Need help - unlucky last night

ambro25

Hey all,

I'm after a really good body repair specialist, because last night I either got the unluckiest 'stone pick-up & shatter' ever... or I got shot :eek:



Damage shown was sustained last night at 23:20, on a clear and straight road, no other cars either way, in Knocklyon/Ballyboden (driving by the new 'Boden Heath' development), 30-35 mph. Either my tyre picked up a stone and somehow flung it back onto the windscreen at an angle (going 'around' the bodywork ), or some person took a pot shot at me in the dark.

Either way, if it was only the windscreen I wouldn't be so bothered, but the impact has also 'kinked' the upright. So, my guess is I need to sort the upright with a body repair, before getting the windscreen replaced. Any good recommendations?

Huggles

ambro25 wrote:

Hey all,

I'm after a really good body repair specialist, because last night I either got the unluckiest 'stone pick-up & shatter' ever... or I got shot :eek:



Damage shown was sustained last night at 23:20, on a clear and straight road, no other cars either way, in Knocklyon/Ballyboden (driving by the new 'Boden Heath' development), 30-35 mph. Either my tyre picked up a stone and somehow flung it back onto the windscreen at an angle (going 'around' the bodywork ), or some person took a pot shot at me in the dark.

Either way, if it was only the windscreen I wouldn't be so bothered, but the impact has also 'kinked' the upright. So, my guess is I need to sort the upright with a body repair, before getting the windscreen replaced. Any good recommendations?

A STONE???? Jaysis more like a cavity block :eek:

ambro25

Well, there were a few stones on the road outside the entrance to the development, but nothing 'out of the ordinary', if you see what I mean (nothing that would make you think "sh1t, look at the size of that mother! I'd better drive over them at a crawl or go around). e.g. and inch or so in size, you couldn't see them from 10 meters or so in the street-lit penumbra.

As I said - unluckiest one yet (considering size of things, damage sustained and all of Newton's Laws involved in-between)

Or, as hypothesized, someone took a pot shot from somewhere - dunno and not an expert here. From the sound of the impact, my wife thought we'd blown a tyre (didn't sound like it) but I thought a valve had gone through the bonnet...

Roy16

I would say that you were lucky not to have crashed your car with the impact that would have made and the fright you would have got. I chipped my windscreen before when driving back from galway, but never one that big and i have never seeing or heard of a stone doing so much damage as yours. I do not know of any cheap repair shops unfor

I hate to say it but i think someone though a big stone or brick at your car. Im not to sure of the area were this happened, but if i was you i would report it to the guards as next person may not be so lucky if this was the case.

delly

Don't know the area, but was driving down the road that goes from Liffey Valley to Bewleys hotel and a rock came flying out of nowhere and hit the roof. Reckon it was a little scumbag having a bit of fun, could be the same for yourself as I couldn't see a regular stone being thrown up from the ground that would cause such a mess.

Fey!

That stone must've been a boulder! I reckon the others on here are right, that someone threw a rocl at you. Let the Gardai know - they probably won't be able to help you, but it could help someone else.

Pherekydes

The radius of the stone is clearly marked on the rubber. It was huge. Also, if you look carefully at the indentation on the glass, a circular point of impact can be seen. You were targeted, and very lucky not to crash. JMHO.

unkel

With the others on this one - looks like someone threw a large stone at you. Fair play that you didn't crash the car. I got a direct hit from a golf bal once and it barely scratched the windscreen. That stone must have been fairly big :eek:

ambro25

Thx for the posts guys - guess those advanced/tactical/evasion driving lessons paid up (as in: well, car's still going & responsive, so don't stop).

Still, what do you reckon? Considering it's an A-pillar, insurance or D-I-myself (as in find place and pay out of pocket)? Got protected NCB (maxed).

Anan1

ambro25 wrote:

Still, what do you reckon? Considering it's an A-pillar, insurance or D-I-myself (as in find place and pay out of pocket)? Got protected NCB (maxed).

That's a difficult one. I wonder could you find a body shop who would do the whole job and bill it as a windscreen replacement? It'd be the same cost to the insurance company but only a glass claim for you.

Fey!

Talk to the windscreen fitters your insurance company uses (autoglass is the one FBD uses, IIRC. Don't know if that's any use to you, though)

Stark

Ah, scumbags and rocks/bricks. I remember there was an incident in Cork some years ago where a scumbag through a concrete block from a bridge onto the road below, crushing a driver's chest cavity.

unkel

ambro25 wrote:

Got protected NCB (maxed).

