My Porsche Fell Off the MOT Ramp - Page 5 - Porsche General - PistonHeads UK

oh man that’s terrible...so sorry to hear that, I really hope it can be repaired for you. Trying desperately to find some good out of this sometimes damage looks much, much worse than it is especially when its yours. Hopefully the body shop will look and say yep it looks bad but don't worry its mostly cosmetic. It will then be even better than it was and the garage can give you the MOT and discs and pads for free, you'd hope. Edited by TryHarder on Wednesday 30th September 01:51

Sorry to hear this. In terms of repair, IME, they will only spend what they would get for it from a breakers. I doubt this will be more than £5k tbh, probably less. Sadly, with that much damage I would estimate the repair bill will be near enough the value of the car - if done correctly.

....jeez that's one helluva bum deal.....I am sure you are gutted....good luck....hope it comes good for you.....

WOW! What a mess. I'm surprised the ramp gave way. Thank god their mechanic wasn't underneath. Surely the ramp would have had a fail safe mechanism like they have on elevators. Hope they can mend it.

Sorry to say it, but it sounds like a write-off to me given all the damage you describe. My wife's SLK was written off for a relatively minor rear end shunt back in June. Still, you can always replace it with another! Best of luck.

Man - that's one hell of a first post..... Sorry for your loss, hopefully they'll sort you out and you can get a nice replacement in asap. Ps. Pictures of the sorry mess would be good!

if you get it repaired will you ever be happy knowing what happened to it? As a side note: I worked for VW many years ago, an Anglian windows LT van came in for rear brakes so they put it on the four poster and started work. The rear brakes were stripped out on the floor, and as the guy working on it turned his back on the van to get a tool the rear leg buckled, collapsed and the van fell 4-5 feet to the floor - backwards off the ramp. Lucky he'd turned his back (away from the van) to get a tool as he would have been killed- he was off work for trauma for a couple of weeks. Turns out the van was full of leaded windows that had been removed from a house that day. The weight of the van plus the windows exceeded the ramp rating so it collapsed. We had told all commercial clients that the vans have to be empty but this one ignored our rules, the van chassis was bent in the middle and the ramp was totally wrecked. I've never liked four poster ramps for this reason and your case goes to show the on going dangers of using them...

That's a shame, but I think it's going to be a write off... I should also point out that it wasn't actually on the MOT ramp... my recollection is that MOT's can only be conducted on "real" ramps..

That's like vx220s and elise/exiges, they only have one jacking point on each side, so if they're lifted and you remove the front wheels they will fall off the lift.

I had similar happen. Had agreed a brilliant deal on a stunning orange Exige that had been taken in PX at a Volvo dealership. I had driven all the way up to Huddersfield (5 hour round trip) to test drive the car, paid my deposit and was absolutely overjoyed at the deal I had struck and the impending collection. The only niggle I noticed on the test drive had been the lack of cold air from the air con so as part of the deal the air con was to be regassed. The Volvo dealership, presumably not used to such weight distribution as an Exige, put the car onto a 2 post lift, removed a front wheel and my P&J fell off the back. A phone call explaining the situation almost had me in tears and left me with the dilemma of either proceeding with what was a superb deal (in terms of the agreed price versus others on the market) on the ideal spec car, or turning my back with a fear of the damage extending beyond fibreglass and potential chassis damage to what was a aluminium bonded chassis that can easily write a car off even with limited damage if the chassis takes a blow. I decided to bow out and was devastated to do so. I never did buy my (then) dream car and often wonder whether I should have just gone ahead with the deal. No doubt the car was repaired in house and someone out there is probably perfectly happy driving a stunning car with no knowledge of its slight mishap.

Sorry to hear that your pride and joy has been damaged like that. I guess it must be pretty hard seeing as the mechanic man your pretty close to and he's always done you favours etc... I'd be inclined not to have it repaired and them give you the 8.5k you paid for it 8 months ago and call it even stevens.(and buy another) The reason i'd be inclined to do that is the job they might do of repairing it. Chances are it will never be as good as it was, and even it it's repaired 100% it sounds like it will need alot of work which will be discovered by any future buyers. Hope you get it sorted, and you are happy with whatever happens with the car.

Silent1 said: That's like vx220s and elise/exiges, they only have one jacking point on each side, so if they're lifted and you remove the front wheels they will fall off the lift. lol at your post as I wrote mine!

Shnozz said: Silent1 said: That's like vx220s and elise/exiges, they only have one jacking point on each side, so if they're lifted and you remove the front wheels they will fall off the lift. lol at your post as I wrote mine!

Hi Godammit First commiserations. Its not easy when your P&J takes a bad hit, especially when you are in no way to blame. Is the garage owner making the claim under his Public Liability Insurance? The reason I ask, is years ago, I was hit by the forks of a forklift truck that came out into the road from a building site with no supervision, and to cut a long story short, the building company admitted full responsibility, and they agreed that their PL insurance would pay my costs in full, and did so without any quibble. Either way, as long as the car IS fully repairable (even if the repairs exceed the value of the car) Because the claim is against a third parties insurers, AFAIK his insurers SHOULD put you back to the position you were prior to the damage occuring (whatever the cost to them). No doubt Soovy will be along soon to tell us different! Good luck anyway, hope it works out ok for you. regards Tom

I hope it is all sorted out for you ASAP. The garage will probably get a hard time from a H&S point of view.

Goddamit said: It fell off the ramp and it's wrecked. I put the boxster in for it's MOT last week at my local indy. It's a '99 model with 75K miles and cost me £8.5K eight months ago. It has been my absolute all-time pride and joy. Only now that I have passed 40 and the kids have their own cars, have I been able to realise my dream of a proper sports roadster. Washed once a week, polished [detailed] by my fair and gentle hands once a month it has wanted for nothing. Cruising slow or red lining on the twisties, I have enjoyed every single moment of ownership. It was evrything I hoped it would be and more. But now it's sitting in a garage with a tarpaulin over it...waiting to be taken to a bodyshop. Will it be saved or scrapped? All I can do right now is wait. I didn't see it happen but I did hear it happen. It was the first MOT i had put it through. I hadn't received a phone call from the garage by the next day so I feared it had failed and went down there to see what was happening. The boxster is up on a ramp - it's not a ramp with full length drive on ramp, it's one of those 4 leg ramps with swing out arms which are placed under the jack points. So I'm speaking to the garage owner in his little office who says, yes, my car has failed but it's only front pads and they're changing them now. Man, I was so happy at this point. [The garage owner is a good guy. I have been using him for years and he's a family friend. On many occasions he has gone beyond the call of duty in helping me out...he's towed me home free of charge, he's come out at 1am to fix my daughter's car after a breakdown free of charge, he's steered us away from buying a second hand lemon on more than one occasion and I trust him completely as a mechanic.] As we're chatting, there comes an almighty clatter from the workshop. Not knowing what has happened, but it not sounding good, he runs out the office and I calmly follow. And there it is...my f***ing car, my shiny, beautiful pride and joy being held up by one wheel on the ramp, crumpled right the way along one side...bonnet bent into an upwards V, front bumper bent, wing smashed in, door smashed in, rear quarter sccccrrrraped, rear bumper mushed and it's sitting on it's break light assembly which has pulverised into the workshop floor. TBH my immediate reaction was to thank god a mechanic isn't under there...it would have killed him. I'm guessing what happened is that the o/s rear jacking arm of the ramp leg gave way/broke/wasn't secured correctly, the car lost balance and tipped/fell from that point. It was kind of being held up by the n/s rear and o/s front jack points with the n/s front up in the air. And because of the design of the ramp the car didn't just tip and stop on it's rear, it had slipped sideways and slid down and into the leg of the ramp. To cut the story short for now, the garage has obviously admitted liability. They called their insurers and the car is due to be taken to their approved repairer tomorrow for assement. Some of you might say, be rid of it but I don't want that...I want my car fixed good and given back to me. That's all I want. Please, please, pleae don't let it be written off - it's not like other boxsters, it's a one of a kind. A few points for for the PHers to note: A boxster is a proper Porsche. At this stage I will not mention the garage's name. Depending on the outcome I might never mention the garage's name. Edited by Goddamit on Wednesday 30th September 02:09 Sorry to hear this, but all is not lost. Firstly, you are entitled to a car to use immediately whilst this is being sorted out. Or compensation for loss of use. If you can reasonably argue that you need a Boxster (not easy I know, but it can be done) you will probably get a loan Boxster / Merc SLK or similar. Then, if they decide to write it off, don't accept the first offer. They will try to bid you in the nuts for it. You argue that the car was in XYZ condition, and you'd spent ABC on accessories / improvements. Having secured a good price for your car, agreed in writing, very swiftly offer to buy the car back for scrap value. I'm not an expert on what that might be for your car, but I'd start by offering whatever it is worth less about 20%. It is in the insurance company's interest to sell the car in situ. Your car will be recorded as a total loss, but that won't bother you and probably no one else at that price point. Once you have the scrap car, buy secondhand parts and find a local body shop in need of work to fit / paint them. These negotiations are best conducted with the insurer in the UK if at all possible. Try to avoid at all costs getting into dialogue with a Delhi call centre agent who has no idea why anyone would drive anything other than an ox, and who will haggle with you like they are selling a handbag at a street market (trust me, I have extensive experience with this). So, whilst this is a horrible situation, if you are patient / tenacious and negotiate well you might get the loan of a new car, your car repaired and still have enough cash left over for a holiday. Best of luck. Manks Edited by Manks on Wednesday 30th September 10:13

