Copple

So we finally found the perfect 996 a few weeks ago. My wife and I flew up to Wisconsin and spent 3 days driving our 04 C2 Cab back to sunny South Carolina. The weather was perfect and it's something we've always wanted to do (fly out somewhere and pick up a nice car). During the trip back we were already planning our next road trip!

So fast forward a few weeks and I'm sitting at a stop light with a buddy of mine (we took the 996 because it was a beautiful night and he hadn't seen the car) and....bang. Some observative driver on a cell phone put a nice dent in my drivers rear bumper. Apparently the other driver thought we had made the turn and wasn't looking while planning on the turn as well... Her insurance company is taking care of everything, including a new bumper and whatever else if damaged underneath. Good news is it really isn't that bad, no metal body damage.

So my question is if you're given the choice of a new bumper which one do you get? I like the look of the 'Euro Bumper' so was planning on going that route, but didn't know if there was something else out there that i should consider.

Marlon

You will get results on your question after you post photos of the car.

Macster

Got to be careful. Probably needs more than a bumper cover. My 02 Boxster hit in rear and cost new bumper cover, some hardware underneath, spoiler damaged, rear tail light assembly. (Cause car shoved into parked car ahead front bumper cover and one headlight required replacing. Total cost came to over $5000. A guy in UK had his Turbo rear-ended. 5000GBP later his car fixed.)

Be sure shop uses new parts. In fact be sure shop is qualified to repair Porsches. Should be a shop used by local Porsche dealer, M-B and BMW, Lexus, etc. car dealers to repair their cars.

Shop to be qualifed to repair Porsches should have Celette Bench (to check things are straight (including hard points for attaching bumper covers, etc.)) and should use one, some or all of these paints and paint systems: Standox, Glasurit, and Spies-Hecker. These are the paints Porsche factory uses.

Adjacent body panels should be sanded for paint prep then resprayed a ways from where adjacent panels mate up to rear bumper cover and then adjacent body panels shot with clear coat so adjacent panels blend/match new rear bumper cover.

Body panels should be removed from car and not just taped before painting.

If panels can not be removed the weather stripping should removed so there are no ridges from where tape and paint met.

All panels re-sprayed should be block sanded smooth even along edges at panel gaps. Also, paint thicknesses should closely match "factory" paint thickness so even someone with paint gage would be hard pressed to tell car painted.

Before you accept car check all lights work, and spoiler, and engine compartment fan, etc.

Most body shops are production shops, banging out dents in lesser cars and shooting with paint as quick as they can. Some can do real good work but you have to watch out and inspect and insist work done right.

Generally the "law" is the car must be restored to its pre-collision condition.

Do not assume other insurance company will be as vigilant as you would be regarding how well your car repaired.

Its job is to spend as little money repairing your car as is possible. This does not generally see a good job done.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Copple

Roadtrip from WI to SC

Marlon

Now your talkin" Nice! Looks like a magazine photo...

Ritter v4.0

Back lighting.

ervtx

An insurance company is paying for the repair, and you've been given a choice???

It never ceases to amaze me that we went over the deep end re: child seats in the front passenger seat on the basis of a handful of improperly installed seats, and yet, apparently we have no problem with people talking and texting on cellphones and rear ending people on a daily basis. I guess it's more lucrative to sue a car manufacturer for not putting a warning label on the visor than it is to sue a fool with a cell phone one at a time, because the latter is certainly an epidemic.

ivangene

do not go where the insurance company tells you to go - period.... ask fellow Pcar owners where to go in your area.

I had a <5mph bump that really was barely a scuff in the fender. Turned out to be nearly $3k to fix, I added some money and had some other things taken care of and am happy, but there are no $100 "buff it out" accidents in these cars.

if you change out the bumper cover because its something you want.... have the body guy work it in... a good one knows how to make that all work and have you just come up with the differance..

BUY OEM if can swing it. - your car is pretty stock so I personally dont think an Aero rear bumper would look all that great unless you put the front and skirts to match....

get the checkbook out in that case

ArneeA

Of course, it was a girl yapping on her cell phone.

Probably related to the girl also yapping on her cell phone who rear-ended my wife and I while in our S2000.

Copple

The insurance is giving me $986 for the new bumper, which Pelican Parts has listed for $999 for the original Porsche part (with cutouts). There is also an allowance for paint and labor, as well as a statement that they will replace anything else that is damaged once the bumper comes off.

I had the thing happen to me when I had a boxster and the same shop that did that repair will be doing this one. The worst part of my day is walking by my car in the morning when I'm leaving for work and trying not to stare at the damage....

As far as the other driver, she actually got out of the car still talking on her cell phone and carrying on the same conversation. No apologies or anything. Her car was an SUV with so many scratches on the front bumper both the officer and I couldn't find where she hit me, and one of her side windows was re-created with duck tape. I was just glad she had insurance at that point!

ervtx

I wasn't going to say it.
That said, a woman in a Toyota 4 runner met the business end of my hitch and rear bumper on my Avalanche about 6 months ago because she was... yapping on the phone. Hers was totaled while mine was hardly scratched, but all I remember now is the sheer stupidity exhibited.

AndyK

I think unless the government or insurance companies crack down (ie: not paying for accidents if you were talking on a hand-held), nobody will stop doing it. I miss the old days when all you had to worry about was a drunk driver!

Glad your bumper accident didn't get the fender or any metal, and your car should come out looking as good as when you got it. Lucky you weren't broad-sided or something worse!

Chaos

Demand 10-15% dimunition in value do to wreck being on your car fax. How is you neck ?
Gregg Esq.

ivangene

$1000 for a new part and a promise to paint the car - I would not take that deal... mine was in the shop for almost a month and I made them pay for a rental, plus when other parts were found inside they had to come back.

I would go to the Dr and get a check up just to be safe. You cannot say there is no problem, only a Dr can say that. AND if there is a problem later, you have the trail to follow... otherwise its hard to get them to admit resposabillity

rudy1024

+1... although I turned my mishap into a reason to mod the body... Not for everyone I'm sure, but this is what I did to mine (and it's all mine!)





Good luck and welcome to the board!

Rudy