Yeah, I had the same thought...my airbag didn't deploy either. (Not that I'm complaining! ;))

A
 

Once a car is damaged it's never the same

Not necessarily. If the frame is not bent, as seems to be the case here, and you replace with original parts (even used) there is no reason the car can't be the same.

Maybe it's not the same psychologically, but in reality it could be just as good as pre-collision.

Let me take you for a drive sometime, in the same Box I pictured earlier. Good luck noticing any difference. Or seeing any. She's lost her virginity...but she's still the same ol' gal :cheers:

Well said :-)

My'99 totaled car with nothing but front end damage did not have either air bag deploy either.

Whenever I am looking at a used vehicle I always go around an lightly brush the paint with a fingertip. You can quickly discover any body work that is not factory. The paint will feel rough. At least here in Michigan with our climate extreme. You will also see the difference in a couple years.

Pfft.... that's just plain silly.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Sorry, not persuaded big guy.
It was "a couple years" in September. I still see no difference. And I definitely feel no difference.

I am getting in to this a bit late. In Nov 2013 I got whacked in my 99 Boxster of which I am the original owner. A person pulled out of side street and hit me just in front of the right left front wheel. Car was drivable, except for damage to radiator. $9,000 damage. Insurance company values the car at $13,700 with 81,000 miles at the time. I thought it was fair. Allstate was the other driver's insurer and no issues with fault. The car needed as new fender, bumper and hood +1 headlight, side marker, 1 radiator, A/C condenser, plus many related parts, and of course paint. No structural damage. Body shop was great. They put it back together (relatively easy since no structural damage), paint matched perfectly. Cannot distinguish old from new. Perfect panel alignment all around. While I was able to retain the car, it has a "salvage" title pursuant to VA law based on damage as % of value. But that mattered little to me because I knew the car was mechanically sound, I had owned it since new and wanted to keep it if I could. 101,000 and counting now. The only thing I was out of pocket for was for a new headlight on the drivers side. Before the accident, while both headlights functioned as expected, neither headlight would technically pass Virginia inspection due to cracks in the lenses, apparently from heat. Its just that no one looked that close. I drove it that way for 3 years with no issues with the inspectors.