I Scraped My First Car

Lsaubao on 07/11/2016 - 10:45
Last edited 09/11/2016 - 13:16 by 1 other user

Hello everyone,

[Edit: My thanks to the Ozbargainers who offered me their valuable opinions, information, advices, insights and experiences. This is my first forum post on this site and I am pleasantly impressed. I seriously consider all your inputs. Please keep the comments coming. Have a nice day!]

Please excuse my bad English, I am from overseas. I will try my best to make it clear and to the point.

I purchased my first car 2 months ago and managed to scraped it twice, the first time was in a public carpark, the second was in my own garage.

First:
Second:

My questions are:

1) How much would it usually cost to have these scrapes fixed?
2) Should I claim insurance?
3) Where should I bring it to have it fixed? Any places you would recommend? I am based in South Sydney.

The car is a white Mitsubishi Mirage.

As you could tell, I am clueless about cars.

I really appreciate your opinions. Thank you very much.

Automotive

Comments

  • Skramit on 07/11/2016 - 10:47
    +25

    2) Should I claim insurance?

    Only if the cost of repair is more than the cost of your insurance excess - which it usually is for panel beater / respray work.

    Judging by the second pic especially, that will be costly to re-spray multiple panels.

    EDIT: Also your English is fine, no need to apologise. Better than many posts on these forums from native English speakers :P

    • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 10:59

      Thank you. My insurance excess is $700 and my car was $12500.

  • Kangal on 07/11/2016 - 10:51
    +10

    "a quick buff will get that out" …said all OzBargainers

    • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 11:03
      +3

      If only I know how… :)

      • zealmax on 08/11/2016 - 17:58
        -4

        Flour, Vegetable Oil, Food dye. Mix well, and roll the dough well before filling in the dents and scratches. Let it dry in the sun.

  • oscargamer on 07/11/2016 - 10:54
    +23

    If you are hitting stationary objects, you need some driving lessons. Next time it could be a kid……

    • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 10:58
      +44

      I agree. I also tend to get careless when I think there are no other people or other people's properties (that I could hurt or damage) around. I have to fix that.

      • Kangal on 07/11/2016 - 11:43
        +5

        That was a better response than I thought you would give him.
        It didnt even involve any words beginning with F and ending in a uck.
        *applause *

        • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 12:20
          +35

          Thanks. I don't think @oscargamer deserve that word. He might be a little bit harsh, but there was truth in there.

        • Scrooge McDuck on 08/11/2016 - 10:23
          -7

          @saubao:

          Which kind of license do you have and how did you acquire it?

          You'll need to ask an instructor for lessons on parking, low-speed manoeuvring and spatial awareness.

        • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 11:51
          +5

          @Scrooge McDuck: I am on a 2.5 months old P1, my instructor thought I could attempt the test, in which I did enough to pass.

          You are right about what I am lacking. I think I will take peteru's advice below to find a safe spot, set up obstacles and practice.

          Cheers.

        • cameldownunder on 09/11/2016 - 12:26
          +3

          @saubao: If you scratch your car twice in 2 month, don't bother repairing it at all. you'll get plenty of bumps and scratches in the future.

      • JediJan on 08/11/2016 - 12:52
        -2

        I don't know anyone who has never had an accident. Put it down to experience and try to be more attentive is all. It is just when you feel confident when things can and will happen; it's Murphys Law is all. I have been fortunate over the years but have had a thing about knocking those jolly mirrors off! Last 2 cars have been white and that has surely helped prevent rear end accidents for 26 years. When it comes to car parks and children on bikes and scooters apparently those cars become invisible though.

    • JediJan on 08/11/2016 - 12:44

      Little bit harsh but point made. I have spent more time pointing out where children could suddenly appear on the road and in car parks to my L plater son, than anything. Fact is MOST people driving in car parks are travelling too fast; just too dangerous. Don't they realise that hitting a child at low speed in a car park can be just as fatal as on the open road? I feel sick every time I hear of these totally avoidable accidents.

    • lyl-Lychee on 08/11/2016 - 15:13

      Cut some slack please.
      It's his initial few weeks in a different car.
      He's probably still adjusting to some of the viewing angles and blind spots.

