Wrecked Z - Fix it or ditch it?
05-27-2010, 04:35 AM
#81
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Well I keep thinking about it and I just don't want that auto back... and I really don't want to try and fix it. I'm going to try to get a few more grand out of insurance and negotiate the rest with the bank and get the eff out of this crap deal ASAP. I'll just have to suffer a year in a torque-less RX-7, which is really the only major annoyance I have. But I got my manual back so at least i'm not half asleep when driving, which come to think of it may have caused the crash in the first place... j/k, but it's nice to drive a manual again. But honestly i'd take the torque and auto of my Z over the manual where a bicyclist can get off the line faster than me. 
I'm out guys, thanks for all the responses... i'll let you know what happens, and hopefully in about a year or so i'll be back here with a nice DB 350Z in manual.
And yeah, my signature is now a kick in the nuts.
I'm out guys, thanks for all the responses... i'll let you know what happens, and hopefully in about a year or so i'll be back here with a nice DB 350Z in manual.
And yeah, my signature is now a kick in the nuts.
05-27-2010, 07:06 PM
#84
Well I keep thinking about it and I just don't want that auto back... and I really don't want to try and fix it. I'm going to try to get a few more grand out of insurance and negotiate the rest with the bank and get the eff out of this crap deal ASAP. I'll just have to suffer a year in a torque-less RX-7, which is really the only major annoyance I have. But I got my manual back so at least i'm not half asleep when driving, which come to think of it may have caused the crash in the first place... j/k, but it's nice to drive a manual again. But honestly i'd take the torque and auto of my Z over the manual where a bicyclist can get off the line faster than me.
I'm out guys, thanks for all the responses... i'll let you know what happens, and hopefully in about a year or so i'll be back here with a nice DB 350Z in manual.
And yeah, my signature is now a kick in the nuts.
I'm out guys, thanks for all the responses... i'll let you know what happens, and hopefully in about a year or so i'll be back here with a nice DB 350Z in manual.
And yeah, my signature is now a kick in the nuts.
05-28-2010, 02:13 PM
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after thinking about this more dude.. i know u prolly done made up your mind but if they are willing to pay out 15k it shouldn't mater to them how they do it.. if 15k is there limit tell them FINE and say i will take the 15k and use it to fix the car myself
fix your car for the bar minimum.. replace the dmg in the front and get painted for now... dont worry about the airbags
if you do this lets say you spend $3000.. that still leaves you with $12000 that you can pay your load down with.. and you still have the car..
I thought it over and i think that would be the best move.. tell them that you want them to give you $15000 to fix your car and that you want them to go threw you and not the bank
even if you decide to give the bank the whole 15k u still will have the car.. i would try that one...
try that one and see what they say
fix your car for the bar minimum.. replace the dmg in the front and get painted for now... dont worry about the airbags
if you do this lets say you spend $3000.. that still leaves you with $12000 that you can pay your load down with.. and you still have the car..
I thought it over and i think that would be the best move.. tell them that you want them to give you $15000 to fix your car and that you want them to go threw you and not the bank
even if you decide to give the bank the whole 15k u still will have the car.. i would try that one...
try that one and see what they say
06-21-2010, 05:16 PM
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Thanks for all the responses. Unfortunately I cannot get the money from insurance, it has to go to the leinholder. I've tried to get more than 15K out of this but they wont go higher, and after looking around my area for Z's, and considering the condition mine was in, I have to agree 15K is fair. Not good, but not poor either, just fair.
I now have to work with the bank in an effort to get them to write off some of the remaining balance. I have the assistance of an attorney so hopefully I can get a fair deal. The bank my loan is through now was sold to them (i'm guessing for fairly cheap) in early 2010. I had my loan for two years through the original bank but they probably saw it as an at-risk loan and sold it. Now it is no longer a local bank so that makes it much more difficult to deal.
My goal is to get out of this, then save up some money for a nice chunk of down payment and go get another Z. May be 12 to 18 months.... but i'm getting another one i'm 99% sure. I've considered, and even drove in the past several other cars in the segment I want, being RWD convertibles... and there isn't much, and the Z is a clear winner in most categories considered. But I still have to look at the competition...
I've considered the following cars, all of which i've test drove. Feel free to give me some opinions on these if you have ever owned...
2003-04 Honda S2000
2007-08 Mazda MX-5
2007-09 Saturn Sky RedLine
2004-05 BMW Z4
2000-02 Porsche Boxster S
2004-05 Chevrolet Corvette
2005-06 Mercedes SLK-350
My next choice after the Z was a Corvette... lots of power but manual soft top is a feature lost, crappy interior build quality, and may be a bit less reliable than the Z.
After that is the S2000 which is awesome in nearly all categories except I didn't really like the sound of the engine and it wasn't very comfortable for me to sit in.
Even further down the list is the Boxster... didn't like the mushy gearbox (maybe just the one I drove), reliable i'm sure but if I have to work on it, but how the hell hard is it gonna be working on a mid-engined car if I do have to fix something? To top it off I personally think the car is ugly and that really dragged this car down for me.
