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Posted initially on my local VW forum...

I was driving home from work today and just about to go under the charlston (sp?) flyover, going south from Aberdeen. I was in the outside lane and about 6 car length up ahead was a white van. All of a sudden I saw the backbox come off the van and came straight for the car. Hit it was a huge bang and there was a horrible grinding noise. Managed to pull into the white lines between the slip lane from Altens.

The front bumper, honeycomb grilles, front splitter, fan, radiator are all minced and the gearbox is leaking oil. Don't know what other damage there may be. My mate kindly got his dad to tow it home for me.

I'm gutted because I got no concrete evidence and its gonna cost at least £300/400 to get fixed.

Pics to follow...

Few people said I'm lucky it wasn't more serious, though I'm more worried for the car lol. I just hope there isn't too much mechanical damage. The backbox was a total mess and had lodged under the car. Luckily is just missed the sump

Dude, feel for ya. I thought the stone i went over the other day was bad enough, which lightly scuffed my bumper. Did you get the vans reg? If you have his old silencer you can prove it and do him for hit & run, although technically its not his fault. But in theory the van will be insured against this kinda thing.

If you need any panels/rad etc i can get them cost price from work, only my last day is tuesday, so let us know what you asap.

Andy

hope u get it sorted out soon matey, feel for u !!

It happened too quick to get any details, I'm pretty helpless

vdubit wrote:Dude, feel for ya. I thought the stone i went over the other day was bad enough, which lightly scuffed my bumper. Did you get the vans reg? If you have his old silencer you can prove it and do him for hit & run, although technically its not his fault. But in theory the van will be insured against this kinda thing.

If you need any panels/rad etc i can get them cost price from work, only my last day is tuesday, so let us know what you asap.

Andy

Do you get a big discount?

err, yeh! One assumes bumper, possibly front panel, radiator. Is the air con condensor ok? The fan ought to be ok, as the rad probably took most of the impact. We wouldn't do the honeycombe grilles or splitter i'm afraid, although your splitter looks repairable if you fancied spraying it.

That does looks proper nasty though mate, hope you manage to sort it all ok.

Regarding the gearbox, it looks like you've bent the end plate, which is changable without removal of the box, you'd need a new plate and gasket from vw, part no's. 085 301 211 for the plate and 085 301 215 A for the gasket.

You are very lucky though, had you have been further back, it could have bounced into the windscreen, which could have been a right disaster.

Yeah that would of been scary. The splitter was screwed anyway. What does the end plate do, hold the oil in?

Wanted to get both bumpers smoothed in August and get my stone chips sorted, then get the car protected. Now it's gonna be a half arsed job as I might as well smooth the front now but can't afford the rest of the work

That front bumper is repairable. If you intend to have it smoothed anyway i'd just get that one done. In all honesty it wont cost much to have that repaired if your having it smoothed anyway. If you lived closer i'd do it for ya, but unfortunately your miles away.

The end plate is the last piece of the puzzle if you like when it comes to the box. Under that is all the gubbings. Its the first part you remove when you take a box apart. If basically the lid. I'll price those bits for you tommorrow just so you have an idea of cost.

Andy

ow! bloody hell mate! hope you get it sorted asap!

Ok cheers. I'm working all day tomorrow so my parents are gonna try and sort it all out for me. I'm really stressed out just now, mega pissed off that I may now be 1k in debt for something I don't deserve and feel sorry for the car

its such a pain when somthing like this happens. wrong place at the wrong time i guess
s**t unroadworthy white vans