I'm a dumbass... please help me assess damages

[86-tundra]

Originally Posted by Khorne

Well it certainly looks like you've hit hard times.

really?

[FirestormFRS]

I don't see more than 1400 but depends on labor rates in your area.

[Kelbyat07]

Originally Posted by Khorne

Well it certainly looks like you've hit hard times.

[Rayme]

That damage where is bumper meets the quarter panel...you need a pro to work on this, don't cheap out on a brand new car or it'll bite you back later on.

[shellslinger]

Originally Posted by Lonewolf

Check this out, somewhat similar damage on this car:

http://dtmautobody.com/2013/11/19/sc...-panel-repair/

Damage is far less than what the pole did to his car. This car was backed into by a hummer. I saw it happen

OP - Before filing an insurance claim, contact a reputable shop and get their estimate. Then weigh out your options and see if you want to file an insurance claim or not. I would advocate filing for an insurance claim but check the estimate first.

[ZionsWrath]

Yea, get an estimate, they are free. Then decide what you want to do.

You could try to source an OEM firestorm bumper and tail light, then take it in for the quarter damage. But you should also check the bumper mounting points for damage when you replace it, might be broken.

[WilOTheWisp]

Unless you have a history of accidents, most insurance companies won't blink or raise your rate on something so minor. At least that way, you can have it done right and save $1500-$2500. I would just pay the $500 unless you have insurance rate concerns.

[imom]

I suggest that you talk to your agent before filing a claim. Many times when shopping for new insurance, they always ask if you filed a claim in the last 3 years. It may seem good to file a claim, but if it goes on your record...I highly think twice.

I filed a claim for a crack window because it's not an at fault damage... but backing up and damaging your car...I say talk to your agent to see if this affects your premiums now and into the far future.

Your damage isn't that bad... just find a good shop, the body work is minor, but need to see if there's any frame damage, I say that because while some damages doesn't seem like it...it may knock the frame out of alignment. Other than that... it's easy to fix for a body shop. The bumper can be fixed too unless you want a new bumper. The paint they can blend into the car... the only thing if it matters to you is that it will show on the paint meter that paint work has been done on the car.

The most important is to do your research to find a good shop in your area... good luck.

BTW, this shouldn't be $2500 worth of damage... it's not a high end luxury car... it's just a regular car with cheap paint...the plus side of the 86 platform... cost effective sports car... if someone charges you $2500+ they are taking you for a ride.

[ZionsWrath]

Originally Posted by imom

I suggest that you talk to your agent before filing a claim. Many times when shopping for new insurance, they always ask if you filed a claim in the last 3 years. It may seem good to file a claim, but if it goes on your record...I highly think twice.

I filed a claim for a crack window because it's not an at fault damage... but backing up and damaging your car...I say talk to your agent to see if this affects your premiums now and into the far future.

Your damage isn't that bad... just find a good shop, the body work is minor, but need to see if there's any frame damage, I say that because while some damages doesn't seem like it...it may knock the frame out of alignment. Other than that... it's easy to fix for a body shop. The bumper can be fixed too unless you want a new bumper. The paint they can blend into the car... the only thing if it matters to you is that it will show on the paint meter that paint work has been done on the car.

The most important is to do your research to find a good shop in your area... good luck.

He won't be able to really talk to an agent. I tried in the past to ask about "hypothetical" situations and accidents. They will give you some BS about "every situation is different, we would need the exact details of the incident". And if you press the further they will ask "can you please provide your name and policy number".

It is worthless to try and speak with insurance companies unless you are filing a claim.

[imom]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

He won't be able to really talk to an agent. I tried in the past to ask about "hypothetical" situations and accidents. They will give you some BS about "every situation is different, we would need the exact details of the incident". And if you press the further they will ask "can you please provide your name and policy number".

It is worthless to try and speak with insurance companies unless you are filing a claim.

If you have a broker, they are generally helpful...if you speak direct, I agree with you... an agent is different than customer rep. I wouldn't call directly to the company and identify yourself and then ask...

If the deductible is $500 and you can swallow another $500...then it's worth it to do it yourself... an accident is an accident... that's different than road hazard damage... I only chimed in since I saw some advice that wasn't as prudent to me.

[SigmaHyperion]

Originally Posted by imom

BTW, this shouldn't be $2500 worth of damage... it's not a high end luxury car... it's just a regular car with cheap paint...the plus side of the 86 platform... cost effective sports car... if someone charges you $2500+ they are taking you for a ride.

This is somewhere in the realm of a $2000 repair, and could easily by higher depending on the quality of the shop doing the work and what exactly they can do with that quarter panel.

Labor is labor, and (generally) paint is paint -- and both are very expensive. Especially paint which has gone sky high the past few years. "High-End Luxury Car" or not, it's all the same; the only difference being what the shop may think you're willing to pay for the same work; it's not inherently any cheaper to do it on a 'cheaper' car.

Tailight will run some $300. That bumper repair (there's a nice crack, a minor crease, and some surface scraping), paint, and blend, somewhere in the $600 range, and it wouldn't take much before you may as well just buy a new one. The quarter-panel repair is really iffy. If they can fix it, you're probably looking at another $750 or so. But fixing that area around the tailight and the bumper cover joint is gonna be a real bitch. You could be looking at a full cut and weld with a lot more paint work which would put you well north of $1200 on that alone (part, a few hours labor, plus a lot more paint and blend labor). All told you won't get away with less than $1500 in a best case and north of $2000 wouldn't be at all unexpected.

