Crash :( And write off value?

Sandspider · Apr 8, 2009

Hi all.

Bad news I'm afraid, I was crashed into on Saturday :-(. Luckily, both I and the chap who crashed into me are OK, but my insurer (Direct Line) are saying it'll cost around £2500 to fix the damage. (Front lefthand wing is beyond repair - I had to pull the dent out so I could turn the front wheels - and there are scrapes and dents all down the lefthand side).

The inspector asked me what the market value of the car was as he had no idea, and I said around £2500. (D reg Lux, only 78,000 miles, the best condition of all the Luxes I viewed over a year). Do you all think this is a reasonable valuation? (I didn't get an agreed value policy as I didn't think it was worth it with a car this old and that's not really worth that much) The inspector offered me £1800 in lieu of them actually fixing the damage, which would mean the car wouldn't be officially listed as damaged, and wouldn't require inspection after the repairs, just to pass a new MOT. I'm just awaiting a quote from the bodyshop now with all my digits crossed.

So, what I'm wondering is, do you think £2500 is a fair value for the car? Does anyone have an idea what the car may be worth in current condition? (All damage seems to me to be only cosmetic, engine still runs fine, car still drives straight and true, and apart from the left hand side it's all in good shape!) Does anyone have any suggestions as to who may be able to do a decent bodywork fix in the Bristol region without my having to pay ridiculous prices? (The quote I'm awaiting is from a company called Brin Thomas who are Porsche and Mercedes bodywork repairers of choice, and therefore good, but I fear pricey...)

Bugger bugger bugger! :-(

Giles

John Sims · Apr 8, 2009

It is impossible to tell without really seeing the car. Only you will know if you could replace the car for £2.5K.

If the damage extends the whole length of the car and the front wing is irreparable I would doubt you could have it repaired to the highest of standards for £1.8K

I think I would go with them fixing the damage, the car is of such relatively small value that any record would have little bearing on a subsequent resale. You will have more leverage if you are unhappy with the repair. He isn't trying to give you £1.8K to do you a favour remember.

964RS · Apr 8, 2009

Speaking from a very similar experience Giles I would accept the money - if it's in cash, then sell the car without repairing it for what you can get, and buy another straight car that doesn't need the repairs. Let someone else have the bother of repairs and run a car that has been damaged. After all: if your car was worth £2,500 (straight) then you would only have to add £700 to get a replacement vehicle. [

]

I took the cash but spent it on repairs. The repairs were not as good as expected. The car was a repaired car and I had to explain that the next buyer. I had to live with the memory of the damage and the process of repairs. Now I have wised up!

Sandspider · Apr 8, 2009

ORIGINAL: John Sims

It is impossible to tell without really seeing the car. Only you will know if you could replace the car for £2.5K.

If the damage extends the whole length of the car and the front wing is irreparable I would doubt you could have it repaired to the highest of standards for £1.8K

I think I would go with them fixing the damage, the car is of such relatively small value that any record would have little bearing on a subsequent resale. You will have more leverage if you are unhappy with the repair. He isn't trying to give you £1.8K to do you a favour remember.

Thanks John. But I think he was saying the repairs are so pricey the car is a write off, unless I take the £1800. (He did seem keen to get me to take the cash, presumably as they're funding a hire car for me in the meantime!) He has now suggested an alternate body shop (good service, but not Porsche approved so should be better value!) which I'm trying to get a quote from...

Sandspider · Apr 8, 2009

ORIGINAL: 964RS

Speaking from a very similar experience Giles I would accept the money - if it's in cash, then sell the car without repairing it for what you can get, and buy another straight car that doesn't need the repairs. Let someone else have the bother of repairs and run a car that has been damaged. After all: if your car was worth £2,500 (straight) then you would only have to add £700 to get a replacement vehicle. []

I took the cash but spent it on repairs. The repairs were not as good as expected. The car was a repaired car and I had to explain that the next buyer. I had to live with the memory of the damage and the process of repairs. Now I have wised up!

