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Wrecked the NSX after only 7 days of ownership. Need advice!!

Blackoutz

Blackoutz

Experienced Member
Joined
22 June 2007
Messages
381
Location
San Antonio
My dad and I found this car about 3 weeks ago and took delivery a week and half ago. The car is a 2001 with 30,000 original miles on it. The car was perfect in every way with all service history and a clean bill of health. The car is Spa yellow.

My dad picked it up yesterday from our local NSX tech for the install of his valentine one and SOS ipod integration unit. His was leaving the business park and crossing traffic when a Ford Ranger racing down the center turn lane hit him in the front. The Ranger tried to avoid the accident and ended up running the front of the car over with the rear passenger tire and end up with a broken drive shaft but no body damage. My dad's car on the other hand sustained some pretty bad damage as you could imagine. The front frame rail does not look effected but will not know for sure until they start taking off parts. Some of the brackets are bent that hold on the front bumper. The car actually could drive after the accident and we took it back to H & A auto for storage until Monday when the Insurance comes to look at it.

The worst part about the accident is the front airbags went off!! I guess it hit the front of the car in just the right place and set them both off. I noticed this caused the dash to crack in a couple spots surrounding the airbag. Will this require a new dash? This is really the part where I think the car might be totalled. Am I right to think this?

My dad's insurance agency is USAA and the guy in the Ford Ranger had State Farm thank god. I need to get some advice as to where to take it and if yall think this will be totalled? I really want to make sure this car goes to the right shop and make sure it goes back together perfect. My dad has no real intention of selling this car and wants to keep it for a long time to come. However we still want to make sure we are taken car of from a diminished value aspect. I have never been down this road with a high end car needing much needed repair. Any advice would be well recieved. Thanks in advance. On to the pictures. I will post more of the interior on Monday when we see the insurance adjuster.


Before




Now










 
wow....so what on earth would have made the ranger driver do that:mad:....otoh...your car does not look like a total..a good shop that works with aluminum cars and hopefuly with nsx experience should be able to make her right again.
 
That truthfully doesn't look bad. A few fenders, a bumper, some bumper absorption foam, and a new dash with air bags and you'll be good to go. Maybe some suspension components also.

Shawn will chime in soon and he'll be able to give you great advice.
 
naa 1800 at most including paint. any shop can fix that no need to call Shawn LOL
 
$1800?? Do you think that's all it will cost? I have no idea but I was thinking 8k to 12k in damage. Can you still get new dashes for these cars? Also is there anyone in Texas that you could recommend as a body shop that works with aluminum?

thanks

Blaine




shawn110975 said:
naa 1800 at most including paint. any shop can fix that no need to call Shawn LOL
Click to expand...

- - - Updated - - -

Oh and how hard is it to match spa yellow? Should I have the whole car repainted?

Blaine
 
when you say a new dash. did the passengerside airbag deploy cuz if it did then yes you prob need a new dash the airbag cracks the dash on the passengerside above the glovebox when it deploys usually.
you may need a new bumper, and possibly a new fender, I know it doesnt look bad but to fix the fender may cost more than a new one.

does the headlights still pop-up if yes then it just needs to be adjusted. hows the hood. you can get a used hood off ebay for about 300-500 bucks, and prob get one thats already yellow.
paint any body shop that has a mixing machine can match it. so I would say paint would cost about 1000 or less. parts just get them off ebay

Pbassjo needs to chime in on the actual cost mine are just guesstimates LOL
 
I'll chime in on matching the paint. Spa Yellow Pearl is an absolute bitch to match. Pick your body shop very carefully and make sure they understand that you may not be happy with the first or fifth time they spray your car to match. It's well documented on Prime. Love the color but if I had known then what I know now.....

Good luck.
 
that car is DEFINITELY not totaled.
 
Both airbags deployed. Your right about it cracking the dash on the passenger side. It definitly seemed that way. The hood will also need to get replaced I believe. Now when your talking about getting the parts off ebay, is that what im suppose to do for the insurance company. What parts will a insurance company use? Do you believe it would be better to re-paint the whole car in-stead of blending it? Thanks for all you information thus far.

Blaine

shawn110975 said:
when you say a new dash. did the passengerside airbag deploy cuz if it did then yes you prob need a new dash the airbag cracks the dash on the passengerside above the glovebox when it deploys usually.
you may need a new bumper, and possibly a new fender, I know it doesnt look bad but to fix the fender may cost more than a new one.

does the headlights still pop-up if yes then it just needs to be adjusted. hows the hood. you can get a used hood off ebay for about 300-500 bucks, and prob get one thats already yellow.
paint any body shop that has a mixing machine can match it. so I would say paint would cost about 1000 or less. parts just get them off ebay

Pbassjo needs to chime in on the actual cost mine are just guesstimates LOL
Click to expand...
 
Blackoutz said:
Do you believe it would be better to re-paint the whole car in-stead of blending it?
Click to expand...