Although that theory works on newer cars I cant see the "buy back and fix" method working too well in this case. The parts alone are probably £2k. Paint, probably another £2k. Misc - another £1k. So if we said £5k min to fix - even at cheap rates. Say he is paid £7k for the car as a write off, buys it back for £4k (guess), that leaves him £3k to get it fixed up... I dont think its worth it myself. If it was a £20k car, then the maths would be a lot better - but at this value I dont think he will come out on top myself. To make this work and be worth while he needs to get about £10k for it - IMHO.

oh dear...as long as everyone is ok ..thats more important...least you get a new ride out of it hey ;-)

red_slr said: Although that theory works on newer cars I cant see the "buy back and fix" method working too well in this case. The parts alone are probably £2k. Paint, probably another £2k. Misc - another £1k. So if we said £5k min to fix - even at cheap rates. Say he is paid £7k for the car as a write off, buys it back for £4k (guess), that leaves him £3k to get it fixed up... I dont think its worth it myself. If it was a £20k car, then the maths would be a lot better - but at this value I dont think he will come out on top myself. To make this work and be worth while he needs to get about £10k for it - IMHO. redslr The OP has already said he loves the car and wants to keep it. In terms of scrap value, if the car is worth £8500 straight I'd expect to be paying perhaps £2.5-3k for it. I have bought back several cars from insurers and they have always been keen to sell to me. Granted I am sure there is a decent demand from the scrap yards for such vehicles but in the past it has always seemed that a bird in the hand has been attractive to the insurer. Manks

Wow, that is some shocking accident, and as you say, very lucky no-one was hurt! Doesnt sound good for getting your pride and joy back though I have to say - all of that damage is going to take a lot to fix and it might be as well to go and find yourself another 'dream' car - and start over! Good luck, and it sounds like your relationship with the guy at the garage should stand you in good stead to get looked after okay on this one! Let us know how you get on! Oh yeah - and welcome to PH

OP here. Thanks for the kind and helpful comments and opinions. To reply to some of the points raised: Unfortunately I do not have any pics. I didn't have a camera/phone with me at the time. I know pics would make the story sooo much better, but there you go. I would like the car repaired and back to me. I know many people who wouldn't touch a car with a repair but I don't mind...as I said it's very special to me and in a rare colour too. There isn't another one like it for sale in the uk as far as I can see. Knowing the garage owner. Is it a blessing or not? I'm not sure. If it was some anonymous garage, I would kick up a fuss and if things don't go my way, heck, I could go to court, etc, etc. With him being a mate I'm not sure I can do that. On the flipside, with him being a mate, maybe he will make sure that I'm not disadvantaged by this. One of you said I could maybe push for a repair rather than accepting a write off and that's something for me to think about. Anyway, the bodyshop have picked the car up from the garage today so all I can do at the moment is wait for their feedback. I guess that'll take a couple of days. All is not lost though, I have been supplied with a '07 Hyundai Getz courtesy car.

OP, I know exactly how you feel. I could have bought 3 different versions of the same car for the price mine has cost to keep on the road, but it's my first "fast" car. First car I ever aspired to owning, and having had it 5 years now I want to keep hold of it for as long as possible. I'm the second owner on the log book and the car is 21 years old. The price of the engine rebuild (and associated costs) would have got me a lower mileage car, probably newer as well. Total cost over 5 years would have got me a decent Mi or GTI-6 engined car. When it broke down in Germany this summer the AA insinuated that there was no point going back to pick it up, or even get it repaired. "It is a 21 year old Peugeot after all Sir" they told me. Hell no! I took three more days off work, booked a flight, got a €200 taxi back to Adenau and drove it back home. If you want to keep your car, fight for it. Unfortunately it sounds like it could be beyond repair.

TheBoo said: Hi Godammit First commiserations. Its not easy when your P&J takes a bad hit, especially when you are in no way to blame. Is the garage owner making the claim under his Public Liability Insurance? The reason I ask, is years ago, I was hit by the forks of a forklift truck that came out into the road from a building site with no supervision, and to cut a long story short, the building company admitted full responsibility, and they agreed that their PL insurance would pay my costs in full, and did so without any quibble. Either way, as long as the car IS fully repairable (even if the repairs exceed the value of the car) Because the claim is against a third parties insurers, AFAIK his insurers SHOULD put you back to the position you were prior to the damage occuring (whatever the cost to them). No doubt Soovy will be along soon to tell us different! Good luck anyway, hope it works out ok for you. regards Tom +1 here, The PLI hasn't covered the particular car, just the business and everything it affects, I would have thought the same way as TheBoo - economics shouldn't come into it?

