Great start to 2006!

[SimonR]

I've come here for a little sympathy!

I'd just filled my Jag up at the local Shell Garage with a view of taking it to London to see some friends for a new years party when some woman didn't see me stop at a roundabout...

My poor Kitty is looking a little sorry for itself at the moment:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/W ... tkitty.jpg

You should see what it did to her Renault though. The entire front was knackered, not a single panel was still intact.

So it's an early trip to the body-shop for me and my Jag.

[GlennH]

Simon,
You have my sympathy.

It doesn't look pretty.

I imagine the crumple zones on the Renault were no match for the end of the box girder lurking behind Kitty's bumper. There is some justice in the world.

Did it damage the wing or is it just the bumper, valence and light cluster in the poo?

My advice to cheer you up is to take a couple of stiff shots of a suitably tempting Single Malt and settle down to watch Top Gear tonight.

Regards,
Glenn.

[SimonR]

I think that the rear wing is pretty much OK, thankfully. There's a little damage just behind the rear light cluster but I think it's only superficial.

Haven't seen behind the bumper yet so there could be other damage but it doesn't seem to have moved at all so I hope not.

I think I might as well turn to the Scotch collection - afterall I'm not going to be driving anywhere for a while am I?!

[GlennH]

It seems sympathy is a bit thin on the ground around here
I hope the Whisky did the trick.

[agards]

Bummer! tough luck mate - I did see a guy advertising light clusters for your model on ebay if that helps - might be an opportunityto get a few other bits tidied up if you know what I mean. godd luck with it. I recommend a belt of Laphroaig

[SimonR]

Got my S back last night. Woo hoo!

Only took a month and a half to fix the damage but it does look very good now. The new chrome and plastic bumper sections look better than ever and the bodywork is gleaming again.

Even better than that I took the oportunity to get the bloxing exhaust manifold repaired and my starter motor serviced.

My S is now (hopefully) better than it ever has been. I'm just about to treat it to a new DAB tuner/iPod setup, some new speakers and an alarm/immobiliser by way of celebration.

[HerefordMark]

The next post will inevitably be about dead electrics then!

I know how you feel though - took the front bodykit off my XJRS last wekend to fix a dead horn, and am now contemplating a radiator cross member with more holes than the old course at St Andrews. Did no one evr tell Jaguar that Waxoyl had been invented?

[SimonR]

Would you believe it: I was waiting at traffic lights on Friday evening, minding my own business and some bloke in a Corsa dove into the back of me again...

Not as muh damage as before but he has damaged the rear bumper beam and the trim.

Why can't people stop damaging my car?!

On a positive note, the DAB tuner and iPod kit went in without drama.

[Jon]

You don't have a slogan in your back window or something do you, that people try to read and forget to stop?

I imagine that will be an insurance job but if not I know rear bumper beams are cheap as chips 2nd hand and the chrome can probably be 'persuaded' back straight if its only dinged.

[SimonR]

I don't have a rear-window slogan yet, but I'm thinking of getting one!

Luckily the (brand new) chrome panel is intact, it's just the beam and the beam cover that are damaged. Still that works out at £417.50 + whatever I charge for fitting. Not cheap.

The bloke has requested to cover the damage outside his insurance (he was only about 19) so I've ordered the parts from Jag.

It's a shame that the parts on the car now are only about a week and a half old...

[Jon]

Now all you need is a contact at Jag who'll print you a receipt for your £400 bumper, then go down the scrappers and get one for £20

[SimonR]

The thought hadn't crossed my mind

£400 does buy quite a lot of fuel, doesn't it?!