    • BargainKen on 08/11/2016 - 21:59
      +2

      Kid won't leave any scrape marks though

  • JimB on 07/11/2016 - 10:57
    +15

    You're a bad driver but we all were when we were younger!

    I wouldn't fix it, just fix it when you get involved in an accident Hopefully someone will crash into the panels.

    just make sure to cover the scraps that has gone down to the metal with touch up paint so it doesn't rust.

    • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 11:01

      Thank you. Would you please recommend any paint for that?

      • JimB on 07/11/2016 - 11:17
        +2

        http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/Product/Holts-Dupli-Color-T…

        It will make it look slightly better, more importantly stop the metal from rusting.

        • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 12:01

          Good point. Thanks.

      • inherentchoice on 07/11/2016 - 11:21
        +3

        You can go into an automotive store and get a touch up paint pen or a spray can, it might cost you $15. There should be a paint code printed somewhere on a label or sticker somewhere on your car's frame (maybe inside the driver's door frame or under the bonnet), and you can get paint to match the colour. If the auto store has a helpful sales person, they can probably assist you to find the right paint code.

        There's probably some online videos that might help you too.

        But it won't look very good at all, especially considering that your car seems quite new. As JB1 says, it's not a fix, it's just to protect metal from rust. It will probably end up looking like some blotchy white-out on a piece of paper.

        In your first picture, it looks like it's the plastic bumper so there's no real point doing touch up paint on that, as the plastic bumper won't rust. However, the first picture seems to have some grey or black paint that has been transferred onto your car. Presumably you hit something that was that colour? That should be reasonably easy to clean off with a cloth and some WD40. There will still be the scratches underneath, but judging by your picture about 95% of the discoloured area in the first picture is paint from the thing you hit. I would suggest to at least try cleaning that off and then decide if you want to make an insurance claim or pay for professional repairs.

        And if you do get a quote, I think get separate quotes for each area, as you may decide to just get one fixed.

        • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 11:58

          Thanks for the suggestions and information.

          I will try getting the paint and go look up the videos. My wife probably will not be pleased with me trying to DIY as I have never been a very capable DIYer, although she did let me change the light switch the other day, which I think ought to be performed by an electrician :) .

          The front bumper damage in the first picture was the result of me hitting the boundary rail (I cannot recall its colours) at SCA in Rockdale, just a couple days after I picked the car up from the dealer.

          I think I will get separate quotes for each area.

        • inherentchoice on 07/11/2016 - 12:02
          +1

          @saubao: Well you might be able to save $15 if you don't get the paint but just get it all done professionally…

          On Google street view the rails at SCA Rockdale definitely look the same shade of grey as the colour on your front bumper:

          https://goo.gl/maps/Cs2CJPENHWm

          So yeah, my first step wouldn't be to buy any paint, but firstly try to clean off that grey paint! Might take a bit of effort and rubbing, but hopefully you can get it all off and then think about what you want to do.

        • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 14:31

          @inherentchoice: I'll get a can of WD40 on the way home. Cheers.

        • Euphemistic on 08/11/2016 - 06:28

          @saubao: what are you going to do with that?

        • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 09:50

          @Euphemistic: I'll try to remove the grey paint residue with that.

        • ozfalcon on 08/11/2016 - 20:53

          @saubao: Out of all the jobs your wife lets you DIY, its an electrical job? By Law, all electrical works has to be done by a qualified electrician. So I do not recommend you to do any electrical works at home in the future, even changing light switch.

        • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 21:32

          @ozfalcon: I think the reasons why she let me get away with that was: she did not know about the law governing that (it was not illegal in our home country), and probably because when I was still back home I did roughly 2 years of mechatronics engineering (before dropping out and moving to IT).

          Anyways, I totally agree with you. It was definitely not wise to mess with anything that runs on AC. It's just that somehow the knowledge that it's just a 5-min task that tempts me.

        • Euphemistic on 08/11/2016 - 22:19

          @saubao: good luck with that. WD40 will take off road grime really well, but hasn't ever affected the paint on the cars I've used it on. Maybe try some cutting polish?

        • cameldownunder on 09/11/2016 - 12:29

          @ozfalcon: Call an electrician to switch the light-bulb.

        • zealmax on 09/11/2016 - 12:58

          Autobarn do them for $30 a can.

