So my vette was hit in the rear on the rim by a SUV at 35mph. Rear panel is cracked/spilt and rim is sitting sideways. Is the insurance goning to fix or write off? What should I be looking out for? Who is the best at repair vettes?? Body etc? I don't want to drop it off to just anybody. I really don't want it anymore cause it was hit pretty hard and they seem to never drive the same again. Iam still in bad pain and every time I see the car it hurts worse.


Your ideas, recommendations, advice?

 

Wait to hear what the insurance company has to say and then review your options at that time. By then you will have had more time to think about it.

Good luck.

 

Easier said then done when you walk into your garage to see this!!! I don't know what hurts worse the vette or my aching back/neck!!!

 

Did the other driver have insurance? Usually, a driver that hits a car from the rear will be considered to be at fault so his/her insurance will be on the hook for repairs.

Their insurance company may try to lowball the repairs to your car and push hard to take it to a shop that they want. WA state law allows you to go to the body shop of your choice and you are not required to get multiple estimates.

You should contact your insurance company so they know what's going on. Give them a copy of the police accident report. If the other guy's insurance company doesn't want to pay for the total amount or argue about who does the work, you may have to use your insurance. Your company will then go after the other insurance company.

 

It's her fault as she ran a red light as she fixed her son in his seat as she drove thru the intersection and struck my vehicle. I had a green light and was on my way to get my sons birthday cake as it was his first birthday. I spent most of last night in the ER as my back/neck is killing me!!

If its not totaled I want the best for my vette and that seems to be corvette of auburn!! Iam in 2hrs away that's the down side but I will not take bobs auto repair as an option. I want this vette to handle like it should and don't want have to think is it still a safe car to drive. I want complete peace of mind!!

 

Thank God you're ok man, im happy for you. I just saw a town car turn on a red and get smashed by a pregnant woman in a malibu on hwy 9 by Lake Stevens.
Your car will be taken care of. I know its your love, I couldn't imagine but maybe you'll pull something GOOD out of this, not just the muscles in your back..... New vette maybe??
Oh and happy 1st bday to your baby!

 

Thanks fruitay.... Oddly enough the lady that hit me was 6months pregnant to make things worse a high risk pregnancy. I wanted to be mad at her but couldn't, life is more vable and not replaceable as car is!!! tuff to say that as my vette sits unable to drive, but its true. just so glad it wasn't some kid in his pimped out ride!! LoL

 

Glad that you are OK for that is THE most important thing.

Now, relax your vette is far from totaled. Many people will recommend Corvettes of Auburn to you and they do excellent work.

I will also recommend to you a shop that is more local to you. Professional Collision of Mukilteo. I recommend them with absolutely no reservations as they have worked on both of my vettes and I am very happy with the results. When you go there ask for Dylan Van Avery he is the general manager. You can certainly tell them that I sent you there. As I've said they have worked on both my Green 95 and my Blue 04.

First, it certainly doesn't hurt to take your car to any professional collision shop for an estimate. They will all give you a free estimate and frankly .... they all use the same software to generate your estimate.

Second, most insurance companies work with particular shops and if you take your car to one of those shop ... the insurance company will then guarantee the quality of the repair for as long as your own your car.

Generally if you choose to go to a different shop to have the repair done ... the insurance company gives YOU a check to get the work done.... however the shop itself if it is reputable will guarantee the quality of the repair for as long as you own the car.

Best of luck and let us know how it turns out

 

Looks like a fairly simple fix. A fender, rear bumper cover, a rim, misc and some paint. I saw a thread quite a while back from a member who had a black C5 and had repairs made by McLeods Auto Body in Kirkland. He swears by them and was very happy. By the way, did you ever get your air coupler? I still have them. I can also refer you to a place on-line to purchase them in black, blue or red.

 

The rim is not bent its just sits at a slight angle. My big concern is with frame damage you never get them to drive the same? True or not? You get a light shake at high speeds or cornering is not the same?

Any chance the tranny is misaligned? Shifted? It shifts ruff...

I guess it's just a matter of waiting for the claims adjuster to come out on Tuesday.... It's killing me not knowing what's wrong!! Or Monday having a shop look at it.

