Door Repair

AUIIForte · 11-03-2006, 10:37 AM

Just last night at about 10:30pm I was driving back home from my girl friends house, and this guy in a white Falcon XE starts tailgating me like no tomorrow, even though he could have pulled into the left lane to over take me (i just turned into a main road from a side street, ending up on the right lane). There was a really big round about comming up, and the whole road was empty, so as I was trying to ignore him and keep driving normally and safely, i slowed down for the round about, but he started speeding up. He overtook me, barley missing the back of my car, and tried to go around me on the roundabout, but I heard his wheels loosing grip, and i saw the his car, it was revving quite hard and wheels spinning crazy...
He lost abit of control and ended up smashing into my left door... I felt my whole car move and it slid abit to the right, but i managed to slow down without losing control. I stopped at the side of the road, got out, and started walking over to the XE, which was stopped in the middle of the road blocking traffic in both lanes, but then he sped off with a burn out going back the way he came.

Now my whole front left door is completely smashed, same with the window, which i got pulvarised by little tiny shards of glass!

So I got back into my car and drove home. I didnt get his liscence plate, i just know its a white ford falcon XE, well, those old falcons that are box shaped.

What should I do? Call police, call insurance, call ford to make me a new door? I have no idea, please help!

Mark351 · 11-03-2006, 11:24 AM

Without the other guys number plate, you may have to cop the excess if you claim on insurance. Again, without that number plate police won't be very helpful.

So you could either claim on insurance and have them sort it out, paying the excess. If it's only one door that's damaged, perhaps go to a wreckers, pick up a replacement door, and have it repainted to match. Depends if the excess (and potential drop in rating) is less than the cost of buying a used door + painting.

JC · 11-03-2006, 12:10 PM

What Death XR said. And next time, I'd advise you to get out of the right hand lane. The guy in the XE was an idiot, but I can understand his frustration with people sitting in the RH lane going slow, when you could just as easily have been going slow in the left lane.

XR6Stu · 11-03-2006, 12:40 PM

I reckon definitly go to the cops though. Guy in the XE sounds like he is a tool. Sorry to hear t hough.

kenz · 11-03-2006, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JC

What Death XR said. And next time, I'd advise you to get out of the right hand lane. The guy in the XE was an idiot, but I can understand his frustration with people sitting in the RH lane going slow, when you could just as easily have been going slow in the left lane.

fair comment but if the roads were empty the XE could've just as easily overtaken in the left lane when he caught up instead of tailgating and being an idiot

JC · 11-03-2006, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenz

fair comment but if the roads were empty the XE could've just as easily overtaken in the left lane when he caught up instead of tailgating and being an idiot

Overtaking on the left is technically illegal. But yes, he could've. But why sit in the right hand lane at all, if the roads are empty. Guy in XE was a fool though.

AUIIForte · 11-03-2006, 01:13 PM

I was sitting on the right lane because i just came off a side street that led onto the right lane, and the roundabout was about 40-50meters away so I didnt really see a point of changed lanes.
I went to insurance and excess is $2100!!! Unbelievable! I also went to police and gave a describtion of the other car, but like DeathXR said, they didnt do much, they just said if I see the same car again with damage done to it from the accident, to get the number plates and report it in.

mik · 11-03-2006, 01:33 PM

wreckers at the top of the page might be able to help you out with a door for the right price ,maybe even the right color, would seem the cheapest way to go

XR6Stu · 11-03-2006, 03:34 PM

$2100??? Im a 20 year old with a very average driver history, and my excess is only $1450 with an AU XR6. Why is your so much?

Mark351 · 11-03-2006, 03:58 PM

$2100 sounds like pretty brutal.

Pick up a door from a wreckers is the go I think. FTG will be a good place to start. Then try a local smash repair place to paint it up for you. Do try and pick a door that is the same colour. Even if they have to respray the door skin to match, you could happily leave the inside of the door untouched, and just put your trim, etc on top.

A case of bad luck really, hopefuly it works out ok for you.l

billbanter · 11-03-2006, 04:53 PM

If you get his details you can lodged a claim or do a third party recovery against him. Depending on what state you are in you might find it difficult to do a third party recovery. Most insurance companies don't offer replacement cars whilst your is getting repaired. They will tell you that you can hire a car and they will try to recover that cost for you. If you use a third party recovery service, you will get a car.

XR6-VCT-2000 · 11-03-2006, 06:28 PM

You should of asked the people in the other cars he blocked if they got his rego, i have had people do hit and runs on me in the past and usually someone else around see's it all, alot of people are only to happy to leave a police statement too for you for proof. But too late for that now anyway, do what the guys above said and just goto the wreckers and get another door, way cheaper all up in the end and less dramas. Sorry to hear you got wiped out , too many idiots on the roads these days, that sux .