Looking at a used C5 - How much for crash damage?

Howdy.

I looked at a 1998 Corvette today. It has a few issues but it's
mostly what I'm looking for. Dealer wants full book retail as
"Excellent Condition", of course.

Upon inspection, I could tell that it's been wrecked in the front.
The damage wasn't too bad but the nose piece has been repainted
(overspray on the marker lights) and the right front fender isn't
lined up perfectly with the door. It's close but not a 'factory' fit.

It drives perfectly. Tires are worn evenly (completely worn out, but
that's another issue).

Question: What is this damage worth? When I calculate my offer, I'm
thinking about deducting $1000 just for this. Does that seem like too
little, enough, or too much?

Advice? Thanks!


-rev

I have owned several cars over the years..my advice is to NEVER EVER BUY A
CRASH DAMAGED CAR>>NEVER<NEVER....I don't care how well you think it was
repaired or how LITTLE the damage appears..I have also been in the wrecking
yard and body shop business and you would be totally shocked at how well we
could repair a total insurance wreck and no one could tell.....

No repair will ever make the car like new..paint fades at a constant rate
and even if it looks good now in a couple of years you will see a difference
in the colors.

Why buy a Vette at full retail and deduct for damage..it is not worth the
risk of hidden frame damage..DON'T DO IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the way..the overspray on the lights is a sign of sloppy body work and
the fender should line up perfectly if the car was repaired
correctly...those are BIG WARNING signs of half assed repair work done by
the dealer/or previous owner at low cost just to get the car sold.

Like I said DON'T buy that car.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with Thundergod, don't buy a repaired Vette. I had naively purchased
a 72 Vette and couldn't figure out why it felt squirrelly at speed through
right hand curves especially if there were bumps.

2 years after I bought it, I found out that it had been hit in the passenger
rear tire area. The suspension was bent but it would align okay (aligned
twice in two years trying to figure it out). Ends up that the rear wheel
wasn't going up and down straight - had a twist in its movement. Hence the
squirrelly handling.

Thundergod wrote:

> By the way..the overspray on the lights is a sign of sloppy body work and
> the fender should line up perfectly if the car was repaired
> correctly...those are BIG WARNING signs of half assed repair work done by
> the dealer/or previous owner at low cost just to get the car sold.
>
> Like I said DON'T buy that car.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

--
Eugene Blanchard
http://www.catsasskustoms.com
Parts, Performance, Passion
News for Motorheads

On Feb 12, 6:35�pm, "The Reverend Natural Light"
> wrote:
> Howdy.
>
> I looked at a 1998 Corvette today. *It has a few issues but it's
> mostly what I'm looking for. *Dealer wants full book retail as
> "Excellent Condition", of course.
>

Run away like the devil is chasing you. Tell dealer to keep it.

A long time ago, Corvettes were built on separate welded box frames. When
wrecked, they could be pulled out and straightened. The C4s had a
sheetmetal frame that could also be straightened, however, the metal
thickness was different and tended to be very weak where bent.

The C5 uses a hydorformed one-piece frame rail on each side that I have no
idea if they can straighten today. I'm sure they cannot get it back to
factory spec. I have seen a few wrecked at swap meets and it looks like
relatively minor hits that have totaled the car.

Much of this is that the frames today are designed to absorb much of the
shock, and doing that destroys them.

I would say the only way I would take it is a very thorough inspection of
the frame for even the most minor kink or bend. If any are found, then I'd
assume frame repair and run away. If none, then the damage was only body
damage, and I would deduct heavily for the shoddy bodywork, since you don't
know what else they did poorly. Something like 30-40%.

I would also check the title for salvage, rebuild, reconstruction, or a few
other brandings that are placed on by states for wrecked cars.

"The Reverend Natural Light" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Howdy.
>
> I looked at a 1998 Corvette today. It has a few issues but it's
> mostly what I'm looking for. Dealer wants full book retail as
> "Excellent Condition", of course.
>
> Upon inspection, I could tell that it's been wrecked in the front.
> The damage wasn't too bad but the nose piece has been repainted
> (overspray on the marker lights) and the right front fender isn't
> lined up perfectly with the door. It's close but not a 'factory' fit.
>
> It drives perfectly. Tires are worn evenly (completely worn out, but
> that's another issue).
>
> Question: What is this damage worth? When I calculate my offer, I'm
> thinking about deducting $1000 just for this. Does that seem like too
> little, enough, or too much?
>
> Advice? Thanks!
>
>
> -rev
>

"Tom in Missouri" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>A long time ago, Corvettes were built on separate welded box frames. When
>wrecked, they could be pulled out and straightened. The C4s had a sheetmetal
>frame that could also be straightened, however, the metal thickness was
>different and tended to be very weak where bent.
>
> The C5 uses a hydorformed one-piece frame rail on each side that I have no
> idea if they can straighten today. I'm sure they cannot get it back to
> factory spec. I have seen a few wrecked at swap meets and it looks like
> relatively minor hits that have totaled the car.

