Accident

[Mr_Slim]

Driving to work yesterday, stopped in traffic, someone ran up the back of me. The car behind me was hit by the car behind them, and i'm at the front.

At first, looks like only the back bumper is damaged. "GO COMMODORE!" im thinking as i stare at my barely scratched bumper and the car behind me's busted front end, leaking radiator and broken headlights.

Then i notice that the boot line has moved by about 1/2 a cm, which means it may be warped.

The toey said this may mean that there is structure damage. Please tell me this isn't the case! I have almost got this car the way i want it, i can't lose her now!

Just-Cars will give me $5000 for her (not bad for a VP Calais) so i'll be looking to buy something new i guess. Hoping to get a VR/VS manual (only manuals... auto not an option)

[1991_Vn2nV]

VP Calais is so much cooler than a VR/VS... So much more reliable too

Got any pics mate?

[immortality]

doesn't sound to bad, my bootlid was caved in and it was still repaired.

[holden007]

VP Calais is so much cooler than a VR/VS... So much more reliable too

Got any pics mate?

VR has the same mechanical features as the VP

[1991_Vn2nV]

VR has the same mechanical features as the VP

hehe yeah. More so in comparison to the VS, the ecotec engine has too many issues imo. Our VS and VT have had heaps of problems. My VN has had troubles with the fuel filter and power steering (todays episode and had the pump replaced a few months ago), nothing to do with the actual engine.

Gotta admit the VP Calais is a gangster car though...especially with the back wheel arch covers..

[PaRaDoX]

mate i backed into a magna @ 3km/h,

smashed in my rear end, the VN/VP rear end is weak and pushes in easily, also pushes out easily, theres no frame there, i beat mine out with a hammer and it was all good... dont worry man, wont be too bad, mine just got $3500 work done to it and it didnt look too bad soo u never know

[Goose]

a wooden post came out of nowhere as i was reversing and ran up my ass and it took me half an hour to get my boot closed again i bought a huge hammer and bashed it back to shape

[timmy_tam]

how does insurance give you $5000 for a car that isn't a write off?

[Mr_Slim]

If there is structural damage, then technically the car is unroadworthy and on a VP Calais they aren't going to spend all the money to fix it. So they just write the car off, and give me $5000.

If they do that, then hopefully i can buy the car back from the smash repairs and use the parts

[1991_Vn2nV]

If there is structural damage, then technically the car is unroadworthy and on a VP Calais they aren't going to spend all the money to fix it. So they just write the car off, and give me $5000.

If they do that, then hopefully i can buy the car back from the smash repairs and use the parts

Man they only write it off to give you the money if its going to cost that much to repair.

If it has structural damage and costs $3,000 to repair, they aint going to write it off and give you 5 grand.

If the cost of repairs outweigh the value of the vehicle, then they will write it off. I also highly doubt they will in fact give you $5,000...

[sircruisealotVS]

i had a similar accident where someone ran up the back of my old vn calais, the blokes insurance company were going to write if off, then changed their mind at the last moment and spent $5500 on repairing it.
spewing really, because if they wrote it off they would have given me what it was worth plus i would have still kept the car.

[Mr_Slim]

Well i just got the word that the car is ok. Rear end needs a doing over though. Rear bumper, rear guard, rails, and needs to be squared up.

And if it was a write off, then yes they would give me $5000 because thats how much its insured for.

[dmitch]

how much was the damage.. glad she can b fixed.. i had an accident and was 5k to repair..

[ashzv6]

might be slightly off topic,

if someone crashes into you, or you crash into someone.
and it is written off.
do you get too keep your car and the insurnce company gives you money?

[sircruisealotVS]

might be slightly off topic,

if someone crashes into you, or you crash into someone.
and it is written off.
do you get too keep your car and the insurnce company gives you money?

from one of my experiences (the one mentioned a few posts above ^) yes, you keep your car IF your not at fault...meaning someone else runs into you and their insurance company pays for damages, or if its written off, you get paid the cars value and keep the car.
the insurance company of the other driver has no claim to your car, but they will report it as written off to the authorities and you wont be able to re-register it without alot of screwing around.
however if you are at fault in an accident and your insurance company decides it's a write off then they will take claim of you car and sell it at auction.

[pandaman]

from one of my experiences (the one mentioned a few posts above ^) yes, you keep your car IF your not at fault...meaning someone else runs into you and their insurance company pays for damages, or if its written off, you get paid the cars value and keep the car.
the insurance company of the other driver has no claim to your car, but they will report it as written off to the authorities and you wont be able to re-register it without alot of screwing around.
however if you are at fault in an accident and your insurance company decides it's a write off then they will take claim of you car and sell it at auction.

I suspect it depends on the details of your policy. I was under the impression that with any write off, the insurance company paid out the agreed/market value and took posession of the car. I dunno, though, I try to forget about my insurance company until premium time rolls around at which point they become a very real and obvious pain in my arse. Dang, never thought I'd say this, but being young has some disadvantages. Being able to run faster and drink more than the insurance people doesn't really help me. :-)

[sircruisealotVS]

it doesnt have anything to do with YOUR policy...i was talking about a crash where you arent at fault. the other persons insurance company is repsonsible for paying you, not your own, and if its a write off they have no claim to your car...so they have to pay you out and then you keep your car.
this is how it was explained to me when i was crashed into.

