steviej Posted March 13, 2004 Posted March 13, 2004 The right side of my car doesn't look pretty. Will post pictures tomorrow in daylight. Cops took the other guy off in cuffs. Here we go with the body shop stuff again. steviej. ps. I'm ok, I'm just wicked *BLEEP*ed right now.
Wubbman Posted March 13, 2004 Posted March 13, 2004 Thank God you're alright, Steve. Did he at least have insurance? What did his car look like? Sorry about what happened. Again, at least you are ok.
93LSOwner Posted March 13, 2004 Posted March 13, 2004 Uh man, I am sorry about that. 2002 ES300 !dang! "at least they cuffed the guy"
99lsguy Posted March 13, 2004 Posted March 13, 2004 Glad your OK.... I know we love are machines...but; they are just machines...
DobieG Posted March 13, 2004 Posted March 13, 2004 Sorry to hear the bad news, steviej. Bummer 'bout the car, but I'm glad you're ok!
SW03ES Posted March 13, 2004 Posted March 13, 2004 Oh Steve, sorry to hear about it! Glad you're okay! How hard was the hit?
amf1932 Posted March 13, 2004 Posted March 13, 2004 I'm glad to hear you're OK........that's the main thing!
SKperformance Posted March 13, 2004 Posted March 13, 2004 got to love an a $$hole who drives drunk welcome to the club i had a drunk hit mine last year new yaers, he left in cuffs car towed and liscense suspeneded
NeiLtYmE Posted March 13, 2004 Posted March 13, 2004 Thats terrible news! ditto what everyone said, Hope your ok! Yeah the worst thing about it is that it was a drunk person that hit you! One of those things people usually never expect to have happened to them. These things can be so unpredictable. Well at least he was cuffed! hopefully he gets good jail time.. that $%@!!!
Lexusfreak Posted March 13, 2004 Posted March 13, 2004 That's aweful steviej! :( very happy to hear that you are OK which is the most important thing. I hope the powers that be throw the book at this person!
steviej Posted March 15, 2004 Author Posted March 15, 2004 here's one. the dents in the door actually got through to the inside, not just the skin.
amf1932 Posted March 15, 2004 Posted March 15, 2004 The damage is not as bad as I thought. They'll fix it up like new! ;) Of course this doesn't stop the heartache you must be feeling ever since it happened.
SW03ES Posted March 15, 2004 Posted March 15, 2004 Yeah thats not too awful bad. They'll wind up replacing the door skins and repainting most of that side. Hope you get it all fixed up soon, talk about bad timing... We gotta get you some LOC stickers ;)
99lsguy Posted March 15, 2004 Posted March 15, 2004 We gotta get you some LOC stickers ;) Nice catch Steve.....
Lexusfreak Posted March 15, 2004 Posted March 15, 2004 Will they be able to bang the doors back into original shape or will both doors need replacing? I assume you will accept nothing less than a Lexus shop to perform the work ? Courious as to what the estimates are for a fix like that. I thought the damage was going to be worse as well, nontheless it still hurts no dought :(
lexusk8 Posted March 15, 2004 Posted March 15, 2004 Hey Stevie, I heard about the accident with the D/D, and I thought about posting on CL, but I see more active responses on this site Anyway, sorry to hear what happened to you and your ES. Talk about bad timing and perhaps bad luck, considering that you got into an accident with an SUV a year and a half ago (I think? At least it was that guy's fault ;)) I see the pics of the damage, and from what I can tell, you'll at least need new passenger side doors, lower body molding, passenger side rear quarter panel, and possibly a new tailight :( I know it sucks to be in a depressed situation like this (I felt the same way from an accident a few yrs ago), but let's all hope the D/D's insurance will pay for everything. Keep us updated here and on CL, and maybe we'll see your ES retouched like new at the spring meet :)
branshew Posted March 15, 2004 Posted March 15, 2004 That's a complete bummer. I was expecting the worst, but it didn't appear too bad from the pictures. As long as you're OK tat is what matters. On another note.... what are you going to do about the car? Obvioulsy you'll get it fixed, but will you then trade it in. If you're like me, you know that the car will never be the same again - even when the repairs make it look normal. Also, the damage will most likely turn up on a Carfax report sometime if the insurance companies get involved. Personally, I would trade it in on another '02, '03, or even new '04 model. I would also talk to the guy's insurance company about compensating you for the loss in resale or trade in value since the car has now been in a wreck. My Dad's '02 LS 430 had some serious paint and window damage from a parking garage roof that collapsed on it dring a hurricane last year. They had to replace both of his headlamps, every window and front and back windshields on the car, and completely repaint the entire car. Fortunately there was no serious body damage (other than some serious paint scratching). After he got it back he sold it and bought a new one. He made the Parking garage's insurance company compensate him for the resale loss in addition to covering the repairs.
