Papi10

Hello Everyone, I just bought myself an s2k last week. Upon buying it I knew it had a rebuilt title and I knew it had some problems such as a broken sway bar link, and control arm. After driving the car everything seemed fine, it pulls slightly to the left with no other issues while driving. It wasn't until I went to get the car aligned where I realized I had other major issues. I dropped the car off at local body shop to survey the damage and the extent and cost is overwhelming.

The use of bondo is evident. I know I was naive to make this mistake but here I am. I bought a car that I knew would have no resale value any greater than what I bought it for while now additionally knowing that its damage is greater than I thought. Does anyone with any background here know if this price is reasonable. I do not care about the use of aftermarket parts as I just want the car to be safe enough to drive, it was not bought to be a track car. Right now the car "feels fine" on the road but I am also not pushing it at all. I am located in CT if anyone has any suggestions that would be great.

Papi10

D

mojo_jojo77777

Yeah. First problem was buying it salvaged. Theres a reason why insurance companies do it. (excluding when s2000 seats get stolen). That quote isnt that bad considering what they would have to do. Biggest costs is replacing structual parts, and them having to pull the motor/tranny out and replacing the other suspension pieces. The way I see it. I would hope you didnt spend more than $6k for that car. Its already salvage title. If you dump another $10k into it, you'd be dumping $10k into it that insurance will NEVER give you back if it gets totaled again. I wouldnt bother with it. Drive it how it is, replace what you can with used parts so alignment can get dialed in, and live with the mistake. Thats all you can do at this point unless you want to dump another 200% of the cars value into just fixing it to the point where it might be considered "perfect" but even at that point. it'll always be a salvage s2000

Manga_Spawn

Yeah. You best bet at this point is to part it out completely. Also did you drive it with those broken suspension parts? That seems dangerous. I would hope they were replaced. With any salvage car getting in inspected before hand is a must considering what could be hiding. As mojo said putting $10k into is money you'll never see again. Cut your losses part it out and buy cheap clean title AP1 but have an inspection done first.

Papi10

Thank you for the reply's. Yeah I got it for a little more than 7 with 57k mileage. Thanks for the advice though. I can put in another 10k and have a good low mileage s2k I can drive into the ground which was my plan when I bought before I found the issues. orr try and recoup some value by parting out. decisions. decisions.

Fokker

While parting the car out is not an easy task (logistically speaking), you can easily make what you paid for it back and then some. Then you could find the right car with a clean title for a more realistic price. Anything in the ballpark of what you paid for that car is going to be higher mileage and AP1 (on average).

Topplayer

PART IT OUT or take a loss and sell it to someone who will part it out.

Don't get emotionally invested in that car. It is a mistake from the start.


another option would be to buy a S2000 with a blown motor or stolen seats/top/etc and swap parts over. I would not fix that car and fall in love with a bad girlfriend.



sorry for the truth.

james0933

Parting it would be the easiest since.

But I do see a lot of work there on that bill that you could do without right away.

If it was me I'd prolly just remove the engine assembly myself as well as the outer body panels and have them tackle that rail and get the alignment right. Then Id pick up used parts as needed.

I've fixed worse

92gli

First, be wary when you walk into a body shop and ask for a quote on a non-insurance job. That estimate looks like their wet dream.
I need to know why they said it's necessary to replace all the rails and aprons AND all the suspension components. They think everything forward of the firewall is garbage?
Without seeing it in person or lots of close up pics with partial disassembly, it's impossible to say for sure. And inevitably, once they take it apart they will tell you that the headlights are cracked, this other thing was broken, etc.

Papi10

The guy was polite but I kept reiterating that I simply just wanted repairs done to get it aligned and safe. He would never just answer this question head on and told me I cant drive it at all and that I should either go all the way with this or do nothing at all. He did however email me plenty of photos to illustrate why he needed to do everything he said so perhaps you can help me make sense of it. Last night I talked with my friends brother about this who used to work on auto collision back in italy ( he works as an engineer now and doesn't fix cars for a living anymore). He basically said I can get the car aligned for way less with replacing the sub frame, steering knuckle, wheel bearing, and I think he said control arms if they are messed up. The only problem area is the front left of the car. Also he was saying to me about the photos the guy took of where there is bondo or whatever it is that it wont affect alignment and that was something that thebodyshop wouldnt have even fixed according to the quote. He said the frame just isnt going to fall apart on the road like the guy said and that theres plenty of actual support left.