urgent advice please - accident - Page 3

Jules · 14th January 2008, 01:59

I was going to say Primera read Simon W's posts on this very subject, but I see he's already posted!!
Simon went through very similar scenario, but I think he's a happy bunny now

Good luck

BRG190 Pete · 15th January 2008, 18:36

Just an update. Phoned the garage (SMC West Drayton) to be told it will be a week to do the estimate and a further 2 weeks to do the repair. I suppose at least that should mean that, by the end of this week, I should know if the parts will be available!

Insurance company dropped off a courtesy car yesterday. Expecting a Ford Ka or similar, but got a brand new Jag X-Type 2.2D with full cream interior, sat nav and so many buttons I'm scared to touch them! That was some consolation, anyway. Pretty quick when you put your foot down, too. Great fun to drive, but a bit worrying to be driving a (wide) £26k car in the dark and wet.

Still think the ZT is prettier, but my daughter did say let's just keep the Jag instead! I told her off for her disloyalty.

BRG190 Pete · 27th January 2008, 12:51

Update on my ZT : the garage have (finally) done the estimate but, when I spoke to them on Friday, they weren't sure about parts availability - apparently, they don't check that until the insurance company has agreed to the work.

Anyway, the parts I need are : new front bumper, new offside front wing, radiator grill badge, wheel house cover, right lower control arm and shock absorber.

As I didn't want to wait over the weekend to find out if the parts are available, I phoned Gary at Rimmers (thanks, Mike, for suggesting that) and he was very helpful and said they have stocks of all of them (subject to needing a bit more info about control arm etc). So at least I know that, if the garage have difficulty sourcing anything, I can put them in touch with Gary.

Anyway, I have 2 questions for those of you that know these things.

First, I'm worried about how SMC will match the paint. I assume they'll just spray the bumper and wing in BRG, but will they look different from the paintwork on the rest of the car? Or do they also need to spray other parts eg the bonnet to blend in new and old paintwork?

Second, the guy at SMC said they source parts from a company which bought out loads of existing stock when MG went under. This doesn't sound like a good long term solution. What happens when they run out? Rimmers said they source parts from Xpart who basically continue to make brand new parts. Which is true, or are they both? Does Xpart have the tools, moulds etc so that they can continue to make brand new parts?

Sorry for more questions. I do hope that, sometime soon, I will get my MG back and actually enjoy driving her. As I've only had the car for 2 hours between purchase and crash, it still all seems a little unreal!

Mike · 27th January 2008, 14:35

Good to hear the parts are all available

re the paintwork - the body shop will need, as you say, to blend in the paint which will require other areas near to the wing and bumper to be sprayed a little to create the blend. It is a standard procedure. When I had my bonnet resprayed because of one or two stone chips (

) they also did the top of the wings to ensure the paint was blended in and matched OK.

As for parts, SMC did buy a lot of stock after the demise, as did other suppliers, simply because they were available at good prices - sound business eh. When they run out, and they do, SMC just buy more from X Part or Rimmers. X Part (aka Caterpillar) are the originating source for all MGR parts supplies. tbh I wouldn't worry - the parts will be available, and experience on here shows that for any small ones that do go out of stock or on 'back order', there is always a solution. Because the manufacturer no longer exists there is an increased risk but hey, the upside is you get to drive a superb and special car

Look forward to seeing the pics and hearing how you get on.

Regards

Mike

BRG190 Pete · 28th January 2008, 19:00

Thanks for the reply, Mike. Spoke to SMC today and they say that the insurance company won't authorise spraying on adjacent panels to those being replaced. They'll only try to 'blend' in the paintwork if the difference between old and new is obvious, and I presume they will say it is not. Not much I can do, I suppose. Just hope it looks OK - if not, I'll be complaining!

Simon · 28th January 2008, 19:07

Sorry to hear of your woes. I had a similar problem when someone dinged one of my doors and a new door skin was required.

Hopefully SMC will provide you with a top-notch job but if for any reason you are unhappy with their work you have every right under your insurance to refuse the work and have them redo the job to your satisfaction. That said, I'm sure all will be well and you'll be back behind your ZT's wheel in next-to-no-time

tapped · 30th January 2008, 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

Good to hear the parts are all available

re the paintwork - the body shop will need, as you say, to blend in the paint which will require other areas near to the wing and bumper to be sprayed a little to create the blend. It is a standard procedure. When I had my bonnet resprayed because of one or two stone chips (

) they also did the top of the wings to ensure the paint was blended in and matched OK.

