# Tyre Blowout And Spin Into Kerb



## blackandgolduk (Apr 25, 2005)

Happy New Year all!

Chaps and chapesses, I'd be keen to hear your advice.

Yesterday afternoon I was driving back from Ramsgate after the 710 and I had taken a day trip. I'd been working all over Chrimbo and the NY, so we needed to get out. The weather took a turn for the worst and we headed back before it got really dark. Roads were very quiet but it was sheeting down. Having just exited a roundabout into two lanes (inside lane), the rear nearside tyre either popped, I aquaplaned or I hit diesel, and despite best efforts in holding the car straight I ended up spinning the car (Corsa C - 52 plate) 180 deg and the rear nearside wheel took the brunt of the impact against the central reservation kerb. The local police attended and told me that a new road layout at the exit had increased accidents and that the standing water had been treacherous over the past few weeks.

Fortunately we were both uninjured and there was no oncoming traffic to slam into us. I estimate I hit the kerb sideways at about 20 mph. The wheel was sticking out at the top of the wheel arch by about 15/20 degrees. Vehicle was recovered to a local yard and I got the train home.

The car is probably worth about Â£1500 tops, but is in good nick, relatively low milage, suits my needs and is reliable. My insurance excess is Â£250, and I guess that it could be a write off. However, if the repair came in at Â£400 or so, I'd probably get it back on the road and not go through the insurance so as to keep my no claims.

If it had happened closer to home, then I'd get some quotes but as it's a way off it's all a bit of a faff. What would you do? Leave it to the insurance or look for a local mech? Never had to deal with an insurance company before, other than paying them, but wary of ending up too much out of pocket on a cheap car.

Cheers for your thoughts... And before anyone asks, yes I'm a tight git and I save money where I can to splash out on trips abroad and nice scotch!


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Given the value of the car I suspect the insurance company will write it off. If it was me I would get a quote locally and see what they can do ... it could include: buckled wheel, tyre, hub, lower arm, dirt plate, strut, support beam .... doesn't sound good  Â£400 will be way off the mark unless you can get parts from a scrapyard (you can get a rear axle for about Â£200 or thereabouts) although it will depend if the chasis is bent

Yes the water has been bad, quite a few aquaplane accidents around our way


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## tixntox (Jul 17, 2009)

Insurance company will probably value your motor at much less than the repair cost, so I should get looking around for a replacement. Find similar cars for sale for negotiation purposes.

mike


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

If you want to fix it you should be able to get a decent whole back axle complete for next to nothing from a breakers yard then get it swapped over. Not really that big a job. The insurance will most likely write it off, pay you peanuts and some scrap guys will buy it at auction and put it back on the road.

My mate does this all the time, buys minor damage write offs fixes them up and sells them on, makes a few quid here and there on them. And they are nearly all similar smallish cars like your Corsa.

For parts you could try a facebook page called "Vauxsausage" it just a collection of mostly foul mouthed kids but its nation wide and usually plenty of Corsas getting broken you might get lucky and find something close by. Although if I was you I probably wouldn't mention you were a copper !!

:lol: :lol:


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## blackandgolduk (Apr 25, 2005)

Thanks for the replies - thought about buy-back and fixing it myself, but have neither the time nor the patience at the moment. Insurance reckon it's 'borderline' based on what I've told them and they're recovering it from Kent to a garage just around the corner so hopefully I will know in a day or two what the damage is going to be.

Fingers crossed that the year improves!


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## Time Bomb (Dec 28, 2013)

Hope it works out. I had something similar about 10yr ago, Corsa cost me 1800 quid and a taxi bumped side of car bending front wheel in. After much faffing with the insurance I got 600 quid for it as they said they weren't going to pay for fixing.


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## johnbaz (Jan 30, 2005)

Hmm

It seems a full axle isn't so expensive if you can fit it yourself..

'02 Corsa rear axle

John


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## lewjamben (Dec 4, 2007)

blackandgolduk said:


> Thanks for the replies - thought about buy-back and fixing it myself, but have neither the time nor the patience at the moment. Insurance reckon it's 'borderline' based on what I've told them and they're recovering it from Kent to a garage just around the corner so hopefully I will know in a day or two what the damage is going to be.
> 
> Fingers crossed that the year improves!


