1999 Boxster 2.5l - write-off vs cash in lieu?

[Zarniwoop]

Hi all, I wonder if anyone has any advice on an insurance claim for a Boxster?

The car is is a 1999 2.5 litre standard Boxster in Arctic Silver. It’s in reasonable condition, though the plastic rear window is blurry and the leather sears are a bit worn. Mileage is 64K. It has a hard top which is in the shed right now.

So I had an accident; my own fault, no-one else involved. I have a protected No Claims Discount, and this is my first claim. All damage is to the lower part of the car – wheels + tyres, lower front bumper and unfortunately cooling rads at the front.

The insurers, to my initial surprise, said it wasn’t economical to repair and would be picking it up for salvage. The garage said it’s absolutely repairable – the problem is the cost of new Porsche parts. Looking online you can get a set of used wheels + tyres for about the cost of one brand new wheel from Porsche.

The garage has been excellent and are keeping my car on site for free until I decide what to do. They said I could ask for ‘cash in lieu’ – my understanding of this is that a payment is made to me in order to repair it, and I get to keep the car and arrange repairs with the garage.

I don’t know of the figures yet – looking on auto-trader similar cars can be had for £5k (a 3rd of what I paid for it 6 years ago!). Presumably they’d offer me something like this minus the excess if it’s written off. For cash in lieu, I don’t know how much they’d offer – presumably it would have to be lower than the write-off value, is that right?

I’m trying to remain dispassionate about it, but it’s a shame to scrap a nice car with low mileage for its age, when the engine, gearbox etc is fine. Has anyone dealt with this before? Is cash in lieu a reasonable path to take? It seems to me that if they offer me (say) £5k in lieu, and the repairs cost less than that, then I’m in a better situation if I just accept a write-off payment?

There must be things I haven’t considered. Does anyone have any advice, or things I should check up on?

BTW, this is my only car, and it passed its MOT one week before the incident with no issues.

Thanks in advance!

Paul

[White987S]

You will ultimately have a salvaged title. Not a good thing come the time you want to sell. Repairs will be $$$$. Take the payment. Sell the hardtop on the side. Take your proceeds and buy your next Porsche.

[deptotpr]

I agree with White 987S, take the cash and upgrade to a 2000+ with a 2.7 liter.

[mikefocke]

I totalled my '99 Boxster too...my fault too. I know how you feel.

I didn't think the damage to the front was really that bad.. Other car without a scratch...well really it was a truck. But when a P-car knowledgable shop started adding things up, I was amazed at how much sense it made to let the professionals scrap it for parts and pay me to get a new P-car without any possibility of frame damage, broken suspension bits, etc. My estimate, based on what it cost to fix my son's Honda was exactly 10% of what the P-car with seemingly less damage would have cost to fix. Insurance paid me more than I had paid for the car 6 months before. I bought a 2 year later S for the money.

Unless you are a professional at auto restoration, don't let your affection for the P-car rule your thoughts. Take the money and go shopping.

[Zarniwoop]

Hi folks, thanks for your advice on this.

The insurers called me back today to explain further, and I now know this:

1. The original estimate based on new parts for *known* damage was £5700

2. A rough total loss payment to me would be around £6100 (higher than I thought).

3. The engineers said there *may* be suspension damage, so the insurers were wary of greater costs and therefore went the total loss route.

4. A cash in lieu deal would mean the car is *not* categorised, and treated as just having had repairs.

I asked if it could all be fixed with second-hand parts for, say, £4500 would they do a cash in lieu deal, and they said they'd consider it.

The £6100 figure is higher than I expected based on browsing auto-trader, so considering your recommendations perhaps it will be best to just take the 'total loss' payment. Plus of course I still have the hard top which will be worth something I expect or should fit another 986 (these ran 'til 2003, right?).

I'll speak to garage now, to check up on the 'unknown' damage, but that may rule out going down the cash in lieu route completely.

Thanks again for the advice and I'll reply again when I've decided what to do!

Paul

[mikefocke]

Hardtops from '99 would fit on 986s 1997 thru 2004 US model years, yours may be different...lets just say any 986. But go to the shop and take out the "spinlocks" as they will be necessary if you are going to put the hardtop on a car that has never had one on it before. They were extra cost parts that the hordtop fit into and were under the clamshell that covered the bay that the top folded into. Off to the side. You'll be surprised how expensive they are.

[Zarniwoop]

Wow thanks Mike. Having bought second-hand I didn't realise that there were parts on the car which came with the hard top.

I googled "986 spinlocks" and got this page - http://boxster.wikia.com/wiki/Hard_Tops

So it's the bits on each side that the top 'plugs into' (then you turn the red levers). Looks like I'll need the garage to get the locks and the bolts out for me.

So glad you mentioned this as it would be a rude surprise for me if I do get another 986!

Presumably things like the wind deflector and the inlays for the headrests are standard(?). I'll get reading on that wiki page...

Thanks again,

Paul

[mikefocke]

Yes the wind deflector and headrest inserts are stock and so the insurance company or wreckers are entitled to them. You could have CDs in the car too, that is one thing I couldn't get out of mine for some reason. Go over every storage comparment, under and behind the seats, etc. Take all your personal stuff.

[Zarniwoop]

Hi Mike,

Well I went down to the garage today and emptied the car out - it's amazing how much you can fit in a Boxster! Managed to swap back the stock stereo for my newer one too.

However I found it impossible to get at the spinlocks! With the top down, I could see them but there's no space to turn the bolt, and with the top up it was all but impossible to even see the bolt (with a torch!). Showed the guys working there but we couldn't work out how to reach them.

Will probably just have to leave them - the garage is just the insurer's choice and not Porsche specialists, and apparently aren't allowed to work on the car if it's not to fix it (that's why I had to do the stereo myself).

Thanks for the advice anyhow. Awaiting (still) the approved settlement figure - I should know tomorrow.

Paul