Yesterday I nipped to B&Q to pickup some bits and secured a 3m length of 15mm copper tube to the roof rack. Driving home I realised I'd forgotten a waste fitting so nipped to Wicks. Parked in the car park, "blipped" the boot and opened it..........only remembering the copper tube on the roof when I heard the graunching noise as it connected with and dug a 3" long gouge out of the paint just in front of the spoiler.

The car has less than 500 miles on it............

Sick as a parrot

Edited 19 September, 200916 yr by wardth

It could be worse, somone I know drove into a multi storey with two bikes on his car roof and pulled the roof rack off and put the bikes through the back windscreen. He had only had the car back from the garage the previous week after it had the back end repaired and resprayed following an accident.

Serves you right for having a roof rack on a VRS!!..

It could be worse, somone I know drove into a multi storey with two bikes on his car roof and pulled the roof rack off and put the bikes through the back windscreen. He had only had the car back from the garage the previous week after it had the back end repaired and resprayed following an accident.

I once loaded too many OSB boards on the rack on a previous car. When I braked the mass of the boards caused the rack feet to fold under making two grooves in the roof. I was miles from home and had to unload half the boards by the side of a shop, rush home unload and rush back to get the remainder before they went walkies.

The long load is always a hazard for hatchback doors. Needs an optional restrictor to stop the hatch opening past horizontal when a roof rack is on.

Serves you right for having a roof rack on a VRS!!..

I take offence to that!! my vRS looks better with roof bars on than most normal cars....

No offence intended

There is a distinct advantage to having a roof rack - put on a bike carrier or surfboard rack and some Body Glove pads and everybody thinks you are a bronzed hunk of fitness freak. Only works if you have tinted windows or ARE actually a bonzed hunk of a fitness freak!

I've attacked the gouge with some Halfrauds touch up paint but it still looks gash. Still, admitted my ****-up to SWMBO (who actually holds the pink slip) and she was pretty col about it

Just off to take her out for a slap up Sunday lunch to keep up the brownie points

No offence intended

None taken......really! I must say it didn't look all that good when I had to take my bath up the tip, mind you I still managed to embarrass some little **** in a Fiesta ST!!

On a similar note since I have agreed a part ex price for my car and still have it awaiting my new vrs I have had TWO irrepairable punctures and 2 new tyres!

Bin the touch-up paint now and call chips-away or similar to get it done properly.

I chipped the paint on the spoiler on a low car park roof the day after I got the car. Probably 50 miles on the clock.

Bin the touch-up paint now and call chips-away or similar to get it done properly.

Yeah will do but needed to stop the rot before it began by protecting the metal!

Reversed my 1 day old octavia le into a post, with my misses in the car, she reminds me about that most days ! :( have now ordered rear parking sensors

Reversed my 1 day old octavia le into a post, with my misses in the car, she reminds me about that most days ! :( have now ordered rear parking sensors

I still managed to reverse into a post even with parking sensors... TWICE. :rotz:

Also some idiot opened a window into my rear spoiler at work recently taking a nice chip out of it.

Oh well! :(

Bin the touch-up paint now and call chips-away or similar to get it done properly.

I always seem to get door scratches or dents from 'normal' parking bay users at some stage. I've taken to parking at the far ends where I can get spare bays around me. I think I'll buy a baby seat so I can 'collect' my child from the supermarket and use the larger bays without getting dirty looks!

I did find some magnetic rubber sheets, 300x450mm for £3.99 locally, intended for removable commercial signs, inc. some vinyl lettering. In the worse case, tight bay parking next to an old banger or builder's truck, I'll slap the sheets on the doors. At least It'll be a 'visible' reminder especially if I put some reflective tape on the sheets. OTOH could be a red rag to a bull. If I was really pedantic I could include a bead of plasticine, like the long jump board and look for tell-tale indentations.

why did you put the copper pipe on the roof rack? I got a 3 metre length of 4" soil pipe inside my octy hatch with the boot shut, seats up and 4 people inside doesnt the rs have the ski flap in the rear seat?

Sob, car was almost mint till last May. Then, all of a sudden, an almost daily sequence of dents and scratch... incredible!!!

Last ones kindly donated by a colleague of mine, wishing to clean my windscreen and windows, too! Yes they were dirty, but didn't yet stand above a scratch stretched all over the car :eyepop::sour::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:!!!!

I always seem to get door scratches or dents from 'normal' parking bay users at some stage. I've taken to parking at the far ends where I can get spare bays around me. I think I'll buy a baby seat so I can 'collect' my child from the supermarket and use the larger bays without getting dirty looks!

Sob, car was almost mint till last May. Then, all of a sudden, an almost daily sequence of dents and scratch... incredible!!!

I'm beginning to suspect once there's already one scratch on a car door, adjoining parkers are less careful how they open their doors.

3 days after i got my vrs back from having its rear bumper painted after some chav ran in to the back of me i reversed in to the front of a fiat punto:mad: scratched the fresh paint & scraped the puntos number plate screw along my bumper! Gutted!:thumbdwn:

why did you put the copper pipe on the roof rack? I got a 3 metre length of 4" soil pipe inside my octy hatch with the boot shut, seats up and 4 people inside doesnt the rs have the ski flap in the rear seat?

Because you've got an L&K and I've got a VRS with light grey alcantara seats thats why!

Not even going to take the risk and to be honest, I'd rather risk a scratch on the paintwork than tearing a hole in a set with a sharp copper pipe - a much easier thing to do than with a sodding great big ***** of plastic!!

I always seem to get door scratches or dents from 'normal' parking bay users at some stage. I've taken to parking at the far ends where I can get spare bays around me. I think I'll buy a baby seat so I can 'collect' my child from the supermarket and use the larger bays without getting dirty looks!

i never park next to 3 door cars if i can help it, they are harder for the driver to get in and out of so you get a dent.

i never park next to 3 door cars if i can help it, they are harder for the driver to get in and out of so you get a dent.

Good point! Noted for future reference, although it doesn't prevent 2-3 door cars appearing alongside after you've already parked.

Reversed my 1 day old octavia le into a post, with my misses in the car, she reminds me about that most days ! :( have now ordered rear parking sensors

Suggestion to solve the hassel and embarrasment:

Order a new missus

That sucks, from personal experience you stand there aghast contemplating what a muppet you are.

I slammed the boot shut on my (new) golf a couple of weeks ago, only to remember that I had put a bike rack on the back when it hit me on the head and nearly knocked me out. The air was blue...

RBW.

Originally Posted by wardth

Because you've got an uber-cool dead posh L&K and I've only got a pauper spec VRS with cheapo seats, thats why!

Cheeky blighter...!