78SC - part out or fix?
 

90k mikes.
Slid on gravel and smacked guard rail.
Front bumper hit then rear slid around and crushed rear quarter.
No collision insurance, only dumb a$$es get in accidents. :(

Recent construction with gravel all over road around 90 turn.
Hit brakes before turn and went straight.
Thinking of suing the state for not sweeping the road.
Thoughts?

So how much to fix?
Worth it?
Part out?
Sell as is?

No I wasn't going that fast.
No it won't buff out.



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1451952639.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1451952678.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1451952732.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1451952801.jpg

Ouch !!!

Doesn't seem that bad from the pics. It looks like the fenders took the brunt of the damage. Let me know if you decide to part it out.

Fix it!

that's a no brainer. Fix it

Are you sure it won't buff out?

Fix it!

all original? fix it.
already molested? hot rod it.
DON"T part it.

Definitely fix it.....But if you part I can use the rear reflector among other items.

was there signage ... construction ahead ... loose gravel etc..... I cant tell what kind of gravel is on the road... is that the oil and gravel ... chip seal type road surface repair??? cant tell from photos...

It's an early SC so yes.... Fix it.

They're only going one way in value.

EVerybody is saying fix it and I agree but you're looking at at least $5K in repairs. If you can spare the extra money, then definitely fix it.

The question for me would be do i fix it up as it was or hot rod it with color change maybe widebody or even backdate. Its up to you but I definately wouldnt part it out or sell. Got to keep a Porsche in the stable

Ouch!
Looks fixable. I wouldn't part it.
Insure it with guaranteed coverage after it is done.
Document the repairs well.
Looks like a nice car.

Definitely fix it, it would be a shame to part it out. The rear quarter needs the most work to have it cut out and a new piece welded in, but any half decent body shop can do it. The rest are all bolt on parts you can do yourself.
Not sure for how long you have owned the car, but you might still not pay more to fix it vs. what you would have paid in insurance.

Juergen

Thanks guys for talking me down from the ledge.
I will talk to some body shops to get an estimate.
I would be ecstatic if its only $5k.

Any opinions on going after the state?
Road covered in gravel and no signage.
While I was taking the pics other cars were sliding around the turn too.
Of course only one DA hit the guard rail!! :(

Fix it. If you can't afford the repair cost, sell the car to someone who can. No point at all in parting out a car that isn't really totalled.

I doubt you'd have much of a case against the state. I'm assuming the straight section of road before the corner also had gravel (from tar and gravel "resurfacing"?) If so, it's basically your fault, sorry to say. If the corner was the only part of the road that had gravel, that's another story.

JR

Sorry to see that damage, good warning to the rest of us in rural areas to keep an eye out. State over here is starting to like that tar/gravel combo more vs re-paving on rural roads to save money. I had my drive quoted that way and its 1/2 to 1/4 cost of blacktop. I haven't seen it yet out on a travel route but be warned. Gotta be hell on windshields. Agree with others, fix it !

BK,

My son-in-law was driving my Subaru when he hit an open manhole and ruined the front wheel. They inquired to PennDOT and got a wheel replacement. I was surprised it was that easy. In your case, you have the documentation and pictures to show. You have a good chance of getting some reimbursement. Now it all depends how your state handles such claim. Paint and body work would exceed $5K budget. Wish you luck.

Tony

My rear bumper was tapped by an SUV at a light a few years ago. Tiny tweak in the body metal, and a few broken plastic pieces.

Final bill for the other fellow's insurance was $2.6K. It won't be cheap!

That damage isn't bad.
For the front and side here's what I would do; order a front fender, light housing, and block sand that door with a little filler to fix the scrape and then paint the fender and door in your garage separately on a stand. You can order paint using your year make model and paint code, or you can take a piece and have paint custom matched.

I'd take the rear to a body shop you trust. Since you hit the rear wheel too, I'd replace that trailing arm for good measure since you could have weakened it, they're only about $200. The shop will weld in a new fender and match your paint no problem. In the mean time you can take that bumper off and clean it up. You can even get yourself some cool 911R tail lights!

If you're willing to do some work yourself you can cut that bill in half.

Widebody time

Bk.. I would fix it as well. However, be ready for the project to grow.
Firstly, if you fix it.. I wouldn't hack-it out like some have suggested...

From your picture I see a fender, headlight, rear bumper, light housing and a 1/4 panel. I also see that the paint doesn't match everywhere, and this will be worse with the repair. Umm, you can't match age/wear sorry.

OK guys, I have made up my mind.
I have decided not to make a decision until I know how the county will deal with this issue.
I appreciate all the offers to purchase all the misc pieces, and the 10 and 15k offers on the whole car, but for now I will have to decline.

BTW, the state guy was awesome until he determined it wasn't a state road.
The county guy was a total db.
We will not pay for your bad driving.
Porsche? Obviously you were speeding.
We put gravel down on snow and ice so you do get better traction on gravel.
Plus a couple other zingers.

Went by there yesterday afternoon and the zone was swept and marked with construction barrels. Unfortunately too little too late for me. :(

Maybe not. Its not clear to me from your description why the gravel was there or how extensive it was. Given their recent actions, you may have a case. Consult with a lawyer.

What's the lawyer going to cost?

Some of them cost nothing, for an initial consult. After that, they get a fee. How much, depends on the lawyer and the facts of the case.

JR

For sure hire a lawyer, but select one carefully. Definitely not a general family attorney, and not an accident lawyer who specializes in bodily injury claims. You want someone who is experienced in representing people in road accidents with property damage, especially someone who has worked with all the local governments.

The manual on uniform traffic control devices requires signs warning of loose gravel at road work sites. Failure to warn creates a liability issue for the governmental entity responsible for that section of roadway, along with the contractors doing the work. Your car would most likely be totaled. I would start collecting evidence of its value from this site and others and make a claim. Most states have short time limits to notify the government of potential claims. Get a first class collision repair facility to give you an estimate, most do it for free. You then could keep the salvage and use the recovery for the repair. Don't forget to claim loss of use.

They put gravel down on the corner because of snow & ice.. or, they left gravel on the road because they were to lazy to clean it up after doing road construction and or put warning signs up? That are now up after they found out someone had a accident.

Hmm..?

Buy the fender.

If it was the other side I would sell you mine, but I am sure you can find a 78 somewhere.
My totaled ride was a 78, as well and I am using much of it to transfer over to my widebody conversion.
I do have the rear panel and the rear bumper as well.
The Front fenders on these are held on by bolts and some type of weatherizing gluey stuff.
Rear will be more complicated but possible. Lots of help on this forum.
Rear bumper again, easy Peasy. Just time, but worth the effort.
All the money you save by doing the front fender and rear bumper yourself will be money you can throw towards paint.
Good luck and hope everything works out well.
Good thing you are o.k!!!!!

Gary

No frame damage so fix it. Did you take pics of the barrels where they cleaned up and placed them? You need to to show that they were concerned and took axtion so it wouldn't happen again.