As for parts, SMC did buy a lot of stock after the demise, as did other suppliers, simply because they were available at good prices - sound business eh. When they run out, and they do, SMC just buy more from X Part or Rimmers. X Part (aka Caterpillar) are the originating source for all MGR parts supplies. tbh I wouldn't worry - the parts will be available, and experience on here shows that for any small ones that do go out of stock or on 'back order', there is always a solution. Because the manufacturer no longer exists there is an increased risk but hey, the upside is you get to drive a superb and special car

Look forward to seeing the pics and hearing how you get on.

Regards

Mike

No plans at Xpart to stop doing what they are doing. CAT are still supporting us. High demand parts are very much still stocked and sourced for restock

BRG190 Pete · 2nd February 2008, 13:17

Chased the garage again yesterday and said I was annoyed at the lack of progress in repairing my car. Basically, 3 weeks since the accident and all that has happened is that the garage have done an estimate of the repairs and, after me chasing the insurance company, they have approved the work to be done.

After expressing my anger yesterday am, the garage called back in the afternoon to say that all parts needed are at their warehouse except for a shock absorber. They will have to try to find that somewhere else, which will presumably mean further delay. Are shock absorbers in short supply, please? I would have thought they would be easier to get than the wing or bumper, but apparently not.

Progress in getting the car repaired is being made, but it's painfully slow!

Greeners · 2nd February 2008, 13:21

They probably are available, it may be their "approved" supplier hasn't got any....

GreyGhost · 2nd February 2008, 13:22

Contact Rimmers on Monday morning and check availability, no reason for the repairers not to buy from there or you buy and supply to repairer.

Best of luck.

14th January 2008, 01:59	#21
Jules This is my second home ZT 260 SE Twilight and 10 other 75 ZT's :O Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Conwy NORTH WALES Posts: 11,094 Thanks: 512 Thanked 1,116 Times in 763 Posts	I was going to say Primera read Simon W's posts on this very subject, but I see he's already posted!! Simon went through very similar scenario, but I think he's a happy bunny now Good luck __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Newbies do now!! 1. Plenum drains..all 3 or 4 year dependent 2. Cooling fan..All speeds functioning 3. Bonnet cable divider block

27th January 2008, 12:51	#23
BRG190 Pete Avid contributor None at the moment Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Wokingham Posts: 147 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	matching paintwork Update on my ZT : the garage have (finally) done the estimate but, when I spoke to them on Friday, they weren't sure about parts availability - apparently, they don't check that until the insurance company has agreed to the work. Anyway, the parts I need are : new front bumper, new offside front wing, radiator grill badge, wheel house cover, right lower control arm and shock absorber. As I didn't want to wait over the weekend to find out if the parts are available, I phoned Gary at Rimmers (thanks, Mike, for suggesting that) and he was very helpful and said they have stocks of all of them (subject to needing a bit more info about control arm etc). So at least I know that, if the garage have difficulty sourcing anything, I can put them in touch with Gary. Anyway, I have 2 questions for those of you that know these things. First, I'm worried about how SMC will match the paint. I assume they'll just spray the bumper and wing in BRG, but will they look different from the paintwork on the rest of the car? Or do they also need to spray other parts eg the bonnet to blend in new and old paintwork? Second, the guy at SMC said they source parts from a company which bought out loads of existing stock when MG went under. This doesn't sound like a good long term solution. What happens when they run out? Rimmers said they source parts from Xpart who basically continue to make brand new parts. Which is true, or are they both? Does Xpart have the tools, moulds etc so that they can continue to make brand new parts? Sorry for more questions. I do hope that, sometime soon, I will get my MG back and actually enjoy driving her. As I've only had the car for 2 hours between purchase and crash, it still all seems a little unreal!

