Front Bumper Damage - Need Advice
05-17-2023, 04:44 PM
#46
Instructor
Thread Starter
You saved for 10 years to buy it so my guess is you will keep it and love it for a very long time. Get it fixed correctly and, if the repair is going to be significantly more than your deductible, put it through insurance. Some day down the road, that may affect your resale. Will that "deduction" exceed to $$$ outlay today accrued up to that unknown point in the future? Who knows. It depends on the out of pocket today, when you sell and a lot of other factors. Don't let this - and some unknown economic effect in the future - take away from the ownership experience that you have worked so hard and long to accomplish. I recommend a mental reset - try to stop focussing on the bad and refocus on the diligence, determination and success that allowed you to reach your goal and own and drive a car that 99% of the world will never achieve. And, yes, I am pulling the 99% out of my *** but that's not the point here. The point is that life has good and bad and it seems like you are still on the positive side of the ledger with ownership of this car even with this "event". Don't beat yourself up over this and lose focus on what you have achieved. Life is short - go out and drive and smile!
You're correct, I will not sell this car (unless miraculously a GT3RS or GT4RS becomes available without ADM lol) for many many years.
I'm leaning on the collective knowledge of this forum to fill in my gaps in knowledge/experience here. Some say its nothing to worry about, and on the other end of the spectrum, I'm being told it could be a $20k repair and if I get the wrong repair, nobody will want to buy this car down the road. That's a big variance in opinion/options. Hoping someone who has gone down this route can share what they did (that worked) so I can learn from their experience. Thank you to everyone who has helped thus far!!
Last edited by Tsobocop; 05-17-2023 at 06:57 PM.
05-17-2023, 05:22 PM
#47
Burning Brakes
Honestly, if you're pretty confident that you are going to keep the car, in your words, for "many many years", what ever depreciated value from a pretty minor accident in scope (not necessarily repair cost!) is going to be mitigated but by the age of the car if and when you decide to sell it.
Buyers of used cars are way more picky with a 1-3 year old car versus a 7-10 year old car for obvious reasons.
I had a 997 TT that was hit while I was stopped in a left turn lane in the left fender from a car that lost control on snow (yes, I drive my 911s in the snow in Chicagoland). The repair costs were high but looked great. I enjoyed the the car for another 3 years before trading in for a TT-S. I don't really remember the dealer making a big deal out of the body work and received a reasonable trade in offer...at a time when there wasn't nearly the demand for 911s as there is now.
The best advice is make a mental reset, repair the car at a reputable body shop familiar with Porsche, don't worry too much about CarFax, etc since you're holding onto the car, and just ENJOY driving YOUR 911.
Buyers of used cars are way more picky with a 1-3 year old car versus a 7-10 year old car for obvious reasons.
I had a 997 TT that was hit while I was stopped in a left turn lane in the left fender from a car that lost control on snow (yes, I drive my 911s in the snow in Chicagoland). The repair costs were high but looked great. I enjoyed the the car for another 3 years before trading in for a TT-S. I don't really remember the dealer making a big deal out of the body work and received a reasonable trade in offer...at a time when there wasn't nearly the demand for 911s as there is now.
The best advice is make a mental reset, repair the car at a reputable body shop familiar with Porsche, don't worry too much about CarFax, etc since you're holding onto the car, and just ENJOY driving YOUR 911.
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Tsobocop (05-17-2023)