2002 Impreza OBS in accident, worth saving?

Hey all my wife's 2002 Impreza OBS got hit last Wed. With about 102k mileage, and a repair bill of $1-2k, do you guys think it is worth bringing it back to life?

Passenger side front door is busted. May need fender and quarter panel. Subframe is slightly bent in the front. Rear door is surprisingly intact.

My initial thought is to sell the car for parts and get another Impreza. But I fear that I couldn't find one in the same condition/mileage as this one.

 

Well you could get a decent amount in a part out being these motors can be hard to find in good shape. If your patient you can find another one for a decent price.

 

It's my wife's DD we really want to get her back on the road. Also we don't have a place to store it.

Poor wife is really afraid to be back on the roads again…

 

There is an 02 OBS part out that was just posted. You may be able to pick up your needed parts!

 

Thanks! They look like great cars! She is a smaller person and would prefer driving a smaller car. That's why we got an impreza for her.

 

I pushed that post up to the top! Lol

 

You would be paying to fix it, your insurance would be paying to fix it, or the other driver's insurance would be paying to fix it?

It looks to me it would easily be over $2k to fix (by a reputable body shop).

 

I was thinking the same thing. $1k to fix that much damage would be really cheap.

 

The insurance found her at fault (she ran a red light and got hit as a result). A body shop close by quoted $2.8k to get the job done.
It will be repaired by a guy who teaches shop classes at the high school she works. The guy says he can get it done for $1k to $1.5k. She trusted him.

 

Thanks for the clarification. Sorry it was her fault...hard to stomach for her I am sure. I feel for her as it is hard to get back on the horse. Hopefully no one was hurt...other than pride.

 

Thankfully no one was hurt.

Yeah as a teacher she has to commute in the dark. Not her favorite thing to do anyway. We are now discussing on whether we should move closer to her work.

 

I don't get what you mean by it doesn't matter if she was at fault or not? She ran the light, so although she got hit, the other guy's insurance would not pay for the damages. She only got liability insurance so her insurance won't cover her either.

 

Minnesota is a "no fault" state, but I believe that only applies to medical bills. Your own insurance company covers all of the medical bills regardless of who is at fault.

For vehicle damages, that still follows the person who was at fault.

Regarding the repair, I think it depends on your financial situation, and how much you like the car. If you have a "hook-up" and can get it fixed for $1k-$1.5k, that's not bad at all. Otherwise you could sell it and still get $500-$1k. If you want a quick sale, call up a local junk yard and see how much they would buy it for.

But if you don't have the money for a newer car or really love that car, just fix it and drive on!

 

My wife talked to both her insurance and the other guy's insurance, both insurance indicated that she will not be covered, so I am surprised by @SurlyOldManMN's comment.
I didn't know about the medical bills. Learned something new today!

 

So just to provide an update to this story. The mechanic at my wife's school straightened the frame as much as he could and bolted a new door (salvaged from Wisconsin) to the car. He left the rear as is since the damage was pretty much cosmetic.
Car runs great with no noticeable alignment issues, though I might get the car to the shop to check for alignment. The replaced door felt a little heavier than others though.

Cost: 1 door $175 + $100 shipping (the junkyard murdered us on shipping) + 6 pack and lunch for the mechanic

 

Yup! same color (although my picky eye says the new door is a shade darker)

 

Let's see a pic of this.

 

Here you go!

 

Photo does not work for me anyway.

 

Should work now...

 

What amazes me is the front door blends in well with the rear, which is not replaced, but not quite so with the fender!

 

grab a new front fender too

 

I pronounce it "good enough" for a 15 year old car being driven year-round in Minnesota, and "above average" if it doesn't have off-street parking. Good job on getting it fixed on the cheap! Hope the wife's self-esteem and confidence have had a chance to heal.