[Efthreeoh]

Now that I've seen the pics on my PC rather than phone, good Lord what an utter joke that the adjuster totaled that car. It needs a bumper beam, bumper cover and, and, shit, practically nothing else. The only paint work is the bumper cover.

Go in and be a total dick about it and they'll reappraise it. Trying to justify the rarity of the E91 to up the value is a joke. That car has barely any damage. They are just trying to give you a bullshit lowball number to total it so they can sell it for double the money. Go check the salvage title requirements for PA. They might be as good as Virginia, which for me was no salvage title was necessary.

Worst case is buy it back, get it fixed correctly and pocket $5K. My car was hit by the second deer (actually the 4th, but different story) at 350,000 miles, read that again, three hundred fifty thousand miles. The repair was estimated at $5,200 I got $4,100 for it and bought it back for $350. I ended up working the estimate with the body shop and got it repaired for $4,900. No way do you get rid of that car.

[pedro2u]

seems like getting them to lower the estimate is good idea and the best path. I believe that if they do end up totaling it, the car will always have a salvage title which could hurt it's value down the road if you ever sold it

[RNByrd3]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Now that I've seen the pics on my PC rather than phone, good Lord what an utter joke that the adjuster totaled that car. It needs a bumper beam, bumper cover and, and, shit, practically nothing else. The only paint work is the bumper cover.

Go in and be a total dick about it and they'll reappraise it. Trying to justify the rarity of the E91 to up the value is a joke. That car has barely any damage. They are just trying to give you a bullshit lowball number to total it so they can sell it for double the money. Go check the salvage title requirements for PA. They might be as good as Virginia, which for me was no salvage title was necessary.

Worst case is buy it back, get it fixed correctly and pocket $5K. My car was hit by the second deer (actually the 4th, but different story) at 350,000 miles, read that again, three hundred fifty thousand miles. The repair was estimated at $5,200 I got $4,100 for it and bought it back for $350. I ended up working the estimate with the body shop and got it repaired for $4,900. No way do you get rid of that car.

Exactly what I thought, but then there is the bend in the left frame rail that is now part of the equation. I still don't think this accident caused that bend, but when I brought that up to the auto body manager, he tried to tell me that it must have been hit "just right" to cause the damage.
So do I fight the insurance company and tell them the frame must have been damaged previously? If that works, can that frame bend simply be ignored, or must something be done to fix it now that it's been found?
Lastly, I'd happily buy it back, but I have a loan out on it, so as far as I know, the money from the insurance company would go to the credit union if it is deemed a total loss, thus not allowing me to buy it back.

[tsuintx]

Originally Posted by RNByrd3

Lastly, I'd happily buy it back, but I have a loan out on it, so as far as I know, the money from the insurance company would go to the credit union if it is deemed a total loss, thus not allowing me to buy it back.

So, what are they offering you to total it? I don’t think I saw you mention that anywhere.

If you owe less than what the settlement is (in case you decide go that route), the money left over from payoff is yours to keep and to do what ever you want with: buying it back and fixing it or what ever.

[weehe126]

You really need to post a picture of this frame damage for everyone to see. Shady shops have been known to cause more damage to increase what they get paid. So keep an eye out for extra damage.

[gbalthrop]

We're wasting a LOT of electrons here with NO ACTUAL PHOTOS of the "alleged frame rail damage". The definition of BS is an expression of opinion WITHOUT any factual knowledge.

You have stated that the vehicle drives, steers & handles just as well as prior to the collision, so any "frame" damage is cosmetic & NOT functional. If the fenders, hood & door gaps are all proper, you are looking at a new bumper cover (painted) RF Fender liner and R grill according to the photos.

That "frame rail" is NO RAIL. It's a rectangular cross-section sheet metal "tube" which can get bent or dented without affecting anything. WHAT has changed dimensionally that affects performance or appearance? Even if the bumper beam is NOT perfectly aligned any more, does THAT affect anything? It's covered by the bumper cover, and still functional.

Sounds like a shop or adjuster is doing a number on you, and you are buying the scam. Just fix what affects performance (including alignment which you have NOT discussed) and repair the cosmetic damage.

HEY, if you want to play the Scam game on the Insurer, ask them what the salvage value is and what their FMV is. Then have them write you a check for the difference, pocket the change after repairs described above, and laugh all the way to the bank, driving your "same as before" 2011 E91, but NOW a new bumper cover.

George

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

...My car was hit by the second deer (actually the 4th, but different story) at 350,000 miles...

