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Hit a Few Plastic Barrels, Pay Half Your Car's Value
- Thread starter Wingsy
- Start date
It's not broken but it does need to be removed to install other damaged parts. The windshield, like the top glass, cannot be reused once it is removed so a new one is used.
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
Might be a mistake in the quote, but looks like they don't have the itemized cost of the rooftop front glass panel in there (right now it's an R&I item). Maybe I missed something but I don't see it.
Also noticed it's an MR RWD. Awfully close to a total still. Has this quote been approved by your insurance yet? If you have rental coverage and the adjuster can anticipate any "supplements," you might be able to make an argument that it should be a total loss.
The adjusters have significant latitude to write the vehicle off if they can make a reasonable argument for it. They just stick realistic numbers in the system up front and get it to 75% of ACV. If you're interested in a total, make sure that everything in the quote is properly accounted for (to maximize the quote), and talk to the adjuster about the possibility and find out what the insurance company thinks is the ACV/FMV of your vehicle.
You're likely doing the insurance company (and everyone else) a favor, TBH - it might not actually be a difficult argument to make that the total cost of the repairs (quote + rental + possible supplemental repair costs + storage fees (if applicable)) are going to be more than 75% of the ACV as it needs to be per NC law (apparently).
Probably the ACV/FMV is something like $35-$40k, so you just need to get the total costs to $26k-$30k. Obviously you'll take a financial hit with a total, but it might be preferable depending on your situation.
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Good catch. I don't see it either but they did tell me that it was to be replaced with a new one. I'll email them and ask. Thanks.
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
The salvage value plus repair cost has to be greater than the cost to buy a slightly used Midrange Model 3. I can’t imagine why your insurance company would put you through the aggravation of enduring months of down time waiting for the car to be repaired. And the repair shop may “discover” more things wrong with the car once they begin the repair, leading to an even higher final bill.
FlatSix911
Porsche 918 Hybrid
Nonsense... this obscene cost will be passed onto the OP and other Tesla owners in the form of higher insurance rates...
Uncle Paul
Well-Known Member
Elon mentioned that if insurance companies fail to offer reasonable insurance rates for his customers, he will start up his own insurance company.
Can't see that any high end car with that much damage wouldn't be nearly as expensive as long as the labor rates are comparable. I know a local news story said that it use to be rather inexpensive to have a bumper replaced but now with cars having so many sensors, if you need to have your bumper replaced, be ready for a big price increase.
I haven't watched the video on the original thread yet but given the speed, very glad OP is here to post about this. Any idea if there was water or sand in the barrel?
groovidad
Living the Dream!
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
Definitely not from the video. They are weighted by a detachable heavy base, as far as I can tell. In any case at 70mph there is a lot of energy in each collision regardless of the weight. And you have to detach them from their base. The driver side mirror was destroyed with alacrity.
groovidad
Living the Dream!
I believe it was 11. Also, realize he had a rig driving next to him when he awoke and realized, “OH *SUGAR*”!!!
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
Some traffic barrels weigh about 8-10 pounds and are paired with a 25-40 pound base to which it is attached (I think they are typically moved as a unit, but are of course designed to break away).
Definitely don’t want to hit something that weighs 8 pounds and is somewhat fixed to the ground with additional weight, at 70mph.
Plastic Traffic Drums, Orange Construction Barrels and Bases from Trans Supply.com!
Definitely don’t want to hit something that weighs 8 pounds and is somewhat fixed to the ground with additional weight, at 70mph.
Plastic Traffic Drums, Orange Construction Barrels and Bases from Trans Supply.com!
In my area these "barrels" are typically weighted down with truck tire sidewalls. I'm not sure of the weight but they probably don't weight much more than 10-12 lbs.
Has the OP ever published a photo of the car's damage? The cost seems amazingly high. And that paint time is way overstated from my experience.
Has the OP ever published a photo of the car's damage? The cost seems amazingly high. And that paint time is way overstated from my experience.
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
No, but the side repeater video showing rapid unscheduled disassembly of the mirror makes it clear that the extent of the damage listed above is completely conceivable. Definitely don’t want to hit barrels! 10 pounds is a super heavy object to hit at 70mph. Imagine the weight of a baseball (admittedly less compressible and more focused - but much lighter) at 70mph. I guess you could imagine a shot put at 70mph (again, focused and not compressible, so not the same, but the total energy to be dissipated remains the same - would be over a nice wide area with the barrels)
The bases (potentially tire sidewalls) are more typically 25-40 pounds based on looking it up.
Good that the car stayed in the lane I guess given side traffic until he could take over and pull to the left, although the car took a beating as a result. Thankfully OP didn't hit that big, flashing diversion signage which was ahead just a bit. I hate to think what that might have done had it penetrated his windshield.
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