My friend while driving my MINI a bit too aggressively hit a corner with wet pavement and slid the MINI over the median. The axle of course was destroyed along with other suspension damage and some lost plastic off the front. The wheel was actually pushed back into the wheel well, thereby making the car undrivable.

Another friend of mine told me that no matter how good the shop is that your car is at it will never be the same, and never be factory good. That being said I was thinking of doing some aftermarket modifications to increase handling capabilities and was wondering what I should be in the market for, and how much damage I should look to take financially for making the car better than new. I am totally brand new to the modifications thing so I am sorrry if this seems like a silly question to any of you...and yes the guy who crashed my car is still my friend.

Thanks!

 

I went through a few emotions reading that. Wow!

If you can, please post a couple or so photos so we can see the extent of the damage. There are some pretty creative guys here. I would first check for any chassis damage. If so, I wouldn't bother...

 

You shouldn’t have to pay anything; your friend that was driving should foot the bill. Make him buy you some hot wheels with new rubber, maybe a big brake kit, replace all the broken items and add some sway bars. Then never let him drive you car again…and make him sit in the back seat if you are still talking to him…

But really, a rear sway bar will help your handling. As long as the frame or the body is not bent, you should be all right and not have to worry about driving a “broken” car. Good luck

 

First, never let that friend drive your car again.

Second, your other friend is correct in theory. Even replacing a broken windshield will not be the same as it is from the factory. That is something you have to deal with when your car gets messed up. Although a good shop should be able to correct the damage and bring it to near perfect shape, to the point where you cannot tell the damage (as long as the frame is not bent). You should also be compensated for the lost in value for the vehicle, which you could use to purchase a few aftermarket items.

 

Put on new parts, and you'll be good-to-go.

These are very tough cars, and if the shop can align the front-end
properly and you probably won't notice a thing.

Don't worry, be happy. (When you get it back that is!)

 

Dude, sorry to hear that! If you don't have a Digital camera I can swing by and take some for you.

I think Rims, Brake Kit, swaybars will do wonders...

 

AS for the pics, I have a couple somewhere around here that were taken at the time of the accident which was the 29th of Dec. But the damage should be fixed and I am looking at getting the car back today, or maybe Monday. The driver was one of the best drivers I have ever known, felt terrible about if of course, and it one of my very best friends.

"You should also be compensated for the lost in value for the vehicle, which you could use to purchase a few aftermarket items"

This idea I love but I dont see it as being something that is going to happen with my "three stooges" insurance company. I found out that it was a "subpar" insurance company and that they take it to the shops that they have on contract because they can get a much cheaper hourly rate. They wouldnt pay the BMW rate, and I cant really afford to be forking out the kinda change that they wanted. Neither can my friend. My advice is to go with an A+ insurance company like Allstate or Statefarm...or somebody big named. According to the body shop guy for BMW you never hear of any of the bs that you do with other insuance companys with those insurance companys....I wish I would have known about that earlier!

I figured the best thing to do was just let them take it to their shop, make sure to check it out- and it seemed pretty prestine, keep in contact with the shop to see what progress was being made. I have done all that, kept of log of who I have talked to about what and when. What do you think?

 

It's too bad that all happened. You're a quality person by being an understanding friend. Sounds like you are doing the best you can by working with your insurance company and their contracted shops. Just hope for the best. I think your MINI can be fixed as good as new, except for the body repairs and re-paint, but a good shop can do a very good job on those.

What you are asking about is what suspension mods should you do and what that will cost. Sounds like you are thinking about putting in these mods in place of the damaged factory parts. That sounds like a good idea if you can get the insurance company to go along with that, and they probably will. Just talk it over with them and they should be able to work something out with you. My wife used to work for a good insurance company, and she recommends doing that. She thinks that they will pay for the replacement cost and labor of the original equipment.

As far as what suspension parts to put on, you can think about the different springs and shocks. A larger rear sway bar would help the handling too. You can contact the various vendors here on North American Motoring for suspension parts. I'm not sure of who they all are. And TireRack has many wheel and tire combos. Light wheels would improve acceleration, braking, and handling. Modding is fun. You can make the most of your situation! Enjoy!

 

MHO....
If the chasis is bent .... forget the car. It might sound a bit bruital... but it's prudent in the long run.
I'm not goin to discuss aftermarket anything...at this point ...because 1st you need to decide if the car is..... "fixable"
Your current insurance poilcy no doubt has a deductable... which you will be responsible for. The rest is their cost .
If the repairs are not to your satisfaction... do not accept ...the car.
If you give in...you loose.
This whole process will cost you both time and money...like everything in life does...eventually.
Also be prepared for your insurance to increase....as you put in a claim. It's the system and there is no way around it.
I'm extremely sorry for your situation... It just plain sucks.
but these IMHO are some of the decisions..... you are faced with.

Good luck... all good things :smile:

Peace,
D


_________________
PM d-mini-ero

 

Hi Dude...

Why not use your buddys insurance...

He was the driver not you, why should you pay deductibles and increased insurance premiums for his mistake..

Good luck

 

>>Hi Dude...
>>
>>Why not use your buddys insurance...
>>
>>He was the driver not you, why should you pay deductibles and increased insurance premiums for his mistake..
>>
>>Good luck

My buddy's insurance is only liability and its not his car so if he was going to pay the damages it would be completely out of pocket. I have the insurance there for a reason, though i never thought that I would be using it. (wishful thinking no doubt) Anyway, as much as I love the car and plan on keeping it forever, I wouldn't put my good friend in a predicament like that if I could avoid it by using the insurance. He is paying the deductable, and he got me and him both EB Mini models until I get my car back...which was a nice gesture on his part. I know he feels bad about it, and I razz him about it a bit, but he knows that I am understanding about it and that our friendship will not suffer.

I told him the first thing I was goin to do was throw the keys to him and he responded that the first thing he was going to do was hand them back...lol.