Well then, claim from your insurance company. It will not affect your NCB, cause that's what the NCB protection is for

Redshift

Same thing happened to me in the middle of nowhere a couple of years ago, when driving to cork in a van that was about 2 hours old:rolleyes:
Never saw what it was or where it came from but the bang was massive and actually put a hole in the windscreen and I get showered in the face and cut with glass fragments, I was blessed that I was wearing sunglasses. But not a pleasant experience at all.
OP good luck getting it fixed, looks nasty, pity it hit the pillar.

dubtom

I'd say get yourself down to the guards pronto at least to be able to say that you reported it. I'm not 100% but you may have a case for claiming from the insurance federation, you know that crowd who pay out when an uninsured driver hits you,especially if the guards can confirm that it's not an isolated incident.I'm not saying you can, but it won't hurt checking.
Just another thought, if it turns out that it wasn't a scummer, are the council not reponsible for keeping roadways clear of dangerous objects,such as large stones that fly through windows;)

ambro25

Going to Guards tonight (not had chance at week-end, visiting family, work overload, this-that-the other) to report + "press charges against X" (is that what it's called? ).

Just dropped by a garage that's local to my work this morning, gaffer is as puzzled as I am (because the pillar paint isn't chipped or marked at all, just the pillar that'e ever-so-slightly 'kinked'). He's going to ring Mazda to see if there are any technical notes about torsion bar (internal to windscreen surrond) spontaneously snapping which acc. to him would explain it. Expensive job acc. to him because A-pillar is integral to chassis & acts as roll-bar for entire car.

I've had a good look in daylight now, and I'm not so sure re. above, as there are some very slight impact marks (you're talking millimeters, but in some pattern) on the seal between the glass and the pillar. But it's not clear whether the windscreen's shattered 'from the inside' or not.

Wife will call insurance at some stage today, after a good read of the T&Cs.

ambro25

Sorry for dragging this up from the Boards.ie abyss, but I could really do with panel-beater recommendations. Tried DentMagic [email + (phone x 4)], no replies to either - they still exist?) and MSL (mazda main dealer - no reply either).

Re. insurance - NCB 'protection' doesn't apply, because "bodywork has been damaged by windscreen". There ya go, your €s at work for ya. Note to self: read all the small print next time, not just 'most' of it

It's really not as bad as it looks, after all - the pillar itself is straight as an I, the impact is 2/3 on windscreen 1/3 on hard plastic joint, the A-pillar outer has just been 'pushed' in a point of about 2 millimeters nearest the impact. So most probably just a 'hammering the dent flat' job (manner of speach, of course :rolleyes:).

Anyone?[/email]

Bluetonic

Did you try Car Craft in Ballybough?

www.carcraft.ie

ambro25

Sent'em an email just now. I'm getting the distinct impression it's gonna be hard to find someone, anyone, for this job

MercMad

Phone your insurance company and ask them to nominate someone to do an inspection/estimate. Most policies cover for winsdscreen breakage plus accompanying damage !

Mine does, if any windows are broken and any surrounding bodywork or trim damaged its covered, without affecting my NCB !

ambro25

Well, apparently not ours (all comprehensive that it supposedly is)

Windscreen on its own is free (no excess) + no effect on NCB, but 'surrounding damage' apparently is not + affects NCB.

I'm loathe to shaft our maxed-out NCB for a f*cking rock, but then again if that's the extent of the 'protection' to the NCB when paying extra for it, what is the f*cking point! (excuse the language while I feel I'm being reamed here :mad:)

But I'll take up that thing about getting an assessor out to the car, I should have demanded it right away as a matter of course :rolleyes: Not to mention I'll have someone ready at hand to go over that fine print... and have an explanation

Still waiting on Carcraft.

smash

looks like there could have been scumbags throwing rocks from behind a wall.....

skibum

Same thing happened to me a good while ago while driving through the scalp in Enniskerry. 3 little pricks walking along the left hand side of the road thumbs out, I had no intention of picking them up but had to slow down a bit as they were on a left hand bend. Just as i was passing the last tracker knacker I saw him throw a rock at me, luckly enough it hit the a pillar and the screen so didn't come through the screen. Red mist took over, drove up the road a bit spun around and headed back for them (i wasn't alone in the car ) They were like rabbits in the headlamps one jumped over a wall and as we jumped out of the car roaring and shouting the other two followed, at that time there were lights approaching so we had to go. The next day when I was on the way to Crimmins garage in enniskerry (who did a fantastic job) I pulled over and had a look over the wall saw the 10 -15ft drop on the other side:eek: and wondered if those cnuts would ever do that again.

ambro25

All done and sorted by Shaun at Carcraft, in record time and in a very cost-friendly manner too.

I can't commend the quality of the work enough - Michaelangelo!

A huge + rep and personal recommendation for Carcraft from here

Mike - if they're not amongst the stickied 'places to go' in the Motoring section already, they do deserve the inclusion.

MercMad

Good............... glad you got it sorted andd gave us the feedback !