Wrecked the VX... could be totalled :(

[goffaramma]

:(

Driving back from a wedding in the rain I was rear ended and pushed into the car in front of me. The poor VX is crushed in front and beat up from behind. The other guy was at fault, so his insurance is taking care of everything, but my car could be finished. The garage that has the car (very professional and nice people) told me that the only other Vehicross they've ever seen came in two weeks ago with similar damage (to the front only), however, they got the only front end they could find for that one, and they searched the entire US.

Does anyone know where you can get front (and rear) ends for our cars? Right now, the exterior work is estimated to cost $6,000. That doesn't include anything inside the engine bay (radiator etc.) that was damaged. The indurance people are going out today to take a look and decide if they're going to fix it at all.

The worst part of all this is that I just received my front and rear skid plates from Ron yesterday... although I guess it's better this way. If they were already on the car, they'd be done too.

Any ideas about how to get a front and/or rear is appreciated.
Thanks,
Dave

[VXD959]

Dave,

Sorry to hear that...the most important thing is that you are OK.

I don't have an answer for your question, but if the VX is totalled and you are not planning to get another VX, I'm interested in getting the roof rack (if you have it) and ron's skid plates (are they painted?).

Regards,

[biju]

This is terrible news - sorry this happened. If it does get totaled - you'll have to jump right back into the fam w/ another VX purchase!

Keep us posted on the process (fixing or totaling out).

best wishes...

-biju.

[Joe_Black]

Wow, sorry to hear that. At least it sounds like you escaped injury, which is the important part.

As for the VX, as I understand it the general rule for insurance companies is if repairs get near 75% of value they look at totalling the vehicle. What I'm also discovering is that most auto-body places ramp up the estimate to not have to deal with a unique vehicle. Since the VX is body-on-frame it's pretty easy to do body work on, far easier than most shops let on. (Hopefully Chopper will chime in here with his expertise!)

Good luck and hope it works out so you can restore your VX to original condition!

[Anita]

Dave,

So sorry to hear this news. I hope you'll be able to put her back together.

[nfpgasmask]

Glad to hear you are ok tho.

This kind of situation makes me wonder. If the VX is "totalled" would the insurance company fund for a replacement VX or what? How does that work? I mean, I guess it depends on your insurance, but in this type of situation, I would imagine the ideal thing would be to replace your VX with another and keep the damaged one for spare parts, but that would be having your cake and eating it too....but if the insurance company gives you money toward a replacement, couldn't you keep the damaged one also?

Hopefully you will get it worked out.

Bart

[Zorak]

If your car is considered a total loss, insurance company will pay "market value". For a low volume vehicle like the VX they will probably rely on NADA/KBB value. You may want to start collecting classified ads for VX's for same year/mileage in case they try to low-ball you on the offer, (especially as it is the other guy's insurance), so you have proof of what VX's are selling for.

If you want to keep the salvage, the insurance company will just deduct the amount they would get from salvage company from what they are paying you for the total, however it would depend on the laws of your state. I think some states do not allow you to retain ownership if the vehicle is declared a total loss....

[Bimati]

Sucks, man. Glad you are OK!

Don't know if Tone still has some front cladding. Here is the front bumper rienforcement bar for you...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/REINFORCEMENT-isuzu-VEHICROSS-99-01-front-impact-bar-00_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33640QQihZ014QQitemZ 330033492627QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

Take care. You have an entire community here to help if you end up parting out, and I hope it all works out for you.

Bim

[SPAZZ]

knock those losers upside the head and sell the milk.

If you do happen to part your VX out, you will get more for it than salvaging it out. Serious. Again, sorry for your loss. I understand your frustration. Mine was $17,000 to fix from just a soft rollover from a dead stand still. I would NOT want to find out what would happen in an accident going down the highway and it rolled over :eek:


I will take the front Full Complete CV's off your hands if it comes to this. (Complete Cv's From the Green axle cups on the axles to the outer shafts that extend through the hub flanges).

[BigDave]

Hi,
Glad there were no injuries, but hey what a bummer about the truck. Might want to try down here for bits, had heard about a rolled one a while back. If you buy it back from the insurance Co you may come out of it OK>

Cheers......... :(

[goffaramma]

Wow. Thanks for all the support!

If they end up deciding it's a total loss, I'll definitely part it out if I can. I'm not sure how it works in SC, but we'll see. I'll keep you all posted.

I should know something today or tomorrow, but it looks like the repair shop is estimating about $6500 because they would have to get all new parts (no used parts found). I'm hoping they'll consider that less than 75% of total value as Joe_Black mentioned that's where they pretty much cut it off.

