On the way to Home Depot last night, 1/2 mile from my house,
waiting to turn left on Rt309 outside of Allentown,
I heard a loud screech behind me, looked in the rear view mirror
in time to see headlights disappear behind my car - then BANG.

The 1990 Mazda faired much better than the 914.

From what I can see without looking underneath the car
or opening the trunk (which won't open):

Trunk lid folded
Rear bumper crumpled
Pass Taillight gone
Rear Valence creased
Fender pushed into rear tire, car moves under its own power but not far
Engine seems to have a miss now
One cylinder is very loud (header or head damaged?)
Pass and Driver door gaps now different
- Pass door gap almost nothing at the top, seems larger at the bottom
- Driver door gap even top to bottom but seems larger now

A scene that I hoped I would never see.

Her insurance Co is the same as mine.

What type of compensation could I expect?

What should I ask for?

I think the chassis is toast.

That really sucks.



Hope things are slavageable, and if they arn't, I hope you are able to get another teener up and running!

Zach

Ah Man... Sorry for the loss I can empathize wit'cha.

Too many drivers out there with their HUTA

.....b

Damn, I just finished the backend, stripped trunk paint, welded new floor in, reconditioned the rear valence, did some rear bumper work.

I guess if I had waited a month or so, I could have saved myself some work.

i've seen miracles happen with these cars with respect to auto-repair...

It certainly a bad sight to see...

I too hope you are able to get it repaired...hopefully thier insurance won't total the car.

b

Although not obvious in this pic, the driver side door gap is now larger, plus the door seems to be a bit higher in the back by a couple of millimeters.

On the passenger side, the door and rear quarter came together during impact. This gap is very small at the top and large at the bottom. Was very consistent and smaller before.

What's the prognosis on this vehicle? Is this chassis repairable?
Has anyone had their car fixed through an insurance company?

QUOTE (Spoke @ Jan 5 2006, 10:24 AM)

What type of compensation could I expect?

not a penny more than you have it insured for.
check the Blue Book or the appropriately named NADA reference for the value of a 35 year old car. figure $500, plus or minus. read your policy.

QUOTE

What should I ask for?

i think you'll find it won't matter.

this sucks, good luck with it. BTDT, your choices turn out to be either roll over early, or spend every waking hour fighting. ultimately the cost is often about the same, it's just which you want.

the good news of a low total value is you can buy it back for the salvage value and swap a bunch of parts to any of the other plentiful rust-free NE cars...

The trunk lid is pushed up over the engine hood so I can't open the engine hood. I'll look under the car in a day or so.

Any suggestions to prepare myself to deal with the insurance company?

What kind of settlements have others had in a situation like this?

The other driver admitted fault to the PA State police so there's no question on my liability.

unless you have a Stated Value policy...........

The real question, Do you want it fixed or want the money.

Start getting all of your reciepts together, if you took any before or after pics, print them. Any and all records, etc. Check with your state's insurance department about your rights, etc. In Calif you, not the insurance company pick the repair shop, etc.

From the pics you posted, the car looks repairable, couple of g's.

I just went thru this when I got hit and run by some scumbag while the 6 was parked. Caught the ins in a lie about repairability.
Went over the adjusters head and talked to their boss. Long story short, I got my door fixed instead of replaced.

It's gonna be a hassle, for one, your toy, hobby, pride and joy is broke and needs to be fixed, that's why you have insurance.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Glad you weren't hurt.

Take Care, Don

I had the same type of hit on my first 914, back in 1993. They totaled the car, it was repairable for sure - but it was cheaper for them to total it. Get your receipts ready that will help along with autotrader ads, excellence market values etc. I had a ton of receipts and got 5k back then, and bought the tub back for $500.00. Good luck!

MAZDA drivers.
That totally sucks.
Tha fact that you have the same insurance shouldn't matter, except that you won't have any leverage (unless your neck hurts today). Fight them because they have only one concern - their own bottom line. Don't accept anything until you get your own assesment at a shop of your choosing.
They should pay full replacement cost for the vehicle as appraised by a qualified Porsche appraiser. Anything less is criminal IMO. A quality repair job by an appropriate repair shop will probably exceed $5k anyway, since you want ALL the damage repaired.
The NADA book means nothing. You have a collectible antique car that is worth far in excesss of the "blue book" value.

just did the registry and paid my taxes on a 914

Blue book wholesale average is 4400..
Average retail is 7k

This is NADA blue book value.