    • peteru on 07/11/2016 - 12:13
      +5

      That's not how it works with insurance.

      If the insurance assessors determine that those panels were already damaged (which will be easy to do based on rust / paint patching), the insurance will refuse to repair damage to those parts. They are very, very good at avoiding paying for things.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 08/11/2016 - 10:26

      You're a bad driver but we all were when we were younger!

      Speak for yourself!

      Young/new drivers shouldn't expect any of these kinds of incidents if they learn adequate driving skills.

      • JimB on 08/11/2016 - 13:12
        +1

        No one is perfect.

        Well, there's a reason why insurance premiums are higher for the inexperienced.

        Practice makes perfect.

        • AlexD on 08/11/2016 - 19:43
          +3

          I disagree! I'm sick of getting told I'm unsafe because I'm under 25 - I've never come close to a crash, never had a speeding fine, and have driven well over 100,000km since I got my licence.

          Ended up having my car rear ended once when I was sitting at lights, and had been stationary for at least 30 seconds - guy was texting and distracted. Took me to court, said I backed into him, brought some fake witnesses (he was alone), and increased my premiums. I still contributed to the statistic of at fault under 25s.

        • Scrooge McDuck on 08/11/2016 - 20:44

          @AlexD:

          That's rough dude!

          Let that be a lesson for everyone to install dashcam(s):

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC_DamNP5pQ

        • AlexD on 08/11/2016 - 21:36
          +1

          @Scrooge McDuck: Sadly this happened in 2012, when Dashcams were still just a Russian thing, or were really expensive here.

          I have a front and rear camera now!

        • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 21:55
          -1

          @AlexD: I went with insurancebox which sent me a device, to be plugged in the OBD port on the car, to score how safe I drive and adjust the premium accordingly. I am not entirely sure how well that work, but the idea is appealing.

        • mbck on 18/11/2016 - 11:29

          @AlexD: Damn that sucks mate. I got into an accident recently me being the filling in the sandwich. Luckily the other driver didn't play any games. Her insurance took some time to go through their process though…

          I agree, I've never been in any accidents, but if you stay safe, when you go past 25yo, your premium will be pretty low. Really low. (mine is anyways, with my situations).

  • Banana on 07/11/2016 - 11:09
    +3

    I got quoted $300 for my back bumper(silver),hopefully that gives you a ballpark of prices. If it is not deep then just leave it,if you are an inexperience driver it is bound to happen again anywhere. Perhaps invest into after-market sensors to help you with tight spaces.

    With that being said, you should really be careful with driving on the road. I know you said you are more careful when there are other people's properties around but driving is an "implicit skill",which means eventually everything you do behind the wheels becomes automated. If you have a bad habit, you will likely to do it again and again. Good luck!

    • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 11:35

      Thank you very much for your help.

      I think I will try getting some quotes and consider the sensors. Do you think I should install a parking camera as well?

      I agree with you about my bad habit. It also occurred to me that there could be people around when I think there are not!

      • Banana on 07/11/2016 - 13:16
        +1

        Hey, I find camera useful when you don't know how far to reverse into a spot(if you reverse park that is) and there isn't other cars around to guide you. It is a good idea if you have younger kids around you so you can spot them easily if they ran to the back of your car. Other times, I find it quite distracting and choose not to look at it. Sensors should be enough for you!

        • peteru on 07/11/2016 - 14:14
          +6

          An even better idea is to "learn your car". Find a safe spot to practice, place a few card board boxes / cones / wheelie bins with ropes stretched between them or whatever else you can use as boundaries. Spend an half an hour to one hour practising with your car. Get as close as possible without touching.

          If you do that every couple of days over the course of a few weeks, you will get a good feel for the size of your car and how to manoeuvre it. You won't need to rely on technology so much and will be a better driver in the end.

          BTW: Electric mirrors are a great parking tool. You can adjust them while parking to point towards the ground. That way you can see the lines on the road and park neatly in your spot. It will help until you learn to estimate the distance, but in a tight spot (or when reversing down a long narrow cluttered laneway), even experienced drivers find this trick useful.

        • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 11:44

          @peteru: Great idea. Thanks!

  • onetwothreefour on 07/11/2016 - 11:41
    +2

    I crashed my first car the second time I took it out, nearly wrote it off. Sometimes we have to crash to really learn how to drive.

    • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 12:10

      Perhaps it is so, though I hope I won't ever hurt anyone. I haven't caused any damages while riding my motorbike for 5 years, when I was in my home country. But the road speed over there was only 30-40km/h on average, and managing an 80cc bike is so very very different from doing so with a 1200cc car.

    • AlanHB on 08/11/2016 - 18:26

      Exactly the same. My car was a total write-off, lucky myself and passengers weren't seriously hurt. Young and dumb.

      So TS, I can totally relate. Personally I wouldn't bother fixing it, because you'll probably hurt the car a few more times anyway.

  • noyesmaybeok on 07/11/2016 - 12:18
    +2

    Go with an instructor and do some lessons to improve skills. Shouldn't be crashing so often into stationary objects.

    Paint wise looks pretty bad; main thing would be just get it sealed so it doesn't develop rust rather than fix the dents. There's lots of businesses that will come to you and fix it up for a good price.

    • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 12:21

      Thanks.

  • Gronk on 07/11/2016 - 12:21
    +3

    I'd prioritize front and rear parking sensors over getting the damage fixed, because without those it looks fairly likely that you'll pick up more scrapes and bumps as you go.

    While I understand you're not intentionally running into things, I want to stress the importance of paying attention while you're driving, you're in control of ~1000kg+ of metal which can very quickly change the course of a person's life, so stay awake out there.

    • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 12:22

      Very good point. I'll be more careful.

  • jinny7 on 07/11/2016 - 12:57
    +5

    I'd suggest that you not bother fixing for now.

    You have had 2 accidents in as many months. You need to improve your driving skills. With every mistake you learn, there will be more mistakes down the road… literally. It'll prove cost effective to wait until you have past this learning stage to fix all the damage in one go to save money.

    • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 14:29

      You got a point there.Thanks.

  • altomic on 07/11/2016 - 13:48
    +1

    how long do you expect to keep the car for?

    if you're looking to keep it for another 5 years then I wouldn't bother going to a panel beater through insurance.

    attempt a clean up of the bumper and see if you can get some of that grey residue off.

    same with around the door. often cleaning it thoroughly, and even giving it a buff ,can remove most of the "worst damage".

    i did similar rear panel scrap on my previous car. I went to SuperCheapAuto and picked out the matching paint (small tin -100mls or so). then using a very fine artists brush applied the paint along the scratches. let it dry and then gave it a good buff/polish. it was a reasonable touch up. and it protected the metal from rusting.

    • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 14:28

      I will probably keep it for another 5 years or more. Would you mind giving me a bit more explanation on why?

      I'll try to get as much of that grey residue off tonight first.

      Thanks!

      • altomic on 07/11/2016 - 14:40
        +2

        the main reason is - going through insurance, or straight through to a panel beater directly, will cost a fair amount - i.e. your excess is $700. going private will cost you a bit less than that.

        it's your first car and you've scraped it twice in a month. you're likely to scrap it again. I scraped my first car a lot, and I just left it (but it was an old and wasn't going to be worth anything when I finished with it). no point continually spending money on small scrapes.

        if you're keeping it for 5 years then scraping/scratches will happen again. save your money for now. wait for a scrape which a bit more serious and then pay for it to be repaired.

        definitely give it a good clean up and touch up with paint & buff/polish. don't leave any exposed metal which could rust.

        • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 15:12

          Got it. I suppose I will focus on cleaning and touching it up. Thanks again.

  • kerfuffle on 07/11/2016 - 14:49
    +3

    With the first picture, that'll cost about $1200 to fix. I did the same thing last year and that's how much it cost me (didn't help either that it's one giant panel connected to the back)

    I'd say with the two photos combined, that's about at least $2000 worth of repairs.

    • saubao on 07/11/2016 - 15:09

      Ouch :( , that's 20% of the amount I paid for the whole car. Thanks for the info.

  • Normal-Paper on 08/11/2016 - 02:56
    +2

    Hey, I don't know much about cars either 😂 but I don't think it will be worth the money to fix as it is just a scrape. But it is up to you, hope you get it sorted out 😁

    • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 09:49

      Thank you.

  • DarkOz on 08/11/2016 - 07:03
    +1

    Don't worry about it. Now that you have scratched it once the second time will come before you even know it. You will get used to it.

