Today's Craigslist Finds...
#3046
#3047
Shameful Thread Killer
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
The rest of the damage (that we can see in the pic) doesn't appear to support that though.
I just don't get this attitude unless you (proverbial) are buying as an investment (which a 996 is not). You certainly need to have it checked out to make sure it was repaired correctly, but if fixed correctly then it's all just in your mind.
Just from that pic I can see at least $10k, maybe $12k of work that needs to be done and that's just the superficial stuff you can see. That puts it easily in the 50% range for value so it's a no brainer that the insurance totaled.
Assuming it was all fixed properly (e.g. the rear quarter isn't now a giant wad of Bondo), how is the car impacted at all beyond just the price? So you get a decent deal and drive the hell out of it.
I just don't get people writing off perfectly good cars like that.
* I do reserve the right to be utterly wrong without penalty if more pictures surface showing additional damage. These views and guesstimates are entirely based on that one pic and I recognize it may not be the whole story.
I just don't get this attitude unless you (proverbial) are buying as an investment (which a 996 is not). You certainly need to have it checked out to make sure it was repaired correctly, but if fixed correctly then it's all just in your mind.
Just from that pic I can see at least $10k, maybe $12k of work that needs to be done and that's just the superficial stuff you can see. That puts it easily in the 50% range for value so it's a no brainer that the insurance totaled.
Assuming it was all fixed properly (e.g. the rear quarter isn't now a giant wad of Bondo), how is the car impacted at all beyond just the price? So you get a decent deal and drive the hell out of it.
I just don't get people writing off perfectly good cars like that.
* I do reserve the right to be utterly wrong without penalty if more pictures surface showing additional damage. These views and guesstimates are entirely based on that one pic and I recognize it may not be the whole story.
As for my attitude, well - I hardly need to defend that. But - a 996 is kind of a bucket list, or at least a 'me want' kind of purchase. I'd be happy to drive a 1987 Dodge Omni that was salvage/rebuilt because - hey, who cares? Driving around in what most people consider a high end sports car with a branded title? Yeah, bug me. Not you - I'm ok with that.
Making assumptions on car body repairs is a good way to get hosed. I know a Ferrari F40 that was basically split in half, and was put back together and resold. Can it be done well? Sure. We're talking about a non-investment grade $20k car. Was someone going to spend $20-30k fixing it correctly? Meh
#3048
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Wasn't an attack. Just saying I don't get it and laid the reasons why.
I guess I've just spent too much time around body shops and dealing with insurance that I know how little it can take to total a car. It's not like the older (80s and earlier) cars where totaling typically implied a catastrophic impact where the driver may not have walked away. So it just bewilders me that totaled cars get written off so easily.
Yeap which is why I clarified that my view was solely based on what we can see in that one pic. I've been around bodyshops too much and replaced almost all of the damaged parts shown on that pic, so my assumptions are actually based on practical experience in this case.
I could be way off if there is serious damage to one of the angles we can't see, but my gut says that's not the case based on what we see.
There isn't remotely 20-30k to fix that car (sans more evidence). If it was a shop that picked it up (don't know anything about the seller) that 10-12k guess of mine can easily come down between 5-7k due to markups getting cut and you'd pick some stuff up used (like the front fender and light housings).
If they got it for a good price they could do a quality repair and still be in it for only 12-15k. That all depends on what they picked it up for though.
Of course they could also have easily picked it up for a moderate price and then put lipstick on it rather than fix it properly. That is why you of course have a good body shop take a look as they can tell the difference between a good and bad repair.
I certainly wouldn't buy this car sight unseen or just based off a normal PPI, but I also wouldn't just write it off. That's all I'm saying. Due diligence is still king as it all things when buying a used car.
I guess I've just spent too much time around body shops and dealing with insurance that I know how little it can take to total a car. It's not like the older (80s and earlier) cars where totaling typically implied a catastrophic impact where the driver may not have walked away. So it just bewilders me that totaled cars get written off so easily.
Making assumptions on car body repairs is a good way to get hosed.
I could be way off if there is serious damage to one of the angles we can't see, but my gut says that's not the case based on what we see.
We're talking about a non-investment grade $20k car. Was someone going to spend $20-30k fixing it correctly? Meh
If they got it for a good price they could do a quality repair and still be in it for only 12-15k. That all depends on what they picked it up for though.