Again, thanks so much for the support! I'll be back with more news soon.

Dave

[Joe_Black]

Hopefully Velvis will post in this thread as this is basically what he went through with his Ebony. As most know he now has my Dragon and I picked up his Ebony after it was totalled out, and it's new destiny is as a rally truck. You may want to shoot him a PM to get his experiences with this situation, it may prove useful and/or informative.

[LittleBeast]

Sorry to hear about your accident but once again I am glad to hear you are ok. The car before the last car I totalled and bought back from the insurance company was a Pontiac Grand Prix. The motor was shot because of flooding here in Houston. Anyways, insurance company screwed me over and only gave me $3,500 for it but I turned around and bought it back from the insurance company for $500 and put a new motor in it for $2,800 and still had $200 to cover getting it reapproved for the road. The last car that someone totalled while it was parked outside, the insurance company again only gave me like $2,700 for the car and they wanted like $1,000 for me to buy the car back, that is when I decided to buy the VX.
In short if it is totalled as you can tell there will be many many many people just on this forum alone that need parts, if you decide to part out you can definitely make out ok on the deal, maybe even save enough for another VX, but see what they will give you first, I have gone through this more than just the two times mentioned and only once did the insurance company actually give a fair settlement for the totalled vehicle, and see what they will sell the totalled VX back to you for, normally it is a lower price given that you were the owner. I hope it can be fixed but if not I am sure you will find a way to make good of a seemingly very bad situation, and maybe serve as a blessing to many others as well as yourself.
"And we know in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him." Romans 8:28

[Hotsauce]

I had the front bumper, lights, and grill damaged recently due to the gross neglegence of a parking lot. Both required replacement.

I made them rent me a loaner truck while mine was in the shop waiting for parts. The front bumper cover took over 3 months to get from Japan, and the truck rental was $70/day on their tab.


John C.

[dietz99vcross]

Sorry to hear about the accident. We just finished getting raked over the coals by our insurance company when my son totaled his 2002 Elantra GT. They offered a low ball price based off recent sales in the area (turns out they original offer was based off 1 vehicle in the state that was deemed comparable). I gave them info from autotrader, NADA, Kelley Blue Book, and Ebay and was told those were not accurate representations of selling prices ????? Had them recalculate using a larger area than just Michigan and they came back with an offer that was $700 less. At this point the only offer I was left was to pay $200-300 to get an independent apprasial and have that apprasier meet with the insurance companies independent appraiser and have them settle on a price (I would not be involved in this negotiation). Decided that the original offer was the safe way, as I could have got a lower $ amount and had to cover the cost of the appraisal. Hopefully you can have better luck with insurance, but don't be rushed. It took me almost 2 months of bickering. Good luck

[Tobert]

Sorry to hear about the accident. ...

Hey, you must have that other Ebony in West Michigan I've heard about. Do you get up to Grand Rapids very often?

[MZ-N10]

i wouldnt sweat it, if it was only about 6500 worth of damage. i had an accident a few years back in teh vx, total repair cost was close to 9000. but it could be different for u. gl on it tho.

[goffaramma]

Thanks again for everyone's input. I really appreciate the info you all are giving me. I'm learning quite a bit.

I've always loved this board and the VX community, but it's really hitting home how cool you all are, and helpful. You all are awesome!

Thanks again for everything. I'm sure I'll hear something tomorrow from the insurance adjusters, so I'll be sure to fill you all in when I do. After hearing about what you all have been through, and getting your helpful tips, I think I'm ready for anything...(I hope I didn't speak too soon...)

Dave

[thedutchguy]

Glad you're ok.
On the otherhand if your vx is written off, does this improve the value of the remaining cars?

[Ldub]

Sincere condolences for your loss...glad you're OK though.

I know if mine ever got totalled, I'd be shopping for another ASAP.

That's one withdrawl I'd rather not experience. ;)

[goffaramma]

Well everything seems to be working out. I just wanted to post again just in case anyone was interested, and just to add the experience to everyone's files.

The total cost to fix is estimated at $6,309. The insurance company (State Farm) told me the NADA value is $13,890. It seems like they were giving me a choice of either getting it fixed or giving me the NADA value. The woman was very nice and asked what I wanted to do. Before I could think about it I told her that I would like to have it fixed. She made sure that's what I wanted, and when I said yes, we made arrangements for the preferred shop to go ahead with everything.

