Disaster Within 3 Weeks Of Ownership :(

So my Porsche dream has ended in absolute disaster A few weeks into ownership, completely loving each and every second of driving it and looking at it on my drive, a few nights ago I was pootling out of the village I live in a few hundred meters away from my house, went over a mini roundabout and a holiday maker in front of me in a 07 mondeo slammed his breaks on having missed the turning he wanted on the roundabout, and bang, I went into the back of him. I swerved so just caught the offside corner of his bumper, taking out my headlight, bumper, wing and bonnet. I've just had a call from the garage to say that it's uneconomic to repair as the chassis leg was damaged I've been driving 22 years, never had a bump, 3 weeks into dream car ownership and bang, wrote my 911 off doing 10-15mph on a mini roundabout Now I've just got to hope I get a decent offering from my insurance company, I've no experience in this but would hope that as I'd only bought the car recently I should be able to argue to get the full price I paid for it back. The trouble with that is that it took me months to find the right spec/colour car, I travelled to Yorkshire to pick it up as it was so perfect. It was immaculate with a peach of an engine with all the work done (IMS etc), tracker, 4 previous owners, new brakes/discs all round, new air con rads etc etc. At £15.5k it was frankly a bit of a bargain, finding another with the same spec/condition could be pretty much impossible, let alone for the money I managed to buy the last one for

*****, can you not request to buy back option then have it fixed? Chassi legs can be straightened as I dare say its not that bad on the speed you were going.

Has the insurance company told you they don't want to repair it? I believe they normally only repair cars if the cost of the repair is up to 70% of the value of the car. I also believe you can demand they repair it upto 100% of the value of the car. After all you didn't insure 70% of it! It's worth looking into it before you accept anything.

exactly this. At 15mph its not impossible to bend the chassis leg but you'd have to be pretty damned unlucky. I would argue the point or ask for a second opinion as you clearly bought a well sorted car that the insurance company will struggle to recognise. Do you have any pictures of the damage?

The insurance company haven't seen it yet, they're sending their assessor who will be in touch with me within 5 days, the bodyshop are the ones who have stated it's uneconomical to repair. I spoke to the guy there and he reckoned that theres quite a bit of wiring/pipe work under the N/S wing which has all been damaged, as well as the air con rads, new litronic headlight, wing, bonnet, bumper, and like I say he reckoned the chassis was damaged so all in all it would amount to a figure that meant it wasn't economical to repair. To be honest, given that info I'm not sure I would want it back on the road, I think it'd always be in my mind and I wouldn't see the car in the same light. My wife is slightly disconcerted at just how much damage was caused at such low speed, is the car designed to crumple? no air bags were deployed and it didn't 'feel' too bad, but the car's a write off! The Mondeo I hit was hardly damaged at all by comparison, just a cracked bumper. As it took so long to find the right spec 996 at the budget I had, my wifes now suggesting that once I've (hopefully) been paid out fairly from the insurance I should add to it and go for a 997, they're a lot easier to find with decent spec and she's hopeful that they might be a bit stronger?

I doubt a 997 would fair any better in the same accident. Both cars have a bunch of stuff behind each corner that doesn't like being crushed. I hate to say it but I expect if you hadn't swerved and hit the car straight on there would prbably be less damage as the bumper iron would have taken the impact.

Yep, I think you're spot on, natural reaction was to try and avoid though obviously My other car is a 3 yr old Discovery, I'm sure that would have faired a hell of a lot better!

It really depends on where you hit the cars, someone drove into the side of my Mondeo last week at low speed, new wing, door etc. The front corner of his Peugeot was barely damaged. Luckily all agreed it was his fault and there's no structural damage to my car.

Wait to hear the assessor's verdict. Total loss decisions vary by company with repairs at 60% of their market valuation upwards - the price paid has no bearing. They go by their market valuation unless you had it insured for an agreed value in which case there is no argument and they pay out the agreed value. Did you get an estimate for the repairs from the bodyshop? The assessor will be discussing that estimate that's why I ask. If any panels can b repaired that will lower the estimate - but if its a case of replacing panels that can be pretty expensive. Buy-back option may exist but the insurer will probably only give 70% of the market or agreed valuation. And as you state, you probably don't want it back with such extensive repairs required to fund from your own pocket.

Bloody hell sorry to hear about this Robert , Is it yours or the guy who braked without good reasons fault , I know you hit him from behind but it sounds like he make a dangerous manover . I think you right to take the ins money and look at a 997 especially if your wife has lost confidence in the 996 I know the angle it could do the same in any sports car but she may be happier in a different version of 911. hope you get it sorted quickly :thumb:

That is terrible bad luck, not 100% on the why's and wherefore a with insurance but don't accept first offer, argue your case :nooo:

Hmmm.... that's a bummer. Sorry for you, I bet you're peeved. My two Penneth, I only had my 996 couple of months and a woman pulled out on me. The damage was pretty bad, including a full set of wheels because they were one offs and we couldn't get one on it's own. I battled like hell with my insurers, who initially tried to send me to a cheapo repairer. I managed to get booked in with body technics in slough, who were top end, really quality cars in there and ultra high Rex repair shop. Plus they put me in a bmw 3 series convertible for over a month. The repairs and the hire plus full set of wheels must have cost more than I'd paid but they paid it and I went on to do another happy 40k miles in that one. It's the old saying, the squeaky wheel that gets the oil. Make a fuss nd fight for what you deserve. Good luck with it.

Hmmm.... that's a bummer. Sorry for you, I bet you're peeved. My two Penneth, I only had my 996 couple of months and a woman pulled out on me. The damage was pretty bad, including a full set of wheels because they were one offs and we couldn't get one on it's own. I battled like hell with my insurers, who initially tried to send me to a cheapo repairer. I managed to get booked in with body technics in slough, who were top end, really quality cars in there and ultra high Rex repair shop. Plus they put me in a bmw 3 series convertible for over a month. The repairs and the hire plus full set of wheels must have cost more than I'd paid but they paid it and I went on to do another happy 40k miles in that one. It's the old saying, the squeaky wheel that gets the oil. Make a fuss nd fight for what you deserve. Good luck with it.

That's terrible bad luck, something very similar happened to me just a few weeks ago they wrote it off on the basis Of The glasses guide price which is well out for the 996. Even at your 15k purchase price the damage you describe will write it off as you are looking at a 14k repair, price of parts alone is about 8/ 9k with a litronic in there, they do it on Porsche prices of parts which is not cheap. If you want some more in depth advice about the whole process PM me I can call you.

What a crap bit of luck. I doubt I'd want it repaired either. If it has moved the inner wing then that's the side of the luggage compartment and everything. I couldn't be chewed sorting that. You could pull it and make it look ok but replacement would be the proper way and it's part of the shell so I can easily see how it will probably be written off. Take the cash and move on. Not great but probably the easiest. Getting a decent payment will be the hardest part of it all. Fingers crossed for you getting a pain free solution. :thumb: