Catastrophe naturelle

[runsgrateasanut]

 

Catastrophe Naturelle

Thought I'd use the holiday in France to tidy up my front Drivers side wing which was rusting under the arch. Fabulous weather until the 4th July.

Not especially happy with the resultant filler job and the supposedly "wetlook" lacquer turned out not to be "wetlook" after several coats applied.  Used the remains of a tin of £2.99  (ten years old?) pearlescent paint finish which did give a bit of a sheen.

After uncovering the bonnet and door, found the Paint colour was not the match I was expecting so stopped further work. My touch up paint is correct colour as seen on a cap I've painted to show the supplier.

Next day I gave the Car its annual wash (true) pre the basking 36 degree heat of the day, but in the afternoon the sky darkened and large droplets of rain followed and the bushes and trees started thrashing about in a state of sheer madness as the rain turned into Hail Stones many the size of Golf balls and larger!  They were not only falling but throwing themselves horizontally at our House in a vortex. The glass panelled door and the Windows were being battered and  I had to don a Hard Hat to open the door to close the Shutters to prevent the door glass being shattered. Doing this I had around twenty hailstones come into the Kitchen and a bruised leg.  I lowered the Electric blind to protect the fragile glass in the Kitchen Windows and thats when the lights went out. No Electricity for the next 24 hours!

It may have only lasted five minutes but in my local area there was devastation.  I hadn't put the Car back in the Garage and it was peppered with dents. Fortunately only the passenger side mirror was cracked enabling us to drive home yesterday.  

My neighbours A class rear hatch was smashed. House roof tiles were broken (not on our roof) and the Pompieres were out in force on roofs stretching temporary plastic sheeting over damaged areas. Vines were totally smashed and Nursery Green houses destroyed.

The Plastic gutters all around the house were peppered with holes and it was lucky I hadn't put the car in the Garage as the  Placo / Asbestos Roof was also peppered with holes.

So, it could have been worse for the Car. If I'd not washed off the Saharan Sand it could have been embedded into the paint dimples or worse still shards of asbestos falling on the car would have scratched the paint surface.

Somehow the paint mismatch doesn't now seem so important, We had a great holiday up until then and on the plus side the Insurance will cover the roof and gutter replacement at only the cost of the excess.

The Car Insurers would write it off if a claim is made. This would seem a shame, so I will live with a battle scarred LS400.

 

[Farqui]

Jeepers, what an experience and whilst on holiday too :(

Those hail stones are whoppers!

[Chris Skelton]

MY last two cars were so perfect that I was paranoid about parking them anywhere, etc.!

In contrast, we inherited an 18K mile Micra from our 85+ yr old neighbour who had dented/scraped most of the car in his short ownership, so that it was uneconomic to fix, (but pefectly OK to drive.) 12  years later, now on 50K miles, it has been reliable and ....who cares about dents?

So I'm not looking for pristine cars now, except mechanically!

Such a relief. (The XM 3 litre I had is now in a special collection!)

 

[Ben01]

Sad story. I survived a similar storm once, 25y ago. All cars in the area were dented as on pictures, or much worse. All children toys in our yard, solid plastics lying on the sand, were shattered to pieces like by machine guns. Half of houses in the area damaged, especially plastic sidings and windows, and some roofs.

And in the middle of massacre my first car, sh...ty small fiat, intact, not a (new) scratch - under very "solid" and leafy tree, which lost all leafs and a few branches, but cover the fiat...

But I am with Chris - there is no point to care too much about cars, it could be a storm, a lorry hit, any scratch or bump, etc. If car should be pristine, it belongs to museum, not everyday road. IMHO car on the road shall fit the purpose and feeling of owner/driver, and brings the soul (with MOT 😉 ). My current GS was cheap as chips, so half of painting is pretty good for 16y old, but another half straight form drunken painters party - who cares, she flies everyday and I have a lot of fun.

[Bluesman]

When we were in the States 25 years ago we got caught in a storm to end all storms with hailstones the size of golf balls coming down and managed to smash most of the glass and there wasn't a panel that did not have less than 6 huge dents in them. Thank goodness it was a rental with collision damage waiver.

 

[Malc]

Stuart those dents seem unimaginable if you didn't experience it first hand ....  true battlescars, one to tell the grandchildren 

Malc

[Cotswold Pete]

By 'eck, that looks like a car which suffered chicken pox

Anyway that a professional dent puller can get rid of the ones on the boot, and maybe the others.

Have seen hail punch holes in aircraft wings in USA not a pretty sight, and thank heavens I was not in the area when it happened.

[rich1068]

11 hours ago, Chris Skelton said:

it has been reliable and ....who cares about dents?

So I'm not looking for pristine cars now, except mechanically!

 

10 hours ago, Ben01 said:

But I am with Chris...

I'm not quite as relaxed about a car's condition as you two but not being obsessed with bodywork and cleanliness is quite liberating isn't it? I used to be properly mad about keeping new cars as pristine as possible but after getting quite disillusioned with brand new cars generally I've since had a run of used motors that have quite a few battle scars and it does not bother me one jot. Proper damage I'd probably sort but scuffs, scratches and scrapes I can certainly live with.

11 hours ago, Chris Skelton said:

(The XM 3 litre I had is now in a special collection!)

I'd have liked to have seen that!

[Ben01]

1 hour ago, rich1068 said:

Proper damage I'd probably sort but scuffs, scratches and scrapes I can certainly live with.

In my case, "proper damage" is defined as something really bended or torn off. I sort of scratches and dents a bit if they could bring rust or if damage is very visual and home-grown fix is not very risky (like - don't try to paint whole bumper with Halfords spray at parking yard). But don't listen to me, I use such cheap cars I could scrap the car if she annoys me with to much scrapes.

But on the other hand, it is easy to comment to other peoples cars damage "pshaw, deal with it", but if it is somebodys beloved dreamcar, it is always a pity. I still remeber first unnecesary damage to my first nice car, the stupid garage door moved by wind before I locked mechanism, and the heavy door barely touch the roof of the car, with deep sharp dent, like after sharp hammer. Not easy to fix and I have seen this [censored] dent daily, next few years...

[Malc]

you might get one of those dent removal businesses that visit you at home to do you a special price for a whole days work rather than just the one dent removed for a whole days work !

I'd try it anyway

Malc

[royoftherovers]

So sorry to read your report Stuart.

I have just returned after 3 months in Andalucia; my electric windows failed, my windscreen washer packed up, my Horn stopped working and ESP.BAS warning lights are on.

The only salvation was that I was in the E class Merc, not in the GS which started first time, having been hooked up to the Solar Charger,

 

You were very unfortunate to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and I am pleased to learn that only the car was damaged and not you.

[Bluesman]

Drive her with pride.

 

[GrahamG]

The most damaged Lexus of the year with the best story to tell but no one hurt.

I am remembering those wide open spaces in France where I flew gliders and there was little opportunity to find cover.

Perhaps some creative artwork to suggest bullet holes and a set of Bagdad plates?

No, I know you are not laughing but seriously glad you are unhurt.