Koenig928

I'd like to ask for advice from everyone who has had a similar experience.

A few days ago, my wife, who was driving our 87 S4, was rear-ended in an accident by a stupid woman who ran a red light here in Las Vegas.

The car doesn’t look too well. It was hit hard in the passenger side rear, which is entirely pushed forward and out. The bumper cover, tail light and rear body panel are toast, the bumper support, bumper shock tube and bumper shock are all bent and compressed, the impact forced it into the car's unibody (frame) - which is now bent. It looks like the entire rear of the car is twisted towards the impact point. The steel panel above the fuel tank is bend upwards, and the right rear body on the inside (under the interior qtr panel) is bent out of shape.

Rather makes me sick and furious since I rebuilt the entire car with my own two hands. But it doesn’t look good because I think the frame/unibody is now a bit twisted.

I'd like to know what my options are for handling this through the insurance company?? Anyone have some first hand knowledge in dealing with this situation?

Any sugguestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Lizard928

ouch man that really sucks, the only option is to go through insurance but unless you have reciepts showing ALOT of money invested they will probably write it off as the frame is bent, if they do fix it do be aware that it may not handle as well as before

Don '85S3

Bummer!

You might be SOL if the frame is bent. I think you should call Jim Bailey at 928 Intl and see if he has any advice.

SharkFan

Hey Bill,

Its Dave the guy that came by with Tony and drooled on your Koenig a couple of times. First off I hope your wife is doing O.K., cause it sounds like a hard hit and even though I am here in "Everybody drives very slow" Jacksonville, I remember how fast everybody drove out there.
Sorry to here about the idiot driver and I know your frustrated after all the work that you put into it, BUT look at it this way, It could have been the Koenig which in my opinion would be much, much harder to replace or repair.

Hope everything works out,

Dave M.

Sound

Red UFO

Damn,

Another shark gets hit. Lower the flags to 1/2 staff

These will be extinct someday. Anyway, is there anyway to have the bend frame part cut out and new piece welded in?

My shark has a salvage title because of dents in both fenders and the insurance company totalled out the car. I got decent fenders off Ebay and going to repaint them soon. I think they'll total your car depending on how bad the damage is.

I would be furious if this happens (knock on wood) at the person. I'm sure going postal is running in the blood right now as you baby was hit hard. I hope your wife is ok. I have been rear ended twice and your body takes some damage that lasts forever from it even if its minor. You'll have neck pains, and back pains over the years from the wreck.

Gretch

I got taged ever so slightly in the right rear quarter. Bumper cover was ok and no tail light damage. In fact the only damage was the fender which was able to be straightened by very carefull and time consuming work. Other drivers insurance company paid $3,500, which covered the body shop bill plus a trip to the mechanic for alignment and other minor items.

I would say that based on your listed damage the car is a total loss from an insurance standpoint, and may be from a restoration perspective too.

Sorry to hear it man.........I feel your pain.......

SharkFan

Oh Yea Bill, I meant to tell ya this. I don't know how this works, but I have heard of many people whose cars being totaled by the insurance company and have bought the car back. I have no idea of what the buy back price would be, but it wouldn't hurt and if it were low enough then you would have a heck of a parts car that you knew personally what was good and what wasn't. Heck, I bet you could sell the motor to Tony so he could get a head start on that Stroker. LOL

Blown Beast

Bill,
I spoke to you before I S/C'ed my car because I had seen your pictures....Thank God that it was'nt the Koenig.
I too have lost my 88 S4 due to a guy that ran/did'nt yield a stop sign about a month ago.
I am now fitting with my insurance comp. due to the fact that he was driving someone else's car and was only insured for $5,000 property damage as per CA minimum ins. law.
All my work and all the money I have put into my car is not being considered by my ins. comp.
I have picked 10 comparable cars from Deveck, 928org,and auto trader....pick the highest priced/nicest cars and that is about all you can do.
I told them that I want to retain my car and fix it regardless of if they give me a clean or salvage title.

Good luck and happy shark hunting for a replacement.

Koenig928

All,

Thanks for the replies.

As I am dreading, I know I'll have to play hardball with the ins. adj. to try and get what I can. I have spend far too much money and time in this car to let it end with a low ball offer from some ins. monkey.

Not to say this is bad, I love this car, I've lost count of the times I've spend with bloody knuckles taking this car apart.

Yes, I do have all reciepts for the car - the file is about 1-1/2 inches thick.

Just formulating my game plan before I go to war here.

bcdavis

You just give them all the receipts, and most important, ads for comparable cars, to show the current market value. If they will repair it, that will be the best outcome. But it is more likely that they will total it, and as we mentioned, they will pay you the market value, so you can buy a comparable 928. But as others mentioned, when they total a car, they take it away to the scrapyard. But you can buy the car back from them, and do what you like with it. It's usually whatever they conside the scrap value of the car. Maybe a thousand or two...So you can pay them for the salvaged car, keep your car, and the settlement money, and decide what to do. You could part out your car, and combine the cash. Or you could use the settlement money to fix your car, and then sell it, or keep it. There are many options...

John Struthers

Crap!
I agree wth the write off reply's
Sorry for both you and the sHARk community, this is alway's a shame..
The reason I said 'crap' was that Brendan out in Cal. just got rid of his chassis because of no takers on Ebay. he might know where it went though.
Furthermore, take a deep breath and relax for awhile, you might if you care to do the work do a buy back from the Ins.Co. . Talk to them early so they don't make arrangements to do a sale to one of their usual wreckers -money talks B.S. walks here- .
There are some rolling wreaks that can be bought cheap at least every two or three months on Ebay.
I don't think the body panels, doors, fenders. hood, front/rear pieces changed significantly until 87'my and as I said if you can do the work you might only get stuck with part of the paint cost's even after buying a chassis, doing a buy back. You will have a bunch of spare parts out of the swap for a Renn sale to boot.
All this is assuming it WASN'T the KOENIG.
Do not sign a medical release! You need for her to have some X'rays/mri if indicated, minimum of a Dr's appt. or three. This opens a door so to speak and feel free to mention med appt's with your/their Ins. Rep's. I'm not saying to lie, expand on or, fabricate. Just have it on the table, this is a very strong bluff chip. Makes the Rep's a little more accomodating, Compression/dislocation injuries can take quite a while to develope as well.
Good Luck to the three of you (Wife, sHARk, you) on this matter.

Red UFO

I got my shark from a salvage dealer. They bought the car at some auction and since the damage was only fenders they decided to sell it. It has a salvage and no history and lowers the value but was a project car to me.

So based on what happened to me. Your insurance will auction or sell it to a salvage dealer. You could lobby to buy it from them but watch out as they try to low ball you on paying you what it was worth. Then jack up the price to sell it back to you. Either way post your results sometime down the road.

My pickup was hit by some stupid *** woman driving on the wrong side of the road. She turned around and lied to the insurance company about everything. Now they are saying I pulled out and hit the stupid bitch and it's all my fault and I'm out of a truck. Now I have to fight the insurance company and it will takes years just to try and recover a few thousand.

bcdavis

That's why you always need to insist on the person staying at the scene, and call the police, and get a police report... Otherwise it is your word against theirs... People will make stuff up... You need proof to win against the insurance company. No matter what pictures you have, etc, you need that report...

bcdavis

Oh, and if the damage to the rear is too much, you can turn it into one of those 928 trucks...

Mark

Bill - This really sux!

Let me know if you end up parting her out...I'd be interested in the engine for my Project Car