Are YOU the deer's WORST NIGHTMARE, or is it vice-versa?

George

[RNByrd3]

Originally Posted by weehe126

You really need to post a picture of this frame damage for everyone to see. Shady shops have been known to cause more damage to increase what they get paid. So keep an eye out for extra damage.

The car is still at the shop, so I can't take photos now. The other odd thing is that the bend is on the INSIDE of the rail, meaning TOWARD the engine compartment rather than on the outside where you'd think it would be if the damage to it was caused by this accident.

[RNByrd3]

Originally Posted by tsuintx

So, what are they offering you to total it? I don’t think I saw you mention that anywhere.

If you owe less than what the settlement is (in case you decide go that route), the money left over from payoff is yours to keep and to do what ever you want with: buying it back and fixing it or what ever.

I've not yet received any offers or seen any numbers concerning what they are saying the car is worth. Dealing with this insurance company has been absolutely miserable.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by RNByrd3

Exactly what I thought, but then there is the bend in the left frame rail that is now part of the equation. I still don't think this accident caused that bend, but when I brought that up to the auto body manager, he tried to tell me that it must have been hit "just right" to cause the damage.
So do I fight the insurance company and tell them the frame must have been damaged previously? If that works, can that frame bend simply be ignored, or must something be done to fix it now that it's been found?
Lastly, I'd happily buy it back, but I have a loan out on it, so as far as I know, the money from the insurance company would go to the credit union if it is deemed a total loss, thus not allowing me to buy it back.

Again, you can't have a bent frame rail on the left side of the car and it not affect the entire alignment of the front fenders, and hood. Do you have pics of that area of the car prior to the accident? The right fender gap is perfect. The clear bra tape alignment is perfect for Christ's sake. Is that a factory-installed clear bra or did you have it installed? There is no way the accident you had did $10K of frame damage, it's just not possible. If there was a prior accident that damaged the left frame rail, then it was a shoddy repair and the body shop could easily identify the substandard work.

The body shop manager showed you where the frame is bent/dented? Did you get photos? Have you asked for him to prove to you that the area in question is not normal production bends in the metal. I'd want to see another E9X and compare the photos of the damaged frame rail to it. I'd bet the actual square tube "frame rail" is hydroformed then welded to the other sheet metal parts to form the front frame. The entire assembly locates the upper strut mount, so as George has stated if the car drives the same as prior to the accident and the steering wheel isn't cocked to one side now then there is no structural damage. Any change in the dimensions of that part would affect alignment.

Below are the parts that make up the left and right "frame rails". BMW classifies them as engine supports. Item 1 is the complete assembly that is riveted and bonded to the unibody. Item 2 and Item 3 and 10 are repair parts for damage to the front part of the square frame tubing. If anything on the left frame was damaged by the crash force being transferred to the left side of the car, it would bend just the very end of the square tube, which BMW designed to be replaced; the entire engine support does not need to be removed from the car and replaced. There are repair parts for it.

Either the shop is BS'ing you or they are completely incompetent. I don't know what insurance company you are dealing with, but the major US companies have approved body shops. I recommend you take the car to one of you insurance company's approved body shops. I think doing the on-line picture process got this whole fiasco off on the wrong foot. When I took my car in for the last deer hit, I took it to the same shop that did the front end work from Bambi #1. The body shop is an approved repair facility of my insurance company. I went from day one knowing the damage would total the car and I told the adjuster at the body shop I intended on buying the car back and repairing it if the numbers were right. My car had way more damage than yours.

The damage your car has matched to $10K of repair work is laughable. I hit the ass end of a 200+ pound deer at 55 MPH and it didn't bend any frame sheet metal. A car hit you going in the same direction (which greatly reduces the crash forces) with it's right rear wheel on the end of your car's bumper and the accident only punched a hole in the other car's tire... And your car has $10K of damage WITH NO BENT FENDERS, HOOD, OR BROKEN HEADLIGHTS? Yeah, and there is a website you can buy Grade A Fairy shit as Christmas gifts (it's not Amazon BTW) LOL.

Seriously, tell all these people you are dealing with to fuck off and tell your insurance company you want a new claims adjuster to start over with at a new repair shop.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by gbalthrop

Are YOU the deer's WORST NIGHTMARE, or is it vice-versa?

George

Well then there is the time my 25-pound beagle bit the living shit out of the two front fender lips, tore holes in the front bumper cover, and scratched the crap out of the rocker panels...

Deer#2 kicked the right headlight and broke just the angel eye ring.