Goddamit said: All is not lost though, I have been supplied with a '07 Hyundai Getz courtesy car. There's always a silver lining somewhere;)

If this incident occured while having an MOT carried out you need to contact VOSA ASAP! While a tester is carring out an <OT he is deemed to be working for VOSA. VOSA/Ministry of Transport set high standards for testing and equipment used. Obviously if your car fell off the ramp the ramp was defective ot not MOT approved. VOSA will be dopwn on the garage like a ton of bricks, not to mention the H&S executive! Try this http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/contactus/complain... Edited by odyssey2200 on Wednesday 30th September 16:00

I think the biggest problem here is the 'mate' issue, if it were just a garage you could say 'oh dear what have you done, give us a lift home sort out a car for the morning and give me a call when you have sorted your mess out' But when its a mate it can be a bit difficult guess it depends whether its a mate, mate or just someone who owns a garage you have known for a long time. I have driven 'mates' cars before under the 'you bend it you bought it' code of practice and if I buggered their P&J I’d be devastated and have to put things back together no matter what. As I say guess you're the only one who knows how much of a mate they are/were. All a complete pain in the arse what ever happens.

odyssey2200 said: If this incident occured while having an MOT carried out you need to contact VOSA ASAP! While a tester is carring out an <OT he is deemed to be working for VOSA. VOSA/Ministry of Transport set high standards for testing and equipment used. Obviously if your car fell off the ramp the ramp was defective ot not MOT approved. VOSA will be dopwn on the garage like a ton of bricks, not to mention the H&S executive! Try this http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/contactus/complain... Edited by odyssey2200 on Wednesday 30th September 16:00 Think it was while changing the pads as a result of an MOT failure rather than during the MOT process, but hey alls fair in love and people messing up your car, give it a go it it comes to it. Edited by TryHarder on Wednesday 30th September 16:04

He was having brake pads fitted - a repair for, but not part of, the MOT. It sounds like the ramp failed, why, we don't know. Apparently the garage owner is a family friend - I think this will get his car sorted and mean he wont have to resort to nailing him - Put yourself in the 'shop owners shoes, you'd be mortified and want it sorted without question.

Sorry to hear of your misfortunes - it sounds like an unfortunate accident but insurance policies will mean you're unlikely to suffer any financial loss. I appreciate that you enjoyed the car and felt it was very much 'your' car but ultimately, they are mass-produced consumer goods and can usually be replaced or repaired very easily. Hard as it may be, I'd try not to get too emotionally involved in all of this - you'll only end up feeling worse about it all. Personally, I love driving but my cars are simply machines that allow me to indulge in my hobby. I wouldn't mourn the loss of the physical car if it were to be damaged or stolen. As long as nobody was hurt, the rest is just bent metal and paperwork.

Pope said: He was having brake pads fitted - a repair for, but not part of, the MOT. It sounds like the ramp failed, why, we don't know. Apparently the garage owner is a family friend - I think this will get his car sorted and mean he wont have to resort to nailing him - Put yourself in the 'shop owners shoes, you'd be mortified and want it sorted without question. These ramps don't just fail. They fail in the up position at it needs to have the locks retracted to go up or down. Every garage I have worked in has had to have annual inspections of all lifing equipment for insurance purposes and to comply with LoLer regs

odyssey2200 said: Pope said: He was having brake pads fitted - a repair for, but not part of, the MOT. It sounds like the ramp failed, why, we don't know. Apparently the garage owner is a family friend - I think this will get his car sorted and mean he wont have to resort to nailing him - Put yourself in the 'shop owners shoes, you'd be mortified and want it sorted without question. These ramps don't just fail. They fail in the up position at it needs to have the locks retracted to go up or down. Every garage I have worked in has had to have annual inspections of all lifing equipment for insurance purposes and to comply with LoLer regs Lovely view you hold. Have you missed the point where the OP says that this is a family friends business? I'd doubt he wants to bring down anyone on him like a ton of bricks. The insurance company will send an assessor and they will look at the lift. If it is human error in securing the car and it is a one off, then that as they say, is life. OP - you have the fact you are claiming on third party insurance to fall back on. You will find that this works in your favour. They have to put you back in the position you were before the damage, they will try and wriggle and use terms like betterment, just hold firm. I saw an elderly aunt have a new shell supplied for a Metro not that many years ago as she held firm and proved the car was in such good condition it was impossible to replace it. Good luck.

Shnozz said: I had similar happen. Had agreed a brilliant deal on a stunning orange Exige that had been taken in PX at a Volvo dealership. I had driven all the way up to Huddersfield (5 hour round trip) to test drive the car, paid my deposit and was absolutely overjoyed at the deal I had struck and the impending collection. The only niggle I noticed on the test drive had been the lack of cold air from the air con so as part of the deal the air con was to be regassed. The Volvo dealership, presumably not used to such weight distribution as an Exige, put the car onto a 2 post lift, removed a front wheel and my P&J fell off the back. A phone call explaining the situation almost had me in tears and left me with the dilemma of either proceeding with what was a superb deal (in terms of the agreed price versus others on the market) on the ideal spec car, or turning my back with a fear of the damage extending beyond fibreglass and potential chassis damage to what was a aluminium bonded chassis that can easily write a car off even with limited damage if the chassis takes a blow. I decided to bow out and was devastated to do so. I never did buy my (then) dream car and often wonder whether I should have just gone ahead with the deal. No doubt the car was repaired in house and someone out there is probably perfectly happy driving a stunning car with no knowledge of its slight mishap. Just asked a mate who works there about this, i used to work there. They repaired it for £300, apparently the damage wasnt bad.

it was on the 1st ramp and i was at the parts counter they removed 1 front wheel and the next minute it was on the deck. With the engine at the rearit just lifted the front end up and slid off. The ramp legs were under the jacking points as well. It did'nt do much damage, i think it cost about £300 to repair. Thats what he said.

The Riddler said: it was on the 1st ramp and i was at the parts counter they removed 1 front wheel and the next minute it was on the deck. With the engine at the rearit just lifted the front end up and slid off. The ramp legs were under the jacking points as well. It did'nt do much damage, i think it cost about £300 to repair. Thats what he said. £300??

Quality repair!

But back to the OP - if the financial situation is viable I would have to say do not get emotional on the issue. Walk away and buy another car. There are a lot of good Boxsters out there and why take the hit on residuals of a car with extensive repairs if you don't have to? If there is a choice, only go the repair route if you are convinced that you will be keeping it in perpetuity. Just MHO though - also glad that nobody was hurt, gutted for you and also rate the Boxy as very much a proper Porsche.

odyssey2200 said: If this incident occured while having an MOT carried out you need to contact VOSA ASAP! While a tester is carring out an <OT he is deemed to be working for VOSA. VOSA/Ministry of Transport set high standards for testing and equipment used. Obviously if your car fell off the ramp the ramp was defective ot not MOT approved. VOSA will be dopwn on the garage like a ton of bricks, not to mention the H&S executive! Try this http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/contactus/complain... Edited by odyssey2200 on Wednesday 30th September 16:00 The OP did actually point out at the start that the car had already failed the MOT for front brake pads and that the garage were changing them over as he arrived so it would be entirely likely they had moved it off the MOT ramp onto the scissors one to do the pads? Gary

OP here with tonight's update. I can confirm that the boxster was on the ramp having new front pads fitted after failing it's MOT. Whether they had used that same ramp for the inspection I do not know. My mate [the garage owner] is absolutely gutted. He has not tried to shy away or make light of the situation. And so you all realise my dilemma [and his], I can tell you he has been a friend for almost 20 years. His wife and mine met at an anti-natal clinic all that time ago and have joined up for a coffee and a chat almost every week since then. I spoke with him today and some interesting points came across... 1. I asked him about the likelihood of it being written off and he said in his professional opinion it was 50/50. He wouldn't commit any further on this. 2. The car has been taken to, er....Arnold Clark to be assessed. They are his insurer's recommended body repairers. 3. He gave me the impression that the car had not been secured on the ramp correctly by one of his mechanics, not than there had been a failure of equipment. Tonight my feeling is that he's gently trying to tell me there isn't much hope of a repair. If this is the case I'm really torn. I've told you how special this car is and how it would be near impossible to find another the same [and only a boxster will do]. Should I fight for a repair or not? Head says no, heart says yes. And why shouldn't my heart have as good a say in the matter. After all it was my heart bought it in the first place - my head would have bought a Hyundai Getz 1.1. Some of you give convincing arguements for taking the money and starting fresh but I don't know. Sure we get another box and maybe I can live with that but my wife...I don't know. A different boxster to her will always be second best, never the same, not ours. Jeez...a couple of 40 year olds getting gushy over a car. Time for bed I think.