If they know about it, it'll affect your no claims whether you claim or not because in their eyes, you've still had an accident.


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## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

Corsa, do these have back axles? I would have thought they are IRS with attachments direct to the body........unless they have a subframe but rare on a small car.

Just wondering as not familar with the Luton Liabilities much.

Did the same thing in the dry coming back from the city and long, long time ago in my Mk2 Escort Sport (yes, I was being a 19 year old twat and going too fast around a greasy corner) the rear wheel slammed into the kerb, a very high kerb....after a quick check inside me undies for deposits I carried on home, a few days later there was an nasty noise coming from the rear (not mine I was perfectly calm by then) and it turns out the wheel bearing had cracked a race, been ok for a while but then started to break up.

Moral is just because superficially it looks fine there can be much more damage hidden, if you buy a secondhand rear susp set up make sure it came from a good front ended prang.


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## Studsy76 (Dec 16, 2013)

Sure they have a axle u can just swap I've done one on a astra


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## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

Studsy76 said:


> Sure they have a axle u can just swap I've done one on a astra


I assume its a trailing beam axle?

Explains a lot...... :lol:


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## tixntox (Jul 17, 2009)

If you do swap the axle, make sure that you get one with the correct braking system (ie ABS or not as the case may be). It will save you a lot of work.

Mike


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## Muddy D (Nov 16, 2013)

I think Lewjamben has a point. I've worked in insurance for about 15 years though not with car insurance for quite a while. However, when I was a motor insurance underwriter, if you mentioned any incident to them, insurers would take that into account with their costing even if you didn't claim.


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## blackandgolduk (Apr 25, 2005)

Thanks for all the advice, chaps. Car was recovered to a repair centre five minutes down the road so I went and had a chat yesterday. More damage than previously thought, as the front nearside wheel took a hit on the kerb, too meaning that the repair bill was estimated at Â£2k.

Although that's the NCB up the spout, insurance quotes on a replacement vehicle (bigger engine, newer car) are still coming out favourably so the insurance company are being pretty fair in that respect.

As ever, the mine of information here is appreciated, thanks all...


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Â£2k !!!!!

You could buy a couple or three whole running Corsas for that.

:lol: :lol:

Whilst I not suggesting using dodgy back street types that sounds way over the top. A lad in the workshop recently sold an 04 plate SXI Corsa, had it since new with decent service history, reasonable miles for a grand.

I'm sure you could get it repaired with good used parts for a lot less than Â£2k. Have you had an indication of how much your insurance is going to pay out on it.


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## blackandgolduk (Apr 25, 2005)

BondandBigM said:


> Â£2k !!!!!
> 
> You could buy a couple or three whole running Corsas for that.
> 
> ...


I knew that it was an over the top quote, but there was more damage than I first thought. Front suspension is shot, rear nearside is shot and as it's parked on the street I don't have the facilities (or the time, really) to fix it. Waiting on a figure from the insurance but they indicated that it would be about a grand back. Off to see a new car in the morning, so it's not all bad...


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## blackandgolduk (Apr 25, 2005)

Once again, thanks to all those who offered advice - and an update to this New Year saga... Sourced a new car locally, and started looking for insurance quotes online. Admiral (insurer for the Corsa) then rang me to discuss their quote which had popped up on a comparison site, bearing in mind that they'd sent an email saying that they'd pay out on the loss and that the insurance was therefore cancelled. They said that they would put the new car on the policy and insure it until the original end of the insurance period (November) for an admin fee and nothing else to pay and valued the Corsa at my suggestion of Â£1250, which they have paid out on.

All in all, they have surprised me when I've heard some terrible things about insurers. A big thumbs up for their service, and a more positive ending to a crappy new year start!


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Nice one James, glad to hear its worked out for you ..


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## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

Now I know you've changed jobs and are the Marketing manager for Admiral.......... :lol:


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## Muddy D (Nov 16, 2013)

Even as someone working in insurance, that sounds like a resolution which is refreshingly leaving the customer happy


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## bdc (Jan 15, 2008)

If you are prepared for the hassle you would probably find that the insurance company will offer you the car (unrepaired) plus a cash sum that may well be enough for a local small repairer to do the work using reconditioned parts.


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