Once they do a teardown it will probably total ... What's the estimate at so far? As for used hood and bumper, isn't that what was on the car before the accident? The car is 12 years old it wasn't new when it was in the accident. As for diminished value that's not likely for a few reasons the most important being the accident will probably be listed as your fault and there is probably an exclusion in your contract not allowing diminished value to an insured

 

I hear what you're saying, but what was on the car was factory GM parts.

Accident is the other parties fault, faluire to yeild. Either way (to my knowledge) Georgia is one of two states where you can claim diminished value even if the accident was your fault.

 

Used parts are still factory gm parts just used


Ya I don't know the Georgia insurance laws, never worked there

 

(Sorry for your accident - glad you two weren't seriously hurt!!)

I'm the guy 8VETTE7 is talking about. Based on my recent experience, (just got my car back last Friday) with much LESS front end damage, I can tell you several things:
1) The cost of repairing the car, as evaluated by the insurance, in most cases, does NOT take into account "low mileage" as a factor. If they do, it doesn't add up to much. My repair shop said ins. companies uses a figure of 80% of "private party average sales" figures for the YEAR MODEL, plus sales tax, to calculate whether to "total" a car or not.
2) On your car, the frame is DEFINITELY involved on BOTH SIDES.
3) You will have to replace, AT A MINIMUM: Hood, bumper cover, all structural members underneath the bumper cover, skid plate, BOTH doors, BOTH wheelhouses, radiator support, airbags (including cleanup fee), at least one, possibly BOTH headlight assemblies (they run in excess of $1,500 PER SIDE!! and BOTH airbags (EXPENSIVE!), and possibly including some of the dash trim associated with them (steering wheel trim, passenger-side dash trim), BOTH hood hinges, BOTH hood latches, and more. And that's just what I know from what had to be replaced on my MUCH LESS DAMAGED car! Chances are there is a lot more "unknown" (as-yet-to-be discovered) damage that simply doesn't show up in your few online photos, if you know what I mean.
4) All the other "little stuff" adds up too, in addition to: "paint labor", "mechanical labor", "4-wheel-alignment labor" and "frame labor", you're looking at a repair bill that will, I am reasonably certain, exceed even the RETAIL value of the Vette.
In my case, the airbags DID NOT deploy, and I only had to replace the RIGHT-SIDE headlight assembly, yet my total bill was only $1000-$1500 from being a TOTAL. My car is a '99 'Vert with 45,000 miles on it, so the "book value" of your car would calculate (by the insurance) at only a slightly higher number.

We don't tell you all this to make you feel bad - we know how HEARTBREAKING this all is for you. But we want you to have as much GOOD INFO as you can going forward, whatever the outcome, so you're prepared. Good luck, and please give us a follow-up post when you know what the insurance co. decides.

 

Thanks for posting your experience. I'll know more early next week and will post the result. Whole situation make me ill. Some dumb **** pulls out in front of me and I could potentially loose thousands.

 

Did they give you an estimate yet? Works slow today so I did a quick one from the pics so its not real accurate and would be diff labor rates but I was around ten grand of stuff I know needs to be done from the pics

 

Your right Georgia and Kansas are the 2 states that allow diminished value claims against your own insurance

 

Ha, it must be slow! Insurance estimator is currently at $6400.00 and is confident it will be more once they're able pull the hood off. It won't be taken to the body shop until Monday. I'll update then.

 

Here's a couple pics of mine as I bought it. I didn't think it was that bad but now that I'm into it this was a no doubt about it total. It ran & drove with no damage to the cooling, AC or restraint systems. Maybe give you a better idea??








The frame is the bigest stubling block with these. I was able to save the right rail but the left is beyond hope. I have a used one on the way. The way these frames are formed in a single tube doesn't lend itself to conventional straightening procedures. The right side was only buckled in one place which is why I could save it.

Following the GM procedure for sectioning will result in a perfectly sound repair. But the labor is the big issue. I saw no way to get at the inside for welding with the engine in.

 

that sucks man, Car looks fixable but you are gonna be branded with a Salvage Rebuild Title cause your air bags deployed... Resale value is down about 7K now

 

Where did that come from?? I've done insurance jobs and replaced airbags more than once. Never had any effect whatsoever on the title of the car.