I cant help feeling that your last post was a good result. If he is a genuine mate and you all get along OK, it will probably mean that he feels absolutely terrible about this. I know that you want your own car back but if it is a scrapper, then surely he is in a better position than almost all of us to replace your P&J through the trade at no or minimal cost to you? Just imagine, you have owned your toy for a while, you know what you like and dislike and at no cost to you at all, you have an opportunity to get into a newer one, lower miles, perfect spec and colour etc? SOunds like a result to me? And although my 'Noddy' will always hold a special place in my heart (My first Pork), I can't wait to be in a position (and be allowed) to trade up to one that i PREFER to Noddy..... Just my twopenny worth

I would put your chances of a repair at more like 90/10 (against) assuming your description of the damage is accurate. Pics would be nice. However, all is not lost. You may feel right now no other car will come close, but wait till you look - there are 100s and 100s of this type and spec of car out there. You are not searching for a rusty old (insert name). I reckon your chances of finding a good one are probably quite high, unless your old car was owned by the Queen and had 400 miles on the clock or something?? I would not worry too much - for me half the fun is the buying ....

turbo-ww said: The Riddler said: it was on the 1st ramp and i was at the parts counter they removed 1 front wheel and the next minute it was on the deck. With the engine at the rearit just lifted the front end up and slid off. The ramp legs were under the jacking points as well. It did'nt do much damage, i think it cost about £300 to repair. Thats what he said. £300?? hmmm, barge pole spring to mind. Glad I didn't go ahead. Even assuming that excludes the garages labour charges for swapping the rear clam and spraying the new one, that doesn't allow enough to even purchase a replacement rear clam which was what I was told they had ordered. When I posted up on here about the incident the previous owner popped up and said he had seen gouge in the floor of the workshop. Given how fragile the alu chassis is on the Elise/Exige, the extent of that impact worried me that some hidden damage would be lurking beneath fibreglass damage. They ain't that strong. When I said I was disappointed the amusing reply from the saleswoman was "well we could have just not told you about it"

Sorry to hear of your misfortune OP, terrible story. I'm afraid it sounds like a write-off to me. Out of interest - what's the colour combo?

Artie Fufkin said: OP here. The colour is what worries me regarding the thought of possible replacement. There aren't 1000s to choose from because it's not silver...it's yellow! Neither pistonheads classified nor autotrader show any yellow boxsters in the UK under £9K and 80K miles. Yellow's not that rare - I'm sure you'd be able to find a replacement in a month or two. There's a yellow '97 on trader with 57k on the clcock for £5.5k. It's a Cat D. That's the position you'd be in if you bought yours back off the insurers and ever decided to try and sell it. Or there's this which comes close. Edited by Risotto on Thursday 1st October 11:08

OP here. The colour is what worries me regarding the thought of possible replacement. There aren't 1000s to choose from because it's not silver...it's yellow! Neither pistonheads classified nor autotrader show any yellow boxsters in the UK under £9K and 80K miles.

Goddamit said: OP here. The colour is what worries me regarding the thought of possible replacement. There aren't 1000s to choose from because it's not silver...it's yellow! Neither pistonheads classified nor autotrader show any yellow boxsters in the UK under £9K and 80K miles. http://pistonheads.com/sales/1266642.htm or upgrade... http://pistonheads.com/sales/1190835.htm

I bumped my 99 Boxster a few years ago. about 30 mph into a slip road barrier and the amount of damage was huge compared to the speed I was going at. At least you didnt have people driving past gawping at you, then the car, then smiling (if you can't beat em!) Mine seemed to have less damage than in your description It was repaired at company called Lloyds who specialise in porsche/ferrari etc.. it cost around £8-9k to repair (this was around 4-5 yrs ago). It was my p&j too I honestly reckon yours be a write off. Hope you get it sorted soon and find another, you may even get a nicer one - good luck

These ramps are great for general maintenance on cars but you have got to be wary..You can't go pushing and heaving on the car once it's up in the air and obviously if you take bits (weight) off in one area it might become unbalanced. Still the most important thing to remeber is which way you drive the car on in relation to where the engine is located and what bias you have front to rear. In a 911 or mig engined job you will have to put it on backwards..I use mine all the time for detailing and small jobs but always take an awful long time getting the car in a spot on and even position before raising.

Shnozz said: turbo-ww said: The Riddler said: it was on the 1st ramp and i was at the parts counter they removed 1 front wheel and the next minute it was on the deck. With the engine at the rearit just lifted the front end up and slid off. The ramp legs were under the jacking points as well. It did'nt do much damage, i think it cost about £300 to repair. Thats what he said. £300?? hmmm, barge pole spring to mind. Glad I didn't go ahead. Even assuming that excludes the garages labour charges for swapping the rear clam and spraying the new one, that doesn't allow enough to even purchase a replacement rear clam which was what I was told they had ordered. When I posted up on here about the incident the previous owner popped up and said he had seen gouge in the floor of the workshop. Given how fragile the alu chassis is on the Elise/Exige, the extent of that impact worried me that some hidden damage would be lurking beneath fibreglass damage. They ain't that strong. When I said I was disappointed the amusing reply from the saleswoman was "well we could have just not told you about it" Do you have a link to the original thread please? (Sorry for the off topic people..)

OP here. No news today but I have a question... If, as it seems likely going by the reaction on here, the car is written off what are my rights/options? It was suggested that [if I want to] I might be able to fight for the repair to be carried out instead. Does anyone have any information on how I could argue this course of action? If I were to accept the decision to write it off, do I then have a fight on my hands with regard to how much money I will be offered to replace it? Obviously this all conjecture at the moment and I don't know how much help my garage mate might be in acting as an intermediary with the insurers.

Its a civil matter. You would decline his agents (insurance co) offer and take him (garage owner) to court for the value of the damage.

"Because the claim is against a third parties insurers, AFAIK his insurers SHOULD put you back to the position you were prior to the damage occuring (whatever the cost to them)." As someone has already posted the above, his insurers should put you back into the position that existed before the mishap. I have been in the position, where due to a rear end shunt the other parties insurers wanted to write my vehicle off. I found out the true cost of repairing the vehicle from the garage to which my car had been taken. It was a lot less than the write-off value. The garage also told me that the insurers wanted to sell the damaged car to them. By doing this they would lose less money than if they repaired it. Anyway I pointed out that it was not possible to replace the car for the money they were offering. I pointed out that as the victim in this case they were obliged to return me to the position I was in before their client rammed into the back of my car. There is case law that supports this position. They repaired my car and agreed to pay all other expenses, such as hiring a similar car. So stick to your guns.