Then you have the Saturn Sky... amazing looking car, my favorite in the looks category but it didn't really have as much torque as I expected (yes the turbo one), and the 5 speed, no 6 speed gearbox was disappointing. The car is tight and cramped for me to fit in, had a manual soft top, and when its down ALL trunk space is gone. This would be a great weekend runner if you could get it for CHEAP.
The Merc SLK and MX5 both had folding hard tops, which is really, really nice... but looked way too girly for me and I just didn't want to deal with the constant harassment, lol.
The Z4 actually I couldn't find one to test drive, but I've never been a BMW fan and the car just looks too funky with its weird creases and lines for me.
So there ya have it... I'm betting i'll probably be back here in over a year with my DB Z.
I now have to work with the bank in an effort to get them to write off some of the remaining balance. I have the assistance of an attorney so hopefully I can get a fair deal. The bank my loan is through now was sold to them (i'm guessing for fairly cheap) in early 2010. I had my loan for two years through the original bank but they probably saw it as an at-risk loan and sold it. Now it is no longer a local bank so that makes it much more difficult to deal.
My goal is to get out of this, then save up some money for a nice chunk of down payment and go get another Z. May be 12 to 18 months.... but i'm getting another one i'm 99% sure. I've considered, and even drove in the past several other cars in the segment I want, being RWD convertibles... and there isn't much, and the Z is a clear winner in most categories considered. But I still have to look at the competition...
I've considered the following cars, all of which i've test drove. Feel free to give me some opinions on these if you have ever owned...
2003-04 Honda S2000
2007-08 Mazda MX-5
2007-09 Saturn Sky RedLine
2004-05 BMW Z4
2000-02 Porsche Boxster S
2004-05 Chevrolet Corvette
2005-06 Mercedes SLK-350
My next choice after the Z was a Corvette... lots of power but manual soft top is a feature lost, crappy interior build quality, and may be a bit less reliable than the Z.
After that is the S2000 which is awesome in nearly all categories except I didn't really like the sound of the engine and it wasn't very comfortable for me to sit in.
Even further down the list is the Boxster... didn't like the mushy gearbox (maybe just the one I drove), reliable i'm sure but if I have to work on it, but how the hell hard is it gonna be working on a mid-engined car if I do have to fix something? To top it off I personally think the car is ugly and that really dragged this car down for me.
Then you have the Saturn Sky... amazing looking car, my favorite in the looks category but it didn't really have as much torque as I expected (yes the turbo one), and the 5 speed, no 6 speed gearbox was disappointing. The car is tight and cramped for me to fit in, had a manual soft top, and when its down ALL trunk space is gone. This would be a great weekend runner if you could get it for CHEAP.
The Merc SLK and MX5 both had folding hard tops, which is really, really nice... but looked way too girly for me and I just didn't want to deal with the constant harassment, lol.
The Z4 actually I couldn't find one to test drive, but I've never been a BMW fan and the car just looks too funky with its weird creases and lines for me.
So there ya have it... I'm betting i'll probably be back here in over a year with my DB Z.
06-22-2010, 07:05 AM
#89
As for the Miata...I like them, but most people don't, and they definitely don't compete with any of the other cars. I'd rock one for Miata Spec goodness though.
06-23-2010, 08:55 PM
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Insurance wants $2,800 for it.... thats less that goes to the bank. Not only that but i'd have to store it in my garage and park my RX7 outside, and tear parts off to sell. I don't have air tools and really don't think it'd be worth the work. Now if I could buy it for $500...
06-25-2010, 11:30 PM
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I need some general advice from those of you who have been in this type of situation and/or have experience repairing body damage.
The story... a driver in a Nissan Murano stopped in the middle of the street for some ducks that were crossing, a guy following her (Volvo 940) hit the back of the Murano. This occurred before I was even there. Unfortunately since we were in the left-most lane and the right lane ends about 100 yards ahead, this happened to be the time when some guy in a large van rushes up and cuts me off before I even saw what situation was brewing up ahead, just a couple seconds before the incident occurred. I was starting to slow down to back off because he was too close when he cut me off...
He must of saw what was going on and cut back into the right lane and into a parking lot and bailed rather hastily (according to witnesses...). By the time I could see around the van, all I saw was a stationary vehicle not far ahead and I rear-ended it going about 25 MPH. The speed limit is 35 and I wasn't going over. I remember slowing down for the van, then getting full on the brakes and feeling the ABS, so I know I scrubbed off some speed before the hit.
Both front airbags went off and in the pics below you can see the damage. The engine was still running fine and there was a small coolant leak. There was a small amount of gear oil leaking... maybe power steering oil since the reservoir was damaged. Radiator is pushed back and my right headlamp is busted into lots of little pieces. ...really sucks too because I just spent a lot of time installing bixenon HID projectors and finished fixing my car up from my last off the track excursion that did some suspension and steering damage. Everything was back in order and felt great... not anymore though...
