Thank you in advance for comments/feedback.

During a rainstorm last week (Corpus Christi, Texas), I drove through high waters (deceivingly so) with my 2001 (standard transmission-82,000 original miles) love of my life Red Corvette.

It stalled out and although it started back up, the noise it made was loud and horrible-I knew something happened and parked it quickly at the nearest parking lot.

It sucked water in the engine and my insurance company declared it a total loss. My mechanic did not even open it as that would have been 800.00 in labor and as soon as the insurance adjuster started he knew also.

My question is wouldn't it cost the insurance company less just to allow me to have the engine replaced.

It is in very good condition and I have never had any major problems, just battery, tires, a/c compressor etc. It is valued between 14,000+-17,000+ due to pretty low mileage for a 2001.


I welcome your honest thoughts and expertise that I have come to depend on when I encounter problems with my car.

I thought I would be okay if that was the decision, however I am really having a hard time accepting this.

I have not spoken to the insurance adjuster yet. I will be doing that in the morning and want to be prepared. Insurance Is Geico, which I have had for years.


Thanks Again,

YUMME1

 

If you drove through that much water you may have
other problems. I would tend to stay away from it and
take the total loss

 

First off sorry to hear your mishap, You would think it would be a lot cheaper to replace the engine than to pay for a total loss, Who knows why they went this way.
Now my question is this, How deep was the water? Did you have a Vararam installed?
Again, Sorry.
Mr.Bill

 

If you can, I would just take it out of the insurance companies hands and fix it yourself. The engine is likely toast, but in reality, not that expensive to replace.

That said, an estimate to replace it should not be higher than the value of the car. Do some research, you can choose the repair path.

Ron

 

sorry to hear, be carefull deep water leads to lots of issues

 

It all depends on how deep the water was and what else got wet. Just water ingestion in the engine can be repaired for a lot less than the value of the car. A long block and install would be $5-6K or so. If the car got into fairly deep water and the computers, etc. got wet - let the car go ! It will be a never ending battle with corrosion on connectors and other electrical gremlins.

 

Let the insurance company total the car. You generally have first option to buy the wreck at about 18% of the payoff value. Buy it and spring for the motor. Be prepared for other electrical problems

 

i would let the car get totaled, buy it back as a salvage title. build a motor to throw in it and run the car to 300k miles then sell it for whatever someone will give

unless you drove it in a lake or had water pouring in the doors the ecu is one of the only low electrical items to get killed

 

Sorry to hear, I lost my '01 to a hurricane flooded garage 2 years ago. I agree with others who have said to let it go. Mine was flooded just to the top of the seat cushion and the insurance company said it was totaled (computer by the passenger foot well was drowned). They told me the settlement, if I kept the car, would be about $9,000 less than what I would receive if they took possession of it. If I kept it and had it repaired, I would have to surrender the title and receive a salvage title. Also they would no longer offer fire and theft coverage on the vehicle due to the fact they had made this settlement. I took the full settlement rather than worry about electrical problems down the road. Good luck with your decision.

 

Ouch...take the loss IMO.

This is why I'm glad I live in CA and don't drive my Vette in the rain. Good luck!

 

computers, motor, carpet etc.

easy fix, should of taken out plugs to remove excess water, replace all fluids. if it ran and still does it, it didnt vapor lock on you. if its fresh water let it dry out really well see what got wet and ware then verify it didn't into the computer boxes etc.

buy it back for 10%, if your worried let it go.

 

Thank you for all your responses-it hardly ever rains in Corpus Christis, so when it rans the streets fill up fast, but I do not know how the water got into the motor, as I wasn't stuck and it was not flowing in my car. I guess just from driving through it --

Anyway, as I said it was never taken apart to see exactly what was wrong, so other than knowing the water went in the motor causing internal damage they do not have specifics.
If it had a lot of mileage and I had not had it since it was new, it probably would not be as hard.

I cannot imagine not having my vette....the insurance is offering 13,000 + after duductable...

I do think the main concern is that it would become an electrical nightmare...

Thanks again everyone!

 

If I could ask, what was the mileage and what did you settle for?

 

The computers located outside the cabin are all waterproofed. EBCM, PCM, etc. The connectors are not.

Insurance companies rarely attempt to fix 'flood cars' regardless,,because of the image held by most folks ,mostly because of the unkown issues that can appear later. If the engine 'hydrolocked', A low mileage replacement LS1 would be less than $4000 wth another $1000 or so for installation if you .have access to the car, pull the dipstick and check for water in the oil. (it;ll look milky if water is present)

If no water got into he passenger compartment (BCM is located in footwell of passenger side) and you find no water in the oil, I'd buy attempt to buy back the car from the insurance company (It's worth between 5-7000$$ as is.)

I purchased a 2001 low mileage 'flood car' (fresh water) about two years ago for a song. I replaced a few wiring harnesses, and the BCM, and have since driven the car about 10,000 miles once getting it back on the highway. I have not experienced a single code in that time. It is the car you see in my profile picture. Yes it has a 'bad title' but frankly I don't give a damn, it's one fine car. I also haver a 2001 high mileage coupe I drive almost daily,.

 

buy it back after they file it as a total loss as others have stated. If you don't want to fix it back up, you can part out everything that is still good and easily make money over what you paid to buy the car out from the insurance co.

 

I would definitely try to get the insurance company to repair the car if you can. They look at it as a cost factor versus what they're making off you. They want to cut their losses now. There's a formula they go by.

But it also sounds like they're trying to low ball you on the value. DO NOT allow those vultures to do that.

 

I agree that you should be able to replace the motor (if that's all that is wrong with it) for less than the threshhold for totaling the car out (something like 75-85% of value). If they still insist on calling it a total loss, see what it would cost you to buy the car back and what a new crate engine might cost. Of course then you'll have a salvage title so take that into consideration.

 

It would not be a salvage title. I have bought back cars that have been totaled that I owned and no title was transferred. They just deduct the buy back form your check.

 

Never heard that before

 

In most states it would be a salvage title.