Last nite my daughter decided to rearrange her Fiesta by rolling it into a field at 50mph Mercifully she is fine but poor old Chester the Fiesta is not. He will need 3 new wheels, rear door, hatch and various small bits and pieces. What I wanted to know is if the dent in the roof is going to be fatal, as any garage time is likely to kill the car off as there is little point claiming on insurance as the excess will be as much as its worth I don't mind having a go and I've driven the car and its not too bad, just wondered if anyone has any thoughts?

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wow glad she is okay

the car is ready for the crusher in that condition buddy and she prob wont wanna drive it again anyway

strip it sell bits on ebay make some £ back

Edited 21 March, 201016 yr by westallc

Deffo an insurance write off as you say. However I reckon you could fix it with a bit of effort and some secondhand parts, it doesnt look that bad from the pics.

disagree way to much damage for starter needs a new quater panel thats a bodyshop job not a diy if you havent done one before

the cars worth before crash 3 to 4 hundred pound

cost that even with secondhand parts time for a new one i think

p.s how the hell did she manage that anyway

Glad she ok.

Bin job I think, or sort it as best you can and give it her back for when it happens again.

First of all, really glad to hear your daughter is OK, rolling at 50+mph is no fun. I'm surprised at how little damage there actually appears to be there, considering it was rolled at 50mph. Here's what I did to a newer Fiesta at approx. 55mph:

My 2p, mechanically and structurally that car can probably be repaired, but economically? Nah.

Sorry!

Glad your daughter is OK.

My 2p - I would be worried about the structural integrity of the car even after repair.

The car has done a good job of protecting your daughter during her mishap but I worry it would not protect her so well if - God forbid - it is involved in another mishap.

She landed in a very soggy field on the wheels which probably took most of the impact. It was only about 1/2 a mile from home, she had just left and we had just dished up spag bol when we got the call from her. She was obviously shook up and a paramedic happened to pass by which was handy, but we still took her to casualty for a check up I've no idea why she went off, she said the car suddenly pulled to the left and I would guess that at that stage it dug into the mud and started to flip over catch bits of tree on the way and ending up right way up in the field. Once we had checked her over I drove it back to my house via a field and track as the bent wheels were a definite no no for the road. We also were very surprised how little damage there is. A mate in Yorkshire who is a bodywork specialist has now looked at the pix and agrees that if done in the workshop it would be a right off, but it might straighten enough to use. Forklift and bottle jacks coming up The car cost £800 and there are none round here for less than about a grand at the moment so I'll have a go.

You could get a second hand boot and door, but I have to say that the integrity of the C pillar would be my concern

The cost of second hand parts would most likely be worth more than the car, so personally I'd just pick up another fiesta, scrap that one after selling parts off it and not bother going near the insurance.

Definetly won't be claiming would make her next insurance a bit steep I suspect. A friend has come up with a pucker straightening kit so I'll have a go and if dubious I'll drive till it breaks

If it's your mate from the bodyshop, then post pictures once it's all done

If it's your mate from the bodyshop, then post pictures once it's all done

Unfortunately not - he's 200 miles away in Yorkshire, otherwise he would be gaining a small job and an assistant This is hopefully a friend of a friend to be honest so we shall see. Must be one step up from my bottle jack though

I'd say the same, strip it for bits and get another.

Fiestas are common enough and you can get a decent-ish one between 500 and 1 grand.

I was going to get one before I discovered that insuring this Alfa wasn't much dearer than insuring a Fiesta. Maintenance is another matter though!!!

I would get shot - there are plenty of Fiesta's around! You would do alright selling the bits or possible keeping it as a donor car if you got something similar and had the space?

On a separate note - Captain Sisko - I noticed your onto an Alfa, not a bad upgrade mate what happened to the Favorit?

I'm not nor have any idea on bodywork but would be concerned that the rear panel etc wouldn't be as strong if involved in another accident. If the car just veared off to the left is there something else mechanically wrong that caused the accident?

Personally I would cut my losses and buy another car, IMO you can't afford to risk your or your families safety to save a couple of hundred pounds.

Glad your daughter is ok, being in an accident is not very nice.

Matthew

Looking at the damage, not too bad

If it were my car and I was strapped for cash, a rebuild would

be no problem for me

I have rebuilt far worse in my time .......

Looking at the damage, not too bad

If it were my car and I was strapped for cash, a rebuild would

be no problem for me

I have rebuilt far worse in my time .......

I'll drop it round later Why are all the people who can help in yorkshire?

I can't find any reason why the car shot left. There was some mud on the road it was raining but it was also pitch black so difficult to tell. Probably just an unfortunate mix of water, mud/possible diesel (lots of tractor tracks around) and a new, good and confident driver who just lacks time on the road - a very abrupt learning experience

I'll have a go at the car but if I'm not happy it'll be for bits and even if I am it might end up being mine for a year to get some money back Even with the bent wheels it drives better than some cars I've owned

TBH, I'd be looking seriously as stripping it and buying another motor.

As others have said there are two considerations - the costs of sourcing parts to put it right - don't forget the time you spend doing the work also has a 'cost' attached to it.

And then there is the issue of structural safety over that c-pillar area.

Having crashed a much bigger, far sturdier car than a Fiesta, repairing it would have been an option if done by myself and opne of my mechanic mates, but I really wouldn't have trusted the car to keep me safe again, let alone any occupants.

The Fiesta has had it's time, and done it's job. Please don't push it. Money is a secondary consideration compared to the safety of your family.

Well i've been out dismantling a bit this morning and have decided not to bother. I think the whole back end is a bit out of line after doing a bit of measuring and is well beyond my abilities. So over to the for sale section - one 1999 Fiesta 1300 encore 44k miles and pretty clean (apart from some new mud) for sale spares or repair £250?

Well i've been out dismantling a bit this morning and have decided not to bother. I think the whole back end is a bit out of line after doing a bit of measuring and is well beyond my abilities. So over to the for sale section - one 1999 Fiesta 1300 encore 44k miles and pretty clean (apart from some new mud) for sale spares or repair £250?

If it's the 1300 HCS engine they were about £700 reconditioned, so I think you'd get that amount for the engine and gear box alone if you can be bothered.

I'll try and get shot in one piece if I can - wrecked cars up the drive never look to good. Just been out to it now and its got a puncture so I'll still have to play about with it :no:

Got one slightly dodgy laugh out of it all - several people stopped when the accident happened, one of whom knows my daughter, texted her mother who texted swmbo who replied "no Caitlin is fine, but Chester is dead" she then switched her phone off as we had just gone into Casualty. When we came out she had several messages asking who poor dead Chester was, and had to explain it was poor departed Chester the Fiesta