Ok, I got in an accident this morning. My debate is to make a claim on the insurance or pay out of pocket. My deductible is a whopping $1,000. If I do all the work myself, with used/near new parts (hopefully junk yard parts), what's in my pockets' best interest?

Definitely need replacing:
Hood
Headlights
Front Bumper
Windshield
Cross member support
Grill
Hood latch

Maybe's:
Fog lights
Radiator and radiator hoses
Hood supports

What do ya guys think?

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/1...9948122691.jpg

 

That's definitely over $1k in damage...did you hit someone else? If so, you're gonna be using your insurance anyway.

 

go through that insurance.

 

If you don't really want to go through insurance, you can always go to local junkyard to find those parts. Its going to be time consuming and you probably need a paint job afterwards too.

 

that sucks man, but def enough damage to justify paying the 1000 deduct

 

i say if you can afford it you pay for it out of pocket because with an accident on your record you will pay a lot more for it in increased deductibles. If you are going to do the work yourself i bet you can do it for under $1k if you are going to find junk yard parts.

 

I think you need to provide more pictures...what's the gap with the fender's to the door? Is there any damage to the windshield pillars or roof? What other mechanical damage can you see under that hood?

Replacing fenders isn't going to work until you straighten/replace the underlying supports that hold them. That requires some precision measurements or your hood/fenders/header and bumper won't line up. You need more then a pull hammer to reverse damage to those supports. You may also have to weld in radiator supports...

Bottom line, you'll still want a shop to get most of this done for you, so you have to factor in their labor costs, with used parts costs. Go get an estimate at an independent body shop, see what they come up with. Of course, you're not drivable, so that's going to be an issue as well.

It's a 2001, why not just file the claim, and hope it totals out? Get a little spending cash and buy a newer car.

 

Oh, i just realized you didn't include fenders in the damaged parts list. So I'm guessing there's no damage? Things aren't as bad as I thought. Maybe it's possible. Just remember the supports for the radiator are going to be tricky.

 

I had similar damage on my 01 after hitting a deer the total cost of repair came out to 3500

 

well I some may say im wrong but I'd like to be proven wrong. If you file this under your insurance and they come take a look at it, no matter what he says if that windshield is cracked due to the wreck it will be totalled - why you ask, thats because they don't know if the framework holding the windshield is bent or ok so to keep from constant back and forth trips to the repair shop because of leaks from the framework they will total the car. Its sad I know but hey if you want too buy it back from the insurance company and fix it, this will most likely be the best money saver of the deal!!! But hey what do I know I've only had 3 wrecks and a friend with the tow truck company so I hear a lot of their stories too.

But my advise bottom line is to file the claim, sorry.

 

Thanks for all of the the responses everyone. Yes, there is a crack in the windshield now also. And I don't see a gap between the fender and the door..?? The claims adjuster is coming out between tomorrow and Friday to look at it. Should I also go a get my own estimate? I've never been in a major accident before. And should I take out my subwoofer/system/head unit before the adjuster comes? I didn't have it covered under the insurance, and therefore if they total it, that stuff is still mine.

 

i say file the claim...saves more time...some of those parts will take time and time to find plus the paint work needed...its much easier...although in the long run rate will go up...

 

Depending on how high the estimate turns out to be, if your air bag(s) did not deploy you might have a good chance of getting your car repaired instead of totalled by the insurance company.
Edit: I also agree on letting the insurance company handle it. In my opinion, that's why we pay to have coverage in the first place.

 

Somebody's been pulling your chain then. Just because the windshield is cracked, they won't total the car. It can all be fixed within reason. What totals out a car is a comparison between the overall cost of the repair with the current value of the car. If you exceed a certain maximum percentage of that value, they total the car. Windshields crack all the time, but they replace the seal under them when they replace the glass, so there shouldn't be leaks, and even minor stress from the car shouldn't crack the glass again.

 

They won't take the car until you sign off on it. It will probably take several days for them to decide if this car is totaled. The value of the car is still around what, $5000 at best guess? I'd think your damage is just below $3000 with new parts, so you're in a funny place where they will probably save money repairing the car, and that's probably what they will want to do.

Then you take the check from the insurance (minus the $1000 ded), and go find a shop willing to put this thing back together with used parts. The idea is you want your out of pocket to be discounted, so be sure you get the estimate from the insurance with brand new parts. Shops all around town will work with you on saving you some if not all of that deductable.

