how much damage was done?

[air23cary]

some kid hit my parked car and my rear bumper and driver side rear body panel appears to be finished. the the entire rear bumper is done and the light on the side is done. the rear body panel is all scratched up and dented and the vent piece or whatever it is ripped off.

on my jetta i have taken it to a body shop to fix a scratch and it cost 500 bucks. am i correct in assuming that a new rear bumper and body panel with paint and labor will be more expensive than the value of my car (which is approximately $2000)? thats what my dad think and he said the insurance company will probably just write a check for the car's worth if it is cheaper than fixing it.

 

[paranoidTSi]

Chances are its gonna be totalled, especially with sufficient damage to the rear quarter panel. The rear quarter panel is part of the frame there really is no part to "remove" to replace with.

 

[air23cary]

assuming its totaled, will they give me more money since within the last 6 months i have spent close to 5 grand on the car (new tranny, injectors, fuel pump timing belt valve seals, gaskets etc.)?

 

[sonicnofadz]

Yeah the rear quarter panel is apart of the unibody. Your car is done. You could have it pulled back to shape on a rack, and then fill it in with bondo but that is going to cost a whole HELL of alot of money (much more than your car is worth). The insurance company doesn't see how much your car is worth by what type of maintenance OR modifications you've put into it. They usually go by the blue book value (unless YOU claimed with your insurance company the extra modifications). Part your car out or buy a new car with the check and put your mods and salvagable parts on the new car. Good luck. God damn I hate idiot drivers.

 

[Defiant]

assuming its totaled, will they give me more money since within the last 6 months i have spent close to 5 grand on the car (new tranny, injectors, fuel pump timing belt valve seals, gaskets etc.)?

Nope. They look at the DSM-unaware "market value" (Kelley Blue Book, NADA, etc.) and write-off a 15-year-old car. It could be gold-plated, and they'd not give a shit. It's still just a '91 to them.
Money spent on cars is like money flushed down a toilet.

 

[HighPsi92GST]

although you could buy the car back from them, then part it out and make even more money. thats what id do anyway

 

[paranoidTSi]

Was this in a parking lot? If So, unless the guy drove like a complete jackass, I have a hard time believing it trashed the car completely.

I think it would be better to provide pictures of the damage.

 

[HighPsi92GST]

doesnt matter, 90 percent of the time the rear quarter panel is damaged, the insurance company will total the car. especially on something that old.

 

[air23cary]

so if they total my car, they take it from me as well?

the rear quarter panel is all scuffed/scratched up. the vent piece was ripped off. there is some minor dents around it as well.

 

[sonicnofadz]

so if they total my car, they take it from me as well?

the rear quarter panel is all scuffed/scratched up. the vent piece was ripped off. there is some minor dents around it as well.

Definitely sounds repairable, but its still not worth it in the eyes of the evil ass insurance companies. The insurance company is NOT going to take the car away from you (I don't think so anyways) I think they will just cut you a check and that will be that.

 

[air23cary]

the quarter panel also was cracked open in 2 spots.

 

[HighPsi92GST]

so if they total my car, they take it from me as well?

the rear quarter panel is all scuffed/scratched up. the vent piece was ripped off. there is some minor dents around it as well.

no, the insurance company looks at the value of the car, not including the stuffyou did to it, they use one of the references mentioned, then give you a check for that amount. the car then belongs to THEM. so they then own the car, however, you can "buy it back" from them, for much much less then the amount they gave you. thats how it works.

the thing is, its an old car and now worth incredibly much, if the damage will require pretty much money to fix, they will total it

 

[Defiant]

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[HighPsi92GST]

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btw, if the rear 1/4 panel is "cracked" like you say, it more then likly needs to be replaced which will mean the insurance company will total the car.