy it back and get the repairs done yourself or by a garage you trust and source the parts yourself. Ray
My build thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic17615.html |
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1st May 2017 7:49pm |
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| Harrygf Member Since: 04 Jan 2016 Location: Banbury Posts: 70 
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Our 94 90 was very tidy and original before it got rolled Christmas 2016.
Agreed value @ £11k with footman James. Specialist LR garage opposite got to 12k and stopped on the rebuild bill and they had to quote genuine LR new parts including a roof. . We got paid out and got the wreck back (hardly a wreck - just lots of bent panels at the front/roof) for £15 (special term on policy). I then fully rebuilt with genuine used parts mostly with resprays. Reinsured at £11k again and cat C. We plan on holding on to her for life so was a no brainer for us, that with the policy term for buy back! |
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1st May 2017 7:50pm |
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| Kst80 Member Since: 28 Aug 2016 Location: Essex Posts: 81
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From what I have been told it should be a Cat C, but I think ( from comments by people who know more than I do) that it is repairable at a fraction of the cost using second hand panels. I may be way off base but am preparing my case in advance. It was going to be a keeper, perhaps I should ask the additional question of what difference a Cat C marker will have on its future value? Thanks. Kev |
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1st May 2017 7:53pm |
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| VVS210 Member Since: 12 Nov 2016 Location: Hampshire Posts: 953
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Settle the claim, get an agreed payout then either buy it back & get it repaired using salvage parts - plenty of specialist breakers out there, or buy a replacement. My brother had his modified 90 written off, cost him a bit more than £15 to buy the wreck & a long time to get back on the road but it is way better than it was even when it left the factory
 - defe a 'keeper'. |
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1st May 2017 8:02pm |
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| foxyred Member Since: 16 Jul 2016 Location: Nottingham Posts: 227 
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How pleased would you be if you had a nearly New defender and an insurance company repaired it using 10year old panels ?
I have a 8 Month old van in at the moment after having been rear ended, I'd go mental if they used a second hand door/bumper. Where would you draw the line ? new windscreen with a small chip, part worn brake pads ? |
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1st May 2017 9:55pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17372 
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If you buy a "new" steering box from LR, it will be a freshly reconditioned box of indeterminate age. Why is a freshly refurbished roof, wing, etc, any less acceptable?
It is not long ago that you'd have to pay "betterment" if the part fitted was better than the one being replaced. So if the wing was dented prior to the accident being claimed for, you paid for the effective loss of dent. |
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1st May 2017 10:33pm |
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| zsd-puma Member Since: 09 Aug 2016 Location: Kent Posts: 2720 
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I suspect this is an insurance industry guideline rather than a governement one. Possibly to avoid repairs on normal cars being made by chopping out sections from scrap cars and welding them in. Or it may just be that your local specialist doesn't want the work.
Best thing would be to talk to your insurer, it's in their interest to keep the costs down, chances are you'll be ok so long as you talk to them about what you want to do. You might be able to just get a cash settlement without it being written off, i did this on my mini about 10 years ago, i wanted to do the repairs myself. So i got estimates for the parts and paint and got a cheque for it. |
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1st May 2017 10:43pm |
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| Kst80 Member Since: 28 Aug 2016 Location: Essex Posts: 81
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Thanks for the replies.
For me I think the choice should be offered if it is a viable option and acceptable to the insured, which in my case it may be . I don't think they should just be able to do it without consent, nor do I believe it should be normal practice. To write off a 20 year old piece of British history and hopefully a future classic I think is wrong if putting it back to how it was (a 20 year old roof etc) is viable. |
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2nd May 2017 8:24am |
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| Caterham Member Since: 06 Nov 2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 6298 
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I it possible to ask the insurers at what cost does it become a right off?
Can you take said amount of money and arrange repairs yourself for that amount? In theory it's not a right off and you can source used parts etc. I don't there's going to be any insurers will to trawl the adds to try and repair using 2nd hand parts. Just too much hassle for them. |
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2nd May 2017 8:47am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17372
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It wouldn't be the insurers who "trawl the adds", though, but the repairer. Bearing in mind that most insurance companies have or know of approved breakers to destroy write-offs, the use of recycled parts through an insurance-approved network of recyclers and repairers would not really be too far-fetched.
I imagine that one problem might be that most write-offs will have the same parts damaged, so the correct panels may not be available through the insurance industry. Also, there will be parts where it is inappropriate to use recycled parts (safety-critical components such as stub axles, brake disks, etc). It is also unlikely to be a suitable approach for the majority of vehicles on the on the road, being of all welded or bonded construction, since it is the "bolt-together" nature of the Defender that makes it an option in this case. For the majority of Defender body panels it would be both a cost-effective and attractive option. I imagine that the insurers aren't really interested because for them it makes little difference, since the reduction in the amount they pay out, in overall terms across the whole industry, would be insignificant. To the Defender owner, the difference between repairing and scrapping their pride and joy is massive, and it would be nice to think that an enlightened insurance company would be agreeable to this approach, even if it meant getting the vehicle inspected by an insurance-approved assessor afterwards to avoid subsequent write-off markers. |
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2nd May 2017 9:38am |
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| apt100 Member Since: 05 Mar 2015 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 1547 
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I'm not sure how far this policy really goes... but Nationwide (who are the approved repairer for several insurance companies) have this on their website....
http://www.nationwiderepairs.co.uk/about-us
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2nd May 2017 6:46pm |
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