Rich

Agreed with above,

Gather ALL receipts for parts and labor (if you did the work yourself you must include a reasonable amount for you work) and get estimates from three well known and very quality workmanship minded places, and then pursue, don't care if it is the same insurance company, they will you should'nt. No luck, I cringe when I say this, call and attorney. Look up this guy, Mike Cefalo he is practicing in PA and he is a car guy. I don't like his antics on the track but if I wanted a lawyer, he would be one of my first calls. Not sure if he deals in this sort of law, but he will have friends.

Spark plug wires are common to come off in an accident. Anyone with a celette rack, or a solid body guy can repair that properly. Foleys race car was much worse than that and he fixed it. Sorry to hear of your misfortune.


Erik Madsen

bummer,
I have a complete set of rear tin if you want...it comes with a car...but for really really cheap you can have it and scavenge what you need.

Both rear fenders are good, trunk lid is not...rear valance I have from another car cut out already.

Rich

QUOTE (Thorshammer @ Jan 5 2006, 10:42 AM)

Look up this guy, Mike Cefalo he is practicing in PA and he is a car guy. I don't like his antics on the track but if I wanted a lawyer, he would be one of my first calls. Not sure if he deals in this sort of law, but he will have friends.

Yeah, as long as he doesn't hate all 914 drivers after what happened between his son and me.

anyone carry collector car insurance, maybe as a side policy? i might look into it now...

excellence mag did a pretty robust valuation of 914's recently, that might be another source for finding true value of your car.

was the other driver on the cell phone or something? if it isn't a consideration for the adjusters, it should be!

sorry 'bout your car!

Seeing your car just makes me sick! --a teener's worst nightmare, only to be topped if the other person was uninsured. I hope you are able to get it repaired back to your liking. Please keep us informed how the process goes. From past experience, dealing with insurance companies can be agonizing--it's all about their bottom line, not what's right.

Tough to call from 3000 miles away, but looks like a total. You are entitled to replacement cost of 'like kind and quality' plus license/registration fees and rental car reimbursement. It really has nothing to do with 'your' insurance company since the claim will be paid by 'his' company. Yeah, I know they are the same, but claim will be handled under his policy, so your coverages really don't matter at this point.

Less important is how much you have invested in the car and 'blue book', just what current replacement cost is. Do your homework and get documents to support the current value. Collect ads of comparable cars.

Ask the adjuster if it's OK to remove parts and consider buying the salvage if the car has good mechanicals.

And a side note. We deal with adjusters all the time. These guys are salaried, and just want to move the paper. They have to justify how much they pay you, so give them the ammunition. If you piss them off, expect to be treated accordingly.

Sorry to read all of this


If needed I found these TWO 914's behind a body shop near my house (well kind of near). One is rusted and the other is in okay shape. He will sell them both for $700. I bet he will take $500 cash for the two of them.

I just don't have space for two cars and the time to strip them for parts.


Sheet me an e-mail if interested. I think I have his number still.

Best of luck...This reminds me to up the value of my car ASAP

sorry about the damage to your 914, it looked nice in the pictures...I have collector car insurance, I told them that I have a low mileage 914 and they told me that a 73 2.0 in museum condition would be worth approximately $25,000....they asked me the value of the car and I told them $17,000...annual cost is $135 a year.
there are a few of rules for the insurance.

no drivers in the house under a certain age ( I think it was 25)
both other driveable cars less than 10 years old (wifes and mine)
2000 miles driven max a year.
I had to provide them with some pictures of the car.

Joe

settle for nothing less than maybe $5000 for the car (assuming it is basically stock) then buy it back from the insurance for $250 so you can keep it. Then part it out, and find a new one. I think they will total it, which is ok, as long as you can keep it, the parts are worth alot, ecspecially if you get a new one, you'll have lots of good spares.

Real bummer, near identical crash on my car, chassis was bent, insurance totalled it for about 5 grand, and I kept the car.

