bet his nicknames 'lucky'.

best answer "i reversed and hit the car i paniced and shot forward and damaged the front" to be honest you were unlucky here and had a right jobsworth on the case, but as it was an insurance job, they will just want to cash in.

also say hello to a 1000+ insurance policy

i don't have a cheque book, I'd need to re-order one in that case.

normally 1/2 forms of ID for large withdrawls - passport and utility bill/evidence of address.

I've just made a claim. I read on Direct Line's website that if you claim, your NCB rolls back a few years and it doesn't completely go. Is this true?

I'll be annoyed if it isn't cause I had 7 years!

how long do they say it will take?

ten year old golf. Probably cheaper to buy a whole new shaft, hub suspension etc from a scrapper and fit that.

pocket rape on the cards then.

on a ten year old car I'd be putting a 2nd and shaft in if that is indeed what is needing replaced. Job to replace a FWD shaft is typically wheel off, undo hub nut which can be a bitch. big nut so tends to be a specialist socket head and a long bar! once undone you'd unbolt the wishbone and with a bit of persuasion slide it away to free the drive shaft end from the hub. Driveshaft will then generally just come out of the gearbox. gearbox oil will need replacing one new shaft is fitted.

I'm not familiar with golfs so may be other things which need doing or may be some bitch parts like one the shaft is out regarding the gearbox. Also the longer shaft may cause more problems if that's the one that has gone.

Sounds strange to me that it would just go at idling speed. they tend to start knocking when you turn a corner giving you an indication something is wrong.

Sounds way too dear, you sure its the driveshaft if it broke at idle?

As the other chap says, on a 10 year old Golf you'd be looking to fit a second hand one which is about an hours worth of work to swap over.

thanks for the replies guido and joe, i know as much as the bloke from the garage told me - and he just said it was the driveshaft gone. there was some noises and the gear stick started waggling around, i tried to put it in gear and there was a heavy slowish grinding that made me just press down the clutch and not try further. tried again, same response.

i guess i'll try calling round breakers, probably still got the numbers from the gearbox it needed last year. thing is i now need to get it home, which is not gonna be fun.

any idea price should be looking at? including labour.

thanks