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Well, crud. Some brilliant person dropped their ball and hitch on the highway, and someone else then ran over it and kicked it right into my wife's path while she was driving our GT4. The ball and hitch proceeded to hammer the underside of the car the full length of the vehicle. We pulled off the highway to try and determine the extent of the damage, but didn't see any fluids leaking and everything sounded normal. We continued our trip without further incident, and took it to the local dealer after we got back to have them determine what needed fixing.
The dealer told us there was damage to all the underside panels and that they'd need to be replaced, and there was some body damage that they wanted their body shop to evaluate. We then dropped it off at the dealer's body shop, and they found a hole in the floor of the frunk. Fortunately Porsche offers a replacement frunk, but we then had to take the car to an authorized Porsche body shop that's allowed to order that part. Once at the Porsche body shop, they found another hole, this time in the chassis. They consulted with Porsche on the damage, and Porsche declared that it was irreparable, and now my insurance company has declared the car a total loss.
I'm thinking about buying it back, living with the salvage title and getting it repaired as much as possible, but after looking at the pictures the body shop sent over I'm not sure? I didn't buy the car for resale, or to keep it pristine for the next owner. I regularly autox and track the car, so it's not a garage queen, either. I don't expect it to be absolutely perfect, but I'm not sure I want to drive around with a hole in the floor, either!
There are quite a few dings and scrapes, but here are the most significant impacts: Chassis Frunk Subframe
Last edited by sobiloff; 11-10-2022 at 09:40 PM.
Reason: Fix images
For those helping OP i'd stop. OP is giving off strong vibes he only cares about himself and doesn't give a damn about any of you. For all you know 30 years from now your kid or grandkid is going to buy this going oh cool, my dad/granddad had one of those, I'd love to buy one myself... and then ends up buying this specific car and then ends up being out the cost of the car when someone at a Porsche shop (probably the first time they order parts by vin) puts 2 and 2 together and investigates how a car Porsche flagged as irreparable is on the road. Or worse, end up dead in a horrible accident because the floor structure sheared itself after a crack from 30 year old damage turned into a major problem and significantly compromised the car's safety or drivability.
Well, that sucks . . . you seem to be taking it pretty well and for what it is . . . a disposable appliance. I do not usually say that type of thing because I know these cars are expensive, but I am trying to keep things in perspective.
There was a member on another forum with a 718 who was driving in a subdivision with his wife going 20-25mph looking at a house that was for sale as they drove by. In the split seconds he took his eye off the path, he went straight into the curb. Even at that low speed, the chassis frame was bent and the car declared an unsalvageable - write-off by insurance. So, it does not take much when the chassis is involved.
It seems your car is very drivable, so with a little patchwork and body work, your buyback might be a good option. Lots of OCD in this forum, but you do not seem to have much of it. You would be the only person who ever knows 'what lies beneath.' Plus, you indicate you track your car. So, you know your car is going to take a beating one way or another.
I suspect things will all work out for you given your reasonable demeanor over the situation
Unfortunately with how these cars are constructed most damage to any of these aluminum structures requires full replacement of the section which obviously can end up getting expensive fast, at least following Porsche's official repair methods. Looking at the pictures of the damage you posted, this looks more on the cosmetic side then something that'll effect the actual function of the car. Is it possible one of these spots will potentially start cracking and cause a catastrophic failure over time, unlikely but nobody can say for sure. The most likely scenario is you could probably repair these in a way that doesnt follow Porsche's exact methods, or just seal the holes and enjoy and drive the car for years to come, but this obviously depends on what your willing to live with. As much as I like the 991 based cars, my biggest hangup is how quickly a small incident on the street or track can quickly total out these cars, unlike the previous gens that were all steel construction, and didn't use cast aluminum everywhere.