So does this mean if your is squished by a lorry you can demand your car is repaired, even though its now the size of a tin can... technically, it can be repaired - there are a few parts off the original car that they can use.... maybe a headlamp or a door handle, a wheel...

op, sorry to hear about your pride and joy, i cant imagine how gutted you are, i have seen this happen before not a pretty sight, and i can picture how the damage looks, but remember its your car and its your choice to ask his insurers to change bodyshops, if you want to keep the car once repaired, DO NOT let sir arnolds monkeys touch it. make sure everything works before you accept it back and do not accept an air con re-gas if it doesnt work, re-gassing is a myth, if it has no gas it has leaked out and a ramp leg running down the side will have certainly fractured an ac pipe

Be very surprised if that wasnt a write off. Key thing now is to get examples of top money cars that are same age/mileage to argue value with garage insurers. You can ask the garage to take the difference between what they pay and what it costs you to replace the car with like for like.

red_slr said: So does this mean if your is squished by a lorry you can demand your car is repaired, even though its now the size of a tin can... technically, it can be repaired - there are a few parts off the original car that they can use.... maybe a headlamp or a door handle, a wheel... I suppose that it does, if you really wanted that. But in that case you would probably be happy to get enough cash to replace your P&J. In my case they were just trying it on. The damage was not that severe. It was just that the insurers would lose less money by fobbing me off with a trade price for the write-off and then selling the car to the garage for them to repair and sell on. The car was not really a write off in the sense of being beyond repair. It just suited the insurers to write it off. The point is for the OP that in the case of a 3rd party claim the insurers have to return him to the position he was in before the mishap. It's up to him to decide the course he wishes to take to achieve that.

To the OP - you really dont want it back, good chance it will never be the same again, and harder to sell. Prices dropping coming into the winter, so nice opportunity to find a newer/nicer car. Loads out there.

dont tell insurers what you paid - let them come up with a figure first. They will only offer less than what you paid. Nice one here: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1110907.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1253918.htm

The Riddler said: Do you have a link to the original thread please? (Sorry for the off topic people..) Have tried searching for it to no avail I am afraid. Would have been about 20 months ago and probably posted in the Exige forum. For some reason I have tried a combination of likely words with me as the author but the search returns no results.

It fell off the ramp and it's wrecked. I put the boxster in for it's MOT last week at my local indy. It's a '98 model with 75K miles and cost me £8.5K eight months ago. It has been my absolute all-time pride and joy. Only now that I have passed 40 and the kids have their own cars, have I been able to realise my dream of a proper sports roadster. Washed once a week, polished [detailed] by my fair and gentle hands once a month it has wanted for nothing. Cruising slow or red lining on the twisties, I have enjoyed every single moment of ownership. It was evrything I hoped it would be and more. But now it's sitting in a garage with a tarpaulin over it...waiting to be taken to a bodyshop. Will it be saved or scrapped? All I can do right now is wait. I didn't see it happen but I did hear it happen. It was the first MOT i had put it through. I hadn't received a phone call from the garage by the next day so I feared it had failed and went down there to see what was happening. The boxster is up on a ramp - it's not a ramp with full length drive on ramp, it's one of those 4 leg ramps with swing out arms which are placed under the jack points. So I'm speaking to the garage owner in his little office who says, yes, my car has failed but it's only front pads and they're changing them now. Man, I was so happy at this point. [The garage owner is a good guy. I have been using him for years and he's a family friend. On many occasions he has gone beyond the call of duty in helping me out...he's towed me home free of charge, he's come out at 1am to fix my daughter's car after a breakdown free of charge, he's steered us away from buying a second hand lemon on more than one occasion and I trust him completely as a mechanic.] As we're chatting, there comes an almighty clatter from the workshop. Not knowing what has happened, but it not sounding good, he runs out the office and I calmly follow. And there it is...my f***ing car, my shiny, beautiful pride and joy being held up by one wheel on the ramp, crumpled right the way along one side...bonnet bent into an upwards V, front bumper bent, wing smashed in, door smashed in, rear quarter sccccrrrraped, rear bumper mushed and it's sitting on it's break light assembly which has pulverised into the workshop floor. TBH my immediate reaction was to thank god a mechanic isn't under there...it would have killed him. I'm guessing what happened is that the o/s rear jacking arm of the ramp leg gave way/broke/wasn't secured correctly, the car lost balance and tipped/fell from that point. It was kind of being held up by the n/s rear and o/s front jack points with the n/s front up in the air. And because of the design of the ramp the car didn't just tip and stop on it's rear, it had slipped sideways and slid down and into the leg of the ramp. To cut the story short for now, the garage has obviously admitted liability. They called their insurers and the car is due to be taken to their approved repairer tomorrow for assement. Some of you might say, be rid of it but I don't want that...I want my car fixed good and given back to me. That's all I want. Please, please, pleae don't let it be written off - it's not like other boxsters, it's a one of a kind. A few points for for the PHers to note: A boxster is a proper Porsche. At this stage I will not mention the garage's name. Depending on the outcome I might never mention the garage's name. Edited by Goddamit on Wednesday 30th September 02:09 Edited by Goddamit on Saturday 3rd October 01:53

Thank you for that post Henry-F. You think like me...simply keeping things fair usually works out for the best. After sleeping on it, I think I have to be happy to accept a settlement of the purchase price; how can I really expect anything more? Stuff happens in life and you've just got to make the best of a bad situation. It was a mistake and I'm not out for revenge. AXA obviously will not stretch that far, so the garage topping the final figure up to £8,600 is a statement of apology which I should accept. It means the incident hasn't caused the end of our friendship by being too much of a financial hardship to the garage owner and I get to go boxster hunting with enough money to buy a good one again.

We see a lot of early boxsters but purchase very few, largely because their condition simply isn't up to mark and (if possible to do so), the cost of bringing them back up to speed exceeds the difference between what we'd have to give for the car and it's sale price. There is a massive variation in what's out there. In terms of what's right, I'd say your original purchase price in Feb or March would be fair. Prices strengthened from Christmas so it's not as though you got a Nov / Dec bargain. As for a direct replacement in the same colour, etc etc even an upgrade to a 2.7 - be careful. It isn't your fault the car was damaged and clearly no one wants to be disadvantaged but ultimately that money has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is everyone's pocket come next insurance renewal. Pistonheads is great for saying he should pay you for this or do that for you on the one hand whilst saying he is great because he doesn't charge for some jobs on the other. Push the little man too hard and he'll go out of business. They are a dying breed as it is. Even the big insurance giants: how long before pressure to quote happy gets too much, they sail a bit too close to the wind and suddenly hundreds of thousands are left with worthless policies after the receivers are called in. Be sensible, don't just roll over but at the same time put yourself in the other bloke's shoes. He's suggested your original purchase price and that sounds fine. Maybe get him to lend a hand finding a replacement by casting an eye over it for free. Good luck & keep smiling Henry edited for iphone fingers Edited by Henry-F on Saturday 3rd October 11:37

Good decision Godammit. As we get older, we all begin to realise the true value of long term friendships, and it is good doing business with people you like and respect. I'm sure you will continue to use your garage for all your families motor repairs and servicing, and eventualy your recomendations will bring your man other work from your friends and others, which will in turn compensate him financialy for his gesture of good will to you. So in the end, you will get a new-to-you motor, and everybody wins.

