Not usually one good with these forums, but need some advice.
Have a gorgeous blue 1996 Z3. No collision insurance, have had accident, and now hood, headlamps, and radiator support need to be replaced. No engine or major mechanical damage. About $7500-8200 in repairs, per estimates. Probably about what the car is worth, and IF insurance, they would have totaled, and car would be salvaged, crushed, who knows what.
Buying another because I loved it, and I don't know how to repair this one economically. Should I sell car as is, WITHOUT salvage title, keep for parts, or what? Would another BMW lover, with auto body repair skills be interested in purchasing? Title will not be salvage title, since no insurance to total it.
You say that the cosmetics are good, but don't give miles, ownership history, and maintenance and repair history. A pristine 1996 1.9L manual with low miles and good history would be worth your repair estimate, while the average 1.9 with high miles and spotty ownership and maintenance history often goes for $5-6,000. So it is possible that your Z3 is not worth a professional repair. However, if some hobbyist / mechanic could buy the car for $1,000 and repair it with used parts for a few more thousand dollars with his own labor, it might be attractive.
Thanks. It has 108k miles, and I think I am the second owner...maybe third. I don't have maintenance history, but it seems to very well maintained, and no mechanical issues, leaks, etc. I've only had it about 3 months. I may try to post a few pictures here in a couple days. So far, I have found a few parts, but the hardest is the hood. Wondering if I should look for one that has been totaled from a hit in the back, and just take the parts I need off. I have a couple body shops in town who do nice work, but they are not BMW specialists, and I don't know if they will cut me a deal on labor since I'd be fixing it out of pocket rather than through insurance.
Would you be opposed to a fiberglass or carbon fiber hood? Aftermarket is often cheaper than OEM and can give a little flair to your car. It's just an idea.
Fiberglass hoods, much like carbon fiber, are really not for the feint of heart and probably should be left for those building dedicated race cars based on their fitment.
Wyowoodyman, this is the most common damage to Z3s. Hoods are really hard to find for that reason. Buying from a dealer is like 12-1300 plus shipping ( I am on my 3RD HOOD). THe radiator support is even harder to find used, since that almost always gets smushed in a front end collision. Me, personally, would not repair this one, and unless you get the same engine and model, lots of stuff is not going to interchange. I would think you need lights too, since the mounting tabs usually get cracked and damaged too. Sorry for your problems. Good Luck !
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