2017 Corvette "totaled" because of a 1" crack.

[Tom]

They don't want to attempt a repair.    So the insurance company totaled out the Corvette.   

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a12240997/this-corvette-was-totaled-thanks-to-one-microscopic-crack/?src=nl&mag=pop&list=nl_pnl_news&date=091517

[ITSec]

So someone please tell me how a part can simply be declared non-serviceable and not even be offered by the manufacturer? That's gonna take insurance rates on that machine through the already very high roof!

[Chesterfield]

It will bring more money in parts to whoever buys it from the insurance company. Or it will be bought repaitred and have a salvage title. all is not lost.

[blackcat]

Ok, welding wouldn't be covered by warranty, but welding should fix the problem. Correct? Any pro welders with an opinion?

[Kev m]

This line makes no sense:

Insurance was looking for options like replacement or welding, but welding it wouldn't be covered by warranty

I suspect it's just poorly written and they are trying to say that Chevy wouldn't sign off on such a repair and would deny any future warranty claim on the chassis.

Because it's technically accident damage and Chevy doesn't need to pay for any repair.

I'm not even sure that legally Chevy would have to approve the repair no? That's up to state law and the insurance policy?!?

[Lannis]

Modern cars, eh?

My sister bought a new Chevrolet minivan.    We both drove the same route to work - I'm coming home one day and there's a minivan like hers parked on the side of the road going up a hill.   I said "Hey that looks like her van" and there she was on the shoulder, on her phone.   I stopped to pick her up - the car had just gone completely dead, all lights out, like the key had been turned off.

The dealer kept it for a week and gave it back "We fixed it."   Three days later, there's the minivan parked on the OTHER side of the highway about 1/4 mile from where it was before, same thing had happened again.   She'd already called the dealer to come and get her - when they did, she demanded her money back in full, and got it.   She went and bought a Toyota minivan with the money.

Two weeks later, she's driving past the dealer, and saw that same minivan parked in a side lot, with a man looking at it.   She pulled in to the lot just to see (and to give a Good Samaritan warning to the guy if necessary).   

He said "I work for GM.   We're surveying this van out for parts."

A simple wiring problem is SO complex on these things that it can't be solved even by the factory rep, and a $25,000 van has to be broken up for parts.

Overall, they last a lot longer than they used to.   But there's a price goes along with that!!

Lannis

[LowRyter]

The latest Gen Corvette has an aluminum space frame.  The previous generations were steel with the exception of the high performance Z06 and ZL1 models.   The aluminum frame is not as repairable as the steel frames.  And then there is the complication of the space frame design where some of the structure might not be accessible. 

What I didn't understand, if the car can be fixed for $8k, why is it totalled?

[PeteS]

2001-2005 Honda Goldwings were recalled for frame cracks. The affected area was larger than the crack on the Corvette. Dealer mechanics either had to be certified welders or hire one to make the repair.  AFAIK  none of the repairs ever failed, mine didn't.
Ford had to train their mechanics to fix the new F150. Totaling this car is total BS.

Pete

[blackcat]

Totaling this car is total BS.

Pete

An aquaintence of mine, who was a first time motorcycle rider and a doctor, ran off the road on his new Ducati Monster which resulted in the horrible detail of a couple of scratches to the frame. He insisted on the insurance company fixing this travesty, to which they totaled the bike.

Some details maybe missing from the above corvette story.

PS. Doc never owned or road a motorcycle again.

[Idontwantapickle]

What I didn't understand, if the car can be fixed for $8k, why is it totalled?

The article indicates that the damage was 7600 plus the unrepairable damage.

[dxhall]

I wouldn't assume that the cracked piece is weldable.  Many cast aluminum alloys are not.

Keep in mind that a car is "totalled" not when it can't be repaired, but when the cost of repair exceeds the car's market value without damage less the salvage value.  Suppose the market value (which is what the insurance company will pay for a total loss, less the deductible) is $10k, repair cost is $7.5k, and salvage value is $5k.  If the insurance company pays the owner the $10k and sells the wreck for $5k, it loses $5k; if it pays for the repair, it loses $7.5k.

[bigbikerrick]

This is very interesting to me, as my son owns a 2007 Z 06 corvette, it has the aluminum space frame (that I think GM contracted with Dana, or some other company,to build for them) like the one in the article, I am not sure if Dana also built the C-7 frames, my son's is a C-6. I do know that alot of very special adhesives were used to bond different parts of the frame together.
Rick.

