Crashed my new (to me) Turbo today!
08-27-2012, 02:19 AM
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Encinitas, CA
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Crashed my new (to me) Turbo today!
Just crashed my 2004 911 Turbo Cab today that I just bought last week in nearly new condition.
I had taken the car out for the first time to the back country roads around Palamar mountain to open it up but ended up just cruising at or under the speed limit due to heavy traffic of mostly bikers racing up and down the roads. As I came down the mountain around a blind hairpin turn there was a motorcyclist coming my direction in my lane passing another biker. A split second later he crashed into my left front ripping the entire fender off together with my radiator, side mirror, etc. He flew over my car, his bike bounced off my car into the biker he was passing who also went flying off his bike by me. His bike went over the side of the mountain and both the guys landed in the road going at least 40 mph. Fortunately, and amazingly, no major injuries but my car was towed.
I have driven Porsches almost daily for years with never so much as a scratch or door ding and now this happens with my new Turbo! Absolutely amazing how much damage a small 250 cc crotch-rocket bike can do to a car.
One really weird thing was the roll bars deployed but the airbags did not even though the car was never off camber much less close to rolling.
I now need to get it to a body-shop in San Diego, are there any shops in this area anyone can recommend? Are there really "Porsche certified" body shops or is that just something the shops make up for marketing purposes? I know that Porsches are basically totalled if the frame is bent but is there anything else I need to be aware of specific to Porsches?
I had taken the car out for the first time to the back country roads around Palamar mountain to open it up but ended up just cruising at or under the speed limit due to heavy traffic of mostly bikers racing up and down the roads. As I came down the mountain around a blind hairpin turn there was a motorcyclist coming my direction in my lane passing another biker. A split second later he crashed into my left front ripping the entire fender off together with my radiator, side mirror, etc. He flew over my car, his bike bounced off my car into the biker he was passing who also went flying off his bike by me. His bike went over the side of the mountain and both the guys landed in the road going at least 40 mph. Fortunately, and amazingly, no major injuries but my car was towed. I have driven Porsches almost daily for years with never so much as a scratch or door ding and now this happens with my new Turbo! Absolutely amazing how much damage a small 250 cc crotch-rocket bike can do to a car.
One really weird thing was the roll bars deployed but the airbags did not even though the car was never off camber much less close to rolling.
I now need to get it to a body-shop in San Diego, are there any shops in this area anyone can recommend? Are there really "Porsche certified" body shops or is that just something the shops make up for marketing purposes? I know that Porsches are basically totalled if the frame is bent but is there anything else I need to be aware of specific to Porsches?
08-27-2012, 08:30 AM
#2
Rennlist Member
Tough luck, sorry to hear, but you didn't crash it, you were crashed into. I'm not in your area so can't recommend a body shop, but good luck getting it back to normal.
08-27-2012, 09:04 AM
#3
Rennlist Member
Ouch..sorry to hear. Fortunately no serious injuries. Looks like an expensive fix.
08-27-2012, 09:10 AM
#4
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Make sure you get dimunition of value from it being wrecked from their ins co.
08-27-2012, 10:49 AM
#5
Drifting
It seems every time I get a new car within a couple of months a rock will hit ( the case of my shiny new 1985 300zx)or tool will fall on it.Im glad all made it out without serious harm, the car will get fixed but I know how it feels to see your love/investment damaged.
08-27-2012, 11:40 AM
#6
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Wow! Sorry about the crash, but at least no one was killed or severely injured.
If it were my car I'd hope they totalled it. I'd take the money and just start over with another Turbo.
If it were my car I'd hope they totalled it. I'd take the money and just start over with another Turbo.
08-27-2012, 11:51 AM
#7
Dieter's, Steve is the manager ~ will get you the number as soon as I am done here 
Very well known in San Diego.
Very well known in San Diego.
Last edited by 911Königin; 08-27-2012 at 12:27 PM.
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08-27-2012, 12:27 PM
#8
Jag plates on a Porsche ~ hmmmm..... 
