YACT: Need opinions from mechanics

[DAGTA]

My car was damaged in an accident last week. I received the call with the first estimate today... $6,033.84. The frame was damaged on the passenger side. The person I spoke with claims my car has a Unibody construction and that one side can be replaced and the car will still meet original manufacturer safety and structural integrity standards.

I've always been told that frame damage is something you don't want fixed as the car will never be fully safe again. However, maybe that doesn't apply to the new Unibody construction?

I'd appreciate any information and opinions from people that know what they're talking about.

Thanks!

-Dagta

 

[Eli]

It's not that the car won't be safe, it's just that usually once the frame is damaged, the car is never the same again...

6k.. :Q Is the car brand new or something? As in, why isn't it just totalled?

 

[DAGTA]

Originally posted by: Eli
It's not that the car won't be safe, it's just that usually once the frame is damaged, the car is never the same again...

6k.. :Q Is the car brand new or something? As in, why isn't it just totalled?

It's a 2005 Pontiac G6 GT. The blue book was about $18,000 on the car before the accident.

 

[DAGTA]

No one else?

 

[bdww00]

omfg as long as the body looks good who cares about frame hehe sell it after body gets fixed!

 

[jagec]

Your car will NEVER be the same again, count on that.

Originally posted by: bdww00
omfg as long as the body looks good who cares about frame hehe sell it after body gets fixed!

Probably your best bet, though obviously you'll be losing some money.

 

[Ronstang]

I have replaced sections of unibody frame before and as long as it is done correctly it will be as strong as original. The key is to find someone qualified to do the work. I realize that people think that once a frame is damaged the car is never the same but that is simply not true if repaired correctly. My dad once bananaed a car into a culvert, I swore it was totalled but once the frame shop was done not only could you find no damage to the paint where the wrinkles in the sheetmetal were the car actually drove better than before. It all depends upon who is doing the work.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Have fun with your wheel alignments.

 

[Toastedlightly]

It can be fixed, just make sure it is done right. Don't want a weak unibody to crumple in an accident.

 

[DAGTA]

Thanks for the replies.

Now the question is... how can I make sure it's fixed well? I don't have a local mechanic and I've had poor experiences with the dealerships, so I OKed my insurance company (Progressive) sending it to one of their repair places.

 

[Mungla]

You don't send it to a mechanic or dealership. You should take your car to a very well respected bodyshop. The bodyshop, assuming they don't have the equipment and expertise, will send the vehicle off to a frame shop that they use on a regular basis. Once the vehicle comes back, the structural integrity of the frame is sound. Now, the cosmetics need to be fixed. I used to work in a bodyshop where we did everything and frame work was always interesting. Also, a good bodyshop will order in a new piece of the unibody (probably the entire frame rail) and weld in into place rather than pull it back out straight. If the shop has a good welder, today's welds are actually stronger than the steel they hold together.