I'm sure I want it fixed, but is it wierd for an insurance company to give you the choice? Plus, they keep asking me if I'm okay and if I have any injuries, which I don't really have. It's like they're trying to find any excuse to give me money.

Anyway, I'm driving around in the rented Ford Taurus right now, so I'm stylin'. Now we just have to see how long it will take the parts to get here from Japan. They are going with all new parts, so it may take some time...

Thanks again for all your support!
Dave

[biju]

The best news - what a relief, eh?

-beeej.

[goffaramma]

The best news - what a relief, eh?

-beeej.

Totally Dude. I'm definitely relieved now...

[Ldub]

I had a very similar experience with State Farm a couple winters ago when I put the whammy on a tree during very icy conditions...unfortunately there was a dui involved, so I'm not with them any more. :(

The point being, they insisted on all new parts & stuck with me to the end, making sure the repair was done to my satisfaction.

There was hidden damage (tweaked rear output shaft) that wasn't evident until the body work was done & it was driveable.

With all the "over & above" estimate costs, they paid out over twelve grand.

You can bet ca$h money I'll be giving them my busuiness when that other thing goes away. ;)

[Joe_Black]

Glad to hear it's working out! :)

State Farm is a great insurance company and I've had nothing but a stellar experience with them. When I had a new '01 ford F-250 SuperDuty it got t-boned by a driver shooting across 4 lanes of traffic. Apparently the driver didn't see the giant bright red crew-cab longbed 4X4 dead in her path, and my first indication anything was amiss was when my french-fries flew out of my hand. :p State Farm had me in a rental that afternoon and the truck in the body shop, all handled at the local Ford dealership where I got the truck. The whole thing worked out well and in a resonable amount of time and was never any inconvenience to me at all. Good folk!

Keep us posted, you can be sure we're all hoping for return of your VX to you in super-excellent condition. ;)

[nfpgasmask]

I too had a similar experience about 3 years ago. I got rear-ended by a semi truck on the Dan Ryan expressway in my Xterra.

The trucker was 100% at fault and the trucking company's insurance was extra nice to me. They kept asking if we were ok, if we went to the hospital, etc etc. And they didn't bat an eye at covering any and all costs, including rental car, work on the Xterra (took over a month to fix and ended up costing about $6000). I guess they figured I could sue the pants off them if I wanted to so they did not question any of the things I wanted paid for.

So, insurance can be good in situations where you are not at fault. Anyway, glad you are getting it worked out.

Bart

[etlsport]

Glad to hear it's working out! :)

When I had a new '01 ford F-250 SuperDuty

joe not driving an isuzu?!!? :confused: haha

ive had good experience with state farm too.. and ive filed many claims (people like to hit my cars...) i bought my VX with a state farm settlement after a greyhound ran my civic into a guardrail on the highway and forgot to stop, only took about a week to process too, didnt have any effect on my premiums because people who saw it stopped and told the officer(s) it was a hit and run

glad everythings workin out! now make sure to throw some parts for me in on that insurance bill :p

[Joe_Black]

joe not driving an isuzu?!!? :confused: haha
LOL, yeah, I went from a '95 Trooper Limited to the '01 F-250 then to a '93 Trooper RS. So I do "stray" from time to time! :p

[JoFotoz]

I insure my vehicles with Farmers...and have a "Stated value" policy for both my VX and my 73 Bronco.

Farmers asked me for a couple of "valuations" from dealers...I got one from a friend who's a dealer , the other from a friend of his.... !!

I discovered this "plan" when I first insured my 73 Bronco...

Book value was about $500...actual value about $13,000 given the rebuild and modifications etc!

I questioned my Farmers agent about the disparity in actual value and he suggested the "Stated value" policy .

Its about $100 a year more....BUT OBVOUSLY well worth it if I get wrecked.

I have recently done the same for my VX given the Modifications ....never mind the ultra low mileage and increasing rarity !!


Some of you may want to check this out with your insurance companies...

....especially as parts get harder to find.