I got a coupler online 2000vetteguy... Thanks for offering me a hand.... Just never made it down your way.

 

Sorry for your trouble. I don't think your car is anywhere near being totaled.

First thing to do............

Call Charlie at Classic Car Couriers (206-778-0902) and have him take your car to Corvettes of Auburn. Charlie routinely transports Exotics on his low-rise flatbed and is well versed in all aspects of getting your special car securely delivered. And he's very affordable.

In my case the at-fault party's insurance paid for this without any argument.

C of A will have the frame repaired by Hinshaws Honda in Auburn. They have the latest/best equipment and technicians.

My insurance paid for everything up front to keep things moving forward with no delay, and the at-fault insurance paid off when the repair was done. This included a complete alignment and corner balancing. Omni, in Kirkland is a highly recommended shop for this.

They also owe you for loss of use of your car. If you don't need a rental car, a cash payout will be made.

They are also responsible for paying all your medical bills, reimbursing you for lost wages and compensating you for pain and suffering.

Just as you choose your own doctors, you are entitled to have anyone you choose do the repair. Everybody, including the insurance adjusters use the same book/scale when estimating a repair. You do not have to accept non-OEM parts which is a way some insurance companies reduce their rates.

And, you can file a Diminished Value Claim. Since your car has been in an accident, and especially if there is any frame damage no matter how minor, there will be a stigma attached and the car's worth is reduced. Also, unfortunately, no GM Dealer will now take it as a trade-in. You are entitled to be made whole again, plain and simple.

I used AutoLoss.com to file my 3rd party Diminished Value Claim and ended up settling for an additional $4500 over the $11K in repairs.

There may be other competent repair shops around, but IMHO Corvettes of Auburn is the best, and they have done a lot of work on my car over several years time. Definitely worth travelling the extra distance in your case.

Good Luck.

 

Thanks, this is very informational and will help me along the way..... Do they generally blend the paint in or a complete repaint.... I don't want it to look like crap with 12yr paint and the other half new....how is yours look? Or just reclear the whole car?

 

Most cars are totalled when the cost to repair exceeds 50% (State Farm says 35%) of the cost to replace the car.

Get an lawyer, no joke. You ARE hurt, and the insurance company will try to call you on Monday morning to "record your statement" - politely say no, not until you talk to an attorney. The nice lady on the other end of the phone may try to sweet talk you into giving a "statement off the record"... just say no. No one likes saying no, but just say no.

Next they say "they need to investigate" and they won't authorize a rental car or repairs to your car until it is complete.

Thus, call your insurance company - and have them get the initial claim going (this really pisses me off to say that - I think it's absolutely wrong when fault is clear).

Finally, and I'll say it in Caps. GO TO EVERY APPOINTMENT YOU NEED TO GO TO TO GET HEALED!!!! I don't care what you think of physical therapy, go to them - settlement amounts depend on the cost of medial treatment - so pain and suffering payments are a multiplier of that. A fair settlement is 4x meds, a good settlement is 7x... and unrepresented settlement.... is generally 1x... not to mention that what they pay for a totaled depends directly on what they think they can get away with.

I guess I should give some credentials here. I am an attorney, who did insurance claims on both sides. I don't do them now, so don't ask... I'm not interested.... but you do need an attorney, even at 45% contingency, you'll likely walk away with 2-4x more money than you would on your own.

 

The repair estimate will include blending the paint into the surrounding panels.

I had them paint the new panels and then determine if blending was needed.

I went through this twice, once with the rear end wide body mod, and again last summer with the front end repair/ZR1 mod.

In both cases the paint match was so close that blending was not necessary. Fortunately for me, Victory Red is a relatively easy color to match.

Beautiful paint work is a strong point with Corvettes of Auburn and they do an excellent job matching the OEM orange peel in the clear coat.

With new body panels and a well-executed paint job, you won't even be able to tell any damage was done.

Heed the wise advice above concerning your medical issues. The car's repair is a known quantity/solution, however, your medical discomfort could linger for quite a long time.

 

I talked to the owner of corvettes of auburn today really good guy. Said he would take care of everything just drop off the vette.