Sorry,

That is a real bummer for sure. And your neck is hurting now too..RIGHT!! Anytime you get slammed from the rear it's good cause for neck pain. Go see a Dr. and tell him you have some pain since the accident. IM SERIOUS!!! Do not settle for having your car "repaired" by a body shop picked by the insur. company. No no No!! You tell them emphatically that you just cannot live with the car even after repairs and suggest they "total" it. I always insure cars like these for "stated value". In the event of a total loss I collect on the amount I insured the car for. You should have major compensation coming my friend. Don't take this lying down. They will crap all over you. You have to fight for your car's sake!! Look at the poor thing..Christ!! And GO SEE A DOCTOR about your neck that is really stiff and hurting when you turn it.

Roger D.

And dont forget...the value of your car AFTER it is repaired will never be the same as BEFORE it was ever involved in an accident of this magnitude. your re-sale value even after they fix it, will be much lower because it has had major damage. You tell them that!!
Dammit...Im pissed thinkin that some insurance co. and a retarded Mazda driver are going to screw you. FIGHT MAN...FIGHT!!

Roger D.

QUOTE (Racer Chris @ Jan 5 2006, 07:36 AM)

MAZDA drivers.

What did you say!!?

Hard to tell from where I'm standing.
But a good frame shop may be able to pull it out using original frame dimensioning and a good rear deck lid as a reference.
It will however never be completely back to original.

I hit a tree going backwards after a spinout in this one..... a top frame man fixed it!
It's never been the same but somehow it means more to me now than it did before.
"Cause I brought it back to life!

Wouldn't you know a ZOOM ZOOM Mazda driver. Probably a Miata at that. If you found a really good body shop they could probaly pull that out to make it look a lot better. If I bought it back after a settlement I would make an effort to try and get it done.
Good luck.
CCLINZOOMZOOM

QUOTE (boxstr @ Jan 5 2006, 08:49 PM)

Wouldn't you know a ZOOM ZOOM Mazda driver.

[QUOTE]

Come to think of it...
When my tach pegs to 8000,
It really does sound like "Zoom Zoom"
Then I smoke 'em in first and then I smoke 'em in second

Hey I was just giving shit to Bruce Allert. I personally love the little Miatas. Great sporty car and they start and have heat and all kinds of good stuff. For not much $$$
CCLINZOOMZOOM

After installing a new rotary in this one for my friend I took a vow never to work on another Mazda, as long as I am able to turn a wrench...it was truly a "rat's nest" design!

QUOTE

That is a real bummer for sure. And your neck is hurting now too..RIGHT!! Anytime you get slammed from the rear it's good cause for neck pain. Go see a Dr. and tell him you have some pain since the accident. IM SERIOUS!!! Do not settle for having your car "repaired" by a body shop picked by the insur. company. No no No!! You tell them emphatically that you just cannot live with the car even after repairs and suggest they "total" it. I always insure cars like these for "stated value". In the event of a total loss I collect on the amount I insured the car for. You should have major compensation coming my friend. Don't take this lying down. They will crap all over you. You have to fight for your car's sake!! Look at the poor thing..Christ!! And GO SEE A DOCTOR about your neck that is really stiff and hurting when you turn it.

Also, you NEED to miss some work, or else they will say well you did not miss any work so you must be fine. Take some time off. Use it to collect your data for the loss. Eddy

OK..

That really Does look like a rats nest!

Do NOT ask the adjuster if you can remove parts!

1.. The car is still yours until they total it and transfer takes place. You can pull your radio and any add on stuff, However it can help to have that stuff installed when the cart is totalled to up the price, yet they may not count as much whjen you by back the hulk. But don't remove anything else yet.

2.. By telling the adjuster puke that you want parts now is jumping the gun, and will make the puke think the parts are valuable, hence he will have leverage when dealing with the price of the total car, and the price for you to by back the hulk. just tell him when he totals it that you want it back cuase you want to try to fix it yourself, do not mention parts and such, cause then he knows it is valuable. Just don't mention keeping the car until you get the offer for total price, then tell them you want to buy it back for a few hundered. They will likely agree so they can get the deal done and the case off the books.

Your job will be to get the highest value possible assigned to your car. Don't forget expenses you will incure in searching for a new 914 , hell you may have to travel a good distance to find one. don't forget the sales tax you may have to pay for a replacement car. You need to itemize it all. Just paying you the true value of the car is not enough, cause you will have to spend time and money searching for a replacement.

