Vehicle frames are nothing to mess around with, as they hold a car’s structural integrity. Something goes awry, and it could be disastrous. Unfortunately, for one C7 Corvette Grand Sport owner, he was left with no choice but for his insurance to total out his car thanks to the slightest of cracks.
So the story goes, as told on Corvette Forum, the owner of this C7 Corvette Grand Sport encountered a large rock on an eight-lane highway. With cars on all sides of him, he had no choice but to straddle the large piece of debris. Good news: he managed to avoid hitting anything with fluids running through it. Bad news: it still left damage.
Upon a dealership inspection, the owner was alerted to a crack in the rear transmission tunnel in the Corvette’s frame. The tiny crack, although minor, was deemed unserviceable by the dealer and a total cost of $7,600 was pronounced before buying the part or adding labor costs.
It’s a shame because the car is entirely perfect otherwise, but the insurance company had no choice but to total the car out. Chevrolet said the frame couldn’t be repaired or replaced at all and welding the crack would compromise the structural integrity. Now, the Corvette will head to auction with a salvage title, though its days of being a serious performance machine are likely over.
Comments
Someone will weld it up and keep going down the highway.
Its a dame shame our society has to sir come to the Legal pocket gouging thief’s. Companies will spend another 65k for a new car so they don’t have to risk any future lawsuits if something was to happen down the road. Sickening…
Calling FUD on this. Since 2010, GM has published frame repair guidance. My Saturn Sky was the first car to get this treatment, and it has helped keep thousands of cars on the road.
I suspect insurance wrote it off as a courtesy to the owner, rather than leave them with a frame repaired title.
It’s the dealer’s job to say they can’t fix the frame. But I seriously doubt a body shop that does frame repair would have written off this car. If the owner had wanted it fixed, I suspect it could have been cost-effectively. And it probably will be when it hits CoPart.
Gas Monkey garage will buy it for $2000 and fix and enhance the car and sell it for big money, lol Let’s get real, just about anything can be replaced or fixed
My issue is with the click bait_ “A microscopic crack in the car’s frame was enough to total it out.” The crack is quite visible so hardly ‘Microscopic’.
And race cars run with welded up cracks all the time. Put the damn car on the rack and git’r fixed .
Owner should buy back his car from the insurance company and throw some duct tape on the crack and go out and have fun C7 style.
This is not click bait but a commentary on how time legal system is out of control.
Sure it is a small crack but because of liability issues no one is willing to touch it.
Yes racers weld up cars they built but they will not bring a suit against themselves.
Until tort reform is brought in we will continue to see cases like this and continue to pay ever increasing insurace cost.
Someone who can fix this them selves will buy this and fix it at home.
Years ago I read a story in road and track. About an Acura Integra that was totaled by the insurance company. Because the front seats were stolen. Acura did not service complete seat assembly’s. They had all the parts available for the seats but buying it that way for two seats was $21,000.
This car is in great condition which means it won’t sell on the cheap.. as almost every piece of the car can still be reused with the potential of the car being repaired enough to be driven as it’s not going to sell for under $20K.