So after I finally got my car running with its new engine, transmission, and rear end my car gets hit. I just got to my friends house pulled over and parked when this car the other way out of no where swerved and accelerated into my car. Then into a fire hydrant and then finally through a fence into a ponding basin. He just happened to fall asleep at the wheel right when it got next to my car. Well my front drivers side fender, rim, tire, and door all got hit. My car got towed to my insurances lot right now for them to look at it and see if it's salvaged. I didn't get any pictures of it but when I looked at it my axel didn't seem to be harmed and the frame looked good. I have all the receipts for all the work I've had done to it so I can show it to my insurance to help raise the value of my car hopefully. I was wondering though if anyone knew if having to replace the fender, rim, and door would cause my car to be totaled. It's a 1992 camaro rs with a new 383 engine, built up transmission, new gears, positraction, and brakes all with about 2000 miles on it. BTW the window didnt break or anything just dinted the door pretty good and pulled the front part back alittle.

 

Man that sucks. Did you pull the guy out of his car and beat him senseless? His insurance company should be the one picking up the tab. I know in CT they treat people that are driving while overtired just like a DUI. He is completely at fault and if the car is totaled, which I am sure the insurance company will say(I hate dealing with the "other" guys insurance), then I would go after him and his insurance company. He could have killed you or someone else. I don't think it would be too hard to get the money need to fix her up that way.

 

even if they do total it id buy it back and fix her up or make money and part out whats left

 

Wow thats my worst fear of my camaro getting hit by some moron.

 

I don't think it's totalled just by reading your description. As long as the frame isn't warped from it, you should just be able to replace the door and fender and it be good as new... assuming there's no internal damage in the engine bay or anything.

Wish you the best of luck, man.

 

I know your asking of the insurance will call it totalled, and i would like to start by saying, that HIS insurance is supposed to be covering all your damage, or paying for it if its totalled. but it doesnt matter what they say.
every guy who has a third gen, knows that no car is ever totalled, just a challenge. I had an accident that was completely my fault. i hit an suv in the rear so hard that is moved hima nd hit the one infront of him. My Nose, fenders, 'glass hood, windsheild and one door were beyond fixable, and under the hoods, everything was smashed back to the belts.

2 days later my insurance called me and said they labled it totaled, and i laughed and told them i would send in my insurance payment in the next few days. 3 months later, it is better than ever. I guess the point of this is, it really just depends on how much the car means to you. When it comes to value of the car, i lost double what its worth just by fixing it, but its worth it to me... So its not up to them, its up to you. best of luck to you bro.
also, heres some pics of mine.





3 months later

 

Nugget2109 You must have been going pretty fast and had a little to much to drink lol.

 

haha! acutally i wasnt speeding nor drinking

i was on a 45 mph road, and was trying to read my damn paycheck (that barely covered towing it). the freaking irony...
anyway didnt see him stopping at a red light =/

 

lol damn dude that sucks i have had some close calls but nothing major knock on glass.

 

Thats a nice orange camaro. I hate to see them totaled out. I'm glad that you fixed yours. It's true.. There never totaled!!!

 

Get some pictures of the car wrecked and post them up on here.. and lets see what we have to work with. A rim fender and door wont be that hard.. its just trying to get the insurance company to think its not totaled.. it being a 92 rs they may total it..

PICS please

Thanks

 

Yeah, don't let them say it's totalled. Just make them give you the cash to fix it!!

 

yah man, fenders doors and rims are easy to find and replace. dealing with the insurance company is the part i would be worried about. i mean you could pull the engine, rear end, and tranny and just sell parts but who wants to do that to a car that they have time and money into. the body work and paint is where the insurance company is going to up the price of repair and possibly find that your car is "not worth fixing" so even if the parts are cheap the labor cost could kill ya.

 

I would take the money and fix the car........

 

Im still waiting on my insurance there not the ones that want to total it, his insurance does. The funny thing is they haven't even looked at it yet. It got towed to their lot for them to inspect it and see how much the dammage is. I don't have any pictures of it right now once I get to the lot I'll take some pictures personally I don't think its even that bad. Nothing that couldn't be repaired pretty easily. I'll update once I find out more info on it there kind of just taking their time deciding on it.

 

Insurance companys always find a way to stick it to ya, Good luck.

 

any time you sign a contract you get screwed; insurance, cable, phone, ect...they all have there ways of "sticking it to ya" sorry for the rant guys, just keep that in mind next time you sign a contract.

 

I hate contracts... Theyre written in "Lawyerese" so the average guy will have trouble understanding them....

 

I will agree it dosen't have to be "totaled".
But the insurance company may very well total it. I say this because they will look at the value of your car factory, not how you built it, unless you have special insurance.
On that note to them your car is not worth what it is actually worth.
If they total it and you buy it back you will have a salvage title. Other then that your biggest worry needs to be not only if the frame is bent, that is still easy, cost money but easy. If the body of the car is tweaked, it won't ever be right again, as the body connects the "front and back frame".

 

ya are all your door gaps even? front to back and top and bottom?

