i totaled my Trans Am yesterday. Need Advice. (pics)
01-05-2009, 02:57 AM
#41
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
01-05-2009, 03:25 AM
#42
Launching!
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: back to Jax :(
Posts: 249
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
check it out -> http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...2&rdpage=thumb
01-05-2009, 09:51 AM
#43
The apraiser just looked at mine and it is 3500 in damages. replacing hood, front bumper cover, passaner fender, fix rear bumper, replace headlight cover. Paint the whole front end and blend into fenders, paint the rear.
01-05-2009, 10:21 AM
#48
That could be anything. You said it looked like the airbox and MAF were pushed back a little? Restricted air flow, maybe damaged the MAF sensor and/or throttle body. Something like that I doubt you did any major damage to the motor. I wouldn't be too worried about that part, it is minor compared to the rest.
01-05-2009, 10:35 AM
#49
Teching In
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That's nothing, junkyards would be best source. I've heard tacreations is good, no personal experience but check it out. Keep your Bird dude. Look at it this way, you buy a vette without knowing who's been driving it. Is your TA your first car? If yes then fix it, that's a rule. If you crash it a second time then it's your choice. I know how you feel, same thing happend to me 10/21/07.
It will pass trust me. Wait til I show you before and after pics of mine. It's your decision. You'll see a red TA down the street if you drive in your vette and it will bring back memories, can you live with that?
It will pass trust me. Wait til I show you before and after pics of mine. It's your decision. You'll see a red TA down the street if you drive in your vette and it will bring back memories, can you live with that?
01-05-2009, 12:04 PM
#50
ill go ahead and tell you that a friend of mine wreaked his camaro and it looked fixable but by the time it got to the body shop and inspected it was totalled. it deployed both bags busted the windsheild broke the dash busted the hood and headlight and messed up the bumper, on more inspection in pushed the radiator panel into the the radiator and busted it.
01-05-2009, 01:29 PM
#53
Teching In
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
, I guess some individuals buy their cars with the option open for reselling. Not like me, I buy to keep plus TA are collectibles. You know the suspension could also be messed up. Nothing like raising up the bird to look under it.
01-05-2009, 02:16 PM
#54
On The Tree
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Gilbert, AZ
Posts: 127
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A salvage title will not cut the value in HALF. Hardly. I've owned several salvaged vehicles in the past, sold several, and still own two (including my T/A). There is absolutely nothing wrong with a salvage title to 90% of the people I've dealt with. All the cars I've sold with a salvaged title I've had pictures of the damage beforehand, and listed what I've replaced, and people were fine with that. And even then, the worst I got was about 80% of the full value of the car. I've even sold salvaged vehicles for full "clean" title price. If the vehicle is clean enough to begin with, and the repairs were done right, a salvaged title is nothing more than a marking on the title. It's different on a newer car where the value might be $30k plus, but on older cars like ours, that might be worth $8k on it's best day, it's not hard to get 75% of the value in damages.
And moving on... I sure wish I could've found a $60 Trans Am bumper when I needed one!!! Not anywhere in AZ, that's for sure. And the few 4-gens I've seen in the boneyards, I wouldn't have put those parts on my car, talk about flogged! Mine was damaged in the front corner. I did all the paint/body work. The hood and door I repaired. I had to replace the fender, bumper cover, and headlight, as well as a few misc parts. A new GM bumper cost me about $500 I think at my wholesale cost (it went up from $382 a few months earlier!!), the fender was just under $200. The GM price for the headlight was just under $600, so I got a used one off ebay for $225. All said and done, parts only cost me $1500. That does not include paint, fiberglass repair, and labor. That's where I'm glad I learned paint and bodywork!
Yours looks crunched fairly good. It's hard to tell without and underhood shot, but you will need the bumper cover, hood, headlights, and a lot of the bolt on core support structure. Looks like the core support might need to be pulled also, if it interfered with the airbox, MAF, and radiator. Given all that, plus the airbags and windshield, I'd bet they will total it. But even then, if it were me, I'd buy it back. Windshield is about $200, airbags can be had for around $300 or less on ebay if memory serves me right. The frame shop should be able to get everything straightened for about $400, if it's only the core support, and nothing more in the suspension. It's doable for sure. The other thing that is a factor is your insurance company. I know some companies like Progressive, and maybe Geico will sometimes price out inferior imported parts on repair work. That might not total your car, but you might be short on funds on repair money. They might also try to cut a check ASAP so they close the case before you can research it.