[bigbikerrick]

I am surprised no one has mentioned it yet, especially in this group, so I guess I will.....JB WELD IT ! 
Rick.

[oldbike54]

I am surprised no one has mentioned it yet, especially in this group, so I guess I will.....JB WELD IT ! 
Rick.

 Finally ... some Guzzi owner thinking on WG , lately it seems as though we are over run with free spending HD and Ducati types 

 Dusty

[blackcat]

Finally ... some Guzzi owner thinking on WG , lately it seems as though we are over run with free spending HD and Ducati types 

 Dusty

Those Corvette owner's need a TIPS book.

[Tom]

Aluminum alloy weld-n-patch job?     Then you get it recertified from salvage.   

[old head]

I had a very similar incident with my pickup.   
An illegal alien backed into my wife's truck and crushed the rear of the bed.  He only had a Mexcio drivers license, couldn't speak English and wasnt the owner of the vehicle he was driving, it was registered in another state.

Police gave us the insurance and owner of the offending truck.  When I tried to collect from Insurance company of the owner, I was told the driver wasn't authorized to drive the vehicle and therefore, the Insurance company wasn't liable.  Owner refused to return phone calls or letters sent, she was out of state.  Tried small claims court, but judge told me ti cost too much due it being out of state.

filed a claim with my insurance company, took it to the repair shop.  Insurance estimated 2800 to fix, repair shop filed for 4200.  Insurance prompted totaled my truck and offered to see it to me for 1200.  The said the repair was more than the truck was worth.  I was PO'd, it was as if I had been paying for coverage and the insurance could choose whether not they wanted to fix my truck or not, and they told me I had no choice.

I filed a complaint with my State Insurance Commisisoner.  After speaking with my insurance company supervisor, they agreed to pay the 2800 they were willing to pay, and let me keep the truck without a salvage title. if I rescinded my complaint with the insurance commisioner.   Made a few concessions with the repair place and paid the difference.

The damage to my truck was purely cosmetic, and I surely couldnt replace the truck for what they were offering.  i promptly dropped all collision, and changed insurance companies.  What really irritated me was I had been paying the premiums for over 10 years to the same company and they don't have to reduce premiums even though the value of the insured vehicle has gone down.  Its a racket....

Old head

[jdgretz]

I know the laws differ by state.  Here in Commiefornia, if a vehicle is totaled, the payout is replacement cost.  Since prices here get weird some (?) times, the amount is based on sales in the area in the last 90 days.  If none, then valuation by the dealer or other approved person, and then the Kelly Blue Book.  I'd have to dig out my copy of the Insurance Commission rules to give you an exact quote and the paragraph numbers but it's easily findable from the Commission web site.

Other states simply use the KBB and that's what you get no matter what the actual value of the vehicle is.

jdg

[John Ulrich]

2001-2005 Honda Goldwings were recalled for frame cracks. The affected area was larger than the crack on the Corvette. Dealer mechanics either had to be certified welders or hire one to make the repair. 

Exactly,  My Wing was disassembled TIG'ed and all is fine.

I have a lowered C7 that I've "pancaked" on a few speedbumps, driveways.  I'm not looking under it for cracks!   

.
.

[SemperVee]

  I was seriously thinking of getting this ( http://www.greychevrolet.com/VehicleDetails/new-2018-Chevrolet-Corvette-Stingray_Coupe_1LT-Port_Orchard-WA/3012122733#close)  but after reading your post I am rethinking a nice C6 or C7 used version.

[LowRyter]

  I was seriously thinking of getting this ( http://www.greychevrolet.com/VehicleDetails/new-2018-Chevrolet-Corvette-Stingray_Coupe_1LT-Port_Orchard-WA/3012122733#close)  but after reading your post I am rethinking a nice C6 or C7 used version.

There are lots of nice used 'vettes out there.  Many pampered and garaged, third cars.  My brother has a new C7, I found a used C6.  Being a Guzzi guy, you know I would cheap out.  I've never warmed to the new body style and electronic dash but the interior is much nicer on the new C7 cars.  Performance is close, C7 has more power and C6 is the lightest.

I wanted a fun car with removable roof and a stick.  After that it was condition.

