# Beware Your GTO is a Salvage Candidate!



## 68OldGoat (Nov 23, 2009)

As I read a lot of Threads on this forum about minor accidents of modern GTO's where the owners are *SUPRISED* that the Insurance Company "TOTALS" the car with a Salvage Title for very little damage. Why is this happening?
:shutme
I am interested because I just had a minor fender bender and decided not to go through Insurance for the repair. I don't want my GTO totaled for less that $5000 in damage. 
What I have found is that there aren't many new OE parts available at a reasonable price (an example is the upper radiator bracket for a whopping $628 / Bumper Cover for $589). The body shop I went to also commented on the lack of availability of parts and the high price for OE parts for these cars.

I am getting the impression that the 04-05-06 GTO is quickly becoming a target for the Insurance companies to get them off of the road. Could this be true?


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## batmans (Aug 16, 2007)

Usually if the repairs, restoration, etc. costs are greater than 70-80% of the current market value of the vehicle, then it would be a total-loss.

One way to avoid or mitigate this is to "down-play" the extent of the damages, have the body shop start "working on it" while adding in increments the supplemental repairs so that by the time the insurance company sees that this will exceed the 70-80% threshold they will just go along with finishing up the repairs to avoid paying the body shop for partial repairs and compensating u for the value of the vehicle if they were to total it.

Insurance and body shops may be pricing out the OEM parts which are pretty expensive coming from Australia. Remember, when the GTO was first being exported, the US dollar was much strong. That's part of the problem.

A GTO OEM fender is $800~ where a Taiwanese made fender that fits just as well is going for $100~ last I checked. The Taiwanese fenders are also lighter than the OEM part. Good for those looking to make the GTO lighter, bad for those that want OEM and the stronger fender.

For the price of an OEM fender u can get a pair of Carbon fiber fenders.


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## AlaGreyGoat (Jul 6, 2006)

The NEWEST GTO is five years old and have depreciated a lot.
Doesn't take too much damage to get it totaled.
Also, the Ins Companies sell the wrecks to salvage yards for high dollar.

Larry


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## LS2 MN6 (Jul 14, 2010)

Back when I first started driving I got my mom's 1992 Eagle Premier as a hand me down (this was in 1997). 6 months later my dad was using the car to go to work (he borrowed it for the day) he was rear ended by a Mustang (he was standing still the Mustang hit him at 40 MPH). The insurance company totaled the car, we bought it back, had the rear end pulled, the panels and bumper fixed and my Uncle bought it and drove it for 4 more years.

This point is that if a run of the mill 5-year old Chrysler was totaled for being rear ended at the 5 and some month mark of age, the GTO will defiantly be totaled.

If you have significant damage on a 5 year old car it's getting totaled. My 1997 Grand Am (which replaced the Premier, it was a used salvage car which regained a clean title 5 years later when my dad sold it to me) was totaled (again) when I blew a head gasket in 2004 (so the 7 year old mark) as the repair was more than 70% of the car. So if you have pretty much any damage on a 7 year old car (that you wouldn't just fix yourself) you are looking at a totaled car.

Moral, be prepared for your old car to be totaled at any time.


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## Belnick (Mar 24, 2011)

Well here the car is valued at $33000-$40000 so if i wreck it thete is a big chance i get enough money to buy a new one.


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