Tree fell on my car.. PHOTOS.
01-25-2000, 11:45 PM
#1
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Tree fell on my car.. PHOTOS.
<center><img src="www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/vista/8046/right_side_02.jpg"></center><p>Click on the link to see several more pictures. They are thumbnailed.
If the link doesn't work, look at
www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/vista/8046/damage.html<ul><li><a href="www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/vista/8046/damage.html">Tree damage</a></li></ul>
If the link doesn't work, look at
www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/vista/8046/damage.html<ul><li><a href="www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/vista/8046/damage.html">Tree damage</a></li></ul>
01-25-2000, 11:47 PM
#2
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Messed it up ... here is the second try
<center><img src="http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/vista/8046/right_side_02.jpg"></center><p><ul><li><a href="http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/vista/8046/damage.html">http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/vista/8046/damage.html</a</li></ul>
01-26-2000, 12:53 AM
#4
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Oh Koushik! Please fight with all that you have to get...
...that poor car totalled! There is no question that it's going to cost WAY more than $8K to properly repair that car, and I doubt it can even be done. You have water damage to all your instruments and electronic components. Also, your seats are toast, your carpet is toast, and basically everything else inside the car. It will never be the same, and you'll probably end up with electrical nightmares down the road.
And, the best reason to get it replaced (and a good one to tell the insurance company) is that replacing the whole roof will almost certainly hyave an impact on the roll-over protection of that car. I've seen what happens to cars that have had new roof sections put on, and then rolled. It's not a pretty picture. If you accept a fix, you could be putting your life and anyone elses life in jeopardy. The original roof is built in as part of the unibody. Cutting it out and welding in a new piece will not give the same structural rigidity.
Please, don't let the insurance company screw you! Good luck!
Charles
And, the best reason to get it replaced (and a good one to tell the insurance company) is that replacing the whole roof will almost certainly hyave an impact on the roll-over protection of that car. I've seen what happens to cars that have had new roof sections put on, and then rolled. It's not a pretty picture. If you accept a fix, you could be putting your life and anyone elses life in jeopardy. The original roof is built in as part of the unibody. Cutting it out and welding in a new piece will not give the same structural rigidity.
Please, don't let the insurance company screw you! Good luck!
Charles
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01-26-2000, 08:20 AM
#8
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Follow-on to ChuckH's message
Koushik,
Please heed Chuck's warning about welding a new roof onto your car. Welding such a structure generates automatic weak points at the location of each weld. In the event of a roll-over, or similar type accident, it is possible (or probable) that the welds will yield first, causing the roof to sheared off. If you have to have the repairs done, insist that the welds are fully inspected by ultrasound and x-rays to insure full penetration of the weld. A common practice by those that lack integrity is to perform an incomplete weld, which menas that you do not have complete penetation across the entire structure (in this case, the roof pillars). Once the welding is finished, they will grind off the exterior bead, maknig it look like the weld was completed. However, the A, B, and C pillars are not fully attached, as the weld has only penetrated a small portion of the cross section of the pillar. This can be easily detected with ultrasound and x-rays (called nondestructuve testing) and should be done by a certified inspector before the car is prepped and painted.
E-mail me if you have any questions.
Eric
PS. Perhaps you can help your case by including the residual value that the insurance company can realize by parting out the car (most likely through an auction). Buyers of used A4's beware, as someone may try to repair this car and sell it at a later date. More reason to do a title search and be certain that the VIN is not that of a salvaged title.
Please heed Chuck's warning about welding a new roof onto your car. Welding such a structure generates automatic weak points at the location of each weld. In the event of a roll-over, or similar type accident, it is possible (or probable) that the welds will yield first, causing the roof to sheared off. If you have to have the repairs done, insist that the welds are fully inspected by ultrasound and x-rays to insure full penetration of the weld. A common practice by those that lack integrity is to perform an incomplete weld, which menas that you do not have complete penetation across the entire structure (in this case, the roof pillars). Once the welding is finished, they will grind off the exterior bead, maknig it look like the weld was completed. However, the A, B, and C pillars are not fully attached, as the weld has only penetrated a small portion of the cross section of the pillar. This can be easily detected with ultrasound and x-rays (called nondestructuve testing) and should be done by a certified inspector before the car is prepped and painted.
E-mail me if you have any questions.
Eric
PS. Perhaps you can help your case by including the residual value that the insurance company can realize by parting out the car (most likely through an auction). Buyers of used A4's beware, as someone may try to repair this car and sell it at a later date. More reason to do a title search and be certain that the VIN is not that of a salvaged title.