Scott
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Messages
- 1,046
Firstly, glad to hear your all ok. The 80 seems to have stood up pretty well to a fight with an arctic and pin balling off the armco, good to see the armco and 80 did their job. It is a shame for her to end up like this, after your efforts to find a good one, but it looked after you well.
So its a UK car, residing in Sweden and crashed in France, sounds complicated. Good that the insurer recovered it back home (Sweden?), instead of just scrapping her on the spot. Where the vehicle is may have a bearing on the viability of any repairs. I don't know what the second hand 80 spares market/supply is like in Sweden, we have a couple of breakers in the UK, which is a great help if you need the parts that your 80 will require.
Although the 80 has stood up well there is a fair bit of damage that will need repairing, it could be done - but the economics of the repair may not add up. If you have the time, space, skill set and resources to do the work, then your off to a good start. If not, then it could get quite expensive farming the work out.
From the limited views we have in the pics I would be concerned in the following order:
1) Drivers side front - seems to have been pushed across a bit (wing has pushed under the bonnet), this may need inner and outer wings (IIRC both inner and outer wings bolt on). The impact to the drivers wheel may have bent the front axle or the chassis axle mounting points and steering box mounting point (a known weakness in the chassis). Any repairs to the chassis could be complex, if its only the front axle, thats a lot easier to swap out.
2) The rear quarters pinching the tailgate - rear end squashed. Repairable, but if you want it repaired to pre accident condition - panel gaps consistent, panels repaired and painted - it could be costly.
3) The B pillar and drivers side doors - As long as the B pillar hasn't moved too much it can be pulled into line, again it will need to be spot on for the doors to line up correctly.
All repairs should be possible, but its the amount of repairs/work that could make it not viable - unless you do a lot of work yourself.
I know what you mean re the effort to find a good 80, it took me 9 months to find mine, and then like you I spent time and money getting her spot on. So whatever the future holds for your 80 I would definitely buy her back from the insurance company even at a £1000. Although I would enquire why its a £1000 to buy back, its normally 10% of the settlement (unless their paying out £10,000!).
I think you have a few options:
1) Re shell her with another good condition body shell - would be easier than doing all the repairs to your existing body. Its not too difficult to separate the body and chassis on an 80, then you could used your original as a parts donor to get the replacement body up to scratch. Demand for 80 body shells is low, so the cost of a body shouldn't be too bad, its just getting one to you could be the issue.
2) Buy another 80 and keep your current one for spares.
3) Buy another 80. Repair your existing 80 as and when on a tight budget and to a safe but bruised standard. Then you'll have one nice one for daily use and a second battle scared one for off road fun.
4) Repair your current body - but as Chris has said, without a lot of work it may never quite be as good again.
Lots to think about, but I would strongly recommend retaining the 80, even if you decide to not repair or use her as a parts donor, she is still worth more than a £1000 to sell on for spares.
So its a UK car, residing in Sweden and crashed in France, sounds complicated. Good that the insurer recovered it back home (Sweden?), instead of just scrapping her on the spot. Where the vehicle is may have a bearing on the viability of any repairs. I don't know what the second hand 80 spares market/supply is like in Sweden, we have a couple of breakers in the UK, which is a great help if you need the parts that your 80 will require.
Although the 80 has stood up well there is a fair bit of damage that will need repairing, it could be done - but the economics of the repair may not add up. If you have the time, space, skill set and resources to do the work, then your off to a good start. If not, then it could get quite expensive farming the work out.
From the limited views we have in the pics I would be concerned in the following order:
1) Drivers side front - seems to have been pushed across a bit (wing has pushed under the bonnet), this may need inner and outer wings (IIRC both inner and outer wings bolt on). The impact to the drivers wheel may have bent the front axle or the chassis axle mounting points and steering box mounting point (a known weakness in the chassis). Any repairs to the chassis could be complex, if its only the front axle, thats a lot easier to swap out.
2) The rear quarters pinching the tailgate - rear end squashed. Repairable, but if you want it repaired to pre accident condition - panel gaps consistent, panels repaired and painted - it could be costly.
3) The B pillar and drivers side doors - As long as the B pillar hasn't moved too much it can be pulled into line, again it will need to be spot on for the doors to line up correctly.
All repairs should be possible, but its the amount of repairs/work that could make it not viable - unless you do a lot of work yourself.
I know what you mean re the effort to find a good 80, it took me 9 months to find mine, and then like you I spent time and money getting her spot on. So whatever the future holds for your 80 I would definitely buy her back from the insurance company even at a £1000. Although I would enquire why its a £1000 to buy back, its normally 10% of the settlement (unless their paying out £10,000!).
I think you have a few options:
1) Re shell her with another good condition body shell - would be easier than doing all the repairs to your existing body. Its not too difficult to separate the body and chassis on an 80, then you could used your original as a parts donor to get the replacement body up to scratch. Demand for 80 body shells is low, so the cost of a body shouldn't be too bad, its just getting one to you could be the issue.
2) Buy another 80 and keep your current one for spares.
3) Buy another 80. Repair your existing 80 as and when on a tight budget and to a safe but bruised standard. Then you'll have one nice one for daily use and a second battle scared one for off road fun.
4) Repair your current body - but as Chris has said, without a lot of work it may never quite be as good again.
Lots to think about, but I would strongly recommend retaining the 80, even if you decide to not repair or use her as a parts donor, she is still worth more than a £1000 to sell on for spares.
