Got rear ended by a '68 GTO a few weeks back... Luckily nobody was hurt. The trunk took most damage as well as rear bumper. I can't tell the car drives any different after the accident, even tail lights worked dispite being smacked into pieces. Estimated repair cost was over 10k so insurance totaled it.

However the TL has a lot of sentimental value to me as I bought it new in 2003 and has been a great car (except for front brake rotors and AC). Also I really wanted a extra car lying around for use time to time. So I had to do what need to be done...

The damage:







Bought her back from insurance for $550, sourced trunk lid and rear bumper from a forum member (big Thanks!), and bought used OEM tail lights from ebay... Then I drove her to three different bodyshops to get estimates. The quotas I got were (labor only):

$9k
$1,800
$900

Took a gamble and went with the cheapest bodyshop, four days later...

 

Wow! Pretty good!! So for about $2K (I'm guessing) you were able to put her back on the road?? And I'm not even counting whatever check you got from the insurance co.

 

Yea, came in around $2k with a new front windshield (old one was 11yr old and all pitted and scratched). The check from insurance wasn't that big due to the age of the car, but I know she can go another 100k easily.

The bodyshop did a great job given the price point. To be honest, it was better than I expected. I'll put on new tires next week so she will be ready for the winter!

 

Well congrats to you. Guessing you would have rather not been rear ended to begin with but this sounds like a pretty decent outcome.

 

That is really cheap for the body work with the damage to the quarter panels. Nice!
Pays to shop around. I had a similar situation (much less damage) where our truck was backed into and dented the quarter panel. One place wanted $3k to replace the quarter panel, another wanted repair and paint the whole quarter and rear door. The 3rd used one of their paintless dent guys and charged $150 and also took out a few door dings at the same time.

 

Yeah, the insurance companies normally total an older car quickly rather than repair them.

Saves the company money. Anyways, glad things worked out for ya. Always good to have a spare vehicle, especially a proven sentimental one.

 

good to see ya keeping her alive.

 

interesting what some good ol American steel will do against recycled beer cans and plastic~

How did The Goat look? beside the owner tears?

 

The '68 GTO's and newer had pioneered the "Endura" plastic front bumpers, but lacked the ability to absorb the impact of anything more than a parking lot ding. My guess is that the Goat's mouth is sagging and the ram air choked by the buckled hood.

 

GTO did okay look wise, however fluids was leaking all over and had to be towed away.

 

that's a tragedy!!!
nobody is going to restore a TL and put it on the auction block for big bucks,,but a GTO....

 

Sure hope that the guy with the GTO had the car's value appraised, otherwise totalled for $1000.

 

Nice comeback..