I was driving home from work early yesterday, because we had a snow storm coming in quick, and I lost control and hit a guard rail. I am absolutely devastated. Luckily, I didn't hit anyone else or get hurt. At this point, I am just concerned about the damage. I don't think I bent the frame but it still worries me that it may be totaled. What do you guys think? Any ballpark ideas on the repair cost. I am going to need a new bumper, quarter panel, hood, and rim for sure. I think I punctured a hole in my radiator too. Plus, I got the flip flop purple/black paint which is not a simple paint job.

Wow. Glad you're ok. Dunno if it's a total loss, but it ma be pretty close to it.

Yikes careful man! atleast your alright. careful this winter has been hell for people in this part of the US

Bummer about your accident. I am glad you are OK - the car can be fixed (or replaced), you can't! I don't drive my vert in the rain, forget about snow!! In NJ this year it has been a winter-wonderland of never ending snowstorms & unfortunately accidents are prevanlent.

Repair is gonna be expensive - there is a lot of damage that is concealed beneath the damaged sheet metal. It is hard to tell from the photo - Is the A pillar bent/buckled? If so, that my be an indication of more significant damage.

Work with your insurance carrier and don't forget that you have a choice in repair options so ask lots of questions, get a 2nd opinion if needed and most important use a reputable (and Infinity certified) auto body shop.

Good luck!

I spoke to the manager at the auto body shop for about 20 minutes today and he was very optimistic. I haven't received an official quote but he thinks it will be about 10-12k in damage. He seems confident that they will be able to fix it like new, as long as there is no detrimental damage that cannot be seen at the moment. He explained a lot of the details and said if they feel like anything will not be fixable 100% then they will not do it. They are going to send it to the Infiniti dealer once it is finished to have them inspect it as well. More updates to come. I grabbed some more pictures today without snow.

I should have posted this awhile ago but after about a month in the shop I got my vert back. They did an excellent job! I have been driving it for about a month now and I have not noticed anything out of the norm. I will end up trading it in at the end of the lease to avoid eating the depreciation from the accident but I am happy as I could be after a 22k repair.

Just from the looks of it I knew the car was no way near being totaled. It just looks worse that it really is. The type of damage the car had is actually very common and never totals a new(er) car. A good body shop will be able to repair the car to nearly 100% pre-accident state. Did the insurance authorize OEM parts for the bumper, hood and quarter panel?

Yes, all the part were OEM and very expensive. For example, the headlights were $1000 a piece. Another $5k and they would have totaled it.

Infiniti parts alone are quite expensive and yup, the xenon light assembly is typically an expensive part. When does your lease end, and what are you going to get next?

My lease ends June of 2015 and I have been debating on what I want to get. From what I heard the new convertibles, with the touch screens and new design, are supposed to be out by then. I love the convertible but it is an expensive car. Still up in the air.

j_farago wrote:My lease ends June of 2015 and I have been debating on what I want to get. From what I heard the new convertibles, with the touch screens and new design, are supposed to be out by then. I love the convertible but it is an expensive car. Still up in the air.

You should consider leasing a BMW, Mercedes or Audi convertible as alternative.

If I get a convertible, it must be a hard top.

BMW makes a hard top convertible and it's a lot more refinded than Infiniti's convertible. Particularly since BMW has been making convertibles for more than a decade.

seldomseen wrote:BMW makes a hard top convertible and it's a lot more refinded than Infiniti's convertible. Particularly since BMW has been making convertibles for more than a decade.

BMW convertible have lot more issues- go check their forum:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showth ... p?t=149136

Having gone through all that you have with the wreck and rebuild, would you ever consider buying a car you knew had been in a wreck and repaired? I have seen some very nice looking, high end cars on a dealer's website with low miles at very reasonable prices but in reading the description they are labeled with "previous accident" and the Car Fax clearly states it has been in an accident. They aren't trying to hide anything. These cars have lots of factory warranty left but I was wondering if anybody would take a chance on a car such as these.

Votech wrote:Having gone through all that you have with the wreck and rebuild, would you ever consider buying a car you knew had been in a wreck and repaired? I have seen some very nice looking, high end cars on a dealer's website with low miles at very reasonable prices but in reading the description they are labeled with "previous accident" and the Car Fax clearly states it has been in an accident. They aren't trying to hide anything. These cars have lots of factory warranty left but I was wondering if anybody would take a chance on a car such as these.

it all comes down to risk vs cost.

I planned on buying my car when the lease was up until the accident. At this point it seems to be just like before but I am worried I will encounter problems in the future. Because I am on the lease, I can get out from it free and clear without eating the depreciation. To me, it is the safer choice.

I ended up trading the convertible in for a 2014 370z. Gave up some of the luxury for the sporty feel. Definitely way more fun to drive.

j_farago wrote:I ended up trading the convertible in for a 2014 370z. Gave up some of the luxury for the sporty feel. Definitely way more fun to drive.

I'm sure the Z is much more fun to drive. Is the Z your primary driver? You're going to get tired of the roadster within 12 months or sooner. I've always found that roadsters are better suited as a 2nd car.

seldomseen wrote:

j_farago wrote:I ended up trading the convertible in for a 2014 370z. Gave up some of the luxury for the sporty feel. Definitely way more fun to drive.

I'm sure the Z is much more fun to drive. Is the Z your primary driver? You're going to get tired of the roadster within 12 months or sooner. I've always found that roadsters are better suited as a 2nd car.

That is interesting. It is my primary car and I normally get tired of every car in about 2 years, I am curious to see how I feel about this one.