Of course they could also have easily picked it up for a moderate price and then put lipstick on it rather than fix it properly. That is why you of course have a good body shop take a look as they can tell the difference between a good and bad repair.
I certainly wouldn't buy this car sight unseen or just based off a normal PPI, but I also wouldn't just write it off. That's all I'm saying. Due diligence is still king as it all things when buying a used car.
#3049
Rennlist Member
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Both have good points, thanks for the input!
#3050
Shameful Thread Killer
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I guess I've just spent too much time around body shops and dealing with insurance that I know how little it can take to total a car. It's not like the older (80s and earlier) cars where totaling typically implied a catastrophic impact where the driver may not have walked away. So it just bewilders me that totaled cars get written off so easily.
So, anyway what I see, is about 30% of the cost of what needs to be done. Go to Porsche, and it's an easy write-off. However, backyard Larry, with a torch, some putty, and access to a junk yard - it gets put back on the street and make a few bucks. Who knows? But - I still don't want a 996 with a salvage title because, I would know.
edited for accurate prices.
#3052
Rennlist Member
#3053
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
There is also nothing wrong with pulling salvaged/used parts for the repair to do it on the cheap and that is exactly how you make money on something like this. Hell, even insurance companies will try to quote you using used parts or the knock offs if you aren't careful and watching them.
Rennlist Investigational Services to the rescue! Nothing is safe from RL
![Big Grin](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
So this answers some more questions. It indeed appears to be restricted to the single side, but the wheels definitely tell a story. I had wrongly assumed that since it has the Carerra IIs now that those were what was on it, but we can see it was the GT3s.
So what I see here now is that it probably slid into something (curved barrier like at a track? just missed being t-boned and got tagged in the back which swung the front end around and into the hitting vehicle?) and the front and rear corners took the brunt.
What I see here is that it looks like a chunk of that rear wheel is missing which implies a significant hit (OEM wheels are pretty damn stout). Even with the rubber gone and it sitting on the rim, that wheel is pointing in a funny direction.
So with this new info I would say the book price for repairs was probably around $15k. Maybe more.
Based on that pic I'd bet that they picked it up around $6-8k or so which leaves 10-12k of space with their current asking price. I'd guess they are into it around $15k so we are looking around 8-9k spent on the rehab. If they have a good source for the parts and could do all their own labor at cost, it's still possible for it to be a legit repair.
Anyone interested in this car needs to have it looked at closely by both a mechanic and body shop with special attention paid to that rear corner. These cars are built like tanks back there to protect the engine so there is a good chance it's just mechanicals that needed to be replaced.
I'm shocked that it doesn't look like the airbags fired at all, though we can't see if maybe the passenger's door bag went off.
#3054
Shameful Thread Killer
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
#3055
Rennlist Member
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Now, assuming all the work was performed to spec, what else would one focus on other then bondo.
#3056
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Basically this is a deal that has little margin (if everything was done to spec) so you need to look hard for cut corners.
What did it have, 80-90k on the clock? If he only replaced that one strut/spring and the others are original, that could have an impact on how it drives/handles/rides as the other 3 struts will be tired.
#3058
Rennlist Member
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
^That's exactly what I was thinking price wise.
#3059
3rd Gear
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Seattle - Eastside
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I'd say $18k is pretty close to spot on actually assuming a good bodyshop looks it over and confirms that all repairs were completed to a high standard with quality parts.
Without seeing more pics, nothing in that pic screams that there would have been serious hidden damage. From that pic it looks to be almost entirely cosmetic, but it doesn't surprise me at all that the repair cost was passed the totaled threshold.
Most interesting to me in that pic is that it has two different wheels...
Without seeing more pics, nothing in that pic screams that there would have been serious hidden damage. From that pic it looks to be almost entirely cosmetic, but it doesn't surprise me at all that the repair cost was passed the totaled threshold.
Most interesting to me in that pic is that it has two different wheels...
#3060
Shameful Thread Killer
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
![Default](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Start with the chassis alignment specs. Each car has a detailed diagram giving the corner specs, locations, weights, etc. Next, if it comes close on the chassis locations, do a corner balance. Some of this can be adjusted with shock adjustment, but if the chassis has a twist to it, the two opposing wheels will have different weights on the balance scale(think of a piece of paper, then twist it a bit, and you can have the idea of bad corner weights). Then, door/fender gaps, door close latch alignment, roof open/close.