as some of you know...my car was rearended on wednesday...
it was not my fault...but i want to know if my car is fixable...or if its time to start shoppin for a 3rd gen...again....

I have some pics of it on the net...i need to get an estimate of the damage...what do you guys think???...fixable???...or the "t" word...

http://www.geocities.com/dabes89camaro/pics/

Thanks,

DABE

 

Can you attach some pics here?

It appears your bandwidth has been exceeded on Geocities.

 

ok...here are some pics....

 

pic 2

 

pic 3

 

the final pic...

 

I'm not sure, but it kinda looks like the rear sub-frame could be bent, what does everyone else think?

 

The rear subframe is bent. You can easily see it if you look under the car. It will most likely need the subframe bars cut off, and new ones welded on. It's not really too bad of a job. You will also need new taillights, and a bumper with the energy absorber behind it. The quarter panels are probably OK. They should return to normal when you put the car on a frame machine and pull it back to make the new subframe bars fit. My IROC was hit in a similar fashion and i was quoted about $3500 to fix it.

 

id say the car held up pretty good for being hit at a stand still at 25-35 mph....welp....ill hear from the insurance agency maybe monday or tuesday...

DABE

 

vThe insurance company like's to tell
us our cars are "TOTALLED" very easily.

I hit a deer in my 1984 Transam I had previously. I did not hit it going very fast.
The damage was, the Left front fender, Front bumper, and driver sided door.

I took it to the Body shop and the estimate came up "Totalled" because are car is considered a sports car. New parts are not cheap.
but the resale value on the cars themselves are down there. Especially the further back in years you go.

Mark


P.S. Good Luck, and sorry to hear about the accident.

I'd say the car looks repairable, but if they end up not being able to "pull out" those rear quarters, ,and they end up having to replace them. the labor for replacing those is high because they have to be welded to the body, and your looking at quite a bit of paint work there too. I am willing to say, atleast 1500 dollars worth of paint labor.

Sorry....

 

thanks...can some one tell me what kind of rims are mine...i cant find them out...they look like they have diff center caps...thanks

DABE

 

I can tell you from experience, my father is a retired insurance agent, that your car will be totalled.... est $5G damage
Now to the more sad news....
Once the car is considered totaled you can purchase back your car for a few hundred bucks and have it repaired, now the real sad news..
It will be considered a salvaged vehicle and will need to be inspected by the state police. Upon passing you will be given a "new" salvage title. The value of your car just crapped..

Hope you get things sorted out, BTW those look like s-10 wheels, cheers, Bob

 

if they say its totaled...ill go out and take the money and buy a 5 speed 3rd gen camaro and put my engine in it....i would buy one that has a crap engine and a good body...then throw my 350 in...and ill have the 3.73s and a 5 speed....

I would much rather have a 5 speed

DABE

 

dude, i think your car is totaled. i worked in a body shop for 4 years and have an eye for damage. there is a lot of damage you cant see. the rear frame rails are bent down, the quarters panels are junk they will never go back so they both need to be replaced. take the rear carpet out and see what the floor looks like. if any of the floor is bent then it must be replaced. do your doors still shut. what does the gap look like.is the gas filler neck still centered in the hole on the quarter panel. how are your ttops. also. i bet your hatch wont shut anymore because when the car was hit. the cross panel that the hatch latches too was thrown foward and now needs to be pulled back. the car will never be the same again. im surprised the rear glass didnt brake. id be complaing of a bad neck pain. sue the ******* that hit you for medical injuries and buy the car you really want

 

welp...the hatch and doors do close...doors are a little tight....i dunno about the filler neck and the floor...

I just spent over 5K in the car...then some ******* takes it away...i hate this..this GIRL wasnt paying attention...then i get stung....its not fair...i know life isnt fair but...my car is probally totaled....let me rephrase...my BABY is almost totaled...and now i have nothing...execpt a check from the insurance...i dont know what the checks ammount is...but it better be close to 5K....

about the sueing (spell?) thing...i think people are ******* for doing that....its not right....but...its also not right to have my baby taken away from me...

