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The wife in the 99 T-Red SVT was hit by a 3 ton truck, folding up the trunk to almost nothing. She has a stiff neck but otherwise OK, the car is another story. Impressive how the trunk took the energy while the passsenger compartment was still together. The crunch was big enough that the drivers seat is now loose. I need advise on the following scenarios:
1) Car is repairable: What should I look for? Is the forward items (engine) etc OK? I have heard of broken motor mounts etc from rear-end hits. Alignment? Hidden damage? Can the T-Red be easily matched or is it a total repaint? What should I insist on being done?
2) Are these cars safe after a large collision? I mean this car had some rattles before, I can just imagine on what it will be like after.
3) If the car is written off is it worth buying back to part out to all you fine people? The car only had 20000 miles and ran great. What would a written-off SVT go for?
Off to the rental company I go, they are offering a Focus. What crap, a 4 cyl auto to fill in for the SVT. Going to try for at least a Taurus (24V).
thanks
eric
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Glad everyone is relatively okay after the wreck. 1) Its hard to say if the cr is repairable until you get someone to look at it. 2) It depends on what substructures, if any, where compromised in the collision. 3) Buying back a written off car and them parting out would be great for us here at the CEG (or eBay). The engine and tranny could even be put in a 1st gen Contour, Cougar, or even a Focus!  Interior engine, and extrerior parts should fetch some decent money. Maybe even more than your buyback price (maybe $4-5k)
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Joined: Jun 2001
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First off, what a damn shame. I had the same thing happen to me about three weeks ago. I was just sitting in the car, listening to a CD, and some kid who said "he fell asleep at the wheel" just hit me, along with a passenger in the front and back. The kid landed on his roof after a Dukes of Hazzard jump over my left rear! I was in neutral with no emergency brake, so it was just a really big push, no kickback. Sore necks all around of course.
Anyway, the '98 toreador red 4 cyl. has $9000Cdn. worth of damage, but with a book price of $12000, it was fixable. Luckily, we persuaded the adjuster to do us in, so it was a write-off. I now own a 98' 6 cyl, with sideskirts and the megaspoke wheels, so I've had a happy ending. In your case, there is no where to go after the SVT. Bummer. Finding a Contour is easy if you don't mind auto, but get ready to travel if you want a 5-speed! SVT?! I can only imagine!
Put it this way - a repaired car is never better than a car that hasn't been hit, but sometimes you don't get the choice. Hope that the car was in gear and jammed the tranny. Oh yeah, check the roof - mine buckled and I didn't even notice it!
HOWEVER, don't let people tell you that a repaired car can't be brought back to decent shape. Make sure you bring it somewhere good, where they can show you some success stories etc. Don't settle for any corner collision shop. They basically weld a new ass-end on, and you should be good as new. The back-end was never quiet anyway, so you probably won't notice that much more noise. Just use this as an excuse to install a great stereo system!
Sorry, I feel for you.
jpb
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Joined: May 2000
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Sorry to hear about that. Glad your wife is ok.
With your car, depends on if the frame was bent. Do the car doors close properly without any miss allingment? If they do, then the frame is probably ok, but they wont know that for sure until the dismantel the rear end! If the doors do NOT close properly then you have Frame damage and that is usually a right off as the cost to fix is it is ALOT more then waht the car is worth! But, with that said, there are so many factors to be considerd, I mean the insurance company may give it a Salvage title, meaning the car was "this" close to being scrapped but was fixed. Only thing is the title will have in BIG RED LETTERS across it saying "SALVAGE". Drastically killing the resale value of the car to not much more than nothing!
If you choose to fix it, the insurance company will do an estimate on this fix, even after a repair shop has done one too. Once they dismantel the rear end and take a look at it, it still maybe a right off even after they say they can fix it. Because they cant "really" tell the cost of repair just by looking at it, they need to get "behind" the damage to fnd that out. If they then total the car your screwed, you wont get as much money for the car then if you take the money from the highest estimeate you received, either from a repair shop or from your insurance company (correct me if im wrong someone).
Simon W. Las Vegas.
96 SE V6 MTX Tereador Red (1st Blown Engine, better be the last!)
1999 SVT Engine
SVT Exhaust w/custom DTM Tips and optimized Y-pipe and no Res (thanks to Po-Jay!). LSD Quaife(thanks to Terry!), SCA CAI w/KKM, Grizzly clutch, FMS 9mm wires, Airknights custom short shifter.
"You can only get more rice at one time by ordering Chinese" - Davo7SVT
"it's only nuts and bolts" - Terry Haines
"Drive it like you stole it" - Me!
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Joined: Feb 2001
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The doors opened OK, although the rear drivers side was tight. The rear suspension looked like it got tweaked. As I mentioned before the drivers seat is now loose so that will need attention. I just got new rear seat latches which finally made them quiet. The thing that I am afraid of is being stuck with a "repaired" car that is just not the same. If a year goes by and then some weird mechanical things start going on (tranny prob, engine mounts etc.) I could be on the hook. I hope they either write it off and give me more than I paid. Stay tuned I may buy this thing back and part it out. Anyone in the market for an SVT Duratech with only 20000 miles on it?
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Joined: Jun 2001
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One thing I forgot to mention - my suspension was fine (wheels pointed straight, I didn't get under the car) and the damage total was still that high! If the doors are tight, look out. I would start to hope they total it. Also, make the adjuster aware of what an SVT is going for - get them on the internet, at the body shop right in front of you, show them! We did that and boy, what a check they wrote for me. I will never complain about Allstate insurance. They took care of us big time!
jpb
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 144
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Yup a big cheque would be fine by me. I would then buy the car for a few thousand and either part it or fix the mechanicals and rally it. Hmmmmmmmm.
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Joined: Jun 2001
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Exactly dude - the most important thing to do whenever you get in an accident, is turn to the positive. Your wife is ok, you are covered by insurance, the rental is on its way if not already in your driveway, they are gonna fix it, or they are gonna write you a nice check. The instant I was out of my car looking at its destroyed rear-end I thought, "oh well, v6 on the way". If there was one event in life that is prepared for, it is the car accident. We all have insurance, the processes are in place - piece of cake.
jpb
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I feel your pain. I was rear ended about 2 1/2 months ago and my 98' T-red SVT was crushed. I just got it back 2 weeks ago. The entire rear end was replaced. There was $8,000 in damages. Both quarter panels, trunk lid, trunk floor, bumper, and all the other stuff in there. I was really skeptical about the repair. All the parts they used were new, not used. They did a great job. The color was perfect. Can't even tell the difference, and mine is a year older. There were a few rattles after the fix, but I brought it back and they fixed them. I still am not crazy about driving around in a crashed car though. I'm thinking about getting a new car after the summer is over. I am definitely happy with the fix, but it is hard to know if problems will occur in the future because of it. We'll have to wait and see. Good Luck!
Oh yeah, I got to drive a mighty Malibu for 2 months. Not quite the same.
cruises8
Steve
2002 Mazda Protege5
Former owner of a 98' T-Red SVT
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Steve
2002 Mazda Protege5
Former owner of a 98' T-Red SVT
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