Actually this is not quite right, yes, the frame is a very strong, strongest in
the country at the introduction in '97, and more repairable than the C3s and
much more so than the C4s. In fact the insurance institute cut the rates because
of the advance in reparability of the C5 and its structure. It is in fact
repairable to the point GM has repair sections available which I've not seen for
years. It is so strong that it is designed to replace sections rather that try
to straighten the frame rails. It proved such a success that the process is now
used in the heavy pickups and pushed Ford to do the same thing, who now claim
the strongest frame. To sell and service the new aluminum frame of the Z06 the
dealer has to have a technician that is certified in welding aluminum available
by GM dictate. My guess would be that would indicate reparability.

As far as the '98 in question the overspray may well have come from a touchup
lackey and the fender fit is very possible from the factory. That would not be
enough for me to dump the purchase, the price would. The first thing I'd look
for is if the inter body shell has been re-glued, not easy to do and won't look
factory. The glue joints will normally break before the frame is tweaked enough
to be a problem.

With '98 Corvettes priced at $18K to $35K (purple, sounds like CAA CAA) and in
the off season I'd never pay anything near book, what ever that is and which
"book" they are using. Plus if Thundergod (flatulence at its best) says not to
buy it I look more favorably at it, as he has no clue.

> Much of this is that the frames today are designed to absorb much of the
> shock, and doing that destroys them.
>
> I would say the only way I would take it is a very thorough inspection of the
> frame for even the most minor kink or bend. If any are found, then I'd assume
> frame repair and run away. If none, then the damage was only body damage, and
> I would deduct heavily for the shoddy bodywork, since you don't know what else
> they did poorly. Something like 30-40%.
>
> I would also check the title for salvage, rebuild, reconstruction, or a few
> other brandings that are placed on by states for wrecked cars.
>
> "The Reverend Natural Light" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>> Howdy.
>>
>> I looked at a 1998 Corvette today. It has a few issues but it's
>> mostly what I'm looking for. Dealer wants full book retail as
>> "Excellent Condition", of course.
>>
>> Upon inspection, I could tell that it's been wrecked in the front.
>> The damage wasn't too bad but the nose piece has been repainted
>> (overspray on the marker lights) and the right front fender isn't
>> lined up perfectly with the door. It's close but not a 'factory' fit.
>>
>> It drives perfectly. Tires are worn evenly (completely worn out, but
>> that's another issue).
>>
>> Question: What is this damage worth? When I calculate my offer, I'm
>> thinking about deducting $1000 just for this. Does that seem like too
>> little, enough, or too much?
>>
>> Advice? Thanks!
>>
>>
>> -rev
>>
>
>

You didn't mention the miles or price but you should be able to get a
good '98 for $15-$16,000.

The Reverend Natural Light wrote:
> Howdy.
>
> I looked at a 1998 Corvette today. It has a few issues but it's
> mostly what I'm looking for. Dealer wants full book retail as
> "Excellent Condition", of course.
>
> Upon inspection, I could tell that it's been wrecked in the front.
> The damage wasn't too bad but the nose piece has been repainted
> (overspray on the marker lights) and the right front fender isn't
> lined up perfectly with the door. It's close but not a 'factory' fit.
>
> It drives perfectly. Tires are worn evenly (completely worn out, but
> that's another issue).
>
> Question: What is this damage worth? When I calculate my offer, I'm
> thinking about deducting $1000 just for this. Does that seem like too
> little, enough, or too much?
>
> Advice? Thanks!

Try using an appraisal type of website for ballparks of what you should be
paying; I use Edmunds.com but make subjective decisions on costs/deductions
(such as those you describe). How did you come up with $1,000?

Empty3


"The Reverend Natural Light" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Howdy.
>
> I looked at a 1998 Corvette today. It has a few issues but it's
> mostly what I'm looking for. Dealer wants full book retail as
> "Excellent Condition", of course.
>
> Upon inspection, I could tell that it's been wrecked in the front.
> The damage wasn't too bad but the nose piece has been repainted
> (overspray on the marker lights) and the right front fender isn't
> lined up perfectly with the door. It's close but not a 'factory' fit.
>
> It drives perfectly. Tires are worn evenly (completely worn out, but
> that's another issue).
>
> Question: What is this damage worth? When I calculate my offer, I'm
> thinking about deducting $1000 just for this. Does that seem like too
> little, enough, or too much?
>
> Advice? Thanks!
>
>
> -rev
>

On 12-Feb-2007, "The Reverend Natural Light" > wrote:

> Howdy.
>
> I looked at a 1998 Corvette today. It has a few issues but it's
> mostly what I'm looking for. Dealer wants full book retail as
> "Excellent Condition", of course.
>
> Upon inspection, I could tell that it's been wrecked in the front.
> The damage wasn't too bad but the nose piece has been repainted
> (overspray on the marker lights) and the right front fender isn't
> lined up perfectly with the door. It's close but not a 'factory' fit.
>
> It drives perfectly. Tires are worn evenly (completely worn out, but
> that's another issue).
>
> Question: What is this damage worth? When I calculate my offer, I'm
> thinking about deducting $1000 just for this. Does that seem like too
> little, enough, or too much?
>
> Advice? Thanks!

That depends on how much they're selling it for.

--
All the Best,
ACIM
Free credit help: http://SPANKtheBank.org