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Got Hit By A Drunk Driver Tonight


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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.

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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 $%@!!!

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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.

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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 ;)

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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. :unsure: I thought the damage was going to be worse as well, nontheless it still hurts no dought :(

:cheers:

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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 :blink:

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 :)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

:cheers:

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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!

DSC00334.sized.jpg

:cheers:

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