Originally Posted by 1989 G92

Frame rail is kinked and is toast. Will need to be replaced/sectioned according to ICAR standards with an undamaged part. IF you pull and heat that rail it will fold up like a soda can in the next wreck. It has done its job and needs to be replaced.

Originally Posted by IROCmenace

Just to clear up some insurance things here to try and help you out so you have real expectations.

Agents - sell products. They do not handle claims. They cannot act as an attorney for you and argue with the other company on your behalf. Sure they can call and complain but the claim rep for the other company owes them nothing as they are not a customer and the accident didn't happen to them. Sometimes them calling can make things worse. But I am sure they would call you back and tell you all the great arguing they did on your behalf and then try to sell you a life policy.


Totalling a car - In TN if the cost to repair a car is 75% or more than the cars total worth then they have to brand the title which is "totalling". If it is older than 10 years they no longer have to brand the title but the 75% mark still is standard. They will not pay you more than 100% of the cars total worth. You can do an internet search for titling standards in CA to see what they do.

Value - Every company has a standard. Some use NADA, some use Mitchell or others.
Rarely does anyone use Kelly Blue Book.
If you don't like the offer you can request the company to do a "market search" That can hurt as well as help. Submit receipts for what you did to the car to help your arguement.
Your car is special to you as mine is to me. But when it boils down to it has a value not unlike other vehicles in it's class.

You catch more flies with sugar.... carry yourself well with the other company and you will get farther. Remember you are dealing with human beings.

Originally Posted by seiplentz

That blows!! That car is is totally fixable!! I just hope the insurance company doesnt try to total it because blue book says the car isnt worth much and thats what they usually go by.

I have my car insured for 15k gives them more of a reason to fix it..

Originally Posted by IROCgiraffe

A regular insurance policy is going to Total that car, unless you have your own Collision coverage with an agreed value. These cars are plentiful, and appear to be fairly easy to repair/rebuild. Keep in mind, if structure is damage, depending on how badly it is bent/kinked, it makes sense to properly replace the damage area/component as the integrity of the metal in the affected area has been compromised.

Originally Posted by mainstreetspeed

sorry about your ride that sucks. i had something similar happen to me , in fla we are a no faul state this young girl was to busy texting to notice my wife was stop at the red light.
she hit my wife at 45 mph lucky my wife and kids were ok,but because the car was older then 6 years old and the odometer was over 100k the insurance company totaled the car.this is my own insurance company that little fill in the rest did not have insurance. i did not let them do that i had to get a lawyer . all insurance companies are this way they dont care how much time and hard work that went into your baby to them it should have
been in the junkyard in the first place .

Originally Posted by KingsHustleLA

Here's a better picture of the subframe (drivers side)

Question #1. Can it be cut off and a clean one cut from another car welded on?

Question #2. Being welded on, would it be as strong as if it was never crashed?

Question #3. What expert level would someone at a body shop need to be at to weld this on properly & make it even so the bumper & fenders are aligned right?

Question #4. Would it cost a lot more?

Originally Posted by IROCgiraffe

That is structure and needs to be repaired per standards set forth by the manufacturer. For fun a while back I tried to see if GM had this info posted, but they had it for the 4th Gen, which is similar but not the same, IIRC. If it is repaired properly, you should have no concern with the strength of the frame rail. Vehicle should perform just like it did previously. The challenge sometimes is finding a repair facility that you can trust to perform the repair properly.

This needs to be repaired properly in the event of a future collision.

Originally Posted by KingsHustleLA

I see so if i could find someone who really know what they're doing it would be a good way to go but i couldn't just take it to any bodyshop that's been around for awhile & take them the parts including the cut off piece of subframe from another iroc and have them cut off the old one & weld it on? Or am i better off just having the kink in my sub frame pulled back out & straightened?

Originally Posted by IROCgiraffe

You can absolutely use parts from a donor car, just gotta find where the areas on the frame are that GM would allow sectioning. The vehicle needs to be put on a frame machine, the structured pulled to restore the dimensions of the vehicle and then the damaged part of the frame needs to be replaced... Sectioned.

Originally Posted by KingsHustleLA

Alright i see what you're saying, so if i had it straightened out right now i could always just have that piece cut off and another one welded after i research where the car can be sectioned right? I'm going to cut a radiator support off of a 88 iroc i seen being parted out by someone on craigslist, i guess his was hit from the back. I was also thinking of just cutting part of the subframe off too where mine is bent and taking it with me to the body shop with my car when it gets repaired, i figured i'd ask if they would be able to do something with it.

Originally Posted by IROCgiraffe

Just make sure to have the donor piece already sourced so that they can section it in once they pull on the structure. Just makes sense to do all that at the same time.

But you seem to be on the right path! Get her fixed and back in action!!!

Originally Posted by KingsHustleLA

What do you mean sourced?

Originally Posted by IROCgiraffe

Sourced = secure, have in possession.

Originally Posted by KingsHustleLA

Oh alright lol thanks man i appreciate your time.