Could i take her to court to make her pay for all of the damages even tho the insurance company will not pay for the damages??...i want the car to be the way i had it before the wreck....

DABE

 

Wow, I would have cried when I got out and saw that, seriously. Hope things work out for you.

 

the 1st thing i said was "WHAT THE F*** DID YOU DO TO MY CAR!!"...and then i almost broke in to tears....

DABE

 

I say get as much as you can, and find a good clean V6 body and swap your driveline over. May even have enough left over for a repaint too.. cheers, Bob

 

you ll never be able to take her to court. the most you will get is the money back from the insurance company. trust me. I ve been there with car wrecks before. you will always take a loss in a case like this. find yourself another nice clean 3rd gen fbody and take as many parts off your car as you can. find out how much the insurance company is giving you for the car. dont tell them you want it back until they offer you there price. if you tell them you want to buy it back then they will only give you a little bit back since the main thing you want is the car. once they make an offer with you, dispute it. see if you can get a few more hundred dollars from them. once you have the parts you want to keep off your car then you can start selling the other stuff here on the boards. .

 

You do not have to let them total it. You own the car, they do not. If you *accept* their $ amount for the car & sign paperwork handing the car over to them, then you let them total it. If you don't, then you don't. A partial settlement can let you keep the car & title, but get some reparation from the ins. co.

But all in all, your car was hit hard enough that I wouldn't rebuild it. Subrames being bent down is sad but it's happened. & I wouldn't want the car w/ new quarters & all when there's others out there.

Matthew

 

welp...heres my plan..

PLAN A: If the car is fixable...ill get it fixed

PLAN B: If totaled...ill find another third gen...NC law is that when a car is totaled the owner can get it FREE of charge...So...get a 5 speed 3rd gen that looks decent...take my motor...line lock...3.73s...rims and tires...off an put it on the "new" third gen...then see how much $$ i have left...maybe i can make a few bucks...then part out the body and trans...i might swap out the interior...i have nice new leather....

how much do you think i can make by parting out the body and interior??...

ive looked on Ebay...there are some good looking cars with 305 5 speeds..

DABE

 

get a 6pd to bolt up to the motor you have. the t5 wontlast long. you can buy th etrans withthe money you have left over and the money you get from parting out parts. what year is your car

 

check sig for info...

DABE

 

This really sucks. I would have cried my eyes out...after I kicked that girls butt!

People just don't pay attention.

I would really look at getting a V-6 since your planning on transplanting your drivetrain. Your insurance will be very cheap since all they check is the VIN.

 

welp...ill look in to the t56...

insurance is pretty cheap with the 305

DABE

 

I doubt that insurance would be that much different on a V8 vs. V6 for a 1989. Check it out; might be better to just find a V8 ride...

 

sad deal man, sorry bout that. I know if somebody rear ended me I would probably be in jail for beating the **** outta em. I don't have the best temper :-) can ya tell. after the money I've put into the car I'd just be super pissed.

 

May not be...I was thinking he was a young guy though and that is when it matters. For 'old people' like myself, I only pay 42.00 per month for my Iroc. Then again, I also have 4 other cars on my policy.

 

i'd say even if it is not totaled, get rid of it. there are alot more that aren't totaled.

 

Geez, hate to see that happen.

I pay $12 per month for liability on my car, and I'm only 23. nah nah.

 

Man that really sucks. I feel your pain bro. When my car was smacked in the front just one week after I bought it by some lady that pulled out without looking it really depressed me. I got out the car and yelled WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, then LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY NEW CAR. I almost broke down in tears because I had just got the car I dreamed of. Let's just say that I made her pay by requesting all new parts, three coats of paint, and clear coat. My whole front end was repainted so it got rid of the peeling paint on the hood with some nice glossy paint. Man I hope they don't delare it totaled but if they do just go out there and get another 3rd gen and swap the stuff out of the car. Man this story has brought back horrible flashbacks of my car when it was crippled

 

welp...im 16....

why get rid of it?? it will be fixed....

Trans 87...this is my 1st real car that has some muscle under the hood...this was pretty much my dream car....im in the same boat as you were....

Welp hopefully ill get the call tomorrow telling me about the car...

