Rats! Got hit!

[njbray]

So Someone drove into the front of my car - They thought they were on a one-way street! They have claimed total resposibility.
It's a 2001 986 base with 73,000 miles and in very good condition. I think there is a good chance it will be an insurance write-off due to the damage (front bumper cover, hood, front wing (fender), head light and who knows what underneath! Car is drivable although there was a slight smell of coolant when I got home.
My question for any of you 'insurance experts' is can the LN IMS fitted 30,000 miles ago add to the value of the car. I also have a 2004 glass window top and frame which should add value.
I'm just trying not to get screwed by the other drivers insurance co!
Thanks.

[JayG]

That will buff right out

[rick3000]

Ugh. Sorry to see that, it's definitely repairable, but like you said it depends how much the repair will cost vs the value of the car. Personally, I would insist on them paying for the repair, don't let them force you into totaling it, when the other driver admitted all fault. It's not your problem if the repair costs more for them, but you will probably have to fight them/threaten legal action.

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by rick3000

Ugh. Sorry to see that, it's definitely repairable, but like you said it depends how much the repair will cost vs the value of the car. Personally, I would insist on them paying for the repair, don't let them force you into totaling it, when the other driver admitted all fault. It's not your problem if the repair costs more for them, but you will probably have to fight them/threaten legal action.

Let them "total" the car... buy it back for scrap value... fix it... pocket the change.

That's what I would do.

[The Radium King]

if they do repair it, ensure that they replace both headlights and not just the damaged one otherwise they will be mismatched (one faded one not).

[Gilles]

Originally Posted by Starter986

Let them "total" the car... buy it back for scrap value... fix it... pocket the change.

That's what I would do.

Sorry about this issue, but if you are happy with your car I would let the insurance total it and just get a replacement fender, headlight and bumper and replace them yourself as the damage seems to be strictly cosmetic..
Good luck!

[njbray]

Originally Posted by Gilles

Sorry about this issue, but if you are happy with your car I would let the insurance total it and just get a replacement fender, headlight and bumper and replace them yourself as the damage seems to be strictly cosmetic..
Good luck!

This is kind of what I would like to do - But do not really want a Salvage title.I would like to get the check to cover the repairs and manage it myself.
It was quite a wack that pushed the car sideways so we will see what unseen damage there is.

[mikefocke]

Been there, done that, $26k was the fix estimate (after the hit I thought it would be in the $3-4k range based on prior front end damage repairs to other cars. Mine drove too.), they totaled it and that was back in the days when a '99 sold for $25k. To them it is strictly money.

Any frame damage? (Measured by laser machine or Porsche supplied templates)

Look at the doors and door jams and see if the fenders pressed against the doors which actually can then press back against the jams.

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by njbray

This is kind of what I would like to do - But do not really want a Salvage title.I would like to get the check to cover the repairs and manage it myself.
It was quite a wack that pushed the car sideways so we will see what unseen damage there is.

A salvage title is only a big deal if ever you plan on selling. You know we're gonna keep these cars forever.

[Vtx531]

Bummer! Hundreds of 986 base out there for sale though. Don’t stress over it. You could have another better one within a week. I believe you need to purchase extra coverage for extra aftermarket items such as fancy IMS bearing. Maybe it would raise the value based on a condition rating though such as having new tires?

[Xpit77]

I just had something happen with the same results.My 99 suffered front end damage in a parking lot incidence. Front bumper cover, right side rad, rad support bracket, inner fender liner and small curved attached piece new coolant and paint. $4900 CND.
The adjuster valued the car @ 10 grand. 60% of the value would have wrote it off.
Expensive way to clean the leaves out.

[itsnotanova]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck. I've seen insurance companies total a car for a lot less damage than that. I believe it has a lot to do with the insurance company and the owner. You might convince them to fix it if you plead your case. That damage doesn't look too bad but they'll need to remove the bumper cover to see the extent of the damage. Hitting the bumper at an angle like that has me worried the most. Straight on it can handle a hit like that. At an angle it might bend the frame rail where the bumper shocks mount. I'm 95% sure they won't compensate you for the IMS or anything aftermarket. In my opinion, if the bumper shock mounts are bent you should have it totaled.

