Jag XJS 4.0 - Do I have to use Insurers accident damage repairer

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Tue 12 Oct 2010 15:32
Jag XJS 4.0 - Do I have to use Insurers accident damage repairer - guygamps

Well, Saturday Mrs G and I took the Jag out, she needed to visit a store in Stevenage, got there and parked, it was very busy. Ironically, I was concerned the Jag was sticking out somewhat from a small space so I went to move it, drove around, found a unobstructed full space and parked the car perfectly.

Came back 1 hr later to this:

s108.photobucket.com/albums/n40/guygamps/Car/

Note: car is perfectly parked within all the white lines, in fact about 1ft back from the front lines

Still the perpertrator left a note on windscreen which is decent and honest so it is now in hands of insurers

The car has been inspected by Brian Robson Coach Works. I have absolutely no information about them so this comment is not a negative reflection on them, they may be superb. They are approved by Audi, VW, Seat, and a few others, but not by Jaguar as far as I could tell.

www.brobson.co.uk/

Given the nature of the car (14 years out of production, recently restored, highly valued) should I let the insurers choose a what seems to be a general repair centre or should the car be going somewhere more specialised.

As I said, this is NO reflection on Brian Robson, I simply do not know them

thoughts?

Guy

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Tue 12 Oct 2010 17:03
Jag XJS 4.0 - Do I have to use Insurers accident damage repairer - SlidingPillar
You can use anyone you like, but it is a lot simpler to use the insurance company recommended repairer if you are going through the insurance.

Brian Robson are a local firm to me, but I've never really used them other than getting their painter to identify a colour for me. (Which he did just fine).

Was the restoration filler lead? There are a few repairers who use this technique but obviously not all. That’s the obvious issue to me. If lead was not used, you don’t want it now as it will make the job more complex.

Had a quick look at the Jag dealer list, and Grange in Stanborough were in business when your car was made so they would be who I’d ask. The others maybe too but I know this one was there when I was a schoolboy and I’m now 51!
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Tue 12 Oct 2010 17:23
Jag XJS 4.0 - Do I have to use Insurers accident damage repairer - Vitesse6

I would have thought the people who did the restoration work for you would be a good bet.

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Tue 12 Oct 2010 17:30
Jag XJS 4.0 - Do I have to use Insurers accident damage repairer - guygamps

I won''t be using them for a number of reasons, one is they are 90 miles away, another is we are currently in a dispute over that restoration, which was to include a "replacement air conditioning system", but despite replacing some of the air con parts the aircon has never worked reliably. Long story, not for today, for now I want to keep it on topic (accident repair).|

Thanks for the comments so far.

GUY

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Tue 12 Oct 2010 19:15
Jag XJS 4.0 - Do I have to use Insurers accident damage repairer - LucyBC

The legal rule is you are required to "mitigate" your losses which means you get put back to where you were as cheaply as possible with a decent job done.

I am not sufficiently technically competent to answer whether the appointed repairer could deal with this but for guidance only:

  • if they were doing work such as a bodyshop might do in the normal course of a repair, such as getting in a stock body part and fitting and spraying it then I doubt you could demand a specialist
  • if you are looking at creating or shaping a bespoke body part or using a specific no-longer practiced technique because no standard stock is available then you probably can demand a specialist

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Tue 12 Oct 2010 22:28
Jag XJS 4.0 - Do I have to use Insurers accident damage repairer - Westpig

At least the person causing the damage was decent enough to leave their details...which is more than can be said for the person who bounced off my wife's X Type estate in last winter's snowy weather, leaving the rear passenger door stuffed in.

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Tue 12 Oct 2010 23:32
Jag XJS 4.0 - Do I have to use Insurers accident damage repairer - nortones2

If the OP knows of repair firms capable of dealing with the Jaguar, if there is a difference from the common or garden paint spray technique and materials, or the expertise required to put the vehicle back into its previous state, then I suggest the insurer has to comply. It is not just a matter of applying generic paint to a part. The repairer has to be fully aware of which finishes are compatible. That doesn't mean a "specialist", just a repairer who is capable of doing a professional job, which does not fail at a later date because they have used say 2-pack isocyanate paints where a different original finish was applied. My solution, when an insurer used a "preferred garage", who turned out to be a bunch of numpties, was to employ a paint specialist to examine the failed finish. They accurately identified that incompatible materials caused the "repaired" section to peel off later. Had to be redone and checked by my expert.

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Wed 13 Oct 2010 11:05
Jag XJS 4.0 - Do I have to use Insurers accident damage repairer - guygamps
Yes I was very pleased the 3rd party left their details, they have been very helpful so no issues there.

Yesterday I spoke to a couple of local people who have had dealings with B.Robson, all were satisfied (and one runs a car servicing facility specialising in older cars).

So I will "go with the flow" and let BRobson repair the car and inspect very closely afterwards.

Gutted though.

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