XXL80Y said: Hey Op Whilst your situation SUCKS,doubt they will offer you anything over book price just because theres no yellow ones at the minute.Its not worth any more because its yellow, pink or brown- or any more as they might have only made 1 in 100 or 10,000.Unless you can prove it was worth more than book-and you dont have GAP like for like insurance-then I dont think they will budge on their offer.I think the garage will have to top up the offer as a measure of goodwill and so you dont cause a scene with VOSA. Good luck regardless. Don't be silly they're always open to debate and any offer is always expected to be rejected first off, anyone who's accepted the first offer is a mug, unless the insurance cocked up in your favour

Henry-F said: As for a direct replacement in the same colour, etc etc even an upgrade to a 2.7 - be careful. It isn't your fault the car was damaged and clearly no one wants to be disadvantaged but ultimately that money has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is everyone's pocket come next insurance renewal. Pistonheads is great for saying he should pay you for this or do that for you on the one hand whilst saying he is great because he doesn't charge for some jobs on the other. Push the little man too hard and he'll go out of business. They are a dying breed as it is. Even the big insurance giants: how long before pressure to quote happy gets too much, they sail a bit too close to the wind and suddenly hundreds of thousands are left with worthless policies after the receivers are called in. This is a sensible argument, but I would counter that there are 2 ways to look at the situation. Thinking in purely financial terms may indeed be fair in a strictly commercial context, but when a third party is responsible for a loss of property, surely it is not unreasonable to be looking for as near as possible a like for like replacement? This is where I was coming from in suggesting that identifying an acceptable replacement and making a case for the insurer to meet its asking price would not be to my mind at all unreasonable. I would contend that on any model of Porsche, the price spread on condition, history specification and colour is always a 4 digit number. If the OP has lost a particularly nice Boxster then that is what the settlement should pay for - not just year and mileage. Insurers routinely low-ball offers on the basis of what they can see a replacement at in a lurid or dull colour at the wrong end of the country. But when push comes to shove - if you can make a sufficiently strong case and it is clear that you are prepared to fight if necessary then a more reasonable offer should be forthcoming. And as for "Push the little man too hard and he'll go out of business ... Even the big insurance giants" : were you drinking too much sangria on your yacht when you wrote that? Insurance underwriters stay in business on the basis of their underwriting criteria : the art of making premiums cover claims. Cold, calculated and ultimately (in the long term) profitable. Of course you are very right in that premiums might go if claims get silly, but we are talking about a valuation of a fair replacement here - NOT the ridiculously inflated rates that accident management companies invoice temporary replacements at nor people making personal injury claims of dubious merit. If the OP makes a fair and well reasoned claim and the underwriter settles quickly (avoiding accident management fees, solicitors letters, 'experts' reports from both sides and all the other nonsense that can result from a claim) - frankly I would say that everyone wins.

Goddamit said: Thank you for that post Henry-F. You think like me...simply keeping things fair usually works out for the best. After sleeping on it, I think I have to be happy to accept a settlement of the purchase price; how can I really expect anything more? Stuff happens in life and you've just got to make the best of a bad situation. It was a mistake and I'm not out for revenge. AXA obviously will not stretch that far, so the garage topping the final figure up to £8,600 is a statement of apology which I should accept. It means the incident hasn't caused the end of our friendship by being too much of a financial hardship to the garage owner and I get to go boxster hunting with enough money to buy a good one again. Well done and I hope you find another car you are equally happy with.

My wife and I were chatting about our situation this morning and she is pretty disappointed with our garage man pal. She's saying that he shouldn't be acting as an intermediary with us and the insurers - that's his problem. She was expecting him to reimburse us right now for at least the £8.6K and maybe a little more as a goodwill gesture and say "go and buy yourself another". Then he can deal with his insurers himself. Earlier in the thread kiwicarguy said much the same... [i]To be honest if the owner of the garage is that good of a mate he should be telling you to go buy the yellow Boxster that you like and he will pay the differance and sort out the negotiatins with the insurance company. It should not be you going through all the grief and negotiating. Not if he is a "good mate". He should be sorting it all out and assuring you that within reason you will get a car no less than what you had and possible even yellow. Sorry, but that's what I would do for a mate![/i] Now I am a laid back kind of guy but I think this is a valid point of view.

Goddamit said: My wife and I were chatting about our situation this morning and she is pretty disappointed with our garage man pal. She's saying that he shouldn't be acting as an intermediary with us and the insurers - that's his problem. She was expecting him to reimburse us right now for at least the £8.6K and maybe a little more as a goodwill gesture and say "go and buy yourself another". Then he can deal with his insurers himself. Earlier in the thread kiwicarguy said much the same... [i]To be honest if the owner of the garage is that good of a mate he should be telling you to go buy the yellow Boxster that you like and he will pay the differance and sort out the negotiatins with the insurance company. It should not be you going through all the grief and negotiating. Not if he is a "good mate". He should be sorting it all out and assuring you that within reason you will get a car no less than what you had and possible even yellow. Sorry, but that's what I would do for a mate![/i] Now I am a laid back kind of guy but I think this is a valid point of view. I don't I'm afraid. I do agree he should be arguing your case with the insurance company. However - expecting him to handover that kind of money out of his pocket immediately is pretty unreasonable. That's exactly what his insurance is for. This is not something that happened intentionally - it was an accident. If you had made a mistake driving into the garage and hit something in the garage - would you have handed over £8k on the spot? Or would you have expected him to wait for your insurance to pay up? If he covers the difference between the insurance payout and the original price I think he's being more than fair.

Goddamit said: My wife and I were chatting about our situation this morning and she is pretty disappointed with our garage man pal. She's saying that he shouldn't be acting as an intermediary with us and the insurers - that's his problem. She was expecting him to reimburse us right now for at least the £8.6K and maybe a little more as a goodwill gesture and say "go and buy yourself another". Then he can deal with his insurers himself. Earlier in the thread kiwicarguy said much the same... [i]To be honest if the owner of the garage is that good of a mate he should be telling you to go buy the yellow Boxster that you like and he will pay the differance and sort out the negotiatins with the insurance company. It should not be you going through all the grief and negotiating. Not if he is a "good mate". He should be sorting it all out and assuring you that within reason you will get a car no less than what you had and possible even yellow. Sorry, but that's what I would do for a mate![/i] Now I am a laid back kind of guy but I think this is a valid point of view. If you had an accident and wrote someone's car off whilst out driving, would you magic up £8k or whatever it would cost to replace? I don't think so, I think you'd take the view "That's what I have insurance for".

Thanks guys, I'll tell the wife to shut up and be thankful for what she's getting. [not the first time I've done that!] As I myself said earlier... Goddamit said: I think I have to be happy to accept a settlement of the purchase price; how can I really expect anything more? Stuff happens in life and you've just got to make the best of a bad situation. It was a mistake and I'm not out for revenge. Cheers.

Has the insurance company upped their offer following some examples?

Does it HAVE to be yellow? I'd prefer to get the best spec/condition mileage myself. How about this? http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1239232.htm Porsche Boxster 2.7 manual (Schwarz Metallic) in outstanding condition. Car is offered for sale as it is getting very little use due to 2 other cars in the family. In immaculate condition with full service history. We had a new roof fitted last year with the heated glass rear screen which greatly improves visibility. The car has a massive list of extras which include: Sat Nav Heated Seats Sports Chassis Upgraded Sound Pack with 6 speakers Xenon Lights Headlight washers New style rear lights Air con Memory seats 18" Turbo look alloy wheels Full leather Cruise control Porsche Stability Management Wind deflector 6 cd changer Metallic paint Self dimming interior mirror Exterior dimming / heated mirrors Rear storage box Park assist - front and rear The bodywork is in immaculate condtion. The interior is very clean with no rips or marks. Tyres and brakes in good order. Any questions please email or ring me. 07515 543 396 This is a genuine car and we will be very sad to see it go but we are paying insurance, tax servicing etc for very little use. We have owned the car for 18 months and only covered just over 2000 miles in it. The car will be sold with 12 months MOT. It is taxed for 10 months. 4 previous owners. Private plate not included but open to offers.

