Should I buy back totalled 996 from insurance co?
 

Hello. A couple weeks ago, my wife was in an accident in her 996 cabrio. She's fine, but the car is totaled. It was hit on the driver's side around the door/rear quarter at a shallow angle. There does not appear to be any drivetrain damage. She drove it ~40 miles home and everything seemed fine. The insurance company has declared a salvage value of $5,250 and my question is whether or not you would buy it back. Details are below. I will do some research as to value of various major components, but we're supposed to provide an answer to them tomorrow, so I wanted to get this posted ASAP.

'00 911 cabrio
6 speed
88k miles
IMS bearing replaced with LNE unit ~5k miles ago
new clutch and flywheel ~5k miles ago
lights are all fine
the ROPS fired into the soft top, bending the frame and distorting the window

I've bought back totalled cars from the insurance company before and parted them out or used drivetrains in engine swaps. I just have no idea what Porsche parts are worth. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

I'd also sell the car whole to someone at a small profit. I'm located in central VA.

Pictures of damage. The car is at the body shop, so I'm stuck using what we've got on hand.

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ine=1404170016

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ine=1404170016

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ine=1404170016

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ine=1404170016

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ine=1404170016

Door panel got wedged into the seat a bit, but the seat looks okay from what I could see.

The car is yours - not the insurance company. Check your state's laws. The insurance company never ownes the car - you do. Totaling the car doesn't change that.

Right, the way this has been explained to me is that they'll settle with you for some amount when the car is totaled. If you want to keep the car, you get that amount minus the scrap value they assign. Is that not your understanding?

Buy it, the engine itself is worth more than 5k.

I hope everyone was okay. Personally at that price I would buy it back. Let us know what you decide.

Thank goodness your dear wife is ok.

That's a bad hit. Serious chassis/tub damage that is hard to repair properly.

I kept one totaled car, a new Cayman S. (Which had a similar hit.) Before I did I called around and got a hard quote/offer from Oklahoma Foreign that matched what the other driver's insurance allowed me.

But after I got the salvage title in the mail I took the car to a salvage car auction and there it sold and I made several thousand dollars on the sale over and above what the insurance company/Oklahoma Foreign had. (Both had the same numbers by the way.)

Had the auction not gone well I might have lost a few bucks on the sale but I was willing to risk that. If the auction went really bad I always had the offer from Oklahoma Foreign in my pocket, so to speak.

Awesome. Thanks, guys. I'm going to keep the car and maybe start looking around for a 986 in need of a motor.

Check with your state. Some states, salvage title cars are not allow on public roads.

Did the Mrs. have any injury?

I always have my vehicles towed home after accidents so I can take whatever I need unlike at some tow yard.

It would be nice to have a spare 996 engine sitting in my garage.

Keep it. Part it out, engine, panel, rims, interior...

BUY IT! i had same hit on passenger side on my 997S and like an idiot i did'nt buy it, it was $15,000 only :( actually i kind of did buy it, howver my body shop gave me $17,000 cash and took it, so i made 2k extra, but i should have still kept it

Yeah, I'm definitely keeping it. We're going looking at Boxsters this weekend to see if she likes them. Then I'll work on the 3.4 conversion, though I'm not sure when I'll have time between other projects.

I'll be picking the car up from the body shop Monday and starting the process of parting it out. This could all end up very well.

I'm all for saving a Porsche (unless a panamera). Glad to hear your going to part it out and that your wife was completely ok.

Glad you decided to keep it. You'll make money on the parts - above and beyond what their offering.

Glad to hear your keeping it. Good luck with finding a Boxster ;) Keep us posted with the conversion.