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'99 CL500 hit and run

1K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  Steve_B 
#1 · (Edited)
Im still too mad to type an essay. Long story short - head to my office parking garage after a stressful day at work. Come to see my car was banged into (clearly by a tall SUV with a big bumper).

Gonna take a half day off work Wednesday to go get estimates at body shops around DC/Maryland/Virginia area. Any body shop experts here who can give some very rough assesment of what I'll be looking at?

Tail lights work but the lenses are smashed (obviously need a whole new assembly and parts for this damn car arent cheap). The dents are in a complex area with all kinds of corners and shit.

Frankly, if the repair costs more than 3 grand I'll just sell it as it at a real loss. Whoever hit me left no note and on this particular car I have I did NOT have full coverage insurance - and regretting it now.

I'm really upset and would love some input from you guys, especially the body shop/paint experts. It's a '99 with 126k miles on it. I've already invested over 2 grand on valve cover gasket job/trans flush/SLS fluid flush/camshaft position sensor replacement/alternator/oil filter housing gasket and a few other items that needed attention. She's a good runner but in its current form its not even street legal with the lenses all jacked up and the assembly barely in one piece. Amazingly the trunk lid was spared completely and from the side of the car it doesnt show any deformation. Just the area around the tail light and the God forsaken corner area.

For this kind of damage what needs to be pulled, what kind of job and labor hours would this entail? Regardless i'll be going Wdnesday for estimates but need a little huddle right now to talk hypotheticals

Sadly no CCTV camera in the garage, guy just ran off like a total jerk.


p.s. the SRS light now randomly comes on and off - least of my worries though at the moment
 

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#3 ·
Access from the back is not too bad.

Tail lamp assy replacement is no big deal.

With bumper cover removal and working the metal & painting/blending rear quarter panel, it probably will be $3k.

There's some nasty looking creasing that could be difficult and most shops don't really want to work metal, but do unit replacement instead.
 
#4 ·
thats my fear.....seems realistic though, frankly.....Any more than that and i'll just sell it at a loss move on to other things

my E420 Sportline was trashed last august by a drunk driver in a F150. My luck has been shitty this year. Very frustrating
 
#5 ·
AbuAli, are you saying your insurance won't pay for any of this, or they won't pay enough? I've only had one claim and it was for a new front headlamp assy. A board flew off a truck in front of us and since I didn't hear/feel anything I assumed I missed it. 200 miles later when I got home I discovered the damage. Called my insurance company, told them the story, they sent out a adjuster and I got a check for $1800. Are you saying your insurance company won't pay anything?
Anziani
 
#6 · (Edited)
If you don't have comprehensive/collision coverage....

....your insurance company won't do anything in cases like that.
Doesn't matter who your insurer is.

Steve

PS Many older cars that have comprehensive/collision actually end up being totaled for minor accidents of similar nature. The repair cost will almost certainly exceed the "market value" the company will put, unless the policy is underwritten with an "agreed value"
 
#9 ·
....your insurance company won't do anything in cases like that.
Doesn't matter who your insurer is.

Steve

PS Many older cars that have comprehensive/collision actually end up being totaled for minor accidents of similar nature. The repair cost will almost certainly exceed the "market value" the company will put, unless the policy is underwritten with an "agreed value"
Never thought about NOT having full coverage. Can't imagine anyone not having it. I pay $1200 a year with a chunk of that for "uninsured" motorists of which we have millions here in Kalifornia. I know our cars are not worth a lot but I value mine at $20K which is far above what the insurance dweebs would value it. I have been lucky in my driving life in that I've only put in one claim and never have had an accident.
Anziani
 
#8 ·
I had a similar situation with one of my cars with no full coverage a while ago, it was not going to be covered but the police found the car that hit me which was stolen and my insurance considered it in that case un-insured motorist and paid me the estimate to fix it.
 
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