Fun then %@&#!

[kamo]

Hey gang, hope everybody had there car out there this weekend and had some fun. I finally pulled my car out of winter storage last weekend (it was a nasty winter here in Chicago) . I was itching to stretch it out a little today so I went cruising through the Cook county forest preserves here on the southwest side of Chicago. I'm sure all Chicagoland area 02ers are quite familiar with it. In fact I had just passed a very nice looking metallic blue square tail when I get rear ended at a stop sign. %@!

He nailed me good, shoved that bumper in about three inches and of course the accordion sides crumpled. Actually thank God for those big assed bumpers, no body damage!

so the bumper is compressed now, and I don't think that;s a good thing. Also the right arch in the trunk looks a little compressed too, like bent.

Anybody been through this? Been nailed in the rear? is this reparable? or will I need a new bumper?

and I 'm wondering about insurance. It's totally the other guys fault, but am I going to get screwed because I;m driving a 30 year old car that;'s not perfect?

the other driver's got State Farm, hopefully they'll fix it right.

he was 22 driving his dad's new camry.

just wondering about other;s experiences that are similar. anything I need to watch out for so I don't get hosed and get them to pay for the proper repair?

thanks everybody as always.

Kamo.

[asvander]

It sucks about the accident. Hopefully your car isn't injured too badly. I'm in Madison WI and have some parts cars with the big bumpers. You can have one for free if you are in the area some time and would want to pick a bumper up.

Good luck fixing your car.

[BLUNT]

oh sorry to hear that peter. what terrible luck, first time out and all. its something we all fear. best of luck getting it back in shape

[napa02]

depends a lot on how your car is insured. if you let the insurance company decide the value if your car, you could be screwed. if blue book value is less than what it would cost to fix it, they will total the car and write you a blue book value check. I have my car valued at $10,000 with my insurance co.

[Mike Self]

You should be able to pull your rear bumper back out yourself, with the help of either a comealong or a sturdy chain and tree...Those shocks will compress when hit, but don't rebound. You have to do that. But don't do it unitl the other guy's insurance co sees the car...you may get some extra $$ for it. If the bumper shocks are leaking, then they're popped and either should be replaced or you'll just have to remember they aren't 5 mph bumpers any more.

As for the damage--it's been my experience when State Farm was the other guy's insurance, they'll try to Cheap Charlie you. They did with me, but I (1) stuck to my guns and repeated over and over again about car's value to me, all the time, $$$ and effort that had gone into its restoration so far (it was in many shades of primer when hit, but all new metal under the primer spots) and (2) knew my body shop guy would be on my side...often the field adjuster will authorize additional parts/repairs that the "adjustment center" will baulk at. So if you have a favorite body shop, enlist their aid. And before you take it to State Farm, have the car checked on a frame machine to make sure you still have matching wheelbases on both sides of the car. If not, you'll be armed with that information when confronting the State Farm folks.

Good luck, and remember, (almost) any rear end accident is the following car's fault.

mike

[ClayW]

Seems a little preemptive, but these kinds of things are always "screw or be screwed."

With my last car that got hit, State Farm offered $150-200 for everything, including my stiff neck. When my lawyer finished a few months later, I got my chiropractor paid for and a total of $5K-6K to go look for another car. That seemed fair to me, but it took a lawyer to get there.

[donfjohnston]

state farm is the anti-christ. i am a physician and they really make life miserable for accident victims. low balling or no balling is an art form to them

[G-mny]

Holy Snap!! Were you cruising in Willow springs near Bullfrog lake I think we passed each other(fjord 76)...Sorry to hear about your accident..that really sucks...Its nice to know there's another 02 here on the southside...let me know how it works out for you...

[oz_tom]

That really sucks Kamo - happened to me last week but i didnt have the big bumpers :-(