[John Ulrich]

  I was seriously thinking of getting this ( http://www.greychevrolet.com/VehicleDetails/new-2018-Chevrolet-Corvette-Stingray_Coupe_1LT-Port_Orchard-WA/3012122733#close)  but after reading your post I am rethinking a nice C6 or C7 used version.

Get it!!!!   
There's over 160,000 C7's on the road and one comes up with a cracked frame that could be MIG'd.    I personally know of only one C6 owner who traded for a C7 and was not totally bowled over by the improvements.   That one person retraded for another C6 and just retraded again to another C6 all within one year so I don't hold the C7 at fault!!! 

[John Ulrich]

LowRyter,  Did you plastic dip that pretty Vette and it's coming off or is that a lot of shadows in that photo????   

[Rough Edge racing]

 GM frame engineer has this to say about the C7 frame,. New ones may be similar...There's a lot going on here and the article on the tiny crack might be just part of the whole story that's not being told...

     

For the C7, we decided to go with aluminum rather than steel since aluminum can provide significant weight advantages,” said Ed Moss, Engineering Group Manager for Body Structure, as he pointed out the features of the shiny (clear-coated) aluminum chassis/passenger cell structure. “Our job was to choose the right material and part-production process for each function. In this case, we came up with a structure that includes 10 castings, 38 extrusions, 76 stampings, and three hydroformed parts,” the veteran Corvette frame engineer explained, sweeping his hand across the exhibit.

       

[Wayne Orwig]

Exactly,  My Wing was disassembled TIG'ed and all is fine.

They did not TIG a crack. They welded on a specially designed reinforcement.

I'm sure for they correct 10s or 100s of thousands of dollars, a patch could be designed and tested to fix that corvette.

[John Ulrich]

They did not TIG a crack. They welded on a specially designed reinforcement.

Hi Wayne,

Here's the before and after photo's of all the seams that needed to be "rewelded" because not enough metal was "puddled" into the seams the first time.
 http://www.pbase.com/fredharmon/rewelds

[SemperVee]

I wanted a fun car with removable roof and a stick.  After that it was condition.

Those are exactly my parameters.  :^)    *It's  surprising that insuring the beast will not be a problem  I was happily surprised how little it cost to add an additional vehicle.  Be a new Vette or "older" model the price was not significantly higher.

[LowRyter]

LowRyter,  Did you plastic dip that pretty Vette and it's coming off or is that a lot of shadows in that photo????   

It's one of those trick photo settings that makes the picture B&W except for red.  I can do the same thing and only pick up yellow, blue ,..........  or green:     

[Socalrob]

I had a very similar incident with my pickup.   
An illegal alien backed into my wife's truck and crushed the rear of the bed.  He only had a Mexcio drivers license, couldn't speak English and wasnt the owner of the vehicle he was driving, it was registered in another state.

Police gave us the insurance and owner of the offending truck.  When I tried to collect from Insurance company of the owner, I was told the driver wasn't authorized to drive the vehicle and therefore, the Insurance company wasn't liable.  Owner refused to return phone calls or letters sent, she was out of state.  Tried small claims court, but judge told me ti cost too much due it being out of state.

filed a claim with my insurance company, took it to the repair shop.  Insurance estimated 2800 to fix, repair shop filed for 4200.  Insurance prompted totaled my truck and offered to see it to me for 1200.  The said the repair was more than the truck was worth.  I was PO'd, it was as if I had been paying for coverage and the insurance could choose whether not they wanted to fix my truck or not, and they told me I had no choice.

I filed a complaint with my State Insurance Commisisoner.  After speaking with my insurance company supervisor, they agreed to pay the 2800 they were willing to pay, and let me keep the truck without a salvage title. if I rescinded my complaint with the insurance commisioner.   Made a few concessions with the repair place and paid the difference.

The damage to my truck was purely cosmetic, and I surely couldnt replace the truck for what they were offering.  i promptly dropped all collision, and changed insurance companies.  What really irritated me was I had been paying the premiums for over 10 years to the same company and they don't have to reduce premiums even though the value of the insured vehicle has gone down.  Its a racket....

Old head

I dropped comprehensive collision on several old vehicles after my last experience with a fully insured 2001 Suburban I own.  After a vehicle value drops under 10% of the cost of comprehensive it does not seem worth it to insure to me.

[twowheeladdict]

The early corvettes will be around forever.  There is no way a C7 will be serviceable 50 years from now unless owned by a very rich person.