Damage from rock on roadway

About 2 weeks ago I was driving back north from Healdsburg CA about 5pm on a Sunday after a weekend out of town. It was raining a little. I rounded a corner in Northern Mendocino County and hit a large rock in the road. I was doing maybe 60 as the road is windy and the corner was blind. The rock looked to be small enough to go under the car....... However, there was a loud dragging noise and then stumbling from the engine. We pulled over and checked the car. There was fuel leaking quite obviously and a cross member? toward the rear touching the road. We were lucky to flag down passing Fire personnel who called emergency services. We then had local Fire Rescue from Leggett, CA and CHP. The CHP called a tow company and left us. The Fire rescue insisted on towing us a few hundred yards as we were "in an active slide area". He hooked up a tow rope to the tow eyelet and towed us for a bit (with the metal dragging on the road and fortunately not igniting the fuel). Once we were stopped, he left and we waited for the tow truck. After about 2 hours we were on our way to Eureka where the 996 is now awaiting its fate. The local Indy shop very graciously checked it out and fitted us into their schedule. It looks like damage to the frunk bottom, torn fuel line and damaged engine pan. He is having a body shop check out the damage to the panels on the underside of the car which he thinks is considerable. His initial thought is that the engine is not damaged other than the oil sump pan. I am now waiting for an estimate for mechanical repairs and a body shop to estimate the underside panel damage. I did go round to see the 996 and there is a "puncture" in the frunk and some denting that I could repair. I have not seen it on a lift yet. My concern is that the car was purchased for not much more than the cost of an engine(used) and that the repairs will quickly add up and be a total loss. It has a fairly low value, but Hagerty insurance and I'd rather not lose the 996. My thought is to have the mechanical repairs done and try to see if I can keep the car and repair the body myself. The engine is a factory replacement with 100k on it and recent good oil analysis, good durometric cam deviations. Does anyone have any experience of a similar plight? Thanks Gordon

Even if the oil pan skirt is cracked it can easily be welded. I bought my car as a roller and welded up the skirt and bought an $80 pan from ebay. Hit the dent in the frunk down with a hammer and replace the plastic panels. The fuel line will talke some labor because they may have to drop the fuel tank. If u want to keep the car im sure u can work it out. U can always buy it back if they total it.

Thanks for the reply. That�s reassuring that there are some options to keep the car.

Good luck with your repair 👍

Rotten luck! I'm glad you weren't injured. Did it lose all its oil? That may be a precursor to larger issues. I also don't see an explanation for whatever metal item was dragging on the ground. My major $ concern mechanically would be the engine. Casting cracks and/or chunks missing. Plastic panels are easily replaced. The body damage might put your car into the "worth more as parts" category. It sounds as though you're okay with that. Don't be surprised if the mechanical repairs hit a number close to your purchase price. Parts have gotten crazy expensive over the past year or so. Good luck and let us know how it goes. I'll keep fingers crossed.