[Rob175]

IF it were mine, I'd want it "totaled" and fight to get the most you can from the insurance company. I'd start accumulating comparable prices on the same (used) cars in your area using the internet and use those as a basis to get the most $$ you can....I know for a fact there is some "negotiating" room.....how much? not sure.

I personally would not want a "repaired" car after such major damage. Even getting the new paint to match up with the sun faded paint alone is problematic.

Take the $$$ and go shopping.

[Gjohn3707]

As an owner of a 2001 I would be interested to know what the "insurance value" is. Then what the buy back cost would be. If it were mine and knowing the condition of the rest of the car, I would like to keep it.

[thstone]

I seriously doubt that there is any frame damage from such a small accident. My race car had WAY more front end body damage than that and the frame was perfectly fine.

Xpit77 is correct about the extent of the repairs. The cost will end up around $5K-$7K.

The only question is what the insurance will value the car at. Most likely they will want to total it.

[njbray]

So, after pulling out the damaged headlight this is what I found. I don't think this crumpled bit could be fixed - The new headlight, fender, bumper would probably never line up correctly!

It seems that very few bodyshops will deal with Geico - They force the bodyshops to use after market parts and pay a lower hourly rate! So i am gonna have AAA deal with them for me so I can get a fair market price for the repairs or the whole car.

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by thstone

I seriously doubt that there is any frame damage from such a small accident. My race car had WAY more front end body damage than that and the frame was perfectly fine.

Xpit77 is correct about the extent of the repairs. The cost will end up around $5K-$7K.

Agreed.
I had a similar situation a couple years ago, with the same concern regarding the car potentially being totaled. Damage seems similar, though I had more fender damage and, as I recall, no hood damage. Although the impact looks like it might have been greater in my case (compared with that of the OP), I was convinced there was no structural/frame damage (an opinion later confirmed) and it just seemed ridiculous to total a car for easily fixable damage that was basically cosmetic. Especially since the car ran like a top (and still does) with no mechanical issues whatsoever. The concept of “wanting” to get rid of such a vehicle just because it’s been in a minor accident and with the mindset that there’s plenty of potential replacements out there just seems silly and wasteful to me. I’ll admit it though—if I like a car I’ll drive it until it dies of old age. (This one quite likely falls into that category.)





The total, before tax, came to $6,575. It actually would have been a few hundred less but I had them go ahead and respray the hood—I had dozens of small rock chips that looked kinda crappy. Insurance company paid to cover the rest, less the deductible. Mine is also an '01. It is an “S” but, at the time, it had about 22k more miles than yours on the odometer. FWIW, it also had had the LN IMS done.

[thstone]

This is what my race car looked like. No frame damage. All easily repaired (expensive, but basically all bolt on parts).

I sincerely hope that your car can be fixed as easily. Lets hope for the best.

[JayG]

Originally Posted by njbray

So, after pulling out the damaged headlight this is what I found. I don't think this crumpled bit could be fixed - The new headlight, fender, bumper would probably never line up correctly!

It seems that very few bodyshops will deal with Geico - They force the bodyshops to use after market parts and pay a lower hourly rate! So i am gonna have AAA deal with them for me so I can get a fair market price for the repairs or the whole car.

In California, you can use ANY body shop you want. The insurance company cannot restrict who you use. Most will accept any insurance company estimate. I would be surprised if Geico uses a lower rate. From what I know they all use the "Mitchell" guide.

You can also get an independent estimate. Since it's the other persons insurance that is paying, yo can also go to your insurance company to get an estimate and repair done and they will go after the other company on your behalf, unless of course you both have the same company.

If you have different companies, just do everything through your company.
I would also insist that all parts are new. You may have to fight a little. The damage was not your fault, you need to be made whole and he car restored to the original condition
YMMV

[njbray]

Thanks for all the info & comments.
I have the insurance inspector dropping by this afternoon - so we will see what he says.
After showing the bodyshop - Basically the big question is that structural piece -arrowed below- that is pushed back, cracked & distorted. Apparently this could have 'compromised the Frunk side/shape'. It also is a hard piece to repair/straighten!

For a relatively small amount of damage it was a hard hit - some very hard part of the Honda (tow bracket?) was high enough to ride over my bumper reinforcement and make contact with the arrowed piece instead of being absorbed by the bumper or body panels.

I have to say, compared to other fender-benders I have experienced, this felt like a hard whack - I was almost expecting the air bag to go off.