08-27-2012, 12:30 PM
#9
Steve Grosekemper, shop foreman for Dieter's. Phone is 619-234-8106. Randy V and ibkevin are both from San Diego. You can send them a PM if you want and see who they recommend.
Good Luck she is a looker
Good Luck she is a looker
08-27-2012, 12:54 PM
#10
Burning Brakes
A little north of you, in Downey...these are the guys you want to use.
Porsche "approved": http://www.eurocollisioncenter.com/e...he-repair.html
They do it RIGHT.
Go see them.
Porsche "approved": http://www.eurocollisioncenter.com/e...he-repair.html
They do it RIGHT.
Go see them.
08-27-2012, 06:10 PM
#11
Race Director
Bummer. Glad you and the MC's weren't hurt.
(If it will make you feel any better, I bought a pristine 03 Turbo with 10K miles on the odometer on the 19th of June (09) and on 7/3 of that same year hit a mule deer outside of Ely NV. Long story short car was fixed and restored to its pre-colliosion condition and I have added over 85K miles to the car with nary a problem arising from the accident/repair. Can't even tell the car has been repaired. Cost of repair? Over $25K.)
(If you want another... Early in April of 09 bought a new Cayman S and barely 4 weeks later a driver on a cell phone missed a turn in the wet and slid across an intersection (against the light) and 2 lanes of traffic and smashed into the driver's side of my new Cayman S. Both air bags deployed. I had a passenger. The new Cayman S was totaled.)
Anyhow, in CA you are free to take the car wherever you want.
Porsche Approved Collision Centers (PACCs) are real. Not sure how you tell if one is actually approved or just claims to be.
Let me ask my dealer contacts to see if anyone knows... A web search might turn up some in your area. I say 'some' but there may be only one. AFAIK, the only PACC in the bay area is Brookes Brothers in Berkeley.
In the meantime, you are entitled to have the car repaired to its pre-collision condition as close as humanly possible.
Let's see....
While it is unlikely the frame/tub is bent proper repair calls for the car to be partially torn down and placed on a Celette Bench to check the car's hard points for any out of position conditions.
If any are found they are brought into spec.
Do not let the other driver's insurance company try to bring pressure to bear on the body/repair shop in this area.
(One did to my favorite body shop and the owner told me about it and told me to "get mad" at him and take my car to another shop that didnt' have a business relationship with my insurance company. I did and the other shop was free to fix the car right.)
If the car is under warranty (new car or CPO) there are things that must done to keep this coverage intact.
First my advice is before you turn the car over to any body shop send a letter asking in writing that the shop is PCCA and can and will fix the car in such a way to keep all warranties in effect.
(BTW, whenever a car is accident repaired the repairs are warrantied for as long as you own the car.)
Then once you have it in writing the shop is qualified to fix the car and keep the warranties in effect, note this.
All parts must be bought from PCNA and through an authorized Porsche dealer. No salvaged, used, or reclaimed parts are allowed.
Next, all mechanical related work/repairs -- the repairs say to the A/C and cooling systems -- must be done at an authorized Porsche dealer and its service department and this work must be done by a certified Porsche tech.
Many shops (some pressured by an insurance company) will try to use used/salvaged parts.
To save money the body shop will also attempt to repair A/C and cooling systems. They are really not the best places for this work.
Be sure you get it in writing that the above will be adhered too.
When my car was in the shop I visited it frequently and took pics and confirmed all factory parts were being used. This relieved my anxiety and helped me build up a folder of pics which showed the extent of the damage and the process of repairing the car so when (if) I ever sell the car I can show the buyer the car was in an accident, but not a severe one, and was repaired as good as humanly possible and to Porsche's guidelines.
As for DV... I looked into this and in some cases one has to sell the car, but make an honest attempt to sell it for the best price -- how does one do this? -- then somehow turn around and convince the other insurance company the price received was less than the car would have sold for otherwise. Very very iffy to get anything at all.
Besides the insurance company will argue that the car was repaired to its pre-collision condition and there was no DV.
Up to you to see if you want to pursue this DV.
But first, concentrate on ensuring the car is fixed right.
