I got t-boned (Page 3/11)
RichLo1 OCT 25, 09:14 AM
It will definitely be totaled that unless you have a high value classic car insurance like previously stated, insurance like Hagerty lets you name your own value to insure for. Its fixable but you will have to cut out that whole pillar and have a parts car replacement welded in. There's no straightening that back out while retaining rigidity. See how waffled it is next to the door latch pin...

I'm really sorry to see it get crunched! This will be a long journey to get it fixed unfortunatly

[This message has been edited by RichLo1 (edited 10-25-2023).]

olejoedad OCT 25, 10:12 AM
I hav seen a few Fieros that had similar damage and are on the road due to a B-pillar replacement.

It can and has been done.
Vintage-Nut OCT 25, 10:46 AM

quote
cam-a-lot:
I think until you pull the panels, we are all just guessing at how bad the damage is.



The Fiero used an innovative metal unibody skeleton with a plastic skin. To Me, I bet your frame is damaged....

After you pull all the panels, find a Qualified Frame Straightening Expert if you want to repair the frame.

My opinion is the same as in this thread below: "It is not worth it to straighten a bent frame / there are plenty of rust-free frames available."

Fiero Crash- frame straighting by Drychel (10-05-2013)
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/130477.html

BTW - In around 1987, I 'flipped' my second Fiero which I had full coverage. The insurance didn't total the car BUT the total shop bill was $11k! The car never was 'right' so I traded the car on my '88 GT.....

------------------
Original Owner of a Silver '88 GT
Under 'Production Refurbishment' @ 136k Miles

[This message has been edited by Vintage-Nut (edited 10-25-2023).]

theogre OCT 25, 12:05 PM
Hope you had Dash Cam etc to prove who hit who... Even front only D-cam can proves you didn't hit them w/o showing the hit.
In many places if you can prove you got hit, Medical & car damage Cost is on other I-co even when you have "State Minimum" insurance.

Any think can be fixed, sorry but very likely No.

Because is dark pic to start & black parts, I adjusted Contrast & Brightness to see....


In Short: B pillar is F'd & most I-co's Will Often "Total" the car. Isn't like some fool hit me recently & damage plastic panels then I-co paid very little. In general, I-co looks @ "Book value" (Example: NADA Guides) @ damage > X% of that = Total. In NADA books, most cars > 25 years value Max is ~ $2000-4000.

Longer terms
B pillar & likely "Rocker Panel" steel is pushed in.
RP is structural & can affect other "frame" sections attach to it. Need to look under the car to see how bad.
B pillar pushed is likely bent part of the roof too.

That's before adding need a new Door & other Plastic parts & Paint work.

Many Body Shops won't touch 20 year old cars let alone Fiero & most > 25 year old cars. For 1 often Can't get parts to fix them + dealing w/ rust etc causing more work.
Isn't a DIY project even if can find another car to cut out needed panels.

If/When you sign off "Total" doc's the I-co owns it. You can buy it back but can't drive it in many places because have Salvage or related Title & "Canceled" current registration & tag. (Note that in Some States you can Transfer the tag to replacement vehicle & need right forms filled out before signing the "Total" to do this & You Remove the Tag(s).)
"Total" then Fix for any reason in many places means big headaches to get the car on the road again. Many states have Special Inspection involving State Police etc. that go way beyond other inspection or states w/o safety inspection.
Mean often you get the Total back as Parts Car.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 10-25-2023).]

82-T/A [At Work] OCT 25, 12:36 PM
Dude, I'm so sorry.

My guess like others, is that insurance will try to total it. I didn't see anywhere anything that you said about insurance (theirs, or yours). Is the car covered? The value of the car will not be much, particularly since it's modified and their insurance company will probably try to low-ball you because of it. If you really want them to fix your car, you're going to have to get a lawyer.

That said, you could take the totalled pay-out, and fix the car yourself. If you can dismantle most of the car's body panels that affect that area, you can take it to a body shop and they can straighten out the frame for you (with little disassembly work). And then you can re-assemble it. The quarter panel can be fixed, but you'll need a new door, door skin, and lower rear quarter.

I had similar damage, and was able to fix it myself. You can too... but you'll want to get the most out of insurance that you possibly can, and just be careful about how or when it gets totalled.


