Anyone had any experience with sections of frame rail being replaced after a crash?

I am just about to get the final estimate and authorize the repairs, but I'm concerned about track days/DE events afterward. Any reassurance from others who've been there would help.

Here's a few pics on a web page I threw together, but since they came from my phone cam, they aren't very high res. The background of the web page is a before picture.

I wasn't wearing my 6-point Simpson harness, but my factory shoulder belt relocated onto my hardbar resulted in ZERO shoulder or neck pain despite the face full of airbag I got.

BTW, not my fault, he got a wave-through for his left turn from the three lanes of backed up traffic and appeared from between cars in my 4th lane that was clear (or so I thought) up to where it becomes RT-only at the light - I was doing ~45-50.

http://web.rollins.edu/~jspitzer/crash.htm

 

Hmmmm Similar thing happened to me. Broke the front pass. frame impact bar clean off. They told me they could repair it, but I do not think I ever would have felt secure. JIMHO. I had the car totaled and got another one.

 

I'm curious, who was your Ins. Co. and how did you get them to decide it was totaled? Geico (my Co.) says they don't total them until the repair reaches 70% of value, and the estimator said so far he's only up to $9000. The other driver's Ins. Co. is a bit less well known (it's based in Puerto Rico), but it seems it's them I'd really need to convince, if convincing's to be done, and I'm hindered by my lack of spanish skills in dealing with them.

If it did get totaled, it'd save me making payments while on crutches and unable to drive , but trying to get a GMS deal on a C6 is impossible and finding another 2004 CE 6-spd Coupe is getting tougher every day.

Also, my brother works for GM Racing and asked someone he says knows, and he assured me the car would be fine with the pre-defined cutoff points and replacement rails that are available. I trust his judgement, since he's spent his working life around race shops and pieced more than a few cars back together, but still...

 

Glad you came out of it with only the broken foot. It could have been much worse.

I don't think your any where near close to getting it totaled being a 2004 and all. I would make sure to get the work done by someone who has done major work on vettes before. this in it self will save you some headaches down the road.

You may also want to get it fixed and sell it. Then pick up on some the deals that can be had now
Good luck

 

The new GM hydroform frame rails are ok to replace unlike older style conventional frame rails.Repairs should be fine as long as the shop that is done the repairs is one that you trust and has a good reputation.Oh by the way,it is a time consuming job!GOOD LUCK!

 

Good news is that it's a SmartLease, so after that's done I should be able to snag a GMS deal on a C6.

As for the crash and my coming out with only a broken brake-pedal foot - you're right that I was very lucky. Both my C5's (had an M6 2001 cpe til last Feb) have always impressed me with their performance, and I've done DE events at Roebling Rd. and on the Sebring long course, but they never impressed me more than the '04 did in those 10 seconds or so. The corner I hit him with (LF) was the same one that took out the streetlight with no crush zone left, and the ditch I ended up in was twice as wide as the car and deep enough that a board laid across wouldn't have touched the car. Having the low Cg of the C5 meant I slid down to the bottom even as I thumped over the streetlight base, and damn near ANYTHING else would've left me on my head with a crushed roof, or worse.

It was still running, but since the front end damage broke the intake cowl off the throttle body and left nothing moving past the MAF, it was idling a bit rough when I shut it off.

I did hop around on my broken foot long enough to salvage my fuel rail cover with Ollie G., Johnny O., Ron F., and Andy P.'s signatures on it, though!!

 

Make sure you get compensated for reduced vehicle value as the repair with show in the car history and make it harder to sell later.

 

I have completed major frame surgery on 8 different C5's. I have track raced, drag raced and auto-X'd all of them with no problem. The GM manuals provide detailed geometry and position information and the replacement frame section can be installed exactly the same as the original. The manuals also give detailed instruction on frame splicing procedures. The great thing about the hydro formed frame is you only need to cut out the bad part and weld in a new section. Also, you can buy any frame section you need from GM...
You still need an experienced shop to do the work correctly.
Shirl
SDRE

 

Its a good thing that this is a lease (for you), because how would you sell this afterwards if that shows up on Carfax. I dont know what to do if that ever happens to me. Not every insurance company is willing to cough up for the reduced resale value.

 

I'm curious.... What's a GMS deal? And how do you get compensated for reduced vehicle sale?

 

Just say "NO!" and, total it. There are far too many Vettes available to trust repairs of such a critical area, IMHO.

All the best.

 

I had the same thing happen. Guy waved thru on a left hand turn - me coming up the right hand lane and I smacked a 1988 chev 4 door at 45 mph. His fault. The repair cost 20 k. They replaced both front frame rails to halfway under doors. I was amazed his insurance didn't right off the car. Anyway the repair shop who are Corvette specialists told me not to worry they've fixed worse. My 99 pewter hardtop was completely stripped to the frame, rebuilt with new parts and is absolutely perfect. I've never had a problem because of it, no sqeaks, tirewear or fitup issues. The repair shop told me Vettes are the easiest cars to fix and they proved it to me. I'm a quality engineer in manufacturing so I know when its right. Good luck!!
By the way my air bags didn't deploy!!!

 

GMS is the price for a family member of a GM employee. My brother is the program manager for the Caddy CTS-V Speed WCGT program.

I expect my lawyer will be making the reduced value part of the settlement we seek from his ins. co., since I assume at lease end GMAC isn't going to think it's worth the previously-determined residual value.

Regardless of whether I track it again, and I've been assured that'll be ok to do, I'll also be making the case that it just isn't the same anymore seeing as how it's the last of a generation, commemorative edition, etc. - basically anything I can do to make sure I don't get stung at lease end.

As an aside, my brother called me last night to tell me he got to spend a weekend in a captured test vehicle C6 coupe, and drove it from Detroit to Chicago and back as well as around Det. He was absolutely GUSHING about the C6!! Can't wait 'til my lease is up and I can find a sweet deal on one. Maybe by '08 there'll even be paddle shifters for the M6 coupe w/Z51!!

 

My front impact bar was replaced after an accident the bent both frame rails a couple inches to the right from a left front impact. Car is fine and no issues thus far.

 

Thanks to all for your kind reassurances. I just signed and faxed the authorization for repair. Total came to $10,166 so far

Looks like only one front frame rail and a panel brace under the frame heading, but time will tell as teardown is completed. I'm confident this shop knows what they're doing and will use all OEM parts, and can measure and weld ok. I was referred there by the dealer, and the Mgr. said he's done ones worse than mine before w/no problem.

His estimate is 30 days , which I realize may be a pipe dream, but if so it would be right about the same day the cast comes off my R foot, and I can't think of a better way to rehab than accelerating and braking.

 

Right on. The car will be as safe as new.

Be carefull though to NOT let your insurance company know you run on any track or in any event, road OR drag. They will non-renew you. Even though they do not offer coverage if you damage it in a sanctioned race on a track, and no risk exist's for them....they have the logic that if you do "legal" racing they think you are reckless at heart and do not want to insure you. We all know this is the furthest from the truth since most sanctioned racers are against any street racing, but insurance companies have never had "common sense", have they? (we were just non-renewed from Progressive.)

 

Me??? "Race"??? - why, goodness no, those 6-point Simpsons and the hardbar are just for show, Mr. Geico Man.

Besides, the hardbar helps keep groceries or other packages from flying forward in quick stops.

I will likely buy DE Insurance if I go back to the track (the co. name escapes me at the moment). I don't do any street or drag racing, only road course DE events and AutoX.

 

when my 1st Z06 messed up the rail they totalled it

THANK GOD

 

Some more info for you.http://www.i-car.com/html_pages/abou...04/091304.html