[Kermit]

A few weeks ago I had an unfortunate accident at a DE event causing substancial front end dammage. Of course the care was not covered by insurance and now I need to make the best of a bad situation and recover as much money out of the car as possible.

So my question is do I just sell it as is or do I try to part it out.
2006 Cayman S Tiptronic, PCM 2.1, Sport Chrono, Navi, Bose, <20,000 mi

Hood, both front fenders, and all radiators are totaled. Front trunk is buckled and the two frame rails that hold the front aluminum bumper are bent. I'm no expert but I think there is no fixing it, is that correct. Rest of the car looks good so I think there are a lot of parts that others might be interested in. Any idea what the car is worth either in salvage or parts.

I would appreciate any input.

 

[KS-CS]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

Don't know what part of the country you are in, but there are several salvage companies in different parts of the country that specialize in Porsche salvage and selling used parts - you might try to get a quote from a nearby one if possible. I think parting it out yourself would be a pretty big hassle.

Are you planning to get a repair estimate from a body shop?

 

[K-Man S]

A few weeks ago I had an unfortunate accident at a DE event causing substancial front end dammage. Of course the care was not covered by insurance and now I need to make the best of a bad situation and recover as much money out of the car as possible.

So my question is do I just sell it as is or do I try to part it out.
2006 Cayman S Tiptronic, PCM 2.1, Sport Chrono, Navi, Bose, <20,000 mi

Hood, both front fenders, and all radiators are totaled. Front trunk is buckled and the two frame rails that hold the front aluminum bumper are bent. I'm no expert but I think there is no fixing it, is that correct. Rest of the car looks good so I think there are a lot of parts that others might be interested in. Any idea what the car is worth either in salvage or parts.

I would appreciate any input.

Does your insurance company specificaly exclude coverage at DE events? Many exclude coverage for "competitive" track events, BUT many make an exception for a "Driving School". So it might be worth investigating your contract language!

 

[Krokodil]

The car can most likley be fixed. Whether is can be done to "street car" quailty and safety is the question. This will take someone more qualified than me to answer.

I do know directly of a Cayman S here in SoCal that was damaged in a similar manner (and it seems like severity) to yours and it was expertely repaired. The repair even included welding in a new from tub (factory part).

Vision Motorsports in Laguna Hills did the repair (I think Cary Caldwell did the frame/body work).

The car was converted to a race car, but you can not tell it was repaired.

Cheers,

 

[Kermit]

My insurance is through Progressive and they exclude any damages that occur on a temporary or permanent race track, regardless of what you were doing there.

I'm in the Houston TX area, any of those salvage companies close?

I was also thinking of turning it into a track car but was afraid I would sink too much money into it

 

[Krokodil]

Converting might be better than writing it off. You may also be able to fix it properly. I would certainly check before you punt.

If you do part it out, let me know, as I may take the transmission (and maybe the engine) assuming they are fine.

Cheers,

 

[KS-CS]

I'm in the Houston TX area, any of those salvage companies close? . . .

This is the biggest one in the region that I'm familiar with: Oklahoma Foreign- Used Porsche Parts. From early to late models.

I don't know if there are any closer to Houston that specialize in Porsche - or whether you would get as good a deal at a local salvage yard.

I concur with Krokodil though, you really ought to get a repair estimate first, which shouldn't cost you anything.

 

[kirkemon]

Do you have a video of the incedent, so I'll know what not to do at a DE?

 

[Falcon7]

Ken is correct a good friend of mine had a bad off at a DE and his insurance covered the almost $20,000. dollar repair. His insurance policy said no racing but did not exclude DE's. Read your policy carefully you may be covered.

 

[KS-CS]

Ken is correct a good friend of mine had a bad off at a DE and his insurance covered the almost $20,000. dollar repair. His insurance policy said no racing but did not exclude DE's. Read your policy carefully you may be covered.

What did the insurance company do after they paid for the repair? (Drop him or jack the rate way up?)

The OP already mentioned that his company will deny coverage based on location (race track) rather than activity - something that a lot of insurance companies are apparently now doing.

 

[PistolPete]

Sometimes things just happen at a DE, that is part of the risk. At track speeds, when things go bad, they go bad.

My personal take is, if you can't afford to toss the car, don't do it. Who knows what insurance will cover, even track insurance. Cynical I know, but go into it with both eyes open.

Kermit, sorry to hear about the incident. I'm glad you're OK and hope things work out for the best.

Do you have a video of the incedent, so I'll know what not to do at a DE?

 

[K-Man S]

What did the insurance company do after they paid for the repair? (Drop him or jack the rate way up?)