What do you guys think about my PLAN A and B thing?...Sound logical??

DABE

 

it sounds good

 

Man that sucks! Honestly, I know how you feel about "her" being your first car and all, but its really not worth fixing. Itll never really be the same with all that frame damage.

While were on the B/S topic of insurance, figured I throw in that I get analy raped for $426 every month by my ins. company for my vert. Thats full coverage, Im 20, no points. Go figure...

 

ouch...i pay about 100 bucks a month...thats with no collision...

 

Sorry about your car . My worst fear just happened to you. Hang in there you WILL eventually be driving another bad*** thirdgen, its only a matter of time.

 

Yep, it's fixable. I have a front '84 subframe on my '86. If you have to pay for a shop to fix this, make it cheaper by MAKING IT EASIER! How?

Pull the rear carpet, rear seats, all the rear plastic panels, and the headliner. When they weld, they don't want to have to move this crap outta the way, and it helps them check for damage. Remove the door sills, too.

Raise the back up, and drop the gas tank out. Plug the fuel lines on the car somehow... don't know how, but make sure they're plugged so one spark doesn't blow up the shop. On 2nd thought, maybe you want to check with the shop on this one.

Remove your muffler and intermediate pipe (muffler to cat). If you remove the lower shock bolts, and lower the axle down, you'll be able to unbolt the i-pipe from the rear of the cat and just pull the whole system straight out of the back.

Good luck dude; it's possible, definately. Whether or not you want to do such a job is up to you. But I tell ya; I stripped both my cars to just a motor, and brought 'em to a body shop. They cut off my smashed '86 frame, cut off the good '84 frame, put the '84 frame onto the '86 car, and moved the '84 windshield onto my car. Total cost: $900. Add in the '84 parts car for $250. I bought another $150 of stuff (like a radiator, the 84 one had mud in it, hoses, belts, etc) and was back on the road after an alignment. Then I did my own bodywork and brought the car to Maaco.

 

I see the same kind of damage up here in Seattle, WA.
A lot of cars get rear-ended just by the volume of traffic and very little moving room in the morning going south and the evening going north.
I hate to say this, but I would forget the car with that kind of damage.
Take the money, any parts that you can get away with (change the tires and rims for four doughnut rims ASAP), and build a new one.
Third gens are going for about $3500.00 up here and that's for a GTA.
Even if you get it fixed, will the damage be worse if it happens again
Not worth your life. Build a new one. Just my .02 cents.

 

heres an update...its at the local chevy dealer (rick hendricks) and they have the best collision center in the state...they have the car on a lift as we speak...the insurance adjuster and my dad and i think that its just cosmetic body damage...we will see....ill know by tonight...

Thanks

DABE

 

You can pick up a Stro for next to nuthin...

 

Im with ya my friend!
Infact.. as you can see you have
much support from your fellow third
gen buds here!

we all feel for your ride!
everyone agree's this sucked!
but heres the positive side noone
mentioned...


YOU ARE ALIVE!!!!!!!!!



This is probably the most important thing to be thankful for!
You will have your dreamcar back
whether it's that one, or another one!
you can do it!! it was meant to be!
you take true pride and love of your car, and your car was a very sharp and beautiful car!
If you have to get a different car,
you will find that many people on here
are seeking parts from your old ride
and you will have no problems getting rid of those parts and making back money to rebuild your dream.
Dreams cannot be destroyed!
they go on forever...

I once saw a beautiful chevelle SS at a car show once, and I was just standing there staring at it.. and I told the Man and the woman sitting behind the car, how much I loved the car.. and then they about shattered my chest when they spoke..

they said.. "This was our sons dream car, ,his dream was to restore this car to look exactly the way it looks today and show it in shows, Our son died in a tragic car accident, but rather than grieve and sell the car, we restored it, and carry his dream on through this car."

and all I could get out of my mouth was "I will never forget what you guys just said to me, you guys are amazing parents, and thanks for sharing that with me"

The reason I put that story in their is not to depress people, but to show.. that this car is a material object.. it is replaceable, but it is "HIS" dream... and because it's replaceable, and/or restorable, nothing can take that away from him!!

Later