So I guess just weigh your options, and don't jump and and sign anything on the spot.
And moving on... I sure wish I could've found a $60 Trans Am bumper when I needed one!!! Not anywhere in AZ, that's for sure. And the few 4-gens I've seen in the boneyards, I wouldn't have put those parts on my car, talk about flogged! Mine was damaged in the front corner. I did all the paint/body work. The hood and door I repaired. I had to replace the fender, bumper cover, and headlight, as well as a few misc parts. A new GM bumper cost me about $500 I think at my wholesale cost (it went up from $382 a few months earlier!!), the fender was just under $200. The GM price for the headlight was just under $600, so I got a used one off ebay for $225. All said and done, parts only cost me $1500. That does not include paint, fiberglass repair, and labor. That's where I'm glad I learned paint and bodywork!
Yours looks crunched fairly good. It's hard to tell without and underhood shot, but you will need the bumper cover, hood, headlights, and a lot of the bolt on core support structure. Looks like the core support might need to be pulled also, if it interfered with the airbox, MAF, and radiator. Given all that, plus the airbags and windshield, I'd bet they will total it. But even then, if it were me, I'd buy it back. Windshield is about $200, airbags can be had for around $300 or less on ebay if memory serves me right. The frame shop should be able to get everything straightened for about $400, if it's only the core support, and nothing more in the suspension. It's doable for sure. The other thing that is a factor is your insurance company. I know some companies like Progressive, and maybe Geico will sometimes price out inferior imported parts on repair work. That might not total your car, but you might be short on funds on repair money. They might also try to cut a check ASAP so they close the case before you can research it.
So I guess just weigh your options, and don't jump and and sign anything on the spot.
01-05-2009, 03:07 PM
#55
On The Tree
iTrader: (20)
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Toms River, NJ
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ouch man I know how that feels, just got my TA totaled-was a 2000 with 46K on her and she was prestine. Insurance gave me $9500 for it, and then I bought it back. Right now I am parting it out. I got all those parts too! lol. Your car looks better then mine did. Check it out.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/lsx-parts...nce-parts.html
First link has pics.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/lsx-parts...nce-parts.html
First link has pics.
01-05-2009, 04:35 PM
#56
yeah i too have owned a couple salvage title cars and never had a problem selling them and i still get about 75-80% of book on it, sometimes more. My truck is salvage title and i had a guy offer to buy it. I told him it has a prior salvage and showed him pics and he look over the repairs. Didn't scare him away and he still talks about how he wants it. It's one of the more rare trucks(2000 Silverado reg cab, stepside with a 4.8 and 5 speed 4X4) My vette was a repairable however it didn't have a salvage title. The insurance company was gonna fix it and the owner wanted a full repaint but the insurance company said he had to pay the difference. He sold the car outright and took his check. Bought it for $10,500 and put another $1500 in parts and paint w/ materials. I did the work myself as my father owns a body shop and i've done work on cars since i was 5.
O/P i'd venture to guess that if bags are blown it's borderline. Most insurance will total a deployed car. Not always but alot of the time. If the bags have not been blown it would be an easy fix, maybe 3-4 days of work if you take your time. i did my fix in 4 days from the day i got my parts. i took my time and prepped good. turned out good i think.~Cole~
During the fix:
after the fix:
O/P i'd venture to guess that if bags are blown it's borderline. Most insurance will total a deployed car. Not always but alot of the time. If the bags have not been blown it would be an easy fix, maybe 3-4 days of work if you take your time. i did my fix in 4 days from the day i got my parts. i took my time and prepped good. turned out good i think.~Cole~
During the fix:
after the fix:
01-05-2009, 05:35 PM
#59
Teching In
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NC
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's fixable. I had a 94 and it was totaled and no air bags went off. But since you rearended someone, I'd stall to see if someone tries to sue, and your your insurance gets math happy and would have to get rid of the wrecked car or the new one.
01-05-2009, 05:59 PM
#60
i know your pain my car in sig was hit in rear the other day by some tool doing
80 mph.....im guessing its totaled we will see. yea its the car in my avatar she was a beauty and i had tons of time/money invested.
80 mph.....im guessing its totaled we will see. yea its the car in my avatar she was a beauty and i had tons of time/money invested.