LOL... man you are extreme.... why would you repaint the entire car? that's nuts. A good body shop can match a color perfectly. I don't care what it is. It just requires some skill. You need to know a body shop, fight the insurance company for a large a check as you can get, then it's up to you and him where you get your body parts.
 
That shouldnt be totalled! A lot of the prime members here I'm sure have parts you're looking for. I myself have a hood, bumper and Steering wheel but its in Formula Red. Shop around and you'll get that thing fixed up in no time. When I read your story I was afraid to scroll down, but I am relieved it wasnt something worse.
 
Im researching local shops here in San Antonio to do the work. If any of yall know of shops that have repaired NSX's please let me know. I'm currently looking at Jacks Paint Place and Custom Coach Works.

Do yall know if I want my NSX tech ( Scott Oliver 20 yr Acura Tech) can do the interior work (ie. replace the dash and airbags) and the body shop can do the body repair. I don't know if the Insurance company will pay 2 different company's to do the repair work. I just don't trust that a body shop will get the dash back on properly if they are not familiar with them. I just don't want dash rattles etc. down the road.

Blaine
 
It's definitely not totaled but I will let you know that the paint will not be easy to match. The base color is what it is. But every layer of clear coat that goes on it will tint it and shade it differently. First coat of clear looks like nothing. Second coat will darken it. Third coat will lighten and make if an off cast green hue. Believe me, it is not easy to match but it can be done. You will only be respraying from the windshield and doors forward so you will have a natural break. You might get lucky.

I agree with Turbolence46 that there are parts that you need all over prime. Hood for $300, fenders for around that too. Front bumper assembly should be laying around too with all of these people wanting to "upgrade" to the '02 front end. Search a little and you or your body shop will be rewarded.

The insurance company may want to write it off depending upon your policy. If you and your Dad really want to keep the car and the repair shop says that the only damage is cosmetic, take their check and buy your car back. Have the work done as we've suggested and laugh all the way to the bank.

But it does break my heart to see two Spa Yellows damaged in less than a month.
 
I know of a spa that was damaged less than yours and the owner could not get past the difference in hue between the new and original paint...so the whole car got a repaint.
 
Wow, sorry to hear about it. But the good news is, cars can and do get fixed properly (and totaled cars can and do get replaced). It sounds like no one was hurt, and that really is what matters, since people bodies aren't as easy and painless to fix as car bodies. OTOH I don't want to use the word "lucky" because when people say "you were lucky" they really mean "what happened to you sucks... but it could have been even worse".

I wouldn't argue over whether it's totaled, or whether the dash needs replacing, or how much it might or might not cost to repair. Take it to a body shop (or more than one, if you like) and get an estimate, which is free. Let them determine what's needed. And let them negotiate with the insurance company regarding the cost of the work. Now I WILL use the word "lucky" - you are lucky that the two insurance companies involved are USAA and State Farm, two of the very best in the business for claims settlement. (I can tell you from personal experience what happens when you have one of the best but the driver responsible has one of the worst; it's not a pretty picture.)

If the work is done properly by a top-notch body shop, you should have no worries about "diminished value", because any difference will be minimal (as well as impossible to prove). (It's usually not covered by insurance, anyway.) Don't worry about that; just get it fixed and then move on and enjoy your car.

You might want to ask about body shop referrals over on the SouthCentral Region forum here on NSXprime, where fellow Texans can advise you on which body shop has a lot of NSX experience. You might also ask at your dealership; they may know of a local shop where they have referred previous NSXs. Or, they may not - but it can't hurt to ask. If it were my car, I'd be looking for the best, most NSX-experienced body shop in the region, and wouldn't be afraid to take it to a shop in Dallas or Houston or even further, if need be.

Let the body shop do all the work, including mechanical and interior work as well as body work. This is what body shops do. No need to split the work with the dealership.
 
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docjohn said:
I know of a spa that was damaged less than yours and the owner could not get past the difference in hue between the new and original paint...so the whole car got a repaint.
Click to expand...

well that kills the car value a lot more.
 
Blaine, first I'm glad no one was hurt. That's the most important thing as the rest is just hassle. Scott sent me a text and my heart just sank. I saw the car earlier in the day when I was at his shop. Any damage always looks bad. But yours looks very repairable. Custom Coach did Dr. White's Silver NSX and you couldn't tell it was ever damaged. The paint matched perfectly. The only thing they didn't do well was line up the bumper. So you will likely have to have Scott do it and it will line up better than the factory. (He's anal about that kind of stuff.) Also, make sure you photo document as much as possible the repair so, if your dad does decide to sell it in the distant future, the next owner will know that you were serious about having the repair done properly. If there is anything I can do please let me know.
 
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Blaine am I totally shocked this your thread, I kept skipping over it! Anyway sorry to hear and glad pops is OK, 3 yellows in under a year for Texas. I'm gonna have my new bumper put on one day and in asking all the exotics on the local car scene I was referred below. I haven't done the work, but was impressed with what I saw when I took my car in for a quote. Just a suggestion.

http://www.berlisbody.com
 
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