Deer#3 ran into me and damaged the left rear door and quarter panel. I got that fixed with $3,500 worth of PDR. I posted about it. Paul at Dent Masters in Tyson's is a magician.

[neilvan]

Originally Posted by RNByrd3

I saw the bend myself after the accident, but wasn't convinced the accident was the cause since it was on the opposite side and the impact didn't seem that bad.

That seems very odd with the damage shown.

I'm not sure how long youve had the car but is it possible it was hit before on the other side? That or did he notice a pre-formed kink in the rail and assumed it was from the crash?

As much as I love wagons and manuals; frame damage is always a hard one to beat.

Though I agree with getting a second/third assessment

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by neilvan

That seems very odd with the damage shown.

I'm not sure how long youve had the car but is it possible it was hit before on the other side? That or did he notice a pre-formed kink in the rail and assumed it was from the crash?

As much as I love wagons and manuals; frame damage is always a hard one to beat.

Though I agree with getting a second/third assessment

His car does not have frame damage. It has an idiot looking at it, or the person is a crook.

[tsuintx]

Originally Posted by weehe126

Shady shops have been known to cause more damage to increase what they get paid.

Yes, shops are a lot of times adding extra cushion here and there, but in this case it's kind of moot point, since the shop wouldn't be paid anything if the car is totaled.

[coz_mo]

If I were you I would either:

- get another body shop to give you a non-bs estimate. have it fixed

- get it re-appraised and have them remove the salvage title. Make them determine it a total loss and argue until they give you 10-15k. Buy it back and fix it yourself (check that they allow buy-back)

[RNByrd3]

After obtaining a carfax, it seems that this damage was caused by an accident in February of this year, prior to me buying it in June. The previous owner disclosed some right rear damage which was fixed, but failed to mention the damage to the left front which was obviously not fixed.
So here is my dilemma...will the body shop be able to deem the car unsafe for street use in the condition that it's in? The accident happened 9 months ago and the car has been driven daily in that time span without any obvious signs of problems related to the damage.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by RNByrd3

After obtaining a carfax, it seems that this damage was caused by an accident in February of this year, prior to me buying it in June. The previous owner disclosed some right rear damage which was fixed, but failed to mention the damage to the left front which was obviously not fixed.
So here is my dilemma...will the body shop be able to deem the car unsafe for street use in the condition that it's in? The accident happened 9 months ago and the car has been driven daily in that time span without any obvious signs of problems related to the damage.

See if you can get pictures.

[Fritzer]

I concur with Ef. There is no way your frame rail bent from this accident, whomever is telling you this is misinformed, even moreso if it was bent on the opposite side of the collision.

[Fritzer]

Originally Posted by gbalthrop

Are YOU the deer's WORST NIGHTMARE, or is it vice-versa?

George

The deer in Maryland speak in hushed grunts of the mythical red BMW that keeps coming back to life, no matter how many martyrs they send to defeat it.

[RNByrd3]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

See if you can get pictures.

I'm going to get the car from the body shop once the insurance company pays for the work already completed (hopefully this week), and will take photos myself. As I mentioned, I personally saw the damage because there was a timespan of about 3 weeks from the time of the accident until I got it into the body shop (I drove the car on several occasions after the accident and felt no difference from before). During that time, I put in a 3-stage intake manifold from a 330i and noticed the rail while I had the intake out of the car. It just looked to have a slight dent on the inside of the rail nearest the engine. The whole rail looked straight (meaning it didn't look bent either toward or away from the engine compartment), but with a slight buckle just passed the wheel well toward the front end of the car. I wasn't sure if it was damaged or supposed to look that way, so I looked at the opposite rail (on the side that was hit), but saw that one was completely without a dent. I wish I'd take a photo or two. Hopefully what I'm describing makes some sense.

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by Fritzer

The deer in Maryland speak in hushed grunts of the mythical red BMW that keeps coming back to life, no matter how many martyrs they send to defeat it.

Even tho' "F30" still has "MARLAND" as his location, I take it from his recent description of commute "habits" that he is in VA, "Fq'here Co." or points S to SW.
That would make the "Bambi's" (deceased) #1 thru #4 former VA residents. It would appear that "F30" has carefully avoided leaving any surviving witnesses.

Oh, AND it ONLY looks red due to doppler shift due to speed.

George

[Fritzer]

Originally Posted by gbalthrop

Even tho' "F30" still has "MARLAND" as his location

IIRC he said that commutes ~100 miles round-trip per day. I bet he lives in one and works in the other.