What’s Up in the Forums: Totaled Honda S2000: Keep It or Junk It?
When tragedy strikes, one S2ki member is left with a heartbreaking decision.
For a hardcore enthusiast, there’s nothing, and we mean nothing worse than getting into an accident with your beloved ride. This is especially true of cars like the Honda S2000, special rides that aren’t as easy to replace. Unfortunately, this nightmare situation recently befell S2ki member 03Hawk87 when some dolt rear-ended his beloved ride. So he picked up the proverbial pieces and headed to the forum for advice.
“I was rear ended and pushed under a Hummer. I’m fine. The car, not so much. I’m seriously considering buying it back, but it will need new bumpers, fenders, hood, trunk lid, right rear quarter panel, and whatever it happens to need underneath. Is it worth it?”
It’s a tough question, especially considering how bad things look in the accompanying photos.
“The spare tire on the Hummer went into the engine compartment, but didn’t do much damage. The radiator and condenser were bent, but not leaking. I’m not too worried about the front, but I’m not too sure about the back. It still drives well.
I’ve sourced the body parts at $1,500-$2,000 and my shop said they could install and paint for $2,000. I figure another $1,000 for anything that might come up once the body is taken apart. The thing I’m worried about most is the airbags. I can save some money buying an aftermarket steering wheel, but I’m not really into that. I’ve found both airbags and the computer for ~$1,500.”
Adding it all up, it’s hard to justify given the cost. But cost isn’t always everything, of course.
“If I keep the car, I’ll probably only get $5,000 from the insurance company. He told me the median salvage price was $2,700, but there might be wiggle room for negotiating I think.
I never planned on parting with this car, so I don’t care about resale. In fact, part of me wants to rebuild it for the satisfaction. Is it worth keeping?”
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If it sounds like the OP is trying to talk himself into something (or maybe out of it), you’re probably right. And of course, some folks in the forums are going to support his decision to rebuild his beloved S2000.
“The rear quarter panels are still in good shape. That’s the only thing on the car you can’t really replace, and the bumper pad for the clutch,” said Slowcrash_101.
And yet, the overwhelming majority chime in with a much different opinion.
“IMHO, it’s gonna cost more to restore it to pre-accident safety level than look for another good used car. Gotta remember, it gave its life to save you. That level of security may not be there after restoration,” said windhund116.
In the end, the OP decided to cut his losses. But it wasn’t exactly easy to do.
“Well, I just took the check and lost my car. Truly a sad day. The S2000 was my dream car. I remember ordering the original catalog when I was 13 when it first came out. Hopefully I’ll have a little patience before I run out and buy another one.”
Even though this story has a sad ending, it’s probably for the best. We doubt the OP could have actually fixed his car properly for the quoted cost, and even then it might not have been the same. But we want to know what you think – if something like this happened to you, would you bother fixing it? Or would you cut your losses and find a replacement?
