Bas**rd. The End Of 'the Shed'.

[Colin M]

Really sorry to hear this news, John, it is gutting when something like this happens.

I hope the damage is confined to the rear quarter panel. If the boot floor + rear chassis section are OK, it might well be repairable.

Thank goodness there was no-one in the car at the time.

[bigjap]

hefty clout that,i should imagine thats buckled the floorpan somewhere,hope you find another,best of luck

[Keith Bowler]

That's some whack John, what state was the mini in!

I was hit in the summer by a Pug 206 and was surprised how much damage that did at low speed.

Hope you get sorted.

[thatfatbloke]

Went down the the body shop yard yesterday to retrieve the rest of my clobber out of her. The boot floor is very bent. As I left I had a tear in my eye as I said goodbye to her. A 20 stone truck driver with a tear in his eye ain't a pretty sight!. Anyway,onward and upward. The bloke at the body shop has an S-type Jag that he is willing to let go reasonably cheap!.

As for the hire car,a 2014 Poxhall Insignia,what can I say. You feel every little bump,I smack my melon every time I get in and out,it's almost dangerously impossible to see when reversing,seats are like sitting on concrete,the autobox hesitates and the tyre/road noise is quite loud. On the plus side,the turbo diesel does pull like a train and the fuel gauge hasn't moved yet (probably broken).But as the bloke from the body shop said 'It's better than walking'.

[madasahatter]

Jag floors are a bad rotting point make sure you get it in the air, Have a good prod and poke.

[Scribe]

Sorry to hear your news John. I dread something similar happening to mine.

Have you thought about a GS? My mechanic might have one for sale. Not as comfy as the LS, of course, but then most cars feel hard and bumpy in comparison.

I sat in an Insignia once and couldn't see out of it. It felt a bit claustrophobic, and the back window was the size of a letterbox.

[Titch LS]

John, if it's an auto S-type you're considering, proceed with caution. I can almost guarantee that a certain little light on the dash will start blinking at you. They all do it. Mate of mine only had his for a few weeks, then got rid. Autobox was duff.

[thatfatbloke]

Thanks for all your kind thoughts and advice. I guess all cars have an achilles heel as I once had to replace a brake light bulb on the LS. Rotting floors and knackered autoboxes however are a different kettle of cod. I have been looking at other types of cars of course,but the top of the list is still a MK3 LS400. Here are some others I may consider:

GS300 (seems to have the same sound system as the LS,which is nice)

S-Type 3.0

X-Type 3.0 or 2.5 sport (please don't mention the Mondeo connection!). Drivers eye view in picture,looks a nice place to be.

Saab 9-5 2.3 Aero

Mercedes W124 E320 CE (getting way too much money now)

Wolseley 6/110

and so on,blah blah.

It will all depend what is about when the cheque turns up,but I will go to the ends of the earth (almost) to get another LS.

[cruisermark]

don't do - honestly - the jag interior looks hideous compared to the LS

get another LS

[Malc]

............. the Wolseley 6/110, straight 6 engine and used to be as sweet as a nut !!

Bit old aged now ........... . I learnt to drive on my father's a million years ago and I actually bought one in the 1980's but it died !

Maybe prefer the Vanden Plas 4ltr R

But the least expensive of them all .................. would be a replacement Ls400 ... and much much better too

Malc

[Chasdad]

I'm new to the forum and as yet not an ls owner I've had a 9-5 aero. Very quick, even an auto . But I don't think they're well built. And are pretty thirsty for what they are

[Cotswold Pete]

If it were me I'd be going for the Jag. The missus has 2 litre X-type, and to be fair not a bad old car, not as quiet as the LS, seats a bit narrower, but for a small engine can pull fairly well even with four people in. Fuel economy is good for such a big car. Sound system nowhere near as good, but some models come with Bluetooth, which would be nice to have in the 400.

Interior is different, but no worse/better than LS IMHO.

Just check the openings under the door sills for rust, some are really bad and some seem to be perfectly okay. I found ones later than 2004/2005 to be best to go for, and good value (but not as good value as LS).

I found the S-types too cramped for my liking, and having driven the Aero, a nice car, but thirsty and also felt cramped, and the dashboard/console felt way too clumsy to me.

Never driven a GS300, but been in one or two, and they seem to be okay, but the boot space was not to my liking, though I think they look a bit nicer with the bodywork styling.

Whatever you end up with, hopefully no one will be trying to park in the back of it.

[thatfatbloke]

Insurance company have made their first offer. £600 !!. Told them to 'go away'. They told me to e-mail proof of a higher price. I did. Two on Autotrader, both '97 MK3's like mine but with 60-70,000 more miles on for £1089 and £1500. I await the reply with bated breath. Am I being unreasonable here?. Surely as the innocent party,I'm entitled to look for a 'like for like' car,which £600 ain't going to get.

[madasahatter]

No your not, insurance companys are good at taking your cash but not at paying out.

[thatfatbloke]

Car has been deemed a Cat C write off by the way. Have had a few enquiries from people wanting to buy the car as it is (banger boys etc) but will have to enquire as to the procedure for this as not done it before.

[Spacewagon52]

Stick out for more. My daughter was offered a derisory £1700, then £2600 and got £2,900 in the end - but that was below market value.

[madasahatter]

What happens you get the car back for X amount, they then pay you the difference. Either way you have a no blame claim it stinks mate.

You could come out better that way, cash and sell the car on.

[Scribe]

Yes, and then we might see it for sale in the Dudley area, described as 'immaculate, no accidents...' etc.

[Bluesman]

I hope you are getting a hire car from them or monies in place of from them as well. Mike.

[thatfatbloke]

I hope you are getting a hire car from them or monies in place of from them as well. Mike.

Yes,got a 14 plate diesel Insignia until this is all sorted.