(Imagine trying to get ACTUAL roof rack value on normal insurance!!)

jo

[Chopper]

6 or 7 grand on this car is a double bump... it couldn't be too horrible. Just because an insurance company makes an offer does not mean that's it. Many will initally low ball you to see if you will take it or scream. We've thrown more than one company out of the shop for running that crap on us.They squeeze both ends at all times. State Farm is one of the better ones for a bunch of reasons, and it sounds like your situation is working out o.k. One thing... that shop is a ''preferred'' shop primarily because THEY prefer it. The shop agrees to redo anything they do wrong, welds and repair procedures meet their "minimum" standards, and most inportant of all... work is done according to their payscale. Many o.k. repairs are "spoiled" by things like crappy seamsealer work,wavy mudwork, and so-so paint. As long as it turns on,doesn't fall off, or peel... you pretty much get what you get. If at all feasible, PICK YOUR SHOP! You have that right. I don't mean to slam preferred shops, we're the preferred shop for virtually everyone here, I'm just saying the system is set up in a way that guarantees an "average" repair for most folks. But then , I am a body and paint snob with O.C.D. Love, Wayne

[goffaramma]

6 or 7 grand on this car is a double bump... it couldn't be too horrible. Just because an insurance company makes an offer does not mean that's it. Many will initally low ball you to see if you will take it or scream. We've thrown more than one company out of the shop for running that crap on us.They squeeze both ends at all times. State Farm is one of the better ones for a bunch of reasons, and it sounds like your situation is working out o.k. One thing... that shop is a ''preferred'' shop primarily because THEY prefer it. The shop agrees to redo anything they do wrong, welds and repair procedures meet their "minimum" standards, and most inportant of all... work is done according to their payscale. Many o.k. repairs are "spoiled" by things like crappy seamsealer work,wavy mudwork, and so-so paint. As long as it turns on,doesn't fall off, or peel... you pretty much get what you get. If at all feasible, PICK YOUR SHOP! You have that right. I don't mean to slam preferred shops, we're the preferred shop for virtually everyone here, I'm just saying the system is set up in a way that guarantees an "average" repair for most folks. But then , I am a body and paint snob with O.C.D. Love, Wayne

Thanks again for everyone's advice.

Chopper, you and some others have given me some insight. I'm going over to the shop tomorrow to check it out and make sure they're replacing everything that needs to be replaced before they begin work on my VX. I want them to show me exactly what they plan to do before I give the final okay. I'm a trusting guy, and so far they've been very cool, but you can never be too sure, right?

Again, I love the responses you all have shared. It makes owning a Vehicross SO much better.

Rock On!
Dave

[adriana]

sorry to hear what happen to your vx. keep in touch . hope you get it fixed. but if not . i think all of us can use few parts. call me 323 654 3628 just in case anybody out there has an original air cleaner intake assembly . i bought mine with the high performance cone. i just want to have original assembly . let me know if anyone wants to sell theirs. thanks.

[Joe Isuzu]

late poster to this one but glad things seem to have worked out well for you, I'm in your area (Mauldin) so it would be sad to lose a VX around here, of course it's sad to lose one anytime but it's a little worse in our little corner of the world :)

[VX crazy]

So were they able to actually FIND you new parts out of Japan? I am in a similar situation, truck has been in body shop for a month and they could not find a new door anywhere and said to search warehouses in Japan was unlikey to turn up anything and time consuming.....they ended up finding me a salvage door. Very minor damage to me so they are giving me all the parts off the salavage door since they are moving my window and regulator etc into replacement door. So I get the glass and regulator and trim piece off of salvage door. My damage was $5K and rental of a pathfinder ( they had to put me into an SUV) is $2K and mine should be ready end of next week if the painting goes well.......

Update us please on your vehicle

[O Hell No O]

Well, if I were in a accident with my VX... I would rather be INJURED badly, yet can heal fully... THAN to have my VX totalled and taken away.

See, to me its not okay in any way shape or form, your ok physically, but your VX had been totalled/wrecked... that will make EVERYTHING NOT OKAY.
In a way, your heart has just been shattered in oblivion, nothing is okay, nothing is fine, nothing is what it seems when it comes to your VX incident. Its a bond we all have in us as VX owners. :)

:D:D:D Get what I mean? hehe

[Gussie2000]

In the last months of this year there were many VX's totalled/wrecked,most of them was totalled by insurance,there's ashley who had only body damage that's obvious were repairable,but what really play agains us is the facts that our VX's value is way to low compared to another vehicules out there.

Another fact that goes agains us about isuzu leabing the US market,that guys really hurts our VX value plus the lack of available body parts.

[Cobrajet]

[Soapbox on]
All this talk of totalling cars because of low resale value reminds me of the early 70's. Big-block muscle cars were a dime-a-dozen, and were being totalled right and left. A few of the rusting hulks survived in junk yards and are now being resurrected and sold for a small mint.

I wish I could have saved mine:
http://home.comcast.net/~gregg.north/CobraWreck.jpg

The heart and sould lives on in my current Cobra, but how many others could have been saved. Let's part-out only the truly unrepairable VX's and put the rest back on the road!
[/Soapbox off]