 

In Illinois atleast once airbags are deployed its branded on the title.

 

Ya and i think thats what he is going to run into on this, the rails are not cheap either but the labor for replacement on one side is something like 18 hours which is about double a normal car + any extras to remove to get access, which would probably include R&I the engine.


Ya theres a lot more than that, it will total just give them time to take it apart to get a full estimate, I would bet he didnt have headlights on there because he cant see them but once they are removed that would add 1500 each to the estimate if they are broken as they appear to be. wheelhouses would add a large amount too if they are cracked. Theres frame damage in there too just he cant see it so all they can put is to setup and measure the frame but once they get it opened up they will probably see a buckle in the frame which means replacement then the price to repair would jump.

Unfortunately sometimes it just takes a bit of time to total a car since you can usually only write on the estimate for what you can actually see, but i dont have any doubts on this it would be a total unless the pics are very deceiving.

Keep us up to date

 

I would be interested in how that works. In Illinois, do you have to submit the title to the DMV if you are in a wreck along with the repair invoice? How does the state determine deployment of the restraint system? Just curious cause I can't figure out how they would ever know.

 

Most times insurance companies declare a car totaled once the airbags deploy due to the expense in having them repaired/replaced in a addition to the added liability that they may no longer function properly after deploying once. By state and federal law any vehicle that is in a accident and the airbags are deployed the insurance company has to brand the title as a Salvage and once it is repaired then it will be a Rebuild Salvage Title do to the factory safety equipment being reset other then done by the factory... Now obviously if you didnt tell the insurance company about the accident and did the repairs yourself then that would be another story.. But the Insurance Company has to according to the states DMV Laws because of potential resale ect... Now if the Airbags didnt deploy in his car then hes all good given they will except the repair bill up to 50-75% of the vehicles value, Anymore then that they say its "NOT ECONOMICALLY VIALBE TO FIX"....

 

lol ... ummm .... no

 

Ummmmm Yea, Learn State title laws my friend

 

ok let me help you out then

No ... The airbags add about 2-3k to the repair cost on most cars, while most cars that have airbags deploy are total's that doesn't mean that its because of the airbags being replaced, its just an added expense. Each car is different too, for example most cars are the 2-3k for all the manufacturer recommended replacement parts after deployment, however I recently totaled a 02 S500 Mercedes because when the passenger airbag deploys the dash has to be replaced (not very common in most cars), since its a Merc the dash was 5k + 8 hours to install, which was more than all the airbag equipment combined.

If it was for liability for them possibly not working properly after then why do all manufacturers have recommended replacement procedures from an airbag deployment, why does BMW say that the diagnostic unit is good for 3 deployments before you should replace it if its not safe after 1? Simple, if replaced properly per manufacturer recommendations its as safe as from the factory.

Can you please show me this federal law? a link would be nice.



I dont think you have a clue what your talking about.

 

LMAO... WOW!!!

Via The National Association of Consumers Advocates and the Consumer Federation of America..

Each year approximately 2.5 million vehicles are totaled by insurance companies and issued salvage titles. More than 1 million of those—or 2 out of every 5—were put back on the road after receiving a rebuild title after a airbag deployment. CARFAX vehicle history reports can indicate salvage (junk) titled vehicles, vehicles that have been involved in major accidents and in some states notes airbag deployment. Only a handful of states have laws regulating airbag system replacement..

All states are different, I dont think YOU know what your are talking about... Do I have to provide you with a State passed Bill number??? Let me remember where I found it and I will be happy to send it to you

 

congrats you quoted carfax website

http://www.carfax.com/car_buying/airbag_safety.cfx

and no where does it say that an air bag deployment causes a salvage title, it simply states there are salvage titles out there that had airbags deploy

the article you took this from is about fraud with not replacing airbags on total losses.

lets post the whole quote here

and yes if you have a state bill # that would be great ... because it doesnt exist and you said it was a federal law so please show me that one too.

next time how about you post the real quote from the site rather than modifying it and picking small parts that are out of context.