To Quit or to Preserve

I made a mistake, I rear-ended my wife while following her home from the beach. The Q5's receiver hitch made a nice hole in my car's nose, hood pushed up a little. Original estimate $4,000.00. No problem. Once they pulled off body parts and removed bonnet interior, >$10,000.00. New tub needed. It was a beautiful 2001 with Lapis Blue paint, stock 19" rims, religiously maintained by me, etc. Question; What would you do? Take the money and run? Or, tell the Insurance Company that you'd rather take the residuals and reinvest it in the car to fix it, now with the designation that it was "totaled". We drove the car for a week, even on the Freeway (70+) before going to the body shop, it has no noticeable suspension problems... Normally, I'd fix the car if it wasn't labeled "totaled". On the other hand, I can't stand seeing this beautiful car being parted out. Not many left. Thanks All. Guess I'm just rambling...

For the guy named Heroin, there is only one way to go...Persevere brother. If car drives fine, replace the bumper and re-align the hood and be done with it. Body shop will always give you the MAX price to repair things. With Porsche it is 2x that. It doesn't look like there is much damage to the car, so repair it yourself and keep enjoying the car. Tell us more about rear ending your wife though, I know this will come up...so I want to be the first post to bring it up. Screenshotted your post too, for history.

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I can't comment on the situation with your car...but how's your wife doing?

Told you Heroin, you rear-ending your wife will open the can of worms. Cover yourself while you can.

Nope, that's my story and I'm stick'in with it.

I think we've all rear ended OP's wife at some point this week. Like her, OP should persevere.

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I spilled my beer....

DT, I've deleted two ways to make you look like a complete and utter jerk. Just shut up. I'm on this forum for information, not ********. Now Gentlemen, back to my original question, should I total it like DT does, or rebuild with the scarlet letter on the title? Thanks

No air bag deploy? If you like the car, take it to a panel beater and let him work some magic. The car's gonna have a branded title no matter if you keep or sell, so it's up to you now how much you like it. I want to see all non-black/gray/white cars saved so if it were me, I'd have the shop whacking on it already. Bumper cover, some trim bits, and badda-bing you are back driving. Value took a hit due to the title, but you rear-ended your wife, and you KNOW that's always costly.

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It's impossible to make me look like a jerk, or for me to care of you do. That must be frustrating. To total it like I do is to leave no doubt.

docmirrer, Thank you for the reply, No Air-bags, no suspension, just the jig and tub to put it back together. Guess I'll have to deal with the title. I won't sell the car anyway. JT, you must like cows. Milk them recently? Thanks again docmirror...

DT, You are an Adrian Dream. Heroin

..

This is way more up my alley

Heroin, I warned you man. You brought this on yourself. Say you hit a fire hydrant while texting (see Gonto911), and you will be good. Rear ending the wife, is just too easy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian Dream from your basement. Now go play with yourself and your "dream" and go away. Back to my original question...

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Since you're going to have a branded title, don't bother replacing the tub. Just get them whacking on it till it's pretty straight and will join the front body brace(that will need some pulling). Buy a used bumper and cover, and what other bits you need out of a breakers yard. No need to go all uppity on the car where no one can see after it's assembled. If you were near N TX, we'd have it over to my guy and have it knocked out in a couple hours.

Thanks Doc, Good thoughts...

If you plan on keeping the car indefinitely and you truly enjoy it: Fix it. Like a home you plan to die in, market value is irrelevant to a final owner. If it's one in a series: Take the totaled $, walk away and find another. But yes, the 'rear ending' starter line was simply too easy to pass up. Truly, you give participants on this site far too much credit for maturity… Good luck with your decision.

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Ya know, givin the guy some raz is all well and good AFTER you help fix his issue. It's a matter of priorities more than anything. To raz someone right out of the block is the easy way out, participation trophy kind of asshattery. IMNSHO.

LOL doc, it is 996 forum. What did you expect? And actually, did you read my original post in this thread? It was pretty damn constructive for the 1st part.

Hero, There is a huge difference between a high quality repair to the bodywork/tub and a 'good enough' repair. Do not bother taking it to the classy body shops.Go on Yelp & to the wrong part of town .Find a competent body shop that repairs for the cheap used car lots .Tell them what you want : It must be safe, aligned correctly and not leak rainwater.Get the mechanical work done elsewhere and maybe do some yourself? Most Indie Shops will know of such body shops - or their mechanics will know of them. And please ignore the tawdry comments .But I suggest you modify your screen name to avoid baiting them. Just drop the 'in' at the end?

Wait.... what????? "Ignore the tawdry comments"???? Why else would anyone be reading 996 forums?

Thank you all for the latest comments. I'll make some calls to other body shops this weekend. Schnell, my screen name is the name of my racing sailboat's name. And once you get on it, you'll never get off. I'm sorry for those that have the difficulty of deciding how to regulate their lives and I would like to add I have helped them (living in Phoenix previously). So, Schnell, all I'm doing is asking for advise. Do you have any? Heroin

All, I've lost my mind dealing with this. I apologize to all, except the little punk hiding in his/her parents basement. Have a great night and if you-all have ideas or a guy in the San Diego area... Heroin

I'm actually kind of a fat punk. And I have my very own studio apartment where I steal wifi from the Denny's next door.

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Guys who race cars probably have fixes like this made more than once. I don't have names in San Diego but contact Tony Callis at Rennsport in Hawthorne CA [phone removed] (Tom is his head service guy) and call TLG Auto and talk to Marco, [phone removed]. Both shops do mechanical repairs and also race or build race cars. They may also have good advice on which way to go with your car and the names of body shops that will do the work you want at a cost that makes sense. Because you show such affection for the car I'm guessing you might really be happiest getting it back on the road. You know the car better than any car out there...you can't say that about any car you'd replace it with. Good luck.