[pandaman]

Actually that makes a lot of sense. Like I said, I try to avoid thinking about insurance matters.

[coolvxss]

my gfs car got hit up the back at the lights and was a ride off, and they took her car. She could buy it back for a price.

[sircruisealotVS]

my gfs car got hit up the back at the lights and was a ride off, and they took her car. She could buy it back for a price.

she got rorted then, was the claim made with her insurance company, and then the her company went after the money from the person who ran into her? or did the person who ran into her have their insurance company settle the problem?

[Scooter79]

hehe yeah. More so in comparison to the VS, the ecotec engine has too many issues imo.

Would you care to explain some of these issues?

[Scooter79]

Man they only write it off to give you the money if its going to cost that much to repair.

If it has structural damage and costs $3,000 to repair, they aint going to write it off and give you 5 grand.

If the cost of repairs outweigh the value of the vehicle, then they will write it off. I also highly doubt they will in fact give you $5,000...

Not quite. I got rear ended pretty badly 4 weeks ago. Pretty much demolished the boot, the fuel tank and structural damage. After the assessment there is about $10,000 worth of damage. My insurance company gave me the choice of having the damage repaired OR have it written off and get a payout figure of $13,600. I've chosen to have it repaired based on the fact that there are not too many VS factory supercharged calais' getting around in the great condidtion mine is... or was in. My insurance company offered me the payout because they feel they could get back the difference by selling it off to a wrecker for spares. An L67 engine with low km's can fetch upwards of $3500 alone.

[1991_Vn2nV]

Would you care to explain some of these issues?

haha i'll quote some stuff if I must.

Our VS and VT have had heaps of problems, and the only problems i've had in 2 years on my VN which has 100,000km's more on it than both the VS and VT, is the fuel filter and a loose pressure hose on the power steering. Plus the VN gets driven more, it gets driven alot harder and it goes longer between services.

Plus the Ecotec sounds like a blender on steroids at high revs

Anyways heres a quote that says some stuff:

The VP followed in 1991 and to date in our opinion is the best Commodore ever released. Even by 2005 standards we very rarely have to do any repairs to these ever reliable units bar general servicing. Holden seemed to have sorted out the teething problems they experienced with the early VN. The VR Commodore followed in 1993 and was basically the same as the VP but with cosmetic changes in the lights and dash areas. This was another great car which gives few problems.

VS/VT DRAMAS

If we take a closer look at the EcoTech engine we can see that there are no welsh plugs in the rear of the engine. These have been replaced with a rear seal locating plate which replaces the welsh plugs and oil plugs for the camshaft. These have created a major drama in the forms of oil leaks and coolant leaks. The job can be done by just removing the transmission but to do a 100% job the engine has to come out as the sump and rear plate are all intertwined. You also require special tools to locate the rear plate correctly because the rear engine seal sits in this plate, different to earlier engines. If the rear plate is replaced and not aligned, the rear seal will leak.

Automatic transmissions in the VS became a drama burning out. There is a plastic valve near the transmission pump that seizes up causing the fluid to over heat. We have seen some transmission's that have been so hot that the plastic wiring plugs on the solenoid's have melted. A heavier spring under this valve is installed on reconditioning so it won't happen again. On the VT, the sump of the transmission had a capacity increase which seems to have rectified this problem

CONCLUSION

The Commodore is a comfortable family orientated car and the later the model the better. I would tend to stay away from the VS and VT as these seem to be so expensive to keep on the road. The VX or even the VY is the pick of the bunch. It is a bit early to judge the VZ as of 2005. The pick of the early models is the VP or VR.

[Scooter79]

haha i'll quote some stuff if I must.

Our VS and VT have had heaps of problems, and the only problems i've had in 2 years on my VN which has 100,000km's more on it than both the VS and VT, is the fuel filter and a loose pressure hose on the power steering. Plus the VN gets driven more, it gets driven alot harder and it goes longer between services.

Plus the Ecotec sounds like a blender on steroids at high revs

Anyways heres a quote that says some stuff:

Whats your source for that quote? My first car was a series 1 VS exec. Sold it 9 months ago with 387,000km's on the clock. It's only fault was it needed a new diff. Original transmission and all original ecotec. Owned it for close to 8 years and couldn't fault it. The ecotec engines were near bullet proof.

[1991_Vn2nV]

Whats your source for that quote? My first car was a series 1 VS exec. Sold it 9 months ago with 387,000km's on the clock. It's only fault was it needed a new diff. Original transmission and all original ecotec. Owned it for close to 8 years and couldn't fault it. The ecotec engines were near bullet proof.

Every car is different mate. Obviously that one was the opposite to our VS and our VT.

The source is some automotive replace.. I will find the link later.. Im on a uni computer so I do not have it bookmarked. However, the point remains, what is said is completely factual, supported with reasons.