Accident
Join Date: May 2004
Location: The Villages, Florida
Age: 79
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Accident
Well on my way to work today some jerk made a illegal left turn on to the highway I was on. He also had a red light. Well we met at the intersection. My Crossfire doesn't look so good any more. The front left is all pushed in. Forgot my cell phone has a camera in it. So no pictures. I don't think that I would want to look at them any ways. The passenger side airbag came out. I can't believe what it does. It breaks the windshield and a lot of the dashboard. I didn't think it would come out with no one in that seat. The drivers side didn't come out.
The jerk that hit me got two tickets but that doesn't make me feel any better. I wonder how long the car will be in the body shop. Parts for the Crossfire are now readily available.
It needs a lot of parts.
I just hope they do a good job with the repairs.
The jerk that hit me got two tickets but that doesn't make me feel any better. I wonder how long the car will be in the body shop. Parts for the Crossfire are now readily available.
It needs a lot of parts.
I just hope they do a good job with the repairs.
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Richmond, VA
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Re: Accident
Forget the Crossfire (for a minute, anyway). How are you? I take it you were not injured since you are posting on the forum.
Also remember that when you talk to your insurance company let them know that the crash was sooo bad that it knocked your Renntech supercharger kit clean off of the motor!
Seriously, I'm glad you're OK, and if you can manage, I'd be really interested to see a photo of what happened to the dashboard when the airbag deployed.
Bob...
Also remember that when you talk to your insurance company let them know that the crash was sooo bad that it knocked your Renntech supercharger kit clean off of the motor!
Seriously, I'm glad you're OK, and if you can manage, I'd be really interested to see a photo of what happened to the dashboard when the airbag deployed.
Bob...
Re: Accident
Ouch... I recommend you swap it for another car when the repairs are done, if it has a clean title. IMO, it just won't be "right" afterwards. My wife had a Pontiac that was in a wreck years ago, and it felt heavier and more ponderous after the repairs. Further, it rusted in the replacement panels (as they were probably cheap knock-offs). Also, I remember being stranded because the lower rad hose rubbed on a bolt protruding from the alternator, which caused it to spring a large leak. Normally, there would have been almost two inches of clearance around this hose, but due to the repairs, there wasn't. All of this made me wonder, what else is wrong, cheaply done, out of spec, out of adjustment, etc? You start wondering if suspension bits were torqued to spec, if OEM corrosion-resistant ball joints were used instead of some cheap POS from China, etc. I was happy to get rid of it.
Re: Accident
Originally Posted by aschrager
I just hope they do a good job with the repairs.
Take good care what they do to the car. If the airbag comes, mostly the front of car body is contorded. And if there are some other devices damaged, the insurance should approve a total write-off. So you will get a new one.
I hope everything goes well for you.
Greets
Re: Accident
The quality of the repair depends entirely on what shop you use and the blanket statement of, "it just won't be right afterwards" does not hold water. Do your research and take your car to a high end body shop and not Bubba's "years ago" garage. Call around to the car dealers that sell MB's, BMW's and other high priced vehicles and ask what shops they recommend. It won't be Bubba's garage.
Assuming you are going to get the car fixed using your insurance, you do not have to get three estimates like you had to did years ago and go with the lowest bidder. Find a shop you feel comfortable with and let them deal with the insurance company. Don't even think about taking your car to a shop recommended by the insurance company, they are usually a lower end shop that cuts corners saving the insurance company money.
My experience: after an accident I went to a high end body shop recommended by friends. They presented me with what I thought was an outrageous estimate. The reason for the high cost? OEM parts, and when it came to repainting, they did not just tape off everything and shoot on the paint. They removed the windshield, trim and other items instead of painting around them. The result was a paint job that looked like it just came off the show room floor.
Afterwards, I asked the repair shop how it gets away with getting the insurance companies to pay such high rates. They said they spend time justifying their estimates but the bottom line is, they do the job right the first time and give a quality service and that is what you are entitled to.
Also, by taking your car to a high end shop, the chances of getting a seriously damaged vehicle "totaled" is much better because of the high cost of repair.
You get what you pay for...
Just my opinion, good luck and sorry to hear of your experience.
Assuming you are going to get the car fixed using your insurance, you do not have to get three estimates like you had to did years ago and go with the lowest bidder. Find a shop you feel comfortable with and let them deal with the insurance company. Don't even think about taking your car to a shop recommended by the insurance company, they are usually a lower end shop that cuts corners saving the insurance company money.
