So sayonara NA06RYM – Mazda 2, not Japanese enough to justify a Buddhist farewell as deceptively, it had a Ford engine and gearbox.
You were a good car for the time spent with us; never failing to start before carrying out a variety of duties from day shopping car to evening entertainment escort without having had any oil change in four and a half years or twenty six thousand miles, despite my numerous protestations to its owner.
Unfortunately, being parked correctly doesn’t always remove the risk of damage as it was brutally shunted into a main road by a Fiat Punto that had just left a neighbouring car wash forecourt. Incredibly, the police were “too busy to attend” but that dangerous driver should have been drug and alcohol tested in my opinion. Instead as I was told, by consolation, his mate held the stricken Mazda’s front bumper off the tarmac in a final gesture of indignity for it to be driven back to its final parking place. It had gone by the time I arrived, being promptly removed by Admiral insurance recovery contractors. What was left was a shower of plastic: wheel liner, a Ford stamped windscreen washer motor with splinters of bumper and headlight plastic which we swept up and dropped into an urn i.e. our grey wheeliebin. I can only remember my Dad’s Austin Maxi being scraped by the handlebar of a cyclist who distracted us from the light wave dent on the rear wing of LDK466P with his obvious discomfort at having come off the saddle and onto the frame – male and in pain.
NA06 was bought and resurrected by myself in 2015. It was advertised as a category D car that had been damaged on the passenger front corner – coincidentally the same side decimated in the recent accident. I sourced a replacement bonnet, headlight and bumper bar for only £55 from a Mazda breakers in Winsford although I couldn’t find a decent front bumper, only a cracked one for £25 which I declined to buy. The garage owner where the Mazda was repaired thought he would be clever by sourcing the identical bumper and charged me over £100 for the privilege even though I proved that he had amplified the price. I never used his garage again.
Surprisingly, NA06 only had one set of tyres, window winder and for the last MOT, front brake pads and discs in those four and a half years. Tactically, I sourced an identical Mazda 2 ‘Sakata’ trim level at £1995 as evidence to base our damaged car’s valuation on so we will see what the insurer’s offer. My guess is between £500 – £800 as our car was a damaged recorded car that the insurers will use to reduce its worth.
Meanwhile, the courtesy car issued is a new Vauxhall Corsa and that dangerous driver has admitted liability. Just after the crash occurred, I did a vehicle check on the Fiat Punto that ended our Mazda’s life to verify that it was insured, taxed and MOT’d and – it was.
Happily, Admiral insurance offered £1400 which was accepted; I suspect that the Mazda either hadn’t had its category D marker recorded or that the insurer failed to notice it but either way, the offer can’t be argued with especially as I sold the Mazda to my sister for £1000 in 2015. No complaints then about Admiral insurance but where are the police when you need them ?
Meanwhile a Ford Ka has been loaned as a temporary car until a 2012 Kia Picanto gets completed !
Words are copyright of Sotiris Vassiliou
Photos are copyright of Gloria Vassiliou
February 2020