I always tell my children someone else's actions is no excuse for my own. So now you are insulting a guy you don't know because he commented on rear ending your wife, a conversation that you brought up. Now let's pretend you chose a different path. What if you had heeded the immediate warning of your gaff and edited it? Then your wife's dignity would still be intact and we would be talking about your car. But it seems you were to arrogant to listen. Or, what if you were as laissez faire about DT's comment as you were your own? Then once again, we would be spending more time talking about your car. But instead, you acted thick skinned about your comment, and "insulted" by DTs, and now you have 100's of people reading about rear ending your wife. As Harley Quinn so eloquently put it "own your ****." You only have yourself to blame. Oh ya, and welcome to THE 996 forum.

DT, Get the weight off. J.I. Thank you

Oh ya, as to the topic.... The salvage title with good pics of the incident will knock 2-3k off the value of the car. So if you fix it right, but on the cheap (as already stated) and then drive it forever, it becomes a very minor part of the depreciation. It kills me how quick the insurance agencies are to total these cars off a minor wreck. I just don't get it.

Personally, if it were me, it would be a no-brainer. Fix it, enjoy it and if I want a collector/investment car buy one later and turn this one into a track car or DD. While you are driving and enjoying the car, the only one that will know it is a "salvage" is you and maybe your wife.

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Yeah, ok - I guess quoting the message I quoted there might have been wrong. It was used more as an example, but I see your point about your first post in the thread. My bad.

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If you wanna save some coin, get on the 5 and go south about 17 miles. When you see a different language, you've gone far enough. It's been a long time, but I recall the body shops are on the highway over the hill toward Ensenada. They'll have it beat, welded, and glued back together in an afternoon. Then bring it back north and put your bits back on, and away you go. Also, if you don't want to go quite that far, maybe around the car dealer row down at Ciudad Nacional? Should be a few places there that can make it go with a bit of quality hammer-time.

It's not uncommon to see guys post how they love their car so much, they would never sell it...but also opine about the car's value. That never made sense to me. Very few cars (and zero 996's) are investments. The OP should consider whether it's worth it to HIM to fix his current car or unload it and use that money toward another vehicle. If he keeps the car long enough, salvage title won't mean anything in the end. Just a thought, if you turn it into a track/weekend car, I'd recommend a driver's side racing seat for you, and a cushy passenger side sport seat. You know...for the wife...

I have the perfect solution for you! I'm just up the road from you. I'll take your wrecked car in trade towards my perfect condition cabriolet (I'm hoping your car is a 6 speed coupe).

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Change the sailboat name to Rear Ended. Start calling the car Heroin. I race too. International Canoe 10 Square Meter.

Sorry about the car! Can you get the insurance payment and then buy the car back for it's residual? I did that with a MC a few years ago. Bike was worth $2,500, insurance paid me over $4,000, the damage was fairly minor, I bought it back for $400. I rode it home from the scene.

Thanks for the positive replies everyone. I decided to buy the car back and go the expensive route and replace the tub. Now that I will have a salvaged title and don't really have to worry about keeping it stock, it's time to lower it! Once again, thanks for the input...

Once again, write the Big Check solution solves another problem.

Good for you. Glad you chose to save what would otherwise be one more dead, parted-out Porsche. Post 'after' pictures, please. 'During' pictures would be great as well. And then, we'll stop making 'rear-ended' jokes. Probably.

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Good choice... Salvage title won't matter much if you keep the car long enough... Just out of curiosity, how much $$$ difference between having someone with some welding skills fix that tub damage (doesn't look terribly bad to me) vs replacing it? Did you get quotes both ways, or just decide you wanted it to be as perfect as possible? Seems a good quality weld by someone talented in that arena would result it a significantly cheaper and less intrusive repair than replacing that whole area. Plus, once put back together it will be hidden by carpeting anyway.

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nice work, post pics when done

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I didn't get alternate quote, I just want it to be as perfect as possible. I visited the shop and they showed me pics of a Caymen that they did a similar job to, drop the suspension and exhaust, bolt it to a jig, etc. Back to original...

I guess I am hopelessly old school, but if they can bolt it to a jig to align/repair the tub, then you are in good hands. I know there are laser alignment rigs but nothing like hard points for this kind of work IMO. Best of luck with the outcome on this.

OK, finished a long weekend at the track. Didn't rear end anyone. Not even OP's wife.

Great! Whose going to post the video?(of the track time)

I thought only if you go with the insurance and the repairs is it listed as an accident on the cars history. So fix it your self and purchase the parts as needed. Looks like a nice car to me.

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JayG will be posting some. He was slightly behind me , but thankfully didn't rear end me.

^^^DTM will be disappointed!

I don't enjoy THOSE videos. NTTAWWT

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OP, if you're still looking for a body shop in San Diego I have a couple of leads for you. *edit* Ah, I saw your decision as made halfway down page 3. If it's not too late, I strongly encourage you to re-think plowing all of that money into a car that will be carrying a salvage title. At least until you spend some time researching what salvage titles do to resale values. I understand you currently have no interest in resale value...but if that ever changes and you have dumped that money into restoring what could have been a repair... You're going to drop all of the insurance money (and then some, I'm guessing) restoring a car that will be less than it was when you started, and then you're going to spend more money on parts that will make it less stock. This makes me think that the money is not the primary concern. If what you want is "your" 996, that's fine - it's just difficult for some of us to make the shift from seeing this primarily as a cost-benefit question.

I'm not sure two men is what he had in mind. But i guess you never know.

I'm just now reading this thread and almost spew'd my coffee reading the OP's first sentence. hahaha... I couldn't help but think of this classic scene from the movie Parenthood: You Tube