Accident
 

Hello all. I'm in a quandary. My car was hit last night and I don't know which direction to go. 01 Boxster S, 98k miles. The estimate came in @ $4800 to repair. My insurance will cover it (Idiot at fault doesn't have insurance) but I'm asking myself if I want to repair it or sell it for parts. If repaired, I'll have a 15 yo Porsche with nearly 100k miles and 2 accidents on the Carfax. (Title is not nor will be salvage) The shop also says they may have to cut out & replace that corner panel, which concerns me as I think the structural integrity of the car will be compromised. If I choose to sell the car, I'm not sure what its worth. It's a fairly loaded car, PSM, Litronics, Full leather. The IMS/RMS was done @ 66k as well as the AOS, oil changes every 5k etc, etc. Mechanically, it was strong and still purrs, the only car out of 4 to drive away after the accident...sturdy little beast! I've been thinking about replacing it with a 987 before this happened, but I really do love the car. We've been through summer thunderstorms in Montana, Eiskanah in Colorado, spirited drives up to Mt Lemmon here in Tucson...sigh...sad to see it end this way. Any guidance on what to do, how to sell it as well as the cars value would be much appreciated. http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1466911735.jpg

Let the Insurance total it and buy it back at salvage value..Get a 4 wheel realignment .Get a superficial repair.Drive it till it drops !

That rear panel is very expensive to fix and the estimate is likely less than the cars worth. Let them total it, maybe buy it back and sell off the litronics for a few thousand and the interior bits and such and that should be a nice move in the direction of a 987.

Or buy it back and drive the heck out of it

It never ceases to amaze me what a good body shop can do with a rack. The old guy, who remembers working on cars when they had frames, can work miracles on a dent like that. Keep the pups with a plasma cutter away from it. If you can't find the right shop in Tucson, maybe ask for a referral in Phoenix?

I vote you give it a shot. It has to be worth more cleaned up than parted out. And a whole lot less work for you? Best of luck.

P.S. I came within 6" of disaster last weekend on my favorite twisty. The idiot was on my side coming around a blind turn. I swear the Porsche brakes saved me.

If you really want a 987, this would be a good time to get some $$ for a down payment. I would fix it up if I were in your shoes though. Take the $4800 and then shop around for someone cheaper. The cheaper shop will probably just pull the dent out and bondo the hell out of. At this point does it really matter if has a bunch of bondo on the body? It will have 100,000 soon with two accidents on it's record. Get it back on the road and have fun beating the tar out of it!
FYI, parting these things out takes a lot longer than you would think. Some parts sell quick on an S but the rest will takes months to sell. With 100k miles most of the suspension and interior goes in the garbage. The most you'll make parting it out will be $7-8

Hello,

the problem here is that this is not an easy fix if you want a good result, because of the rounded lines from the rear to the door. You can try to pull it out, but it is very very hard to get that fit exaclty, because of the round shape of the door, the inner door and the outside of the body plank. Also the intake/vent area is problematic, because the metal is "folded".

The question is also if the lines of the rear fender are correct or if the fender is closer to the tunk lid and convertible top case now. That could be a structural problem.

Structure of the door seems to be OK from the photo.

So the correct way would be to replace the rear right part completely.

Maybe you can find somebody who will replace it with a used body plank from a donor car.

Maybe you can find an older car body builder or a car restaurator who will try to fix it by pulling. But it will be time consuming and this repair will afford a kind of a patient metal artist.

Hope that helps.

Regards, Markus

Thank you all for your suggestions and recommendations. It helped me to not feel so defeated. The first quote I got was from the Tucson Porsche dealers body shop. I think I'll get a few more quotes as well as speak to them more in depth about the specifics of this undertaking. I think if I know more about the repair process, I will feel more secure. Basically, I think its irrelevant about it losing more value with 2 accidents, since at this point, it's an old car and not worth a great deal of money. I'm too particular to have it not fixed properly, so I'm more than likely going to roll the dice and have it repaired. For now, I've parked him backwards in the carport, so he looks much better! http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1466993856.jpg

Glad to hear you are going to give it a go. Please post updates as you go through the process. I'm sure we can all learn from your situation.

BAM!

http://www.lasvegastool.com/Images/L.../Image5404.jpg

Good simple tools but they only work for light panel damage. They are not effective on structural members like the door frame.
If you look at the door frame construction in cross-section you will see a very complex,multi-layered part. The pulling technique for that repair is very different. It would certainly require heat and a "Frame Straightener" .But that is the very old school method. Pro Shops no longer use that technique because the Insurance cos won't approve the repair.
Even if you did pull it,it would need lots of Bondo - more old school stuff that isn't much used anymore. And after the Bondo, trying to restore the shut lines and prevent wind noise would be difficult. It would be a weak repair at best because of the stresses there. New panel required if it is an Insurance job..

There are many really good body shops that will fix that damage. Look for a shop that does high end cars. I am not saying you shouldn't keep the money and sell as is if you want a newer car but I don't subscribe to the idea that that hit can't be repaired properly. Just my 2 cents

Yes, it can be repaired.
But to repair that door frame to meet Insurance Co. standards will be very expensive relative to the value of this specific car-unfortunately.

Get the ins co to total the car. Beat them up on the offer. Everything is negotiable. Go to the most expesive body shop and gdt an estimate and convince them to total it. If they agree then go on nada or kbb and use the highest values to negogiate the value of the car.

I totalled mine a few months ago and my jns co paid me $ 11,500.00 for a car that I paid $ 7500.00 4 years ago. Do not be sentimental about fixing the car. Your car is not unique. These cars are fungible and are a dime a dozen. I just bought a replacement 04 for $ 8700.00. Probably over paid but Im still way ahead in the amount Ive invested in boxsters.