    Regarding repair and insurance don't worry about it unless it's a deep scratch that will rust or if you intend to sell the car for a better price. I used to frown at the wife for scratches/dents on the family car but now I just roll my eyes and go back to my beer.

    • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 09:49

      My wife is going to learn to drive soon, so it's extremely likely that the car will collect even more damage caused by both of us. :)

      • Scrooge McDuck on 08/11/2016 - 10:32

        Perhaps this would be more your speed:

        http://philip.greenspun.com/images/200408-japan/hello-kitty-…

        • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 12:19

          Haha, I am afraid I can't go to work in this. I will do my best to prevent me and my wife from causing more damage.

      • taoz on 08/11/2016 - 14:18

        Please make sure she is competent driving.
        My car was hit last week by a driver who reversed out if a carpark without looking. Damaged my car and massive time waste and pain to get quotes photos etc, then not have my car which is family car. Lucky my
        Kids were not hurt!

        • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 15:15

          I'm very sorry to hear that that happened to you. I'm glad your kids are safe.

          She is actually a very cautious and careful person. So I hope she will drive better than I did.

  • tomleonhart on 08/11/2016 - 07:21
    +1

    Kids, this is why you don't spend big $$$ on your first car.

    • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 09:45

      I agree. I originally intended to spend 3 to 5k on my first car (quarter to under half this car price), until my wife disagreed.

  • chumlee on 08/11/2016 - 07:37

    Being a Mitsubishi it looks better now with the damage. I would leave it that way.

    • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 09:43

      You mean it is like "battle scars"? :))

  • Herbse on 08/11/2016 - 07:57
    +1

    The wheel arch and door will need a beat and the paint blended. Probably close to $2k
    Bumper replaced usually close to $1k

    Fix it when / if you plan to sell the car.
    Someone else might hit you in one of those spots later down the line and you get free repair from them =)

    • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 09:42

      I haven't thought of selling it, I will probably keep it for at least 5 years and more.

      I guess I'll just prevent it from rusting.

      Oh, and wait for someone else to hit the same spots =)

      Cheers.

  • k-rokfm on 08/11/2016 - 08:24
    +8

    Expected this to be the 80k 21 year old kid. i am dissapoint

    • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 09:54
      +10

      Really sorry to disappoint you :) I am a decade older than that, not starting a job at Wespac and very unlikely to spend that much on a car in my entire life.

    • Donaldhump on 08/11/2016 - 19:25

      wouldnt that have been awesome

  • freakatronic on 08/11/2016 - 09:08
    +1

    I did the same a while ago. I saved my money by buying

    -sand paper
    -rust converting acid
    -aerosol primer
    -aerosol paint in a similar colour to my car

    Then I spend an hour sanding the rust out of the scratches (I wouldn't recommend leaving the scratches as long as I did). I taped newspaper around the area I'd sanded back, and then did a layer of primer + two coats of paint. The result looks like it only cost $50, but at least my car wont rust to death.

    • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 09:38

      I'll definitely consider this option. Thanks!

  • floppydesk on 08/11/2016 - 10:23
    +1

    Before painting, try buffing with a cloth with some eucalyptus oil. It helps remove the foreign matter and clean the area, and also remove the smaller scratches/scuffs.

    I've used it successfully on my cars over the years to remove the superficial marks left by other cars' doors as it often happens in public car parks. Still can't help being p!$$ed when it happens…

    • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 11:31

      Thanks for the tip!

  • RADICALIST on 08/11/2016 - 11:13
    +1

    Play forza horizon 3 - you will learn how to drive like an aussie very quickly :)

    • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 11:30

      :)

  • OzzyOzbourne on 08/11/2016 - 11:50
    -8

    You also appear to be clueless about driving. Get some lessons, it's not meant to be a game on the roads. If you hit my car, property and heaven forbid, kids, you'd have a lot more to worry about than insurance.

    • MadMaxBargainRoad on 08/11/2016 - 12:03
      +6

      Everyone was clueless at some point after getting their P. No need to beat the dead horse. What's so special about YOUR car, property and kids comparing to others?

    • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 12:14
      +6

      No, it's not meant to be a game, not at all. I lost friends in road accidents, and my mother was hit by a motorbike and hospitalised for 3 months.