Also remember that your insurance company is NOT your freind, they want to settle for as little as possible.

Old Car Price Guide is a quarterly or so magazine that lists prices for collector cars,usually they have a complete Porsche section with the 914 listed by year and engine type, go buy a current copy (mine are several years old, purchased when my cars were wrecked) Also make paper copies of ebay sales,a dn other internet sales that help subtatiate the high end price that is in the books.

By the way, you neck/back should hurt with a crash that bad. Go see a doctor in the morning to get checked out. insurance should pay expense for pain and suffering as a rule of thumb. No medical record means you have little chance of the best claim, so if your hurt, don't just tough it out, see a doc if you hurt, have it documented.

A mazda aint a rats nest, it more of a rat or hampster wheel, you know the ones that a rat can run on to spin the wheel, aint that what a rotary engine is like?

QUOTE (dmenche914 @ Jan 5 2006, 09:24 PM)

A mazda aint a rats nest, it more or a rat or hampster whell, you know the ones that a rat can run on to spin the wheel, aint that what a rotary engine is like?

[QUOTE]
Uhhh.
no

It's more like this. .

R1: 39
R2: 26
Pos. 20
Vel. 2

What about the past issue of Excellence when they did a "market update" on 914's/ IIRC the numbers were on very good for this purpose.


Best of luck.

After looking at the photos I think I see what really is going on here

I bet you were trying to roll you fenders using the "bat" method and things got....a little out of hand

Doesn't it feel better to get that off your chest

Just got the Feb.issue of Keith Martins Sports Car Market mag. and they list the 914-4 2.0 as a collectible car with a value of $6000 to $9000 and a B investment grade which is quite good.
Good Luck with those insurance people

Guys,

Thanks for all of the encouraging words and ideas. Where can I get this "Excellence" magazine or book and "old car value" book?

So far I've contacted the insurance company and they will be sending an adjuster out early next week. This will give me some time to prepare some evaluation material like the Excellence mag and other classified want ads for 914s. Also need to organize my receipts.

On Monday I have a guy coming over who speciallizes in 356, 911, and 914 repairs to do a vehicle evaluation and repair estimate. This guy also worked on the car for the PO so he is familiar with the car.

I took a few more pics last night that I'll upload after work today. I noticed that the driver side sail panel has a crease in it at the bottom of the panel. Haven't looked in the engine compartment since I can't open the trunk lid which right now overlaps the engine lid.

Spoke

Spoke, in hopes of getting some support with value, please provide details of your car. I can look up some local ads to get an idea. Seems like more of these cars come up for sale in SoCal than anywhere else.

71 1.7?
Looks like lots of upgrades. Fuchs etc. 2.0?
suspension?
rebuilds?
interior?
mileage?
rust?

You may want to keep an eye on this auction.

QUOTE (rick 918-S @ Jan 6 2006, 01:23 PM)

I forgot what month Exellence ran the 914 Value article. Anyone remember?

November 2005 Excellence has the 914 info.

QUOTE (Howard @ Jan 6 2006, 12:02 PM)

Spoke, in hopes of getting some support with value, please provide details of your car.  I can look up some local ads to get an idea.  Seems like more of these cars come up for sale in SoCal than anywhere else. 71 1.7?   Looks like lots of upgrades.  Fuchs etc.  2.0? suspension? rebuilds? interior? mileage? rust? You may want to keep an eye on this auction.

1971 914 1.7L Weber progessive carb
original type muffler
85K miles
911 Front torsion bars, A-arms, Aluminum cross member, sway bar
New Ball Joints
New front Shocks
Turbo Tie rods
New Zimmerman crossdrilled front rotors
Rear Sway bar
New Rear Shocks
New Rear Rotors
New 160LB Rear Springs
Fake Fuchs (American Eagle), nicely polished and painted.
195/55/R15 tires (5K miles)
Interior in Good shape; all buttons, knobs, instruments work.
Some small rips on driver seat, no rips on pass seat.
Door interiors near perfect.
Fog Lights

Body: Well it is a NE car, so, Long rust damage repaired, other body rust
holes repaired and entire car painted. Paint is fair to good condition.