I come from an aviation background and if the manufacturer declares that a part, hull section or structural member is irreparable you might want to reflect on that. A rip or tear may seem repairable but if the structural integrity of the whole structure is in doubt, that is another kettle of fish. A non-approved Porsche repair may lead to insurance problems trying to insure the car and tacking it might lead you to a bad situation if the car is being used on a tract against the manufacture's advice and anything goes bad. I guess it is up to you risk tolerance. Sorry that this happened to you and I am glad that no one was hurt. Best of luck with a bad situation.
I think if your insurance payout and the buyback price make sense, do it. My track car is 2014 Mustang that I bought salvaged and rebuilt. Sure the front bumper horns and rad support are a little bacon but the car is perfectly fine chassis wise. Also, for me the fear/risk goes down substantially if it’s already salvaged.
If you’re worried about the structural integrity just strip it and get a nice roll cage haha.
The way aluminum is i'd worry repeated flexes = repeated new cracks to the point it becomes a problem. Aluminum is very strong in some respects but a complete joke in others. once aluminum has a tear you can tear the panel off by hand easily (and i've seen bodymen do that as jokes of 'look how strong I am'). aluminum also gets work hardened very easy. Cast also sheers very easily and welding cast aluminum is GFL. There is a reason no cast components are repaired.
I can't tell where that hole that isn't in the front tub so not sure if it's close to a vital structural point or if it's basically just sheet metal part of the floor of the car. The shop that said its not repairable should be able to easily explain why it's not repairable. They definitely have access to the metal breakdown for each location of the car.
Deemed irreparable should mean that it's flagged as irreparable for a title and can never be put back on the road. You could turn it into a dedicated track car, but likely the auction price is going to make it not worth it, or the buy back is going to be really high if they let you buy it back. I bet your insurance company won't sell you a vehicle with that status also. I wouldn't have a problem using that as a race car or track car as long as you inspect the damage for signs it's getting worse. the front tub will not be a problem. Wherever that other damage is may or may not be, but it would be surprising if it was in a location that would cause a catastrophic failure on track if it split open. Very few points on the car will cause a horrible wreck with a single failure of the structure. Even if it's on a control arm mounting point, your suspension would still be attached in multiple other places so should be manageable when it fails to get down to low speed or a stop. People loose complete wheels on the race track and that rarely turns into anything but very minor damage.
Jump on a new allocation and enjoy a worry free car.
I've thought about that, but it's more expensive—and in one respect currently impossible—to re-create this car. It's Miami Blue, which is now PTS, and it also has PDLS+, which seems unobtainable at the moment. All my money's tied-up in a new business venture, so I can't just splash out for a whole new car, either.
I appreciate all the responses! I'm leaning towards buying it back and getting it repaired, so I'm glad to see I'm not crazy for considering that option. Even if the chassis damage can't be repaired in a Porsche-approved way, I'd think there'd be a way to patch / plug / scab over the chassis hole that wouldn't cause further problems in the future. I may talk with a pro team that runs the GT4 Clubsports in SRO and see what their opinions are.
I agree with some others that you need to be careful with this type of structural damage. It may be fine as is, but any added stress could cause more serious cracking. Even if it doesn't kill you, it will certainly make the car unsellable in the future and you will have lost your opportunity to cash in on the initial damage. My vote....take the money and run. Start shopping for something else.
Car is a write off based on the number of parts that needed replacement.
I assume Porsche approved body shop only replace, not repair; cost will therefore be sky high.
I would get a full list of involved parts and look at what is critical structural component and which is not.
Some can probably be repaired but some should be replaced.
Then get another estimate for repair/ replace mix and see if it is worthwhile to turn this into a dedicated track car after buy back.
If you don’t buy back this car, I won’t be surprised if someone will buy it, repair it, and possibly put it up for sale as a salvage. Or some YouTuber will take this on.
Glad you're ok. If it was me I'd take the check, get an allocation and get another one. I'd rather not have the car with the blemish title. Understand though the situation you're in given it's a unique car. No wrong answers.
11-10-2022, 09:32 PM
Totaled my GT4