 

The door gaps are even except on the drivers side door where the hinge is thats where his car pulled some of my door outward. I suppose if it was bent back it would be even though. So far my insurance company told me they wanted to total it with out even looking at it in person. They only had a picture of it and thought my suspension got messed up and thus wanted to total it. Of course i argued this with them since my suspension seemed perfectly fine after i got hit and not even touched. Now they are towing it to an actual body shop to look at it and give the quote. So far its not looking good hopefully it will make it to the body shop (they almost sent it to the wrong one). After that im hopeing they will confirm that the suspension is fine and that the cost will be lower then the value of my car which my insurance company says is $5200 not including the new engine. I've already contacted my lawyer since there were 3 people including me who got injured in my car when he slammed into me. So i dont plan pulling over to make a cell phone call anymore id rather just get the ticket. I guess only time will tell and i can only hope for the best....

 

I hope while they are screwing around they have you in a rental. My daughter was 16 when a idiot hit her. I was told since she wasnt 21....... I told them it wasnt my problem, 1 hour later they told me she could go pick up her rental. Why dont you just turn it over to your insurance company and let them fight it out. That why you have comprehensive. Unless, you dont have full coverage. Remember, it the job of the other isurance company too screw you, you just cant let them.

 

My insurance company does have it. They have had it for almost 2 weeks. Also I did get a rental too its a nice hyundai accent lol. But at least I have a car to drive for now.

 

I wouldnt be surprised if they totaled it, usually unless you have your car insured for an agreed upon value, they dont care whats new in it and such. I know my 91 RS is worth a little over 2000 to my insurance company and even though its got a brand new engine and everything. But usually you can just take the money, buy the car back for cheap and fix it and still make money on the deal, as long as the frame isnt tweaked, sheet metal can be replaced.

 

So far from what they have discovered other then what i said was broken before they found my steering knuckle and cross member were bent. Right now the body shop is trying to find used parts to make the cost cheaper so my insurance doesn't total it. I'm really hoping they don't cause if they do I'd probley end up buying it back and pulling out what i have in it and sell it. That or i'd pull it and put it into another camaro but i'm not quite sure if i want to do that its been a big enough hassle already from all the work ive put into that car. My other option would be to get as much money as I can from it and buying another car like a 4th gen. I hope I don't have to do that though seems like a waste of a car I only got to drive it for 2 weeks with everything new in it before it got in a wreck...The only good news I have is I've found some used and new aftermarket parts that are cheaper then gm's so I'll have to print that up and take it to the body shop. So far the only thing I've learned is that insurance companys are a joke and basically just want to screw you over they said my cars value would raise a lot because of my engine and supposly the price they gave me was with out the engine but I doubt they will stand by that since there trying to just total it now. At least the body shop we took it to is trying to find the cheapest parts and really seem like the only people who want to help me keep the car. It's to bad I really enjoyed the car and planed on further modifying it. I haven't even gotten to upgrade the suspension or repaint it yet. I guess it was a good thing i waited.

 

with front sub bent, they only need 60% of retail to total it,and yes these can be totaled,the improvements you made @ 383 usually only work against you,if they do total,buy it back,scavenge all your good parts,and rebuild another,I know,I just did that

 

The guy that had my car before me and got hit by a women and the insurance tottalled that this car, so now ive got a salvage title. heres the picture

 

it is hard to tell from that pic alone, but i would say my car was worse off then that at one point and never got totaled (previous owner). Then again i dont think the insurance company even knew about it because when i bought the car the carfax report only had one accident listed and i know there were at least two!!

 

Well after fighting with my insurance company for over a month they agreed to get it fixed but after further inspection they also found my frame rails were bent and they think my transmission might have started leaking i wont see it till its at my house though. So sadly I'll have to be parting out my car. They are going to pay me some money for it and give the car back. In the mean time I did stumble across a good price on a 96 corvette so I'll be messing around with that thing for awhile its just to bad i never got to finally finish my car. It was about to be repainted, a new cowl hood, and get the speedometer calibrated to its new gears. Once i get it back at my house ill take some pictures of it and post it online. Honestly I think its a bunch of **** and that my insurance company just felt like dragging it out to screw with me but oh well at least they finally came to a decission. I just don't think an insurance company should flip flop so many times saying a car is totaled then fixable and then totaled again but I suppose that's just my opinion.

 

I dont have any pics of my vert on the comptuer from when it was backed into at a bar parking lot. The previous owner took picures i have them just not on the computer. The driver side door got backed right into, crunched it in deeep. and bent the frame work for the convertible top. Insurance company totaled out the car. he bought it back for like 200 bukcs. replaced the door, had a new frame top put on and then I bought the car. Cant tell it was ever in a wreck. I'd guess also that depending on what state your in an the Insurance laws and regulations will play a big roll in these things. I use to live in Michigan, and now I'm in Texas and the Insurance laws are quite a bit diffrent between the two.

hard to tell from the pics how extensive the dmage is but i'd say if its all just cosmetic, I'd take the check, slap a pannels on have it painted and call it good. There are lots of places to pick up parts for these cars still. I found distrubitor Near austin that sells the finders for our cars for 35 bukcs brand new. As long as your frame is good. Fixer up man. Way too many of these cars get sent to the scrap yard over very minor body damage then they get hacked up and one less 3rd gen left.

-Randy-