OUCH....This Hurts!

[Richard DAF Webmeister]

Ouch indeed. And a coupe as well. Very sad - almost brings tears to the eyes.
But as you say, the owner/driver is OK, which even in DAF Land, is the most important thing.
One would like to think that with all the resources and spares that they have in DCN, the car could be somehow saved or recreated - hey, bit like in The Bionic Man. Bionic DAF??!!

And what is it about red 55s getting twisted?

[bode5997]

:'(What is it about Alfa drivers

[dafdaffer]

thats my worst nightmare! what a waste i would be gutted, glad to see the alfa suffered

Paul

[veeruk]

I just hope the DAF was on a priority road as in Holland you have to give way to the right. Glad to see nobody was hurt though.

[spunkymonkey]

As an eternal optimist where cars are related, is it definately confirmed as a write-off? Only asking because from that photo it looks like the door and B pillar have taken the brunt of it but the roofline and sill look straight. In fact, the way that corner's pushed back and down, the Alfa looks a better write-off candidate!

[spunkymonkey]

Ahh, couldn't see the LH side in the first photo Still, if he wants inspiration, this is what Sian's daughter did to my 3 week old (to me) Rover when she had her first ever driving lesson. Just turned 17 (it was her birthday and I'd got her provisional licence for her pressie) so offered to take her out to a local industrial estate for a "first try". There's a T junction about 200 yds from where she starts and I tell her to "turn left at the junction". Only, what I actually end up saying is (about 50 yds from the junction):

"Ok, turn left NO! NOT YET! AAARRRGH!!!!!!"

Yes, she turned left as soon as I said it, regardless of the fact that there was no side-road to turn into. There was, however, a large wooden fence supported by 6 inch square concrete posts. I'd just polished it as well



Once the bonnet, wings and (plastic) grill / bumper were off it was nowhere near as bad as it looked and was back on road in 6 days - even using the same bonnet and bumper as a temporary for a week or two!

The point is, Bent cars are often not as bad as they seem once the obviously bent bits are removed. That's even more true of many older cars where they hadn't thought of using all those crumple zones that fold up if you sneeze on them!

[spunkymonkey]

May 6, 2008 15:21:40 GMT @macplaxton said:

May 5, 2008 20:52:12 GMT spunkymonkey said:

Only asking because from that photo it looks like the door and B pillar have taken the brunt of it but the roofline and sill look straight.

What way are you looking? The sill looks much further (3" to 4") inboard than it should be. Looks to me very, very bent.

Agreed, Max, that it looks too far inboard. But it seems to have been taken in pretty equally along its length - almost as if it's been "rolled" over the floorpan. If that's so, and the floor itself hasn't distorted, there's a good chance that the shell is still basically straight. Certainly doesn't look like a banana case from that photo but obviously it could be worse (or better) once you start digging.

New inner / outer sills, new B pillar, door and front wing it could be as good as new. People are often happy to replace a lot more than that for rust - if the shell still jigs right, bent bits aren't that much different.

In fact they're easier sometimes as you're not chasing "good stuff" to weld to

[spunkymonkey]

True enough. Don't know what they're like in Holland but seen a few clearly repairable "older" cars (none of 'em mine btw )sent to the scrappy by insurance men over the years. Hopefully the rapidly emerging classic status of that 55 will be enough to prevent it!

[Richard DAF Webmeister]

Looking more closely at the original pic, and the one of the other side, I fear that the body maybe twisted a bit - take a look at the roof just above the righthand door, then in the pic on the other side, look at the back of the sunroof. I wonder, too, whether the driver's door is open because of the situation, or maybe it won't shut anymore?...

What a shame - this looked like a lovely 55 coupe - even if a glass sunroof had been fitted at some point!

[spunkymonkey]

Ohh, well spotted on that possible roof kink, Richard! Might just be getting pulled down a little by the pillar and spring back if that's cut but does make it a little less hopeful. As you say, looks like it was a very clean car before this

Oh, and remind me not to post any pics of my filler work with your eagle eyes about! :lol:

[dafdaffer]

i would like to bet that there is alot of damage underneath as well, i bet it was pushed over that kurb sideways, that front wheel looks the wrong camber from the shot,
it is a very big shame, but i cannot see an insurance company paying that much to put a car like that right. hope he can buy it back and maybe build a good one out of two, he could do with that one in that scrap yard at lincoin.

Paul