I took the Vette by the body shop I'm planning on using and right now the estimate is $5,531.44 without pulling any panels off. The estimator pointed out other areas of concern I didn't notice when I did a walk around this morning.

I'm waiting to hear back from the insurance adjuster. Updates to follow..

 

Was your Tesla AI system in control?

 

Ha! It probably would have made me turn into the McDonald's on the corner since I was starving

 

Just glad you weren't hurt. Everything is replaceable except for your health and life!

 

I wouldn't put too much stock in that statement, I'm sure he said based it on description and no airbag deployment. He probably said it sounds fixable (not a total) obviously it means nothing until it is looked at in depth.

Oops...did not read all posts, the bodyshop has looked at it.

 

The body panels, headlight bucket and hood are easily replaced (a couple of hours at most). The inner fender, if damaged, is a bit more worrisome, as it is glued in place at the factory and can be a bit of a pain. Of course you'll need someone that can match the paint.

front fender around $350
Hood up to $1000
Front bumper cover $500+
Headlight bucket and cover around $350-500
Inner fender $350 (if needed)

 

The verdict is in...total loss. Repair cost rose to $8K-$9K with the potential of another $1.5K-$2.5K. The estimator valued the car at $10,600 but with the high cost of repairs, the threshold was surpassed.

I should be hearing from the insurance company on Monday to find out more about what happens now. The estimator did mention since I have title in hand, the option to buy back the car is available. I'm still weighing on whether I should buy it and part it out. How hard is it to do something like that?

I'll admit, I was disappointed when I got the call. Being my first Vette, there was a little bit of sentimental value attached and I was hoping the damage wasn't major. But overall, I am glad no one was hurt in this accident. Especially me!

 

Ah that's a bummer man. Parting out isn't a terrible task, but it can and will take some know how, time and effort. BUT, if they offer to let you buy the car back for a cheap enough price, you could come out WELL ahead of just letting them pay you for the car and that's that.

 

That's what I was thinking. I'm fairly mechanical inclined, but I've never pulled an engine, dropped a transmission or anything of that sort

 

I would look into hiring an independent adjustor to handle the value of the car, unless you know for sure you can replace the ride exactly, for the money offered, in your area, no sweat.

Don't let them low ball you with check that will not cover all the expenses, the primary principle of insurance is that you are restored without loss, same position as before the claim, not almost as good a car, or repaired with phony parts, as one poster suggested would be an outcome. Insurers know this principle well, it is what you are buying when you send the money in and why there are regulations about the return on payment.

I only mentioned this because I had a sport RX7 and was offered loss payment for a base model, which were cheap as dirt on the ground at the time, while my loss had many factory upgrades and was always a rare bird. It was about a ten thousand dollar swing once the facts got straight. In my state, there were distance restrictions for comp values. .and the offer to settle rejection had to be phrased in a way to object to the money offered without refusing a settlement. A pro adjuster helped me with this stuff, it was a great favor.

I regret that I can't be more positive about you ambitions toward salvage repair. Any jackass can fit a nut on a bolt and it looks and functions like a factory original, body work is a different deal . But the main thing is who is doing the work, you might have an undiscovered talent.

 

I hear what you're saying, strand rider. What I paid for the Vette vs ACV the insurance co gave, I'm making a little extra.

When I talked with the appraiser, he was actually very surprised at the condition of the vehicle since it's a '98 base model with over 155K on the clock. I was initially concerned they'd low ball me in the $8K range and was prepared to argue, pre-accident, I could've sold the Vette for $10K easy.

I'm not planning on repairing the Vette if I buy it back. I was thinking of parting it out, but I don't have deep mechanical skills on pulling engines, etc. When I was a little boy, my father always had me help him work on his '86 Olds Cutlass Supreme, explaining what he was doing. Because of that, I have no issues with working on a car. Thanks Dad!! Another factor may be time. Being military, the possibility of deploying, moving to a new base, etc can pop up anytime and having an inoperable Vette sitting in my garage could end up being a PITA.

 

Thanks for your service and hope all ends well... be safe