Luckily after all this no one was hurt... a police officer showed up and got everyone's insurance info and version of the story including one of the witnesses who saw the whole thing. No one got tickets, although we should of, especially since the guy I hit had a suspended drivers license. Anyway i'm now working with insurance to get my bank paid, but unfortunately i'm considerably upside-down on the loan (due to a poor buying decision and I bought just before the economy went to crap in 2008 and the value of sports cars went down) so I won't be getting another Z for at least a year.
In the mean time I bought me a cheap 1984 Mazda RX-7 GS, 5-speed manual, 1.1L Rotary, just to get me around... but I loved driving the Z and want another one. I could potentially get my wrecked one back soon and fix it up myself. I doubt there is frame damage, but won't really know until I get it up on a lift and check it out underneath. It's sitting in an insurance salvage yard now. Insurance is refusing to fix it and will only total the vehicle.
So judging from the pics... what do you guys think about getting the car back and fixing it up? The only thing I don't like about the car is its an automatic, but it could be a cheap buy to own a Z outright. I am considering stripping all the useless junk out of it, putting a roll cage in it, and making it a track car... in the future replacing the gearbox maybe with a sequential unit. But at the same time I kind of just want to pay the remaining balance off at my bank and get the hell out of the bad deal I got myself into... in a year or so I can go out and buy a Z and get a good deal, and get exactly what I want. I was 95% happy with my Z, all I wanted was a manual transmission and blue exterior paint, and I can get that in a little over a year...
So what would you guys do? Fix it? Or ditch it?
Here are the pics...
And here's my RX-7...
And here's my Z again, pre-wreck condition...
The story... a driver in a Nissan Murano stopped in the middle of the street for some ducks that were crossing, a guy following her (Volvo 940) hit the back of the Murano. This occurred before I was even there. Unfortunately since we were in the left-most lane and the right lane ends about 100 yards ahead, this happened to be the time when some guy in a large van rushes up and cuts me off before I even saw what situation was brewing up ahead, just a couple seconds before the incident occurred. I was starting to slow down to back off because he was too close when he cut me off...
He must of saw what was going on and cut back into the right lane and into a parking lot and bailed rather hastily (according to witnesses...). By the time I could see around the van, all I saw was a stationary vehicle not far ahead and I rear-ended it going about 25 MPH. The speed limit is 35 and I wasn't going over. I remember slowing down for the van, then getting full on the brakes and feeling the ABS, so I know I scrubbed off some speed before the hit.
Both front airbags went off and in the pics below you can see the damage. The engine was still running fine and there was a small coolant leak. There was a small amount of gear oil leaking... maybe power steering oil since the reservoir was damaged. Radiator is pushed back and my right headlamp is busted into lots of little pieces. ...really sucks too because I just spent a lot of time installing bixenon HID projectors and finished fixing my car up from my last off the track excursion that did some suspension and steering damage. Everything was back in order and felt great... not anymore though...
Luckily after all this no one was hurt... a police officer showed up and got everyone's insurance info and version of the story including one of the witnesses who saw the whole thing. No one got tickets, although we should of, especially since the guy I hit had a suspended drivers license. Anyway i'm now working with insurance to get my bank paid, but unfortunately i'm considerably upside-down on the loan (due to a poor buying decision and I bought just before the economy went to crap in 2008 and the value of sports cars went down) so I won't be getting another Z for at least a year.
In the mean time I bought me a cheap 1984 Mazda RX-7 GS, 5-speed manual, 1.1L Rotary, just to get me around... but I loved driving the Z and want another one. I could potentially get my wrecked one back soon and fix it up myself. I doubt there is frame damage, but won't really know until I get it up on a lift and check it out underneath. It's sitting in an insurance salvage yard now. Insurance is refusing to fix it and will only total the vehicle.
So judging from the pics... what do you guys think about getting the car back and fixing it up? The only thing I don't like about the car is its an automatic, but it could be a cheap buy to own a Z outright. I am considering stripping all the useless junk out of it, putting a roll cage in it, and making it a track car... in the future replacing the gearbox maybe with a sequential unit. But at the same time I kind of just want to pay the remaining balance off at my bank and get the hell out of the bad deal I got myself into... in a year or so I can go out and buy a Z and get a good deal, and get exactly what I want. I was 95% happy with my Z, all I wanted was a manual transmission and blue exterior paint, and I can get that in a little over a year...
So what would you guys do? Fix it? Or ditch it?
Here are the pics...
And here's my RX-7...
And here's my Z again, pre-wreck condition...
depend on how much the buy back is.. if the buy back is anywhere from below $4k then i will do it. it probably will cost u around 3-4k dollars to fix that (less if u can fix it yourself). And u know ur Z has a salvaged title now. when u sell it back, if u do, it will be around maybe 8-9k or maybe less. up to you brother. if u dont plan to sell it then whatever get it back and fix it.
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