Wrong move. A body-shop would rather not have the car totaled so they get the work/money. If it's totaled, the only one who collects is the owner of the car.

If you're at a proper shop, this should make no difference. Everything should be fixed to as-new condition, "even minor stuff", regardless.

i went to the courtesy parts site and came up with $5,000 in parts not including electrical stuff and the driver side tire (i couldnt find the price but im assuming an extra $300 bucks). plus labor, paint and all that will probably hit almost $8-10k with miscellaneous parts. maybe another $1-2k on rental costs. I'm being very optimistic. lol.

tomorrow im going to an independent shop. i have a good relationship with the owner so i think the estimate will be extremely thorough and high compared to a quick basic walkthrough.

im also going to a place where an infiniti dealer sends their cars. i went to that shops site and they also do jag, volvo, land rover, for the same dealer chain. im going to check them out too.

i'll also research lambo/ferrari dealers to see where they send their customers and see what they say. i'll check out all three shops' work and see which one i'll go with.

you guys think this is a good plan? should i use another strategy to find a good shop??

Some shops are "less dilligent" than others. Just sayin...

This is a good suggestion, and another thing. I haven't read most of the posts here, but DO NOT LET THEM REPLACE BODY PANELS WITH AFTERMARKET UNITS! Aftermarket body panels do not line up, nor are they the same quality as OEM panels. They aren't made to the same standards. The body lines don't have the same creases, they don't have the same rust inhibitors, and the panels are not as thick.

Ouch....poor Z :(

I seriously doubt anyone is making aftermarket body parts for the 370 yet?But if they were I'am sure it being a new car a reputable shop would use OEM parts.

ouch... :( sorry to hear and see.

yah, that damage does not look totalled. the panels can easily shift backwards like that yet no penetration to the frame.

if that was my car, would get it repaired, sell it, get a new one
unless i turn it into a project car...then slight imprefections are
OK as long as functionally sound.

I think if I sold it after fixing, I'd be taking a huge hit... Selling it without an accident, I'd probably have to sell it for $5k less than I paid. Post accident $10k (just a random guess, I really have no idea).

You may or may not have the option of applying for diminished value reimbursement. There are only 2 states that allow this through your insurance Co as opposed to the guilty party's.. In my case the person that caused the accident was clearly guilty and I eventually got +$2200 diminished value in addition to the repair. Mine was fixed better than new after a front/rear sandwich and $7000 in work..

Post repair (New hood, nose and tail + underlying metal):
http://images47.fotki.com/v1475/phot...MG_1930-vi.jpg

it wont be totaled unless ur repair bill gets close to 20k, i would recomend you do a lot of homework on which shop to send it to. A LOT. other than that sorry to hear about your accident.

modshack, do u have pics of the accident? looks like they did good work. im pretty detailed with my inspection post fixing so im not too worried and i'll make sure any imperfections are fixed before i hand over any money.

anyone have good tips/advice on choosing the perfect body shop? i have my strategy but i dont necessarily think that because some shops work on luxury cars versus economy cars that they're necessarily "better".

ouchhhhhhhhhh. i hate seeing stuff like these. sorry about this man. good luck.

Jason....Like yours, mine didn't look that bad, but....

Front:
http://images44.fotki.com/v1470/phot...MG_1477-vi.jpg

Rear:
http://images49.fotki.com/v855/photo...MG_1511-vi.jpg

Not so bad eh?....But by the time you start replacing all the underlying metal that was bent in the process it came to $3500 front and the same for the rear.

I went to the best shop in town and had seen their work on friends cars. Their labor rate was reasonable ($45/hr) and the Insurance co. didn't even blink (but their client was caught on video causing the accident)...

Good that you are not hurt. Maybe not badly anyways, never had air bag punched me in the face, but I heard it painful too. Know how u feel, I had an idiot pumped my in the back when I had my new colorado. Never felt the same when u know it been dmged. Hope insurance people calll it totalled cause it is up to them.

Drive safe and look out for idiots.

ouch!