Pheasant impact damage - advice please

[GenCuster]

Holey Moley

Just finished fitting Mintex pads, changing the fluid, air filter, took her out for a blast on the first decent day for ages and THUMP VXT front clam gets trashed by a pheasant.

The worst damage I can see is the front splitter (see picture) where it has been bent backwards and split the fibreglass. other than that it's quite a few paint chips, some crazing to the gel coat where the impact occurred, the front fog light has been bent back about 4", plus the clam fixing bolts have torn the flibreglass a bit underneath.

I'm new to fibreglass cars so any advice on the following would be much appreciated:

- a decent bodyshop that knows fibreglass repairs in Aberdeen or NE Scot - or actually anywhere!
- any opinions on whether this would cost more than £300 to fix i.e. insurance job or not
- anything else useful from your experience!? Is it a new clam or can it be fixed?

Finally what deranged state would allow the breeding of 5lb halfwits for deliberate release in the countryside in their MILLIONS, minus any natural instinct and any education or even a briefing on the Green Cross FECKIN code???!?! Has anyone ever sued a pheasant or its owner? They should be tagged. In 3 years this is the 3rd damaged car in my family - one windscreen, one radiator grille (£350) and now this. BA**ARDS!!! I've nothing against shooting but why can't they just sustain half decent populations of wild birds instead of concentration camps of these poor f***ers to satisfy bloolust for huge kill numbers?

Sorry, bit pissed off

GC

[renmure]

I did something similar a year or so ago in the elise. Main damage was a crack across the full width of the front spoiler but behind the numberplate. Dont think it was the same bird tho
Think I was around £200 all in for a repair and repaint of the area from one of the body repair places in Arbroath.
Looked as good as new when done.

[tut]

Did you get the pheasant?

At least I got to eat mine.



tut

[GenCuster]

Cheers Guys, feeling less pissed off already!

Definitely an ex-pheasant - but the frreezer is full of them (I keep ferrets - free food!) so I left this one for someone else.

Had the bird in question struck sucha novelty poeas Tutts I would've had it stuffed and mounted

I have a feeling the pheasant-strike is pay-back for being anal about the car. Maybe now I'll let my wife drive it .....

GC

[Shug]

Dude, can't offer advice on the repair up there, but I can on the mindset:

It's a wee plastic car that hugs the ground (usually at decent speed) If you're precious about it you'll either end up a nervous wreck or leave it locked in the garage. Accept that bodywork is a consumable and that you should budget for a front-end respray before selling and you'll be a happier person all-round

[TommyK]

I took on a sheep with my last Elise in the Brecon Beacons a while back. I was left with a series of hair-line fractures extending about 8" on both sides of the nose badge. It was a clam off job where the affected area had to be ground down, re-filled and re-sprayed. The bill came to around 500 quid I think. Not bad, but a lot to pay for the sake of a decent roast dinner.

[DDtB]

I took on a sheep with my last Elise in the Brecon Beacons a while back. I was left with a series of hair-line fractures extending about 8" on both sides of the nose badge. It was a clam off job where the affected area had to be ground down, re-filled and re-sprayed. The bill came to around 500 quid I think. Not bad, but a lot to pay for the sake of a decent roast dinner.

ah, so it's not just me that bounces sheep off the front clam then .....

[Dominic]

I took on a sheep with my last Elise in the Brecon Beacons a while back. I was left with a series of hair-line fractures extending about 8" on both sides of the nose badge. It was a clam off job where the affected area had to be ground down, re-filled and re-sprayed. The bill came to around 500 quid I think. Not bad, but a lot to pay for the sake of a decent roast dinner.

ah, so it's not just me that bounces sheep off the front clam then .....

Difference is, TommyK did not try to at the time

[Andy G]

doesnt look like a bad one at all.

Would be suprised if thats £200 worth let alone £300

[Corranga]

I've reached the conclusion that the pheasant is the stupidest animal (or at least bird) in the world.

If I were a bird, and I saw a bit noisy thing hurtling towards me, i'd fly away, yet these things seem to want to run directly into the path.

Last spirited run I had, one run away from me, directly in front, managed to take off before getting collected by my windscreen. Luckily no damage (other than a nasty looking erm.. dirt patch on the screen)

Probably worth adding windscreen to the disposable parts of the car

Chris

[renmure]

Boring factoid but: I was told that Pheasants have fantastic eyesight and the 'refresh rate' at which they process their visual information is such that they almost see cars moving towards them in slow motion so they know they don't need to rush out of the way and can take as long as they want ... right up to the SPLAT point where the heavy, plump, deformable body they forgot to take account of gets deformed!!

[bertieduff]

Another impact fact.

The number of objects that bounce off your clam is proportional to the amount you still care about your paintwork. Once you stop bothering they seem to give up*




(*Unless your name begins with Scotty)

[GenCuster]

"It's a wee plastic car that hugs the ground (usually at decent speed) If you're precious about it you'll either end up a nervous wreck or leave it locked in the garage. Accept that bodywork is a consumable and that you should budget for a front-end respray before selling and you'll be a happier person all-round [/quote]"

Ah indeeed Yoda, the psychology of not giving a flying pheasant f**k. You're right, and the sooner I treat it with the disdain and neglect I do the other car the better. . It's just that new car syndrome - gets me every time until I scratch, scuff or otherwise tarnish its perfection.

[campbell]

It's just that new car syndrome - gets me every time until I scratch, scuff or otherwise tarnish its perfection.

Yep it will wear off, even happened to me. Only took about 7 years though. I'm currently sporting some major gel cracks and a fracture in the lower front clam courtesy of a wee bird, and the "signature" shot blasting from grit etc. Less visible on silver right enough.

Just get out and drive it. You can get the front fixed either a) when your mileage drops a lot or b) before selling