Thanks Paul. That was originally what I was going to do, as I thought actual repairs wouldn't be more than around £1200. It looks as if this won't be the case, and I do rather fancy an S2! (Or possibly a 968, though I'm aware that I might be shunned on this forum if I did so!) Know what you mean about running a damaged car, but this was the best I saw by a long way, and I spent a long time looking - I think I'd struggle to find another Lux in similar condition, or a similar S2 anywhere near this price! Fingers crossed for the latest round of repair quotes...

Giles

pauljmcnulty · Apr 8, 2009

this was the best I saw by a long way, and I spent a long time looking - I think I'd struggle to find another Lux in similar condition, or a similar S2 anywhere near this price! Fingers crossed for the latest round of repair quotes...

Sorry to hear this. I'd consider looking at it another way. [8|]

Most Luxes are getting to the point where they will be needing £1800 spending on bodywork and paint anyway, with sills, odd little rusty patches and stonechips. If yours is a solid rust-free car with decent mechanicals and a tidy interior then why not have it repaired and not have to risk buying something else. As we always say you'll need to spend £1K in the first year on a new Lux you'd be better off with the devil you know in some ways.

944 man · Apr 8, 2009

Id also suggest joining the club, as Paul will be able to help you to establish a realistic value for the car.

pauly · Apr 8, 2009

Repairs on old cars can be tricky, if it's an excellent job it can show up the rest of the car, if it's not the car could end up being worth peanuts, personally I'd look towards an S2 starting around £4k and up.

Sandspider · Apr 8, 2009

Thanks all.

First quote (from the Porsche recommended (££££) repairer wasn't too horrendous, and basically he said he'd do his best to work within my budget. Apparently, if damage to a car is near to it's market value (borderline is the official Porsche term) then Porsche will supply parts (in this case a front wing) for reduced prices - so the wing would cost around £400 for my fix when list price is around £800, apparently. (Seems quite high - anyone paid similar for their parts?)

Total quote was £1600 - £1800 depending on time taken to take bits off and put bits on - this includes new wing, pulling out various dents in the side and respraying one side of the car. And assuming the other quotes come in cheaper, then the old girl may survive a while longer yet. Fingers crossed...
(I'd still be interested in an S2 in the future, but am just nearing completion on a house too and don't have much time to look at cars).

One final thing I noticed - my courtesy car is a Vauxhall insignia. I imagine they're pretty expensive, and it's nearly brand new & a nice shape, but my old 944 is a) Prettier b) Much more fun to drive c) Faster d) More comfortable and e) Gets nearly the same fuel consumption as a modern 1.8l car! Impressive.

Giles

John Sims · Apr 9, 2009

ORIGINAL: Sandspider

.........quote (from the Porsche recommended (££££) repairer wasn't too horrendous, and basically he said he'd do his best to work within my budget. Apparently, if damage to a car is near to it's market value (borderline is the official Porsche term) then Porsche will supply parts (in this case a front wing) for reduced prices ......

It's a no brainer then. Get it done. You will have, to all intents and purposes, the same car you had prior to the crash - that's what insurance is for. Get the insurers to do it though as, otherwise, you will loose the hire car and it will take forever.

Obviously you have decided that you want an S2. Get the Lux repaired and you will have a nice looking car to sell at your leisure and a Lux to enjoy in the mean time.

As 944Man says (thanks Simon) join the Club. Come to some events. The car will get known and those looking will see it in all its shining glory - a known car is far more likely to be sold to a member and the transaction might even come about through word of mouth. Likewise you may well find your replacement. Members get to advertise their car for free in Porsche Post and on the web site so offsetting the advertising cost must make joining the Club relatively cheap.

Sandspider · Apr 9, 2009

Thanks John. I will def get the repairs done (and still probably an S2 one day), still just waiting for a couple more quotes, but the car does seem to be fixable. Interestingly enough, one other bodyshop I spoke to said that the list price for a 944 wing is £417, so it would seem that Brin Thomas flat out lied about their "discount" - pretty shabby.

I'd definitely like to come to some events, but have so little time at the moment I think I'd struggle. It's on the list of things to do.

Cheers,

Giles