I have not yet heard back regarding settlement. Maybe Monday I will get another call. Wow edo...Thanks for the link. That is a massively specced car. For something along those lines I could >maybe< persuade the missus to be flexible with the colour. Unfortunately it is over budget. If, as I am expecting, we end up with £8,600, then that is all we have to spend. I need to keep my savings for future unexpected bills!

I'm sure you could negotiate it down. Personally I care too much about resale to buy a Yellow Porsche!

Get over the whole "Yellow" thing, it's a Boxster, it's not a diamond! I'm sure there is some room to negotiate on the car below, I know which I'd prefer for circa 9k if I had to have a Boxster.

Ultra Violent said: Get over the whole "Yellow" thing, it's a Boxster, it's not a diamond! I'm sure there is some room to negotiate on the car below, I know which I'd prefer for circa 9k if I had to have a Boxster. But it's not about you , it's about what the OP wants

I'll tell you what the OP wants. An eye test. Yellow Boxster, my god

And they're a right bugger for attracting all the bugs too

No news yet as to an updated settlement but I've just been to the accident repair centre to pick up my personal belongings from the boxster. Thank goodness it's not being repaired there...it's a "stack 'em up and get 'em out quick" looking operation. Anyway, here's a photo: My wife was in tears.

Ouch. It's just a car at the end of the day. Good job nobody was underneath it. See the positive - you get to find a better car, and given we are coming into winter, probably a better car too.

Looking at it today, I have to say the door was not as badly damaged as I thought...this part definitely looks the worst and although the rear quarter doesn't seem too bad at first, you can tell that there's bad damage underneath.

HRG. said: But it's not about you , it's about what the OP wants No, its about what his wife wants

Had a similar thing happen to me 911 convertible was crashed by the local garage whilst there for an MOT Ended up dealing with his insurance company, and had to push hard for a good valuation - they were quoting Autotrader etc - I built a file on the purchase costs, and similar models for sale showing the approx true cost and negotiated with the loss adjuster If you have a case,are firm with the insurance company, and, importantly, not rushing to get they deal done they will pay up in the end - it costs them less to give you a fair price than to go to court / ombudsman Good Luck Pete

davek_964 said: Goddamit said: My wife and I were chatting about our situation this morning and she is pretty disappointed with our garage man pal. She's saying that he shouldn't be acting as an intermediary with us and the insurers - that's his problem. She was expecting him to reimburse us right now for at least the £8.6K and maybe a little more as a goodwill gesture and say "go and buy yourself another". Then he can deal with his insurers himself. Earlier in the thread kiwicarguy said much the same... [i]To be honest if the owner of the garage is that good of a mate he should be telling you to go buy the yellow Boxster that you like and he will pay the differance and sort out the negotiatins with the insurance company. It should not be you going through all the grief and negotiating. Not if he is a "good mate". He should be sorting it all out and assuring you that within reason you will get a car no less than what you had and possible even yellow. Sorry, but that's what I would do for a mate![/i] Now I am a laid back kind of guy but I think this is a valid point of view. I don't I'm afraid. I do agree he should be arguing your case with the insurance company. However - expecting him to handover that kind of money out of his pocket immediately is pretty unreasonable. That's exactly what his insurance is for. This is not something that happened intentionally - it was an accident. If you had made a mistake driving into the garage and hit something in the garage - would you have handed over £8k on the spot? Or would you have expected him to wait for your insurance to pay up? If he covers the difference between the insurance payout and the original price I think he's being more than fair. To clarify... I agree in that it would be decent to wait for the insurance companies decision. My point was more that the OP should not be having to "deal" with more than needed. If the payout does not enable him to have what he had initially then if it was me and I was his mate I would top up the difference. I would be trying to make the whole process as stress free as possible. It was an accident but he is responsible as the business owner. But if the insurance payout was disputed and then suddenly took months to settle and negotiation etc should the OP have to deal with that? If the shop owner was an unknown person then he would have no choice, but he isn't he's a mate. So in fairness things are a little different. A little understanding all around would definitely help. Sorry Henry I'm a NZ Colby boy and that's about as far as my cheese knowledge goes... Edited: Hehe its my 993 post... funny how simple numbers to Porsche owners means much more Edited by Kiwi Carguy on Tuesday 6th October 07:32

Today's update... I've just been given my settlement cheque for £8,600 from my garage mate. AXA had upped their offer from £7K to £7.2K which he accepted and he has made up the difference himself as a goodwill gesture. While I accept that this is as good a result as we could expect and I appreciate that we are not out of pocket, our boxster was a special thing and it still hurts that it's gone. So if anyone knows of a mint pastel yellow box for sale let me know.

Well done. Happy searching.

Sounds to me like your mate at the garage has rushed things through to see you paid off as quickly as possible, at the detriment of his wallet - Fair play to the guy I say. Its got to be a good time of year to be driving a hard bargain on the car you want! A Yellow Boxster has got to be seen as a summer car, even at the best of times Good luck fella, let us know when the new one arrives (but for god sake dont rush and get something that ultimately doesnt match up to your previous 'state of euphoria' with the car).

Great result. Sounds like time for some good Boxster hunting!

I cant help but feel that this is a great result! Money in pocket, probably a great time to be buying the car you have set your sights on..... Maybe add a couple of pennies and as if by magic..... BINGO! The newer car of your dreams!

Good result. Does it HAVE to be yellow?!?! Seriously you are giving yourself no margin for picking a good car - they are so few and far between, especially with the budget... There are only 2 on PH. http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1266642.htm http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1259437.htm Putting colour aside, I don't think either (no disrespect to the sellers) are anything close to the best value for money (see my previous non yellow suggestion). Edited by edo on Tuesday 6th October 23:25

We're coming around to that way of thinking ouselves, that yellow is being too restrictive. We could wait forever for good one and in all probablity we would still end up thinking "it's nice but's not like the one we had". So, we are widening our search with regard to colour but still cannot bring ourselves to look seriously at silver, light blue or black. I know it still rules out some good cars but that's the way it is, sorry. We've seen what PH, autotrader, ebay, etc have to offer and there's a few we are enquiring further about. As you say spec and condition are paramount and now that we have discounted the ones without climate, door speakers, computer, full leather or grey leather, FSH, under 80K miles and under £9K and with a nice colour it doesn't leave a huge selection. Our biggest problem is that we live in the north of Scotland so viewing can be difficult. At least we have another car in the household to use, so we have time on our side and can hold out for the right one to come up.

edo said: Good result. Does it HAVE to be yellow?!?! Seriously you are giving yourself no margin for picking a good car - they are so few and far between, especially with the budget... There are only 2 on PH. http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1266642.htm http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1259437.htm Putting colour aside, I don't think either (no disrespect to the sellers) are anything close to the best value for money (see my previous non yellow suggestion). Edited by edo on Tuesday 6th October 23:25 The first one - 'Speed Gel Yellow' WTF is that??

turbo-ww said: The first one - 'Speed Gel Yellow' WTF is that?? Tchhh! Tchhh! Doncha know 'Speed Gel' is the one used by the most exclusive hairdressing salons?

try this one. 'S' bits, yellow and I guess about the same price. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1999-PORSCHE-BOXSTER-YELLOW_...