SW03ES Posted March 15, 2004 Posted March 15, 2004 Thats actually a commonly held fallacy. The car can DEFINATELY be repaired so that he won't be able to tell it was ever damaged. It used to not be the case, buit today with computerized paint matching and a good skilled paint and body technician nobody will ever be able to tell the car was damaged. As for it showing up on a carfax it probably will because the police were involved. Whenever the police are involved it will show up on a carfax. They probably wont have to replace the entire doors, just the skins. The inside part of the door and the outside part seperate and can be welded back together. This is what you want them to do because you wont see any ripples or anything like that. They wont replace the rear quarter panel, they'll just weld in a new peice of metal there down by the door. If you find a good shop it'll be 100% impossible to tell the difference. No reason to trade it. I agree that the insurance company should pay whats called a depreciated value claim, compensating you for any loss in value that may have occured after the repair. For one thing the car will never be able to be a Lexus certified pre owned as it has more than one panel repainted, and that would effect what a Lexus dealer would give you on trade, and you should be compensated for that.
Latoilette Posted March 15, 2004 Posted March 15, 2004 the accident doesn't look too bad if you can find the another same colored car at a junkyard, you just buy two doors and replace them. if you do that, you will make a few thousand dollars after everything's fixed up.
SW03ES Posted March 15, 2004 Posted March 15, 2004 I'd do that if the car were a 1992 as opposed to a 2002, but it should be repaired properly ;)
steviej Posted March 16, 2004 Author Posted March 16, 2004 the car goes in the shop tomorrow when I leave for Key West. The shop is state of the art and handles mostly high end cars. It is a highly recommended establishment. I met with the shop today and here is what will happen. -The front door has to have the skin and shell replaced cause that buckle you see actually goes right to the other side. -The rear door will only need an outer skin. -The rear quarter (front of tire) will be repaird. They have some new type of machine that pulls the metal back to the original shape. If that doesn't work they will cut out a piece and weld in a new one. He said I wouldn't even know it was a new piece. -The rear bumper has to come off and be repainted. The entire area behind the rear wheel is all scuffed....hard to see in the picture. -There is a dent over the front tire, that will be repaired. -All molding in that area will be replaced. -There is some damage that can be see when the doors are open, that will be fixed. -The tail light will be buffed, and if that doesn take out the scrapes, then replaced. -Then the entire right side will be painted and clear coated. He estimates about a week and a half to two weeks. SW, as for the stickers, I find myself not being to careful with the ice scraper. Hook me up with LOC stickers and I will swap them out. I figured I would get them at the upcoming spring meet, wherever/whenever that happens. I'll let you know when it is finished as to how good the job was. I think it would be foolish to trade the care in. This car is mechanically perfect and I know every bit of work done to it. Getting another 02 or 03 means more unknown. The body damage is fixable. There is no structural damage. I am the type to keep a car for 10 years. I am not worried about the Carfax report as I have photographed the damage myself. This would be freely offered to show that the damage was mainly cosmetic. Besides, going back to a new car only means more payments........and the ones I have left are enough. steviej PS. A heartfelt thanks to everyone for their concern and words of care.
Lexusfreak Posted March 16, 2004 Posted March 16, 2004 Have an excellent holiday steviej, sounds like your car will be in good hands! :) Let us know how the repairs went upon your return & I agree with you that you should hang on to it as well, it's been too well cared for just to let it go under the circumstances.
blake918 Posted March 17, 2004 Posted March 17, 2004 SW, as for the stickers, I find myself not being to careful with the ice scraper.Hook me up with LOC stickers and I will swap them out. I figured I would get them at the upcoming spring meet, wherever/whenever that happens. Stevie, don't worry about the stickers; they are static clinging. See they went from my ES to my LS in a snap. BTW, here's a pic of my new machine with the LOC sticker in the left hand corner of the wind shield. ES is no longer mine as of last Sunday :( . A little late, but I glad you're safe and the car is not too bad...they'll fix that up, and you'll never be able to tell!
93lexuses Posted March 17, 2004 Posted March 17, 2004 steviej, It sounds as though your car is in good hands. I wish you the best of luck on it. I would keep the car also.
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