With rare exception car repairs are just stupid expensive no matter what. You don't have to drive a 'high end luxury car' to get bent over at the repair shop. The quality (or lack thereof) of materials used today (super thin metals and cheap plastics), the difficulty of matching these swoopy compound OEM curves on ever larger and larger single panels, and the exponential expense in price of good labor and paint, makes body work crazy expensive no matter what. Two related (to this incident) examples from me personally:

1> Wife hit someone at a stop light. She just left off the brake pedal and rolled into them at maybe 2mph. Damage to her Mazda3 was nothing more than a little dimple on the license plate -- damage to the rear of the Sienna minivan that she "hit" -- over $3000.

2> While parked on the street outside our house, my car behind hers, someone rear-ended my car. Pushed me into hers. My car had absolutely not one little bit of damage to the front (and I didn't run a front plate or bracket to take any of the damage). Damage to the rear-end of her car: $1000. In that case we just took the check, the damage was so negligible as to barely even be noticed; but it was still enough to cost a full grand to get it "fixed" -- that's what the adjuster claimed was the damages for what amounted to little more than a respray and blend of the rear bumper with almost zero prep work. I was out like $2 to replace the rear plate lamp and left the rest there. It was, at the time, an almost 10 year old Mazda3; the very minor 'damage' to the rear bumper of a small bit of scuffed paint only made it better match the rest of the car.

[ZionsWrath]

Originally Posted by imom

If you have a broker, they are generally helpful...if you speak direct, I agree with you... an agent is different than customer rep. I wouldn't call directly to the company and identify yourself and then ask...

If the deductible is $500 and you can swallow another $500...then it's worth it to do it yourself... an accident is an accident... that's different than road hazard damage... I only chimed in since I saw some advice that wasn't as prudent to me.

It is probably worth it. I made a small 1500$ claim on my insurance and it didn't raise my rate. But just after the billing period I got a speeding ticket, will see what happens in 6 months ^_^

[SigmaHyperion]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

It is probably worth it. I made a small 1500$ claim on my insurance and it didn't raise my rate. But just after the billing period I got a speeding ticket, will see what happens in 6 months ^_^

Insurance companies love to make people afraid to file a claim.

In reality, unless you're doing it all the time, you're totally fine. They expect to pay out. You expect to need it too -- that's why we all get it. It's a virtual inevitably that you're going to need it. They know that too. So use it.

It's only when your claims become frequent enough to put you into a whole different actuarial risk that it's a problem. Tickets make you 'riskier' -- they have their studies to prove that -- you'll likely see an increase there. But simply filing a claim does not make you any riskier because there is a presumption that virtually everyone will file so many claims over their lifetime. Having many claims does make you riskier because the pace at which you're filing claims puts you outside the norm.

That's why pretty much everyone is "offering" this "accident forgiveness" now. They're simply "offering" exactly what they always have done anyways: not increasing your rates on the first accident you have (and usually 'resetting' this 'free pass' every X years). Now they just make it sound like they're doing you some huge favor by doing exactly what they've always done. They're not doing it because they like you, or because they're happy you've been with them for X years; they're doing it because their data says that someone with only a claim every X years is perfectly 'normal'.

I've made, unfortunately, 4 at-fault (all my wife) insurance claims in my last 10 years with Progressive. Not only did I not get a rate increase after any of them, but on 3 of them my rates went down for the next 6-month period. All-told, Progressive has paid out far more to me than I have to them, but I still pay (as near as I can tell compared to those who live around me in similar circumstances with similar coverages) a very competitive rate.

[ZionsWrath]

Originally Posted by SigmaHyperion

Insurance companies love to make people afraid to file a claim.

In reality, unless you're doing it all the time, you're totally fine. They expect to pay out. You expect to need it too -- that's why we all get it. It's a virtual inevitably that you're going to need it. They know that too. So use it.

It's only when your claims become frequent enough to put you into a whole different actuarial risk that it's a problem. Tickets make you 'riskier' -- they have their studies to prove that -- you'll likely see an increase there. But simply filing a claim does not make you any riskier because there is a presumption that virtually everyone will file so many claims over their lifetime. Having many claims does make you riskier because the pace at which you're filing claims puts you outside the norm.

That's why pretty much everyone is "offering" this "accident forgiveness" now. They're simply "offering" exactly what they always have done anyways: not increasing your rates on the first accident you have (and usually 'resetting' this clock every X years). Now they just make it sound like they're doing you some huge favor by doing exactly what they've always done. They're not doing it because they like you, or because they're happy you've been with them for X years; they're doing it because their data says that someone with only a claim every X years is perfectly 'normal'.

I've made, unfortunately, 4 at-fault (all my wife) insurance claims in my last 10 years with Progressive. Not only did I not get a rate increase after any of them, but on 3 of them my rates went down for the next 6-month period. All-told, Progressive has paid out far more to me than I have to them, but I still pay (as near as I can tell compared to those who live around me in similar circumstances with similar coverages) a very competitive rate.

Besides a broken window I haven't had a claim before that for probably 4 years. And the last claim was a drunk driver. My last at fault claim was ~6 years earlier.

I'm crossing my fingers it doesn't go up for my speeding ticket, lol