Topic: Solstice rear ended - dealing with the adjuster advice and REPLACEMENT PARTS

[Steelmesh]

Some person who shouldn't be driving rear ended my car while I was getting off the freeway, at the light to turn right onto a road.  It was a red light and cars were behind me.  I was creeping forward to check for traffic, then SLAM I get rear ended by a retired lady who shouldn't be driving (she's telling me about how her husband wont let her drive his car, while he lets the nephew drive it and all her other accidents).  I was so upset with the fact that this is a rare car and I let her know about it, her reply in the moment was that I scratched her bumper also.

 

Any advice dealing with the insurance claim considering this is a Pontiac Solstice no longer in production and without service part support from GM? 

I refuse to submit pictures for the insurance claim and plan to have an adjuster come out to see it.  In addition, about 10 miles after the accident the in-tank fuel pump shorted out (blowing fuses, measuring pump resistance of 0.4 ohm).  Would that be covered by insurance too?

I plan on doing all the repair work myself, however submit that I may have to take it to a body shop to get an estimate to back me up.

Here are parts that are no longer supported by GM and not in stock; based on searches of the GM parts outlets:

1. Rear bumper cover
2. Rear impact bar
3. Rear energy absorber
4. Rear valence
5. Rear brake light, driverside
6. Trunk torque rod
7. Possibly brackets & retainers

The trunk is also shifted over, when you open it, it relaxes to the side overlapping the body a 1/4" / 6mm. 
 

[Sly Bob]

Yeah getting parts is going to be horrible. Wondering if they are going to want to total it, I feel your pain.
Good move on getting an adjuster out to look at it though as I had a nightmare experience a few years ago with sending pics in when my daily driver got in the way of a deer.   

[Steelmesh]

I got it on the lift yesterday, appears the impact bar might be okay, where it's caved in at the level of the license plate.   

[Sol Asylum]

Have you talked with your insurance company yet?  If the other persons insurance is half assed and plays games yours will cover the repairs and then go after theirs.  I had to do this years ago when a neighbor kid hit my daily driver with a go cart.

Finding parts is probably going to involve finding good used parts from a salvage yard, there are search engines that can help locate things.

Your fuel pump issue is probably a wire that got pinched or damaged as a result of the impact.

[Steelmesh]

Have you talked with your insurance company yet?  If the other persons insurance is half assed and plays games yours will cover the repairs and then go after theirs.  I had to do this years ago when a neighbor kid hit my daily driver with a go cart.

Finding parts is probably going to involve finding good used parts from a salvage yard, there are search engines that can help locate things.

Your fuel pump issue is probably a wire that got pinched or damaged as a result of the impact.

I finally spoke with someone at the insurance and requested an adjuster to come out to see it, as I refused to send pictures.  The phone agent put it down as totaled for now, I'm not sure about that however who knows maybe the bar is set low here with this model. 

I'm seeing comps (via autotempest.com) at about $9000 within 500 miles of me are two 06' Manual cars with ~90k miles.  If they're going to total it, that's about what I want then. Also starting to research what happens if it gets totaled and if I can ever drive again on the road again. 

[Sol Asylum]

Keep in mind that you have a few mods that make it not comparable to a stock car thus it's worth more.  Make them aware that if it's totaled at that price you are keeping the powertrain to put into a replacement car.

[DeepBlueGXP]

Sorry to hear that, sadly there are plenty of these in salvage yards

[Steelmesh]

Sorry to hear that, sadly there are plenty of these in salvage yards

I ended up having the adjuster come out.  I explained that I am the body mechanic and will do the repairs, reminded him in the last two claims over the years I brought it to a shop to get quoted because I didn't think the initial offers were fair, I wanted someone qualified like yourself to come here and see it in person to try to get to a fair offer the first time.  He approved a new fuel pump, brake lamp, trunk torsion spring, and the body work. 

Also discussed comps for other low mileage Solstice's, which were $8-9k and he agreed that's about what he saw, with that the car was not totaled and I was happy with the initial offer and took it. 

Finally got the at-fault drivers insurance to cover my deductible, good ol' Michigan mini-tort law.

[Sly Bob]

That's great that they didn't total it and now the search for parts starts. I've seen more than a few cars smacked up in the front so hopefully rear end parts are easier to find.

[Steelmesh]

That's great that they didn't total it and now the search for parts starts. I've seen more than a few cars smacked up in the front so hopefully rear end parts are easier to find.

Car-part.com shows a light silver rear cover about 2 hours from me, that's the current plan. Been dialing in the custom ECU tune and shaking down the car [that's been sitting] before it goes into the garage for bodywork, and while it's in the garage planning on doing some major custom fab work to finish the Martini racing style twincharger system by adding the full supercharger bypass so the turbo can be in it's happy place.