Do not rush.
Get things in writing.
Take plenty of pics.
Relax.
It takes time but it will get put back to as good as new and you can once again enjoy the car and put this behind you.
Sincerely,
Macster.
(If it will make you feel any better, I bought a pristine 03 Turbo with 10K miles on the odometer on the 19th of June (09) and on 7/3 of that same year hit a mule deer outside of Ely NV. Long story short car was fixed and restored to its pre-colliosion condition and I have added over 85K miles to the car with nary a problem arising from the accident/repair. Can't even tell the car has been repaired. Cost of repair? Over $25K.)
(If you want another... Early in April of 09 bought a new Cayman S and barely 4 weeks later a driver on a cell phone missed a turn in the wet and slid across an intersection (against the light) and 2 lanes of traffic and smashed into the driver's side of my new Cayman S. Both air bags deployed. I had a passenger. The new Cayman S was totaled.)
Anyhow, in CA you are free to take the car wherever you want.
Porsche Approved Collision Centers (PACCs) are real. Not sure how you tell if one is actually approved or just claims to be.
Let me ask my dealer contacts to see if anyone knows... A web search might turn up some in your area. I say 'some' but there may be only one. AFAIK, the only PACC in the bay area is Brookes Brothers in Berkeley.
In the meantime, you are entitled to have the car repaired to its pre-collision condition as close as humanly possible.
Let's see....
While it is unlikely the frame/tub is bent proper repair calls for the car to be partially torn down and placed on a Celette Bench to check the car's hard points for any out of position conditions.
If any are found they are brought into spec.
Do not let the other driver's insurance company try to bring pressure to bear on the body/repair shop in this area.
(One did to my favorite body shop and the owner told me about it and told me to "get mad" at him and take my car to another shop that didnt' have a business relationship with my insurance company. I did and the other shop was free to fix the car right.)
If the car is under warranty (new car or CPO) there are things that must done to keep this coverage intact.
First my advice is before you turn the car over to any body shop send a letter asking in writing that the shop is PCCA and can and will fix the car in such a way to keep all warranties in effect.
(BTW, whenever a car is accident repaired the repairs are warrantied for as long as you own the car.)
Then once you have it in writing the shop is qualified to fix the car and keep the warranties in effect, note this.
All parts must be bought from PCNA and through an authorized Porsche dealer. No salvaged, used, or reclaimed parts are allowed.
Next, all mechanical related work/repairs -- the repairs say to the A/C and cooling systems -- must be done at an authorized Porsche dealer and its service department and this work must be done by a certified Porsche tech.
Many shops (some pressured by an insurance company) will try to use used/salvaged parts.
To save money the body shop will also attempt to repair A/C and cooling systems. They are really not the best places for this work.
Be sure you get it in writing that the above will be adhered too.
When my car was in the shop I visited it frequently and took pics and confirmed all factory parts were being used. This relieved my anxiety and helped me build up a folder of pics which showed the extent of the damage and the process of repairing the car so when (if) I ever sell the car I can show the buyer the car was in an accident, but not a severe one, and was repaired as good as humanly possible and to Porsche's guidelines.
As for DV... I looked into this and in some cases one has to sell the car, but make an honest attempt to sell it for the best price -- how does one do this? -- then somehow turn around and convince the other insurance company the price received was less than the car would have sold for otherwise. Very very iffy to get anything at all.
Besides the insurance company will argue that the car was repaired to its pre-collision condition and there was no DV.
Up to you to see if you want to pursue this DV.
But first, concentrate on ensuring the car is fixed right.
Do not rush.
Get things in writing.
Take plenty of pics.
Relax.
It takes time but it will get put back to as good as new and you can once again enjoy the car and put this behind you.
Sincerely,
Macster.
08-27-2012, 07:09 PM
#12
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
08-27-2012, 07:31 PM
#13
Race Director
I should have remembered that. Someone else posted that link a while back.
Oh, looks like Brooks in Berkeley isn't listed.
Anyhow the OP can use the link you provided to fine a PACC in his area.
Sincerely,
Macster.
