Help me save a 406 executive....

[StefanYHU]

Hey guys,
I bought a lovely blue 406 exectuve, 1 97 2.1td model.

Unfortunatley today I was in a head on collision with a jeep, font bumper was wrecked, bonnet destoryed, front panel behind the bumper was meant into shite and radiators bust as well. Thats all I can see so far, was able to drive the car for half a mile to get it of the road.

I have been advised to scrap it but if I can get parts cheap enough I would like to save it.

What does everyone think? I feel sick right now, was just telling everyone how much I liked this car and was going to keep driving it for a few years....the jeep only needs another front bumper, whera's my car looks like its been hit by a lorry.

gutted.....

[Blue406]

Take some photos of it with the bonnet open and closed from all side and the engine bay and upload them here.
I'm sure we'll be able to identify everything you will need to replace.

[steve_earwig]

I think if the inner wings / chassis legs are buckled you'll be wasting your time. Also, you should get the chassis checked, if it's not straight it won't handle right and eat tyres. Be real, be sensible, remember it's a lump of metal which you can easily replace

[turbolag]

Driving it half a mile after the coolant has gone walkies is a little worrying. Let 'em write it off, buy it back for tuppence and strip off the wheels, interior, good engine ancillaries, glass, suspension, box, etc and you can up-spec whatever 406 you get next, and have a shedload of spares.

Glad you survived ok.

[StefanYHU]

I wont be letting the insurance company write the car of as they will only shaft me next year when I go to renew my insurance.

I knew pugs were soft when it came to crash's, but not this soft. All three raditors are wrecked, they were pushed in as far as the oilfilter. Luckily, chassis legs are fine and with a bit of butchery, this workhorse should be back on the road.

I have found someone who's going to supply me with a bonnet, front bumper, radiators, fan, air con, a new wing and a few other parts for a 100 quid. So hopefully she will be back on the road shortly.

[omega]

got some of the parts you need
where are you?

[steve_earwig]

I knew pugs were soft when it came to crash's, but not this soft.

Woah, hold on there pard-ner, the front of most cars is made out of plastic these days, and chassis rails are designed to deform under impact to cushion the occupants. And you did kind of ram a Jeep with it, I'm not sure what you were expecting but even a modest impact with a truck made for ramming buffalo would see just about anything fold up.

[turbolag]

Yeah, a rigid structure would kill you dead in a solid collision. The D9 was a Euro Ncap 3 star, which wasn't bad considering the age of the basic design.

Modern cars are 'softer' still. The 407s chassis legs are immense, but there's all sorts of deformable alloy supports at the front, acres of space behind the rad, and an alloy bonnet, all in the name of absorbing energy, and therefore saving your life. Pedestrian safety is a biggie now - a friend of mine had a minor front end tap in his 350z and the pyro-bonnet deployed. What it's gonna cost to fix would buy him my car, with enough left over for a pint or two.

[FarmerPug]

Get the insurance money for it and buy a D9 executive, the facelift to the 406 made all the difference its much more modern and sleeker looking and in executive trim there is very little equipment forgotten. But if you can fix it you should there is nothing as sad as hearing of a good car being scrapped.