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Tennis Ball Sized Hail Wrecked My Body--Opportunity to Upgrade?

Bacchanalian

New member
Location
Evergreen, CO
My 2016 was caught in the biblical hailstorm in Denver last week, and it's trashed. From nearly brand new to looking like a golf ball (pardon the pun). The hood likely needs replaced. The spoiler has a hole in it from hail going straight through. The roof looks like someone took a hammer to it 55 times. You pretty much can't go more than a foot anywhere on the body (even the sides) without finding a dent at least the size a golf ball would make.

I suspect it won't quite be enough to total it out, though that's still a possibility. The adjuster will see it Friday. That said, if the insurance company wants to repair, I'm afraid it'll never look the same again. If that's the case, I'm thinking maybe this is the chance to upgrade some stuff. If I'm replacing the hood anyway, why not upgrade it? Not sure if there are full body upgrades, but if that's something they want to replace, would it add significant cost for some sort of upgrade?

Basically, if I get cut a check for $XXXXX and told to repair it, can I spiff up my baby without spending much more than I would to replace everything with OEM parts anyway? Trying to make the best of a bad situation.
 
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scrapin240

Drag Racing Champion
Location
IzzaGolf
Car(s)
Golf
Sorry to hear about the car :(

IMHO I would not upgrade the hood. The hood has been crashed tested and conforms to current safety standards, aka it crumples as it should. Replacing it with some other aftermarket "fancy" hood would be risky to me.

For the rear spoiler, maybe a Otteinger one?
 

Diggs24

Autocross Champion
Location
de plains! de plains!
Car(s)
2015 GTI
That sucks. I saw the pics of cars caught in it and it was NASTY. It headed this way the next day but we only got torrential downpours out of it. I drove my other hail damaged car that day anyways.

I felt bad when it got hit, but it didn't shatter windshields or anything like that compared to your storm. My car was 12 years old at the time so not that big of a loss, but it was 12 years of not parking next to anyone, no door dings and pristine paint, POOF, gone in the span of 5 minutes.

I hope they total it too.
 

Bacchanalian

New member
Location
Evergreen, CO
The update is it's not totaled. They're saying $9k. Replacing the hood, hatch, spoiler, roof and a few of the other panels. Also means repainting most of it. I'm wondering if it's worth asking how much more to just repaint the entire thing--I have black and wanted the carbon steel. Windshield needs replacing just because the roof is coming off anyway and you apparently can't remove the roof without also removing the windshield. Don't have any pictures handy, will post some later. Turns out a brakelight was cracked too, so that's going.
 

IDriveaGTI

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Georgia
Do a little research and see if your state has any laws or regulations that specifically allows for "loss of value" for claims. In my state the insurance company is liable for loss of value and it should cover you for quite a bit of $$ in a vehicle this new.

As example, my 4 year old vehicle (worth maybe 15k) was involved in a front end impact. There was 9k in damage which was repaired. The state allows for loss of value and the insurance company offered $350 for lov. I countered with an independent evaluation and when I submitted the request for $1500, I was granted that without any complaint.

It's worth investigating.
 

The Fed

Old Guys Rule
Location
Florida
Do not paint your another color. You will destroy the resell value. If every body panel is damaged the entire car needs to be repainted.

Only $9K? Hard to believe. Ask a good body shop what it will cost to do the job right.

And I thought it was illegal to remove and replace the roof because it compromises the structural integrity of its rollover protection?

Are the headlights or taillights gouged? How about the wheels? The grille?

If it were me I'd want it totaled rather than have a car with pounds of body putty.

I had a Mazda with only complete front end damage and it cost $12K to fix in 1996.
 
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