27th January 2008, 14:35	#24
Mike This is my second home Rover 75 V8 Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 3,448 Thanks: 0 Thanked 206 Times in 32 Posts	Good to hear the parts are all available re the paintwork - the body shop will need, as you say, to blend in the paint which will require other areas near to the wing and bumper to be sprayed a little to create the blend. It is a standard procedure. When I had my bonnet resprayed because of one or two stone chips ( ) they also did the top of the wings to ensure the paint was blended in and matched OK. As for parts, SMC did buy a lot of stock after the demise, as did other suppliers, simply because they were available at good prices - sound business eh. When they run out, and they do, SMC just buy more from X Part or Rimmers. X Part (aka Caterpillar) are the originating source for all MGR parts supplies. tbh I wouldn't worry - the parts will be available, and experience on here shows that for any small ones that do go out of stock or on 'back order', there is always a solution. Because the manufacturer no longer exists there is an increased risk but hey, the upside is you get to drive a superb and special car Look forward to seeing the pics and hearing how you get on. Regards Mike __________________ Mike [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

28th January 2008, 19:00	#25
BRG190 Pete Avid contributor None at the moment Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Wokingham Posts: 147 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	matching paint Thanks for the reply, Mike. Spoke to SMC today and they say that the insurance company won't authorise spraying on adjacent panels to those being replaced. They'll only try to 'blend' in the paintwork if the difference between old and new is obvious, and I presume they will say it is not. Not much I can do, I suppose. Just hope it looks OK - if not, I'll be complaining!

2nd February 2008, 13:17	#28
BRG190 Pete Avid contributor None at the moment Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Wokingham Posts: 147 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	shock absorber? Chased the garage again yesterday and said I was annoyed at the lack of progress in repairing my car. Basically, 3 weeks since the accident and all that has happened is that the garage have done an estimate of the repairs and, after me chasing the insurance company, they have approved the work to be done. After expressing my anger yesterday am, the garage called back in the afternoon to say that all parts needed are at their warehouse except for a shock absorber. They will have to try to find that somewhere else, which will presumably mean further delay. Are shock absorbers in short supply, please? I would have thought they would be easier to get than the wing or bumper, but apparently not. Progress in getting the car repaired is being made, but it's painfully slow!

15th January 2008, 18:36	#22
BRG190 Pete Avid contributor None at the moment Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Wokingham Posts: 147 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Just an update. Phoned the garage (SMC West Drayton) to be told it will be a week to do the estimate and a further 2 weeks to do the repair. I suppose at least that should mean that, by the end of this week, I should know if the parts will be available! Insurance company dropped off a courtesy car yesterday. Expecting a Ford Ka or similar, but got a brand new Jag X-Type 2.2D with full cream interior, sat nav and so many buttons I'm scared to touch them! That was some consolation, anyway. Pretty quick when you put your foot down, too. Great fun to drive, but a bit worrying to be driving a (wide) £26k car in the dark and wet. Still think the ZT is prettier, but my daughter did say let's just keep the Jag instead! I told her off for her disloyalty.

28th January 2008, 19:07	#26
Simon Banned - Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: - Posts: 10,318 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts	Sorry to hear of your woes. I had a similar problem when someone dinged one of my doors and a new door skin was required. Hopefully SMC will provide you with a top-notch job but if for any reason you are unhappy with their work you have every right under your insurance to refuse the work and have them redo the job to your satisfaction. That said, I'm sure all will be well and you'll be back behind your ZT's wheel in next-to-no-time

2nd February 2008, 13:21	#29
Greeners Moderator MG-ZTT Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ware, Herts Posts: 19,798 Thanks: 161 Thanked 1,249 Times in 1,036 Posts	They probably are available, it may be their "approved" supplier hasn't got any.... __________________ *David* Impecunity is the mother of ingenuity Useful how to's for common problems Car Of The Month Jan 2014 [SatNav Power Down] [Coolant Level] [SatNav Repair] [Diesel Non Starting] [Paint Codes] [Rear Light Seals] [Reversing Light Switch] [Bleeding Brakes][Sunroof Drain] [Early ZT's][Instrument Pack Diagnostics][ATC Diagnostics]

2nd February 2008, 13:22	#30
GreyGhost Banned 180+ Sport Auto Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Bedford Middle Level Posts: 17,787 Thanks: 0 Thanked 18 Times in 5 Posts	Contact Rimmers on Monday morning and check availability, no reason for the repairers not to buy from there or you buy and supply to repairer. Best of luck.