240 GLT saloon restoration project

[Bugjam1999]

Excellent progress again, nice one.

As you’ve discovered, the vented scuttle to a-pillars to sills design really doesn’t work very well if the car is parked under a pine tree!

Cheers

[Stephen Edwin]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

In line with what Bob said, i was in a similar position myself many moons ago. Car had been off the road and therefore uninsured due to various repair/refurb and other works i was carrying out on it and a few days before insuring it, a huge crack appeared in the screen.
I insured it anyway and waited a couple of days then put in a claim for a new screen. Windscreen company came out, fitted it and i took it for MoT the next day.

The ironic part was i had to use it the day after and picked up a chip in the new screen almost exactly where the original screen had a chip that caused the crack.
Bought one of those screen chip repair kits (clear resin, syringe etc) and filled the chip. That was 12+ years ago and the screen is still ok.

The big question for you is did the original screen come out in one piece, even if it was cracked or chipped? If so and you know of a local company that is happy to do insurance work, have a chat with them, they may be able to put through a chip repair but reinstall it (it's a repair of sorts after all) or simply invoice the insurers for fitting a new screen and either way, you've saved them half a job by removing it.

Can one validly, legally, honestly claim on insurance for pre-existing damage?

Stephen

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[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Stephen Edwin

Can one validly, legally, honestly claim on insurance for pre-existing damage?

Stephen

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It wasn't pre-existing when i decided to insure it.

Your query though raises a huge question of ethics over the insurance industry as a whole though. Think about premium increases when you haven't had a claim allegedly because more people are having accidents more often. If you haven't had a claim then why should you pay for those that have? Tit-for-tat in some ways.

Bottom line is we as motorists expect to be ripped off by insurers and for the most part we are. It's a mandatorily legal form of gambling. We don't get our stake back or any other reward once the bet is complete though. Just an "invite" to renew the bet with (generally) a higher stake each year, regardless of our driving history. However if there's a blot on the landscape of that history, it enlarges the stake increase.

[Stephen Edwin]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

It wasn't pre-existing when i decided to insure it.

Your query though raises a huge question of ethics over the insurance industry as a whole though. Think about premium increases when you haven't had a claim allegedly because more people are having accidents more often. If you haven't had a claim then why should you pay for those that have? Tit-for-tat in some ways.

Bottom line is we as motorists expect to be ripped off by insurers and for the most part we are. It's a mandatorily legal form of gambling. We don't get our stake back or any other reward once the bet is complete though. Just an "invite" to renew the bet with (generally) a higher stake each year, regardless of our driving history. However if there's a blot on the landscape of that history, it enlarges the stake increase.

Dave.

Is it really a metter of when you decided to insure it?

The crack in the screen appeared before you insured it.

pre-existing damage.

Best regards
Stephen

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[Juular]

I don't think it's unusual or even discouraged to put in a windscreen claim without knowing precisely when the damage started, or even if it started in your ownership of the car. For example, I suspect many claims will happen when an MOT tester fails for a crack, which may have been there several years, developing into a prescribed area. Or from people who have just bought a car and realised it has a chip / crack, and putting in a claim.

Yes, this is different, and for the record, I haven't decided what to do yet. However getting into a debate concerning ethics and insurance will make it turn into one of 'those' threads, so I'll try to keep this on track by posting a small update.

I sealed the bulkhead in 2 pack epoxy, which I may paint body coloured at some point (most of it will be hidden).



I took a little trip to a place some here may recognise.





This allowed me to pick up a few bits I needed, including the brake line clips for the crossmember so I could secure the pipes.



I can then start on connecting the brake brackets and hoses. As you can see I'm using new braided hoses, as the original rubbers were long gone.



I think I have everything to start properly putting the front suspension back on now.

[Stephen Edwin]

Juular

There is no debate to get in to about insurance. We are told that Dave knew the damage was existing.

Now yes indeed, your very interesting thread. Very best wishes for the restoration.

Stephen

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[Juular]

Some more work completed, self explanatory photos.














Took a stab at this bit.





Floor and inner sill repaired.

[Juular]

I'd hoped to have this finished by now but frankly the good weather has been a curse rather than a blessing. I find it really unpleasant to be fabricating and welding in the hot sun, and so I've spent most of the time away in my campervan instead.

I've just got back to tinkering with the mechanical side of this.





I am confident the trailing arms are savlagable with very little welding.



The tank doesn't leak, I may get away with treating and sealing it.



The fuel gauge was dead when I got the car. This doesn't look initially promising.



However a little pressure on the wiper arm produces a reading.



And at the other end. Readings seem plausible.



Sadly the pump is completely siezed.

I did do a minor bit of welding.







It was genuinely too warm for that, so I continued by doing the timing belt, tensioner and drive belts.













Working on this car is ridiculously simple and straightforward. I love it!

I did the injector seals too. They were quite grim.







Rad crossbar rust treated.



With all work on the front end basically complete, I put the engine bay back together and started refitting the front panels.




it's starting to feel like a car.

[Othen]

Excellent thread (and work on your motor car), well done.

Alan

[Juular]

Small weldathon yesterday.

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