Crashed 996 - What to do?
12-24-2010, 03:39 PM
#32
Nordschleife Master
I have mine set at $500 for collision and $0 for everything else. The difference is nominal and in the long run just one repair will have easily covered the low ded.
The good news is that you are looking to buy in Vegas correct? In that case you won't need much of a down payment since the market is in the f'in toilet.
The good news is that you are looking to buy in Vegas correct? In that case you won't need much of a down payment since the market is in the f'in toilet.
12-24-2010, 04:23 PM
#35
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Sorry it happened.... As another thought... I have a friend here in Los Angeles who I'll check with who has been restoring wrecked high end cars for years. He has some body guys who do just the labor / paint he wants and he supplies the parts. Los Angeles is a much larger market for these sorts of shops. I spoke with an indie P Car repair shop in Las Vegas last year when I was looking at a car there.... Can't remember the name but he was a real pro and kept me from making a 26k mistake. A mechanic might give you a better perspective on what needs to be done under the skin.....
Are you telling these shops that this is a cash repair versus a insurance company job? There's just a ton of fat in those estimates. Talk to Kent for the mechanical repairs, have him recommend a local body shop that will work with you for cash and allow you to buy parts, and buy what you can from Viking (another straight shooter). Don't hesitate to take it down here to So Cal, we have a great shop that works cheap for cash and does Porsches all day long....
You have options but if you choose to sell it contact me...
12-24-2010, 04:27 PM
#36
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PS: Did your insurance agent explain the idiocy of saving a few hundred bucks on collision/comp. insurance for a Porsche? I can't believe they didn't lecture you....
12-24-2010, 04:43 PM
#37
Could of been a staggering price for him at his age. Not even including any prior record of accidents and tickets. At 25 I was quoted $3,000+ year in 1987 for the first of the sport bikes. That was half the price of the bike. Now its cheap insurance and $500 for a ticket 
Must of cost extra for bottle necking the hwy traffic to talk to me.
Must of cost extra for bottle necking the hwy traffic to talk to me.
12-24-2010, 05:05 PM
#38
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12-24-2010, 05:16 PM
#40
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I work in the insurance industry and we distribute through independent agents - problem these days is that most 20ish folks just go on-line and when you have competitors like Progressive out there saying you can "name your price" for insurance, you normally end up with something like this!! Rarely is any of this really explained well, but like the other posts have recommended - just chalk it us as an expensive lesson and get the car fixed and back in the saddle!!!
12-24-2010, 05:33 PM
#41
Sorry. Real bummer. You made a good decision already by asking for help/ideas.
You've got several options. First, don't be in a big hurry to solve everything immediately. This can be a real learning experience if you let it.
What others have said about getting an "I'm paying" estimate is good advice. Don't know why it's true but it is. When you're paying you will frequently find that the estimate will be lower.
There are body shops and then there are body shops. You'll have to ask a lot of people to find the "right" one. Ask local PCA/BMWCCA members for suggestions. Guys that race frequently know a lot about body shops. Good mechanical repair shops know a LOT about local body shops. The two earlier suggestions about using the shop in LA sound like a course worth exploring. Maybe there's a shop like that nearer to you.
Porsches are expensive. Yours was probably $70+ new. Parts can be unbelievable. Sourcing stuff yourself will save you a ton if you can find a body shop willing to work with you. And your car doesn't have a "frame"; it's a unibody chassis. IF it's bent, a shop with the right jig equipment can straighten it without a lot of work/time.
Anyway, first thoroughly explore the fix-it option before moving on to the others you've identified.
Good luck.
You've got several options. First, don't be in a big hurry to solve everything immediately. This can be a real learning experience if you let it.
What others have said about getting an "I'm paying" estimate is good advice. Don't know why it's true but it is. When you're paying you will frequently find that the estimate will be lower.
There are body shops and then there are body shops. You'll have to ask a lot of people to find the "right" one. Ask local PCA/BMWCCA members for suggestions. Guys that race frequently know a lot about body shops. Good mechanical repair shops know a LOT about local body shops. The two earlier suggestions about using the shop in LA sound like a course worth exploring. Maybe there's a shop like that nearer to you.
Porsches are expensive. Yours was probably $70+ new. Parts can be unbelievable. Sourcing stuff yourself will save you a ton if you can find a body shop willing to work with you. And your car doesn't have a "frame"; it's a unibody chassis. IF it's bent, a shop with the right jig equipment can straighten it without a lot of work/time.
Anyway, first thoroughly explore the fix-it option before moving on to the others you've identified.
Good luck.
12-24-2010, 06:23 PM
#42
Race Director
Hello -
I'm 25 and I recently purchased my first car nearly two months ago... a black 2001 Porsche 911 (no financing). I talked it over with some friends and they suggested that I get higher liability insurance and not get any personal coverage for the car (I was going to get personal insurance previous to this).
Anyway, a few days ago it rained in Las Vegas for the first time in several months and I accelerated onto an onramp, going about 30 MPH in 2nd gear when the car fishtails on me. Not knowing what to do I took my foot off of the gas and brake and tried to steer my way out of it. The problem exacerbated and it eventually swung around clockwise and hit the outside divider having me facing traffic - damaging the driver side rear corner, suspension and bending the car slightly in the appropriate direction. It looked fairly minor to me at the time, I figured a few thousand and I I'd try to learn from my mistake.
The repair estimate came a couple days ago at $16.6k which blew me back. I put about $23k into getting this car up and running after everything was said and done. I'm planning on getting a third estimate soon.