O/P/ = a better idea - appoint "san rensho" as your negotiating agent !
An '04 for $8700 - how bad is it?
That makes an '02 S with accident history and damage worth about $2000 !
I'm totally upside down!
"I totalled mine a few months ago and my jns co paid me $ 11,500.00 for a car that I paid $ 7500.00 4 years ago. Do not be sentimental about fixing the car. Your car is not unique. These cars are fungible and are a dime a dozen. I just bought a replacement 04 for $ 8700.00. Probably over paid but Im still way ahead in the amount Ive invested in boxsters."
__________________

Sorry about your misfortune but you have a few options, and theres also the added "Dimished Value" that you should bring up to the insurance folks. Perhaps with previous accident it may not help much though.

So these folks could afford a newish accord but not the insurance?

So if the police are doing their job I presume the driver lost his Driving license for a year, the car was impounded and the Driver thrown in Jail till the Judge could set his bail?
Yeah right!

I hate it when people don't play by the rules at the expense of those that do. We have to pay insurance for our own mistakes, plus added premiums to cover those idiots that don't have insurance and probably need it more than us responsible folks.

:grumble: :mad: :troll: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i.../s800/coop.gif

Solution - fit front/rear wide-angle dash cam.That video evidence will often decide the case in the absence of witnesses .

Yep...amazes me how many uninsured drivers there are on the roads

1st question is He needs to pay something I don't care that he has no ins. File a lean on his house if he cant pay something. Even 150 a month but something. Next that's not a bad dent I bet and good shop can repair that and paint that side for around 3K or less. Id get it repaired and drive the car as other have stated its just a used car with little value. The S would bring about 2-3K more but still just used cars. Fix it drive it until you cant . I know guys with 200K mi on the Boxsters and never did the IMS! With the IMS who knows! Heck today I needed my security computer (Immobilizer) replaced and 2 matching keys for my 03 S and that was 1500 at the dealer that's 20% of the value of your car! Again fix it, drive it, done.
Jim

I would get it fixed and enjoy it some more. If you really want a 987, then get it fixed and trade it in. The dealer would just wholesale it anyway.

Old Boxsters aren't worth much value wise, but you've got history with this one and it's got a lot of life left in it.

If he can't afford car insurance it's very unlikely that he owns a home. People who own a home have something to lose and therefore have insurance. This lemon can't be squeezed anymore and going after him for money is a waste of time. He should be at least fined/required to do community service and have his driver's license taken away.

Needs a water pump, the ac didn't work very well but was an easy fix, just a radiator fan ballast resistor and some refrigerant.

Main problem is I get a good shake int the steering wheel going over any kind of bump at any speed. I'm going to change out the tie rods and see if that fixes it.

Well done !
Your 2004 Boxster purchase is a welcome change from the financial disaster story we so often read about - mine being a good example !
When you get time, please tell us how you fond an '04 Boxster so cheap? Just luck or hours trolling through Craig's List and inspecting lots of junk? Auction?
Your a/c fix is a good example of what a little diy and Rennlist tech knowledge can do.Good luck with the steering repair.

Thanks. Just weeks and weeks of lookkng ar craigslist. Theres lots of junk out there with rebuilt titles etc. Luckily Miami has a huge glut of used high end cars. I bought mine from a dealer that buys at auction.

Car has no stage 2 over revs and only about 800 stage 1over revs. Cam values are -4.3 and 1.3 so I am well within spec.

Oh and its needs a cat but im not going to replace it. No smog check kn FL.

Hope the O.P. is reading this because it is a real-world perspective on Boxster values
Here are examples in San's area:
2001 Porsche Boxster
maybe this?
2006 beautiful Porsche Boxster
2001 PORSCHE BOXTER'''5 SPEED MANUAL TRASMISION'''ONLY 75000 MILES'''
And remember ,these are asking prices.
Makes you think twice about expensive repairs?

So...here's the update. I took it to the authorized Porsche collision center here in Tucson. The guy working on it, apparently, has 30 years of bodywork experience, so that's great, IMO! I was very impressed to see where they're at so far. It doesn't look near as bad and even in this rough state, the gaps and door line up perfectly. So far, so good! http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1468040391.jpg

Please don't mock me for how dull the colored caps on the wheels look...I'll polish them when I get it back!http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1468040597.jpg

Glad to see that its being fixed and will be back on the road soon!

Agree with everyone's comments concerning uninsured motorists, and sorry you're having to deal with the whole mess, but what's the deal with that Jeep in the first photo? Looks like he to one to the face.....

Sorry for your mishap, looks like you are in good hands and on the way to getting it fixed properly!

I think there are still lots of states that don't require mandatory auto insurance, which is why it's always a good idea to have uninsured/underinsured coverage on your own policy.

As far as getting a lien on the driver at fault, I would expect the right to do that now belongs to your insurance company since they are paying out the claim. Most insurance policies include a subrogation clause. They probably have people on staff who can figure out in 5 minutes if it would be worth pursuing the party at fault.

I knew it could be pulled out. Just need to find the right old guy that has the patience, mad skills and awesome tool box. I can't tell you how happy this makes me. :D

Adult beverages all around.... :cheers:

+ 1

I am glad hat you were able to find the right person, as proper body work is an art that sadly seems to be disappearing.

Finally Done
 

Here it is...I have to say, they did a pretty good job! http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1473445575.jpg

Looking good!

Most excellent.

In most states, you can have the drivers license suspended until the guilty party pays for damage or sets up a payment plan.

Here is some info on Texas, but your state may vary.

At least make their life difficult so they will get insurance and this won't happen to the next guy.

https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/CrashSuspension.htm

EDIT: Can't find anything similar to the above site for AZ, but here is some legalese....

http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ars/28/04143.htm

Glad to see that its nicely repaired and back on the road! Congrat's!