Note: I had a car get "totalled" by insurance, and was paid out. But they never officially registered it as totalled because I had the car towed back to my house. It was a 1997 Grand Am SE. Similar damage... a T-Bone. I can do a vin search, and it still shows the car as A-OK and perfect. Even more odd... after I stripped it of everything valuable and sold a bunch of stuff on eBay, I had it hauled off to a local junkyard, which required the title, and it still never got registered as "totalled." I checked 5 years ago, and it was still listed as a good car with a clean vehicle history... lol.
theogre OCT 25, 04:15 PM
When you have "Standard" Car Insurance from 90%+ of companies & that is "Full Coverage" or just Collision added, Your I-co will do about same as I said above. Worse, You have to Pay all Deductibles out of your pocket. Most w/ "State Minimum" car insurance & many others have No Collision or Very High Deductibles like $1000+ & Can't or Won't make a Claim.

Other Car I-co will do the same based on "book value" but they pay you/shop in full & why you need to claim w/ them & any video can help here.
(Example: A Front only dash cam shows you're doing nothing when hit even if doesn't show them hitting you in the video. If state/city has highway cams, cops and I-co's can likely access that too.)

No "Mod(s)" in/on a car will change that. (Depending on Mods/"Upgrades" & the crash at the time may even hurt you but likely doesn't apply this time.)
IOW The I-co's mostly don't give a crap when people burn Thousand$ on paint jobs or anything else & think will get more money after a wreck.

Only when you have "agree value" insurance policies from companies doing those may pay more then "book." Even then May "Total" the car.
Mike in Sydney OCT 25, 08:03 PM
I'm sorry to say, but it looks totalled to me. The B-pillar is bent and pushed in and as others have said, that's a major structural member. I'm pretty sure that the rest of the frame is way out of kilter. Repairs will never make it right.

Here's a suggestion for you. Settle with the insurance company at a price where you can keep the car. Use the what you get in settlementto buy a solid 2-dr coupe similar to yours. Swap the parts from your wrecked car to the "new" car. That way you wind up with a car as good as or better than what you have now. (I'd hate to see that 3800 installation wind up in a P-n-P or Row 52.)
sdgdf OCT 25, 08:15 PM

quote
Originally posted by theogre:

When you have "Standard" Car Insurance from 90%+ of companies & that is "Full Coverage" or just Collision added, Your I-co will do about same as I said above. Worse, You have to Pay all Deductibles out of your pocket. Most w/ "State Minimum" car insurance & many others have No Collision or Very High Deductibles like $1000+ & Can't or Won't make a Claim.

Other Car I-co will do the same based on "book value" but they pay you/shop in full & why you need to claim w/ them & any video can help here.
(Example: A Front only dash cam shows you're doing nothing when hit even if doesn't show them hitting you in the video. If state/city has highway cams, cops and I-co's can likely access that too.)

No "Mod(s)" in/on a car will change that. (Depending on Mods/"Upgrades" & the crash at the time may even hurt you but likely doesn't apply this time.)
IOW The I-co's mostly don't give a crap when people burn Thousand$ on paint jobs or anything else & think will get more money after a wreck.

Only when you have "agree value" insurance policies from companies doing those may pay more then "book." Even then May "Total" the car.



The other party is at fault. I don't have to pay deductible when its her insurance paying? I don't have comprehensive.
sdgdf OCT 25, 08:40 PM

quote
Originally posted by Mike in Sydney:

Use the what you get in settlementto buy a solid 2-dr coupe similar to yours. Swap the parts from your wrecked car to the "new" car. That way you wind up with a car as good as or better than what you have now. (I'd hate to see that 3800 installation wind up in a P-n-P or Row 52.)



Are the frames different between 84-87 and the 88s? Can my 88 parts bolt up to an earlier frame or do I need another 88?
theogre OCT 25, 10:15 PM

quote
Originally posted by sdgdf:
The other party is at fault. I don't have to pay deductible when its her insurance paying? I don't have comprehensive.

Correct, other I-co has to Pay Full for your Car damage or Total it, Medical for you & more. Even Rental Car if you need to get somewhere.

Before hiring a lawyer... Ask your agent or other rep from same company even when their not paying. They Total & seems way low $ or if have "problems" getting the other to pay for whatever before "signing" anything.
Once they pay & you accept by giving account # or whatever is often = to signing on paper.

Even when not paying, your I-co often has Open a case file w/ staff beyond your Agent until finally settle.

Note that While I use NADA as Example above... (Because public can see the site & has 5+ Decades of models covered.) The "Book Value" I-co's use can have way different numbers. I think most I-co's uses same "book" & your company may tell you if other I-co is way low.

Think even NADA & KBB actually have 2 "books" each... one for Public use, another for Dealers etc.