R.I.P. Rosemary - 5/14/07
05-15-07, 07:34 PM
#28
IMO the rear looks fine. it'll need panel replacement but it doesnt look tweaked, the front end however is a different story but it might just be the core support.
Glad to hear that you and your passenger are OK. i've been in worse lemme tell ya.
it looks fixable to me, although it will cost more than a rebuilt engine
Glad to hear that you and your passenger are OK. i've been in worse lemme tell ya.
it looks fixable to me, although it will cost more than a rebuilt engine
05-15-07, 07:38 PM
#29
so much history with its previous owner (the widow of the owner sold me the car for about 7000 less than her highest offer b/c she thought I was the right person to take care of it), so much blood and sweat over the 4 years i've owned it, so many hours of labor - i really hope she pulls through.
thanks for the support guys. I'm much more invested in this car than I thought i was.
thanks for the support guys. I'm much more invested in this car than I thought i was.
05-15-07, 08:09 PM
#32
probably totalled, but you should be able to buy it back, and maybe get the frame straightened and (maybe) be good to go.
man, I was so close to crying looking at the pics, it looks just like mine, it kinda struck a nerve. you have my condolences.
man, I was so close to crying looking at the pics, it looks just like mine, it kinda struck a nerve. you have my condolences.
05-15-07, 08:24 PM
#34
Very sorry to see man. In honesty, the car is totalled. As much as i hate seeing FDs totalled, and people out of the driver seat. It was fixable in my head before i saw the strut brace, there is frame damage down there. Good luck on whatever path you take.
05-15-07, 08:38 PM
#35
Constant threat
Fixable for sure, though yeah...it is likely the insurance company will total it. But that car looks WAY to good to give up on. I've seen some cars way more hurt than that, and they were fixed better than new. I wish I could show you a before and after pic of a Lincoln Town Car my dad bought several years ago. He has a friend that has a body shop. This was a new car that listed for over $40K. It had got hit right between the doors and was damned near folded in half! Total loss. The car was bent at about a 15 degree angle, and my dad's friend fixed it right up, sold it to my dad for $18K.
A good body shop can fix damned near any damage.
A good body shop can fix damned near any damage.
05-15-07, 08:39 PM
#36
I know this as back in 1997, my beloved car was involved in an accident and the other guys insurance wanted to total it! After sending them 20 pages of reciepts and multiple phone calls telling them that I didn't not want to total it, they decided to let me get it fixed! Damage was about as bad as yours (not RX7)!
Good to know it wasn't your fault
05-15-07, 08:42 PM
#37
Glad your OK.
Now for a second...second opinion....
A whole bunch of years ago I worked my way through college in my Dad's shop. Still this opinion may be worth no more than what you paid for it.....
The insurance company will almost surely total it. Years ago the rule of thumb was that if the damage exceeded 70% of the value of the car, it was a total. That's probably changed alittle, but I still think they'll total it.
That said, if I could buy it back from the insurance company, I would consider it. Nothing appears to have gotten into the mechanicals. The suspension is the big question. If it's just a broken tie-rod and bent control arm, that may not be that bad. The unibody (you have no frame) will need repair, but from the pictures I really don't think it's that bad. Remove all the sheet metal and you might be surprised. The biggest PITA that I immediately see is sourcing a decent 1/4 panel. I don't think the other parts would be too tough.
It's a personal injury accident and your a claimant. They should want to make you happy. Plus, they don't run a salvage operation. It will cost them to have it stored and auctioned. I am NOT recommending you buy it back, but unless it violates a company policy to allow it, getting it back might be an option for you. It really depends on how much of the work your able to do yourself and your level of ambition. But if they gave me a decent retail on the car and allowed me to buy it back for say.....< 3- 4k, I might do it. At least I'd run the numbers.
Now for a second...second opinion....
A whole bunch of years ago I worked my way through college in my Dad's shop. Still this opinion may be worth no more than what you paid for it.....
The insurance company will almost surely total it. Years ago the rule of thumb was that if the damage exceeded 70% of the value of the car, it was a total. That's probably changed alittle, but I still think they'll total it.
That said, if I could buy it back from the insurance company, I would consider it. Nothing appears to have gotten into the mechanicals. The suspension is the big question. If it's just a broken tie-rod and bent control arm, that may not be that bad. The unibody (you have no frame) will need repair, but from the pictures I really don't think it's that bad. Remove all the sheet metal and you might be surprised. The biggest PITA that I immediately see is sourcing a decent 1/4 panel. I don't think the other parts would be too tough.