It seems like I have a few options (that I have think of)
A: Pay the repair bill out of pocket
B: Sell the car for parts and figure something out later.
C: Buy a busted Porsche and merge them into one functional Porsche.
D: Buy the parts myself and supply them to an autobody shop to reduce the cost of the repair bill (it looks like this route could be confusing to an amateur but could save me a few thousand).
E. Anything else?
Recommendations? I'm completely confused and I've tried to do as much research and thinking about this as I possibly could to arrive at those above options, all of which seem reasonable lines at the moment.
I'm 25 and I recently purchased my first car nearly two months ago... a black 2001 Porsche 911 (no financing). I talked it over with some friends and they suggested that I get higher liability insurance and not get any personal coverage for the car (I was going to get personal insurance previous to this).
Anyway, a few days ago it rained in Las Vegas for the first time in several months and I accelerated onto an onramp, going about 30 MPH in 2nd gear when the car fishtails on me. Not knowing what to do I took my foot off of the gas and brake and tried to steer my way out of it. The problem exacerbated and it eventually swung around clockwise and hit the outside divider having me facing traffic - damaging the driver side rear corner, suspension and bending the car slightly in the appropriate direction. It looked fairly minor to me at the time, I figured a few thousand and I I'd try to learn from my mistake.
The repair estimate came a couple days ago at $16.6k which blew me back. I put about $23k into getting this car up and running after everything was said and done. I'm planning on getting a third estimate soon.
It seems like I have a few options (that I have think of)
A: Pay the repair bill out of pocket
B: Sell the car for parts and figure something out later.
C: Buy a busted Porsche and merge them into one functional Porsche.
D: Buy the parts myself and supply them to an autobody shop to reduce the cost of the repair bill (it looks like this route could be confusing to an amateur but could save me a few thousand).
E. Anything else?
Recommendations? I'm completely confused and I've tried to do as much research and thinking about this as I possibly could to arrive at those above options, all of which seem reasonable lines at the moment.
The shop quoted you prices it did cause it uses the estimate tool most other shops use. Also, the estimate's rough cause a good (better) estimate requires what the body shop will refer to as a 'teardown'. This means the body shop will want to remove at least the bumper cover or covers at the damaged end of the car. The rear fender/quarter panel is not removeable (without cutting sheet metal) but other body panels can be removed.
Anyhow, most of the time the desire is to put the car back into its pre-collision condition and new/factory parts the way to go. To ensure the car retains any warranty Porsche requires parts be bought from PCNA, and ordered through an authorized dealer and all mechanical parts installed by a Porsche tech. Lastly, Porsche wants the tech to inspect the car and road test it before the car is deemed ready to put back into service.
I do not know what you are capable of in the way of car repair.
First I'd take the car to a qualified shop in your area. I can't remember the name of the shop now but there's a body shop in Las Vegas that has a very good rep repairing Porsches (and other similar makes of cars).
Speak with the owner and explain your situation. Ask him what he advises, can do for you. For some parts -- interior parts for instance -- you can source same from a salvaged vehicle. But you have to know the business you're using. You want to have some expectation of getting parts that are in better shape than the parts you are replacing.
Also, wheels. It shouldn't be too hard to find a replacement wheel and mount a new tire.
The shop owner I bet will almost certainly advise you to bring in the car -- and have his guy check the car's chassis/tub for any damage, bending, twisting, etc.
To do this requires removing some running gear -- front and rear bumper covers maybe headlights/taillight assemblies, front and rear wheels/tires and so on -- then the car is placed on a Celette Bench. The tech will use the proper jigs/fixtures -- generally these are rented from Celette which believe it or not is the right way to do this cause it is Celette that ensures the jigs/fixtures are kept in tip top shape -- to check the location of all hardpoints. These hardpoints must be in proper location or panels/etc will not fit right. Porsche doesn't provide much leeway, if any, in these locations.
You want the tub/chassis straight and everything in its proper location so the final wheel alignment does not require the Porsche tech use all the suspension/steering adjustment to bring the car into a proper alignment. This is the sign of a bad repair and the car will almost certainly not drive right and its steering, suspension and drivetrain can suffer accelerated wear if the car is 'straightened' on the alignment rack rather than where it should have been straightened: on the Celette Bench.
If the chassis/tub not too bad the shop can pull the thing straight for you. If the chassis/tub too bad then at least you know.
But if the shop deems the car's basic structure sound and suitable for repairs, then you move forward. Provided you can reach an understanding and agreement (in writing...) with the body shop on how to proceed. You want a good repair - which almost certainly means no straightening of damaged body parts, no bondo, etc., and no aftermarket/3rd part mechanical parts like radiators, A/C condensors, etc., but you can accept some salvaged parts. The body shop has experience in this area and can reject any that are unsuitable.
Sincerely,
Macster.
12-24-2010, 06:27 PM
#43
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I just purchased my P and looked very hard at insurance. I decided to insure mine for slightly more than I paid for the car through a collectors policy. I have my P on a stand alone policy. I'm not as concerned about me wrecking it (although that is possible - crazy fast and more ***** than brains) as I am about some dipS*%t hitting me. Since I got this car I find changing lanes is hard since people like to pull up next to me and look at it. That's when the power helps out. I'm practicing this for when a CHP gets me for excessive speed!
12-24-2010, 07:16 PM
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Yeah..I think he meant 5k also. I had forgotten how high insurance was when we were younger until this post. When I was younger, I did the math and could afford a nice '79 Trans Am...but when I got the insurance costs there was no way. I ended up with a F^&% Ford Tempo! Oh the regrets!!!!