      I will get lessons/practice more.

      If I hit your car or property, I will apologise, hope you forgive me and make sure I compensate you adequately.

      If I hit your kids…well…if someone hit my kids with their car, I might hurt them, then make sure they are locked up in jail for years. I expect you to do no less than that.

      • JediJan on 08/11/2016 - 13:09
        +3

        The RACV runs intensive driving courses at Sandown Park. That may be a worthwhile option for you. Getting your Ps is a start in the driving process not the end. No P plate driver is expected to drive as good as an experienced one. That is the purpose for which you have to wear those plates; so other drivers beware. I only get annoyed at the other so-called experienced drivers giving L or P plate drivers a difficult time; get impatient with them. You are more aware of this if you are the accompanying driver to an L player. I (seriously) get the feeling some are even attracted to L plates and hope to try their luck to force unwary L platers to hit them on purpose!

        I also have lost a friend on the roads and heard of many injuries over the years. I am also glad to say that many of the so called better drivers, I knew of back in the day, lost their licences. You are probably a safer driver than most although your parking skills needs attention.

        • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 13:18
          +1

          Thank you for your kind words. I'll look up the courses.

        • lyl-Lychee on 08/11/2016 - 15:23
          +1

          Yeah from the sounds of it, seems like the op just has some parking issues. It's a new car after all.

          Op, have you looked into installing blind spot mirrors and parking beepers? While can't rely on them to eliminate all guess work, they do help in the initial learning curve and reduce the frustration from the start.

        • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 15:27

          @LymeLychee: I'm considering the parking beepers. Thanks for the idea of blind spot mirrors!

        • jenkemjunkie on 08/11/2016 - 18:16

          @saubao:

          Man don't worry about those beepers. I have been in people's cars who used those beepers and it hasn't made them a better driver at all and now that they are on their full licence. Just be mindful of your car, treat it like an extension of you.

          You need to stop thinking about scraping your car because you have put the thought in your head. Instead, think that you are gonna park the car like a boss and relax and take your time, don't feel like you're in a rush. I'd happily wait behind a P plater that was trying to bust out a park because I want to nurture good, patient drivers.

        • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 21:38

          @jenkemjunkie: Thanks for your insights. As a P plater I always feel grateful when other drivers do not honk me when I am struggling with a manoeuvre.

    • freakatronic on 08/11/2016 - 12:29
      +2

      Nothing like internet sanctimony. Glad you've never made any mistakes on the road though champ. Gold star for you.

    • lyl-Lychee on 08/11/2016 - 15:28

      @OzzyOzbourne did anyone throw your useless comment at you when you were on your first 2 months of driving your first car?

  • Cluster on 08/11/2016 - 15:15

    The whole front trim will need to be replaced (it's one plastic part, not bendable back into shape), door/panel repair and a respray for the whole side of car (so that the colour matches). The whole job would easily be over $2k. The question is, can you convince your insurance company that the damage was caused in one accident? My understanding is you cannot wait to gather several accidents and put them on one claim and pay excess only once.

    • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 15:25

      In this case, considering the repair cost ( > 2k) and the total price of the car ( 12500 and getting lower), I think I will just ensure the door/panel does not rust by trying to DIY with the good advices above.

      If I decide to go to my insurance company, I will tell them what actually happened.

      Thanks!

  • Save Medicare on 08/11/2016 - 15:56
    +6

    Op is such a nice guy

    • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 16:08
      +3

      Haha, I hope Santa Claus frequents Ozbargain and stumble on your comment.

  • -.- on 08/11/2016 - 16:56
    +1

    This thread is a classic example of how a little humility and respect goes a long way (cf Westpac guy). OP, we all had to start out somewhere with our driving skills; they'll get better with practice (like anything), but a lot of the suggestions above are great. A small investment of a few aftermarket sensors and a camera will go a long way for you. Think of them like training wheels on a bike. All the best

    • -.- on 08/11/2016 - 16:57
      +3

      That's what I'd call a HIGH yielding investment.

    • saubao on 08/11/2016 - 21:42
      +1

      Thanks. I am having the sensors installed.

      I had my fair share of being arrogant when I was in my early 20s, my parents and even my wife (who has known me for 15 years) can attest to that.

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