My experience: after an accident I went to a high end body shop recommended by friends. They presented me with what I thought was an outrageous estimate. The reason for the high cost? OEM parts, and when it came to repainting, they did not just tape off everything and shoot on the paint. They removed the windshield, trim and other items instead of painting around them. The result was a paint job that looked like it just came off the show room floor.
Afterwards, I asked the repair shop how it gets away with getting the insurance companies to pay such high rates. They said they spend time justifying their estimates but the bottom line is, they do the job right the first time and give a quality service and that is what you are entitled to.
Also, by taking your car to a high end shop, the chances of getting a seriously damaged vehicle "totaled" is much better because of the high cost of repair.
You get what you pay for...
Just my opinion, good luck and sorry to hear of your experience.
Last edited by ben47; 10-14-2005 at 02:05 PM.
Join Date: May 2004
Location: The Villages, Florida
Age: 79
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Re: Accident
The shop that has the car is a high end shop and I know there work. I do hope that they total the car. Won't know the cost of the repair before early next week. I didn't get any pictures of any part of the damage. I will try to next week. When it stops raining. As for OEM parts that is all that is available for the Crossfire. Also they must use them by NJ law if the car is still in warranty. After market parts void the Chrysler warranty.
At least no one got hurt. And I do hope the jerk has good ins.
At least no one got hurt. And I do hope the jerk has good ins.
Re: Accident
Well this is my first post on the site even tho I've been lurking almost everyday for the past few months. But I do have a link for you folks that may be interested in what happens when our passenger side air bags deploy.
This is from an SLK but you'll get the idea.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/foru...posts=5&fid=26
This is from an SLK but you'll get the idea.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/foru...posts=5&fid=26
Re: Accident
Sorry to hear about your bad news ASCHRAGER, I am glad nobody was hurt though. Sometimes when the air bag deploys, people get injured just from it alone. You saw first hand the "explosive" energy that thing puts out. Just out of curiosity, how old was the driver that caused the accident? You realize that if our Crossfires continue to be involved in accidents like they have been the last few weeks, some insurance company is going to pick up on it and tack a "sur-charge" on them. Suddenly it's 1969 all over again.
Good Luck with everything. Hope it all turns out the way you want.
Good Luck with everything. Hope it all turns out the way you want.
Join Date: May 2004
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Re: Accident
I went back to the scene of the crime today. The jerk that hit me did have a green light. BUT so did I. He was on a road that is along side the road that I was on. The corner that he turned on is marked NO TURNS. But I guess he can't read or see.. If he could see he would not have turned on to the highway. He is very lucky I wasn't a 18 wheeler. At 7 am most of the traffic is. He would be dead.
The other driver is 64. I am 61, it isn't the age, he just wasn't looking. He wanted to make a U turn to avoid a flooded road. There is a place about 100 feet before the spot that he turned on to make the turn he wanted.
The other driver is 64. I am 61, it isn't the age, he just wasn't looking. He wanted to make a U turn to avoid a flooded road. There is a place about 100 feet before the spot that he turned on to make the turn he wanted.
Join Date: May 2004
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Re: Accident
aschrager, SO sorry to hear about your accident! My wife and I were with you guys as part of the caravan to Ocean City. We can definitely sympathize. Only a few weeks after we got our yellow roadster, some lady on a cell phone rear ended my wife! No one was hurt and the damage was actually pretty minimal, but it didn't suck any less! Glad to hear you're OK. Good luck with everything!
Join Date: May 2004
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Re: Accident
Hi JD
Well The car is still at the body shop. No work done on it yet. They told me that they would get to it this week. They said it would take about 10 days to repair. But they must get all of the parts. I think it will be there for a long time.
I hope it is fixed before the next Ocean City, MD run.
Alan
Well The car is still at the body shop. No work done on it yet. They told me that they would get to it this week. They said it would take about 10 days to repair. But they must get all of the parts. I think it will be there for a long time.
I hope it is fixed before the next Ocean City, MD run.
Alan
Join Date: May 2004
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Re: Accident
Well today I got my xfire back from the body shop. It looks like they did a great job. It was getting dark out when I got it so I will have to look at it good in the day light. Tomorrow I will do my 21000 mile oil change and go for a long long long drive. Shure did miss the car.
Last edited by aschrager; 12-16-2005 at 08:17 PM.