The OP already mentioned that his company will deny coverage based on location (race track) rather than activity - something that a lot of insurance companies are apparently now doing.

The problem with denying coverage by location is that it may not be legal to do so in his state either. Imagine if your insurance company said that you cannot drive in the 'bad' parts of town because crime is higher there and if you do, your insurance won't cover you. That's not going to fly, at least not with a good attorney on your side. You paid your insurance premiums right? Insurance is to cover ou in case of a loss, accident, fire, etc. You had a loss, you weren't driving recklessly, in fact you were trying to learn how to drive better, you may not even have been at fault.

I'm in favor of reading your insurance contract carefully and then having an attorney who is familiar with auto insurance in your state review your policy as well and see what can be done.

You aren't taking your insurance company's word for this are you?

I don't say this lightly, but I've worked on the other side of the fence, as an attorney for an insurance company, and I can tell you that the moment a potential claim comes in our job was to find a way to disclaim coverage. We'd send letters out to people telling them why their policy didn't cover them, even when it was a grey area, simply because we knew that in 9 time out of 10 people just accepted whatever their insurance company told them without checking to see if the insurance company was really on solid ground or not.

You might also be surprised to know that many police organizations train their officers on tracks, or make-shift tracks made from comes in a parking lot, most of those exercises are in car/bike control, how to be safer, how to react to a potentially dangerous situation, etc. I'd like to see an attorney for the insurance company explain to a jury why officers can train on a track for the betterment of public safety, but you cannot, why the insurance company is singling you out as an individual to try and disclaim coverage. Of course this would never happen because the insurance company would settle out of court before it ever got to this stage.

Get an estimate to fix the car, then see an attorney if your insurance company won't cover you and see what your rights are. If you have a case, move forward, if you don't, the cut your losses and make a race car! Sounds like a win-win to me!

 

[kptaylor]

Agreed, make sure you read through the policy again. Just because they may have told you it isn't covered, doesn't mean that's how your policy was written. The usual exclusions are for timed events, something a DE wouldn't fall under. Nowadays the insurance companies may use broader language, but it's worth reading it for yourself first.

 

[Kermit]

Thanks for all the advice, I appreciate everyone's input.

To me the exclusions to my policy are fairly clear and exclude DE events but that doesn't mean a good lawyer couldn't get you a settlement. I'll get a repair estimate and post a few pictures just so everyone can see.

As for the accident, I'm not sure what happened, of course my problems happened at the end of the longest straight (Texas World Speedway). The front straight is part of the NASCAR oval, at the end of the straight you come off the straight of the oval and go infield. If you are brave you don't need to hit the brakes until infield (which I normally do). However at this DE I was starting to push the speeds a little more and started tapping the brakes at the end of the straight ( which most guys do) to scrub 15-20 MPH before taking the turn. When I tapped the brakes the car started to slowly hook left out of control. To the best of my knowledge the steering wheel was straight and I didn't do anything wrong but I can't find any mechanical reason for the loss of control. Track workers said they walked the track and couldn't find any fluids on the track so everyone is at a bit of a loss as to exactly what happened. Only thing I can suspect is possibly I had a brake drag and started the turn without realizing.

Best part is the car's safety features did their job. I walked away with only a scrape on my arm and a sore neck the next day. This makes me think I only want to be on the track again in a car that still has ABS, air bags, ect... This is just for fun, I'm not a racer

Sorry no video, wish I had one.

 

[Phil 1]

Problem here is Progressive, I represent them and they are going to do anything possible to deny this claim...Good luck.

 

[Schwabe]

anything today can be repaired, question is weather it is economical or not, meaning is the reapir more expansive than the car is worth if it was not damaged. Just front end without frame damage can easily cost you upward of $15K depending on what you have. Premium paint, Bi xenons etc. If the frame is damage and needs to get on the bench to be straighten out it will cost more, if only the front oart of the frame is damage they may be able to cut that part out and replace it.

 

[Ducky993]

Sounds like a good time to convert to a 997 front end.

Glad you are safe, which is the important thing, but probably a lesson for all of us to further inspect our own policies.

 

[Kermit]

After my accident my friend called his Farmers agent and was told he would be covered, even got it in writing. If I can get it in writing too, I will be changing.

 

[jhuang25]

I'm sorry to hear about your car, thanks for sharing your situation with us and I just hope we can all learn a little bit from it.

 

[Craig911]

Go to a shop you know, hand over $50 and hdriv ehim to your car --ask for a non-binding estimate and general consensus/opinion -