This crash happened in late afternoon of Nov 27. This is a 2003 model and I paid $23,000 for it. There's no collision insurance on it. No lectures about that please. Could I have your opinions about the damage? From what I could see in 15 minutes today, it seemed confined to the left front quarter panel and everything under it.

1. Those who are familiar with the structural pieces in the damaged area...does it look totaled for sure, or not totaled, or is it a borderline case? The sheriff's deputy and the towing guy both think its totaled. Its doubtful that they've seen many S2000s, if any. Its being delivered to my residence tomorrow. I may try to hire an insurrance estimator to look at it, if I can find one who'll moonlight.

2. Is estimating a crashed S2000 a special knowledge area, or should any experienced estimator be able to do it well?

Thanks!

- Steve

Here's the story and pics:

I was driving on a familiar route when I lost control on a bridge. I crashed just after reaching the asphault on the far side. I suffered a broken left arm just above the wrist which has been set with a steel plate and 9 screws, a pin & wire to hold a smaller bone, and about 25 stiches in one forehead laceration. Both air bags deployed. I consider myself lucky. I walked a few hundred yards to a farmhouse to get help. All I remember is opening the car door. I don't remember stepping out, nor the walk nor the crash. I remember being helped by the EMT personnel.

I've been over this bridge many times before. The road and bridge surface were both damp and the temperature range was 47-53 deg that day. The bridge is wood-sufaced with steel plate on it. I was doing about 40 I think. I knew it was damp and I remember thinking beforehand that my speed over the bridge would be OK. Sheriff's deputy considers this a dangerous bridge requiring 30 mph. About half way accross I started swerving and crashed about 20-30 yards after the bridge. I probably carried some yaw onto the asphault and that sealed my fate. I've been agressive on backroads sometimes and always thought I was in total control. This time I thougt I was safe and I was wrong. I think this will change the way I drive.


My approximate path into the ditch. Snow fell on Nov 30 and obscurred things. Those are rocks under the green line and there's a sheared off small tree there. I think the rocks did the main damage and stopped me, and my right front didn't strike anything hard.


The damage seems confined to the left front quarter panel and everything under it.


There's a small wave in the hood (arrow).


I couldn't see if that lower cross member below the radiator is bent or not, but it may be slightly. Is it supposed to be straight, or is it normally indented where that vertical piece attaches?




My comptech X-brace might be a little twisted on the left side. There's a Comptech tower brace in the engine compartment.


The driver door alignment looks fine and the only non-paint damage I could see was this ding on the leading edge.




Left rear under carriage. The right under carriage looks clean too.


No apparent damage to hood except as shown in the pic above.






One dent in trunk lid, at the left edge of the light.


.

 

Hover Dam!

Far out Steve sorry about the crash but least your ok (alive that is, thank God) thats the main thing. Can't really comment about structual damage as i am no expert but as long as the chassis isn't bent then it should be repairable , fingers crossed for ya bro.

 

It looks fixable, how much it will cost I don't have a clue, but I'm sure it will be plenty.

 

There is one song from Bubba Sparxx that goes like this :"Ugly, uh uh...uh uh..Ugly! uh uh...uh uh"

This is not fixable or if it is, you are looking at 10grand minimum.
God thanks you are ok at least!

 

ouch.... glad to hear you didn't get hurt too serious

 

imo the damage of the structure is minor. i had an accident in my s2000 before and was more damaged than that. after the repair the car feels and handles like new (im lucky) but it cost me 10000$!!! i changed hella lots of parts.. i think yours will cost much less although the labor cost in my country is cheaper than the us

 

yeah you got some good damage going on there....doesnt look too bad, although the $$$$ easily rack up. SOrry to hear about the accident but glad you only got away with a broken arm.

I dunno whether I would have even been going the recommended 30mph on that bridge tho - that looks dangerous!

 

I'm in the insurance industry and appraise damage daily. Your car is not a total loss. You're looking at roughly $11,500 to repair that which will probably go up once the car is taken to a shop for a teardown. Keep in mind this price is the insurance company rate, meaning all parts are at retail. Shops usually get them at 20% discount. So if you're paying out of pocket they might give you a break on parts cost and hourly rates. Good luck and glad you're alright.

 

Um... no.

From the looks of those pictures that is totaly fixable. Tough to tell without being there in person. As for how much its going to cost I can't judge without seeing it in person, but I highly doubt its 10G's worth.

 

I posted my last post before I saw yours. You really think he's looking at over 10,000? Wow.

That surprises me, I've had a few bangups before where the damage wasn't too much less than this and it was 5-7.

In any event I agree with eveyone, at least you're alright!