 

i also had a similar accident a couple weeks ago. the estimate came out to be 3700. i just ordered all the parts online. total is around 1400 dollars.

 

and save the extra money to pay off your higher premium for the next 5 yrs

 

So did you have any issues with the radiator support?

 

I buy and sell alot of used cars (wrecked, salvage and so on...) i'm a dealer.

All your car needs is the following:
hood
headlights
f.bumper cover
grille.
ac condensor (maybe; see if you still have freon and or turn the ac on)
radiator (maybe; see if you have a leak)

The core support can be pulled; if you need help sourcing the parts pm me as I am local and get them at a great deal as they will be aftermarket (and I have wholesale accts w/all the local body shop supply places); even if you want 02-03 headlights.

 

dibs on the G35 wheels..

 

when i wrecked my car it didnt look as servere as yours, but my airbags deployed. I needed airbags, hood, headlights, bumper, rad support and radiator and the total was $8500. Minus about $2500 for the airbags it comes out to $6000 for similar damage. I would say yours is $4000 minimum. Depending on the body shop. I say they total it.

 

Some insurance companies force body shops to use reconditioned parts, junk yard parts or aftermarket parts instead of new parts. My car was rebuilt with repainted junk yard parts for the external body. Underneath, I have a brand new bumper, etc for items which mattered.

 

I rearended an e-class back in 2005 (the e-class with the rear chrome bumper), and had similar damage. Didn't do anything to the e-class!

I believe the repair bill came to just under $4k - and that was with non-OEM parts. My deductible was either $500 or $100, so I was glad to pay it. And, my insurance actually went down the following quarter - good to have been a loyal customer for 9 years and have that accident forgiveness on your policy!

Best part was the repair shop was done in less than a week....and insurance covered the rental car.

Your best bet is to get a couple of estimates and see what it's going to cost. I know the resale on these cars aren't that great, so there's a chance the insurance company will total it. If so, they'd take the deductible out before cutting you the check....so you'll pay it either way!

 

Found my paperwork for my repair. Now if only I could find the pictures!

Correction to my previous post:

Total only came to $2200. Major parts were:

bumper cover - $162
Grille - $145
Hood - $297

12 hours labor @ $40/hr
13 hours paint @ $60/hr

 

those are 350z wheels...

 

yes. the upper tie bar,headlamp frame and center support are bent. so, i ordered the entire assembly from rockauto. it costs about 60 dollars.

 

Ask knight_yyz who managed to have a dear impact the front end of his can last fall, took out the hood driver side lighting and smashed all the wiring harness's rad support front driver head lamp .. all in all his insurance wanted to right off the car ... he fought with them and they did do the repair after all with parts from a doner front end all said and done was around 8,000 bucks ... so I would say dig deep and find your deductible 1,000 bucks

 

 

that is a lot of work to fix... go through insurance for sure.

 

Man that sucks. I think you should go through your insurance. If the list above is what you think you need now, once you get the parts and tear the front end apart, you'll likely end up finding more stuff busted (front suspension parts, etc). And what about frame damage?

 

Damn bro, that looks like it's gonna be more than 1k. My accord got into a accident hitten the rear quarter, door and bumper that was 3,800. I'd say go through insurance.

 

You have mentioned the Rad & hoses ... you can most likely add the full Rad support as not only do they rust out over time they sure can't with stand any front impact

 

Cool. Thanks for all the help. I'm just waiting on a PM from vntperformance so I can find a good body shop that gives realistic or even a slightly generous quote. Anyone know of any in Metro DC/MD/VA area?

 

YGPM!

 

If Allstate's covering the tab, would I be better off with a good body shop, or a dealership doing the estimate and/or repair?

 

I think they will send an estimator to your house or ask you to drive your car to one of their location for estimate. Where in MD do you live at?

 

Fort Washington, MD....and yea, the allstate rep clarified that for me...they're towing it to get it on a lift and have their estimator look at it

 

Most dealerships will sub contract the work to a body shop. You are better off finding a reputable body shop. Allstate may have a list of preferred body shops they use. If you use a preferred body shop, its usually easier as they probably have a working relationship with Allstate. All insurance companies differ from one another on what parts can be used to fix the car, etc. If the body shop knows this, then things will get done quicker.

 

back on the road, yet?

 

ouch... sorry man... hopefully you get it squared away.. but i would def pay the 1000... they can get things new and new paint and everything.. it'll be worth it in the end. plus you really dont know what else could be wrong. they would fix it