430 Had an accident. Advice needed.

get an attorney now, not later, can completely change the outcome

and don't speak to their insurance company

 

Reread the thread. He is talking with his own insurance, as he is at fault. He rear ended the SUV in front of him.

 

oh, my bad

 

I don't think youre entitled to DV value because you were at fault. My lawyer stated that to me here in California for DV.

 

Also, if the car was in an accident before and has a salvage title or ever had a salvage title, all bets are off. The value has already been diminished.

 

It doesn’t seem too bad. I’d get an independent estimate the precise part needed; maybe local; shop; respray and sell it if u want to get rid of it.
Just be glad u r okay. I would be pissed but all things considered things look not to be too damaged


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My advise is not to involve the Insurance Co since you were at fault.
The damage is not all that bad. I would repair it one piece at a time.
Use fleabay etc. and source a new hood and the other parts you need.
Also now is the time to get your hands dirty if you've never fixed anything on it.
Make it a personal project and or do it as a new hobby and replace all the damaged parts. Who cares if it takes 2 years.
Do it right and then get it painted. However, in the meantime keep the engine and tranny
properly cared for cause you know what happens when they sit too long.

 

remove the front bumper would tell a lot more of what's damaged inside.

if the headlamp's inside isn't damaged and no major damage to the aluminums ( warps are fine, just pull them back , if it cracks, just weld it)

I'd say the damage is limited to $2000. So don't report to the insurance.

I think i can fix it in about a day. Then i'll drive the car to a body shop to paint it.

It is that easy..... that's a real fender bender. This is not sarcasm. I am serious.

 

for example, the front hood is fixable. remove it, use a hammer, be patience, little by little, to get the shape back. then use smaller hammer , then even smaller.
If it cracks, leave it be, and continue to shape it. then go to a welding shop to weld it. then by a swivel or any rubbing tool to remove the welding ugliness.

you get the picture.

 

I'd advise not doing the repairs yourself if you are not well versed in such things. If and when you sell the car most guys will spot amateur repairs and flaws = lousy resale price. You may be married to the car if you do the repairs yourself-- not a bad thing if you are going to keep it for the long haul and outlast the depreciation.

If you can do it by simply replacing parts then I would do that and have the car painted by a competent shop. May cost you a bit more than straightening and fixing but the results will be way more favorable in the end. Just my take on it.

Good luck and I wish you all the best. Been where you are and it sucks big time.

 

Agree totally. OP's fault for following too close to vehicle in front. Many people on freeways drive too close to car in front, it amazes me that more accidents don't happen. I have seen gaps between cars as little as less than a cars length at 70mph. Crazy.
I always leave a large gap between myself and car in front. Problem is drivers see the gap and "slot in" regularly.

 

Eric,
Sorry to see this happen, I can imagine how devastated you are. It seems you have already made peace with the fact that you are filing a claim and it may ding on the Carfax but in the end you are okay, it is just a car, and since you put miles on it I wouldn't worry too much about a small accident on the vehicle history report. All that being said, I'd find out who your local F car dealer uses for their repair work and go direct with them and your insurance. Do NOT let the insurance company dictate who repairs it if it can be avoided. I'm also with others that this will probably breach the $30K mark in repair work, but we won't know the true damage until the bumper and fender are removed.

 

?

 

Sorry that happened- I would recommend taking as many detailed shots as possible now, and while its being repaired. Having that documentation will make it easier to sell when its time.

 

It doesn’t look that bad to me. You pay for insurance for a reason, have them fix it. I’m sure whatever bent suspension parts you need can all be sourced from scrap yards and eBay. The bodywork looks very fixable. Any good body shop fixes cars like that all day long.
I’m glad you and the girl you rear-ended are both fine. The Ferrari F430 is a depreciating asset and it’s only purpose is to give you some joy on the weekends. Get it fixed and put it back to work. If it ends up with a branded title, make sure to take a lot of before pictures so the next guy knows that the accident was really not that big of a deal.

 

I personally wouldn't sweat it. It's just a car at the end of the day.
I've been there, 2nd day of owning it I was in a very VERY small incident scratched the lower part of the car and broke a rim and a couple other small parts.
I had Farmers (the one that says they know a thing or two) well they didn't know about Ferrari's! 7 months later they paid $42,000. The funny thing is, it never got reported, there is no carfax report or anything. The only people that knew was my home owners agent, when she wanted to bundle my auto. She said holy cow what did you do? and said this isn't a good time to bundle LOL!!

I did take it to a very (Extremely) reputable repair shop where they work on a lot of the exotics. They had 4 Ferrari's, 2 R8's and a Lambo there.

 

Eric my friend, sorry to be honest with my thoughts but if you slam into the car in front who stops then you were tailgating or not concentrating. It is not an assumption, it is a fact.
Hang back at least ten cars lengths in future and you will give yourself a whole lot more thinking time and breaking time.
Sorry for your loss man.

 

Sorry to hear this Eric. A couple of things. First read your policy. I read you want all new Ferrari parts. Your policy may state you are not entitled to that. Second, if totaled and you do not have an agreed value policy, you will be entitled to the AVC before the accident based on compatibles. Third, don't be surprised if the damage is more than it appears. You could have easily twisted the unibody in which case there is a good chance the car would be totaled. Lastly, a lot of times a Ferrari will be totaled because the insurance doesn't want to risk agreeing to pay for repairs and then find hidden damage that puts then in the red.

Good luck moving forward.

 

Wow, I want to live where you live. 10 car lengths? Reccomended is 3-3 1/2. And see above, many times in metro areas some moron slides in even at 3 car lengths. 10 would be impossible. Heck I’ve even had one idiot try to slide between my truck and 5th wheel trailer once. Thank god no one was killed.

Even at 3 car lengths rear end accidents are common especially under emergency braking situations and if the front vehicle is large it’s worse since you rarely can see what’s in front of them. Doesn’t matter really as the op room ownership of the damage with his insurance. Again a situation where thankfully no one was injured.

Good luck on repairs.

 

Azlin, 10 car lengths is only 150-180 feet. Government guidelines is that at 70mph the thinking distance added to the breaking distance is 315 FEET. Most freeways in third lane people are driving at 80mph plus. You MUST leave that kind of distance when travelling on a freeway to be able to stop without slamming into an emergency situation ahead. Crashes don't often occur under normal breaking, they happen when everyone slams on the brakes in a real hurry.

 

And I am absolutely not trying to big myself up here but not a single accident in 49 years of driving.
Seen a few though!!