Goddamit said: We're coming around to that way of thinking ouselves, that yellow is being too restrictive. We could wait forever for good one and in all probablity we would still end up thinking "it's nice but's not like the one we had". So, we are widening our search with regard to colour but still cannot bring ourselves to look seriously at silver, light blue or black. I know it still rules out some good cars but that's the way it is, sorry. We've seen what PH, autotrader, ebay, etc have to offer and there's a few we are enquiring further about. As you say spec and condition are paramount and now that we have discounted the ones without climate, door speakers, computer, full leather or grey leather, FSH, under 80K miles and under £9K and with a nice colour it doesn't leave a huge selection. Our biggest problem is that we live in the north of Scotland so viewing can be difficult. At least we have another car in the household to use, so we have time on our side and can hold out for the right one to come up. Cool. A big improvement on just Yellow! Dont forget that people will move on price, so dont rule out cars a good 5-700 more than you can spend.

Goddamit said: Today's update... I've just been given my settlement cheque for £8,600 from my garage mate. AXA had upped their offer from £7K to £7.2K which he accepted and he has made up the difference himself as a goodwill gesture. While I accept that this is as good a result as we could expect and I appreciate that we are not out of pocket, our boxster was a special thing and it still hurts that it's gone. So if anyone knows of a mint pastel yellow box for sale let me know. OP Only just seen this thread in the whats new section. I think the writing off of your car and the reasonable cheque you have is honestly the best outcome you could have expected. Clearly, your first Porsche, first sportscar is going to have sentimental value and I can only imagine what your thoughts were upon seeing your lovely car hanging off the ramp. I bet it was like being stabbed in the stomach. However, getting it repaired would have been just that. A repair. I personally would have been very wary of driving such a car which revels in being thrown in to corners and so on. And letting my missus sit along side me. No, you've done the right thing. Now bide your time and get the best replacement you possibly can. Best wishes.

edo said: Does it HAVE to be yellow? I'd prefer to get the best spec/condition mileage myself. How about this? http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1239232.htm Porsche Boxster 2.7 manual (Schwarz Metallic) in outstanding condition. Car is offered for sale as it is getting very little use due to 2 other cars in the family. In immaculate condition with full service history. We had a new roof fitted last year with the heated glass rear screen which greatly improves visibility. The car has a massive list of extras which include: Sat Nav Heated Seats Sports Chassis Upgraded Sound Pack with 6 speakers Xenon Lights Headlight washers New style rear lights Air con Memory seats 18" Turbo look alloy wheels Full leather Cruise control Porsche Stability Management Wind deflector 6 cd changer Metallic paint Self dimming interior mirror Exterior dimming / heated mirrors Rear storage box Park assist - front and rear The bodywork is in immaculate condtion. The interior is very clean with no rips or marks. Tyres and brakes in good order. anyone spot the one missing piece of info?

Whether it fell off a ramp once?

Mileage???

Got it The interior?

Mileage is 56k. Interior is hideous.

Adam B said: edo said: Does it HAVE to be yellow? I'd prefer to get the best spec/condition mileage myself. How about this? http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1239232.htm Porsche Boxster 2.7 manual (Schwarz Metallic) in outstanding condition. Car is offered for sale as it is getting very little use due to 2 other cars in the family. In immaculate condition with full service history. We had a new roof fitted last year with the heated glass rear screen which greatly improves visibility. The car has a massive list of extras which include: Sat Nav Heated Seats Sports Chassis Upgraded Sound Pack with 6 speakers Xenon Lights Headlight washers New style rear lights Air con Memory seats 18" Turbo look alloy wheels Full leather Cruise control Porsche Stability Management Wind deflector 6 cd changer Metallic paint Self dimming interior mirror Exterior dimming / heated mirrors Rear storage box Park assist - front and rear The bodywork is in immaculate condtion. The interior is very clean with no rips or marks. Tyres and brakes in good order. anyone spot the one missing piece of info? They've neglected to mention the interior is completely covered in strange green mold... Edited by Risotto on Wednesday 7th October 16:50

I like that interior.

I received some interesting information today regarding the insurance assessment. Seemingly they had priced the cost of repair at £7,200. £4K for parts and materials and £3.2K for painting, fitting and labour.

Goddamit said: I received some interesting information today regarding the insurance assessment. Seemingly they had priced the cost of repair at £7,200. £4K for parts and materials and £3.2K for painting, fitting and labour. However, you can insist on your own choice of repairer, and that sounds implausibly low for what a Porsche body shop would charge...

Thanks for the reply discocolin but I have now signed it away. As heartbreaking as it is, I have moved on and am searching for a replacement.

All the best with the next car Stephen

How far is Lanarcshire for you? http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1244100.htm

Sure you could get some money off this - a few hundred quid gets you into 3.2s and cars with much lower mileage.. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2009... 2001 PORSCHE Boxster 3.2 S Trade Seller: Level Autos 2001 (Y reg) Convertible 60,000 miles Manual 3.2L, Petrol 2 Doors, Manual 6 speed, Convertible, Petrol, 60,000 miles, Metallic mica blue coachwork with blue leather sports trim. power roof, Air-Conditioning, Climate Control, radio cd, Electric windows, Electric mirrors, Electrically adjustable seats, Heated seats, Remote central locking, Alarm, Immobiliser, PAS, ABS, Cruise control, Sports Steering Wheel, Sports Design Upholstery, Front head restraints, rear spoiler, Colour coding - Body, Alloy wheels, History. Insurance Group:19A, lovely car,mobile 07786 330002, £9,995 p/x poss

This one doesnt sound too bad? Could probably get it in budget if pushed.. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2009...

asking price difference of 800 between a yellow 80,000 mile 1998 2.5 in a hard to sell colour versus a 60,000 mile 2000 3.2....

Thanks for showing me the links guys, I appreciate it. I have seen them all myself on the net and have discounted them all for various reasons: The Lanarkshire one has no aircon and we don't like the colour combo. The 3.2 is too dear. The yellow one has uprated suspension which would ruin the ride for us. I know how helpful you peeps are, so just in case you are thinking of showing me more for sale in the future, can I just list a few impotant pointers? 1. My budget is £8,600. Tops. I can add no more to this figure but I can look at cars which are advertised at more but would be buyable at £8.6K. 2. It cannot be silver, grey, black, light blue. 3. Must have - FSH, under 80k miles, climate, computer, door speakers, wind deflector, not tiptronic, not cat c/d. Cheers.

Cuh, you dont ask much ;-) Will keep eyes peeled. I think you need to be prepared to travel - not being prepared to will seriously limit your market. Hold out for a 2.7 - reasonable improvement in performance. Try to save a few hundred quid, because there is a big jump in both the amount of cars and what you get for your money if you look at cars advertised for 9.9k. Finally, also be aware that an >80k Boxster could easily spring a 4 figure bill. Edited by edo on Sunday 11th October 14:40

Goddamit said: The yellow one has uprated suspension which would ruin the ride for us. I'm sure somebody would be willing to swap for standard suspension, get 'the garage' to swap the suspension for free

Well, it's been sixteen years with no updates from the O/P. l wonder if he's found his dream Boxster yet.

zebraman said: Well, it's been sixteen years with no updates from the O/P. l wonder if he's found his dream Boxster yet. Looks like he’s abandoned his PH account completely.

sad story OP, Dec last year took my 635 conv to local indie specialist while there it caught fire, they could not do eneough to help BUT it was thier insurers Aviva who completely dicked me around with values, i asked for £7k early Jan and after thier initial £4k i got £6700 end of MAY!! now replaced and i ask the garages who they are insured with before taking the newer car in for service etc as i still cannot believe how an insurer the size of Aviva just piss people around. Good luck finding your next car

bad company said: Looks like he s abandoned his PH account completely. Probably bought a fleet of Yellow Hyundai Getz.