It's a personal injury accident and your a claimant. They should want to make you happy. Plus, they don't run a salvage operation. It will cost them to have it stored and auctioned. I am NOT recommending you buy it back, but unless it violates a company policy to allow it, getting it back might be an option for you. It really depends on how much of the work your able to do yourself and your level of ambition. But if they gave me a decent retail on the car and allowed me to buy it back for say.....< 3- 4k, I might do it. At least I'd run the numbers.
05-15-07, 08:44 PM
#38
Since we are talking about insurance and accidents..
Me and my wife bought a new 2006 MX5 last year... less than 3 weeks of owning, my wife was rear ended by an SUV. It did over 8k worth of damage and I wanted the car to be totalled! Asked the adjuster that we wanted to just total the car and get a new one (less then 2k miles), they said NO! After the other guys insurance paid for 30+ days of rental car for my wife (because the car was so new, some parts needed to be made and shipped to USA), her medical bills, compensation for time lost, it would of been better for them to total it! But they didn't!!
Me and my wife bought a new 2006 MX5 last year... less than 3 weeks of owning, my wife was rear ended by an SUV. It did over 8k worth of damage and I wanted the car to be totalled! Asked the adjuster that we wanted to just total the car and get a new one (less then 2k miles), they said NO! After the other guys insurance paid for 30+ days of rental car for my wife (because the car was so new, some parts needed to be made and shipped to USA), her medical bills, compensation for time lost, it would of been better for them to total it! But they didn't!!
05-15-07, 08:50 PM
#40
Not me, but this dealer appearently does:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...MEWA:IT&ih=017
WOW!
take the total check and buy this one!
05-15-07, 08:55 PM
#41
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It's totaled. I was hit in the right front. Nowhere near as bad looking as your car. Over $8K of damage. The body shop guy told me the adjuster said it was close to being totaled.
05-15-07, 10:50 PM
#43
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Sorry to hear that man... that FD is really clean. The insurance company will definatley total it out though. You might as well collect the insurance money and try to fix it if the unibody isnt twisted.
05-15-07, 11:32 PM
#46
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Be aware....a frame can be pulled back into shape, but that doesn't mean it's as good as new. Metal loses its strength when it's bent one way, then bent back into shape. You can wind up with a lot of chassis flex, which is a shame in a car like the FD which is so precise. It may not feel like the same car even though superficially it can be made to look like the same car.
cptpaik is also right. You're looking at some serious front end damage. It's hard to tell from the photos, but that corner of the car, including part of the unibody may have to be virtually rebuilt. You'll want to know the worst before you decide to plunge into a project. It's the only way to do it. Otherwise you could spend a big amount, run into a serious roadblock, and wind up with a half finished car and an empty pocket.
It sure was a nice looking car though. Hope it works out for you.
05-16-07, 08:13 AM
#48
You're on the wrong coast jeff 
If you were about 3000 miles closer i'd have you do it!
Thanks for all the opinions. Its helping me bide the time until the adjuster calls me and lets me know he's going to take a look at the car.
Side question - do the mods add to or detract from the value of the car? Ive thought about telling him there are about 3500 worth of retail mods in there (if not more) plus another $2000 in electronics (gauges, controllers, stereo, etc) in order to increase the value of the car.
Also - will i get a chance to take back my performance parts before they cart her off to the salvage yard? I'd like to get those back and install them on the new car.
Thanks in advance forum - you guys are the best.
If you were about 3000 miles closer i'd have you do it!
Thanks for all the opinions. Its helping me bide the time until the adjuster calls me and lets me know he's going to take a look at the car.
Side question - do the mods add to or detract from the value of the car? Ive thought about telling him there are about 3500 worth of retail mods in there (if not more) plus another $2000 in electronics (gauges, controllers, stereo, etc) in order to increase the value of the car.
Also - will i get a chance to take back my performance parts before they cart her off to the salvage yard? I'd like to get those back and install them on the new car.
Thanks in advance forum - you guys are the best.
05-16-07, 09:25 AM
#50
Side question - do the mods add to or detract from the value of the car? Ive thought about telling him there are about 3500 worth of retail mods in there (if not more) plus another $2000 in electronics (gauges, controllers, stereo, etc) in order to increase the value of the car.
Also - will i get a chance to take back my performance parts before they cart her off to the salvage yard? I'd like to get those back and install them on the new car.
Thanks in advance forum - you guys are the best.
If it was your fault and your insurance was involved, then they wouldn't compensate for all the aftermarket stuff you put in.. hence why people get different kind of insurance.
Hope this helps..