Got hit by a crazy man!
 

Hello all, unfortunately, I was hit driving home from work. I'm planning on keeping the car, however I'm trying to determine the severity of the damage. I honestly believe I can source mag red body panels and put them on myself. Insurance has offered to buy the car, but its too nice! After much back and forth, they are also willing to cut a check for the repairs. The body shop thinks the car only needs an alignment.
I was hit by a motorcyclist doing a wheelie at a high rate of speed, he obviously didn't see me. I didn't see him b/c it was the dead of night on a tree lined road with no lights, his light was pointed up....
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...468b920f66.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...12c5665107.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...911c3f7d41.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...e4edf107e9.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...d4c0477775.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...0d012a7434.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...46fdd007bd.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...f0e14f350f.jpg

I meant to say "only needs an alignment, mechanically speaking".
If you zoom up on the first pic, you can see the wheel is not straight. Wouldn't this need more than an alignment? Lower control arm? Any thing else?

thanks fellas

Wow! That cycle did a number on that car!

That seems like an awful amount of damage done by a motorcycle. Did you swerve and hit something else?

Depending on the amount from the insurance company, that might be the easiest/safest way to go. Make sure it is enough to buy a replacement that is better that what you had.

That will buff right out. Not. Crazy man indeed to be riding wheelies at night. Oh wait, I did that once. Drunk out of my gourd leaving a bachelor party, pulled a big wheelie and didn't put it down until it was too late to make a turn. Fortunately not going too fast, just 1st gear. Ran off the road into a yard and tipped over. Picked it up and got it going again, turfed up the yard a bit getting out of the ditch. Had to stop and adjust the headlight pointing up into the trees. When back the next day and retrieved a mirror and flask.

Agree if you can get a new, uncrashed Vette out of the insurance settlement that is better than having a repaired one any day.

If it were me, I'd evaluate the buyout carefully, against what it would take to rebuild it. These cars are not rare. Right now there are a couple of thousand C6s for sale nation wide. You'll find this same base model, same color, maybe even a newer year, same color, maybe even lower mileage. This could make more $ense, and get you back in a Corvette much sooner than a rebuild strategy.

If you could get full value (in your mind) for the car from the insurance company, I'd certainly do it. Buy another car just like, if you want. The reason is 1 day you'll want to sell it, trade it in, or whatever. CARFAX, and AUTOCHECK will crucify the car. It'll say, "moderate damage", "airbags deployed", "towed from the scene", etc. There goes about 25% (or more) of your resale value, or trade in value. Think of it this way. If you were shopping for a car (any car, van, truck, etc), and you see 2 identical vehicles that are priced the same, except 1 of them has an accident reported, has had moderate, or severe prior damage, etc. Which vehicle would you logically choose? Of course, the 1 without the bad history.. If you did like the 1 that was prior damaged for some reason, you'd certainly want a significant price reduction in order to be enticed to buy it. I'm in the business, and see this all the time. There are companies that specialize in what's called "diminished" value, in relation to insurance claims,resale value, etc, if you choose to keep it. I can put you in touch with a company I know about, if you choose to keep the car.

:iagree:

ok, you guys make sense but didn't hear the whole story. If I take the money, I will not get another vette. My wife wants to do repairs on the home. My plan is to take the 13k to fix, and spend only 3, still having a car and 10k

buyout is 21k, I paid 22 almost 3 years ago- its cherry, was anyway. Garage kept, one owner, no history, its an 05 w 38k

The bad Carfax (history) will haunt the car forever, and thus affect the value. If you do choose to keep it, I'd ask my insurance company for the extra settlement amount for the "diminished value". Every insurance company knows, and will understand what you are talking about when you mention those 2 words, I guarantee it.

Well , it sounds like you are against a wall with that story. I was agreeing with everyone else, to get another......Sorry for you.....gotta do what you gotta do

also sounds good but this was the second increase from the body shop. They are willing to cut a check for 13 but that's it, they will not go any further. I found the hatch with the glass on it in mag red, very nice, also with the halo for 500 bucks. Should be able to find quarter for 400 ish, 1000 for door, 400 ish for fender...

again, if I take the money for a buy out, ill be driving an accord or something like that from now on!

Have the insurance company line up the purchase for you, keep your wife out of it. Let them track down an appropriate car of exact value so that your only out of pocket costs are your deductible then buy the car back and part it out.

For the rear wheel....besides the wheel, you may need (but won't know until you have it in the air and can look)...
- Lower and/or upper control arms
- Sway bar and/or sway bar end links
- Tie rod
- Shock

Also be sure to check the little stuff....upper shock mount bracket, sway bar bracket on the rear cradle, etc.

A worse case scenario is if the bend is because the upper control arm twisted and bent the attach points on the frame rail.

If only one or two of the initial items are required and you're doing the work yourself, you should be in the $7k range by the time it's done.....assuming you find good matching panels. You'll also want to research what needs to be done to reset the airbag system. I seem to recall that once it's fired, it's more than just an airbag that needs to be replaced.

Good luck with your build and if possible, share pics of the progress. Everyone always likes to see a car returned to service :)

Now for the important question, how is the guy riding the bike?

That's quite a bit higher than the $3K he was initially thinking....let's hope it's a worst-case scenario and doesn't come to pass. But if it does, or any part of it, you'll be "saving" less than the $13K - whatever it costs, and your wife will be all over that. So, don't go spending any of the money on the house UNTIL you finish the Vette (or you may have one of those pieces of "lawn art" out in the north forty that's incomplete or doesn't run).

Hopefully he broke his neck and will never walk again!

He's riding it pretty badly, I'd say......