[Boony1968]

A few weeks ago my battery broke loose during a Sunday mountain drive. This caused a fair amount of spidering and a few punctures around two or three of the tail lights. Luckily insurance is going to cover it. I believe this is only because I had only had the car about three weeks when this happened. I had checked it, seemed to be secure but obviously was not.

It has taken some time to get through the process with the adjuster etc. The shop I went with and the insurance company are in agreement on cost to repair - a little under $10,000. I was floored by this as I was expect 4 to 5 grand. So, I am thinking there maybe some cash on the table here that I could put back into the car in other upgrades.

I've seen Sector 111 has refurbed clams for $3,000 and track clams for $1,500. My broken clam is probably worth $1,000 or more to someone, maybe even Sector 111 or Wire Wheel?

So, looking for some experienced thoughts here. Should I get one of these other clams and save some cash (towards SC upgrade or Ohlins maybe) or would it not be worth it? Too much risk on quality? I could probably find a cheaper shop, but these guys are very good so if it's going to get repaired I'd rather leave it where it is.

Here one pic. If you click it, you'll go to my bucket. Click the "<<PREV NEXT>>" to see other damage pics.

 

[doug_porsche]

Ouch.

Not sure about which clam to use, but I am going out now to double check my battery.

Side note.

In the last 6 months I have added a supercharger and I have switched to adjustable shocks.

Do the shocks first.

power is nothing without control

 

[bri3d]

$10k seems very high to repair that damage and respray the rear clam.

However, as far as I know, new and used rear claims are still waitlisted fairly deeply across the US, and refurbs/salvageable clams tend to go quickly, so I don't think finding a replacement and pocketing the difference is a great option, especially since you'll still be paying for the paint and labor.

 

[yellow99s]

That's a rediculously simple repair. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if a new clam arrived and needed the same amount of time just to fit and prep as it would take to repair that. Since it's an Elise and has the rear seams I'd just fix it, blend in the paint and clear it to the seams. Put the remaining $9,000 in your pocket. That may seem negligent but realistically as soon as the paint dries odds are somebody in a lifted Ford Excursion will try driving over you at a stop light anyway and start this whole thing over again.

 

[Roundabout]

My advice would be to keep the car, take the cash, and have it repaired yourself. The damages in the photos don't need to add up to $10k. If you have a truck and can remove the rear clam yourself and take it to a fiber specialist, you'll save money on the labor. To get replacement lights, use the LT For Sale forums and wait for a set to show up there. Just be prepared to snap them up immediately. Then sell your broken ones.

Interestingly, at near $10k, you are close to the place where the insurance company is thinking about totaling the car. The salvage value of your car with that damage at an insurance auction is easily $19k. Assuming that this is an 06 Elise with average mileage (30k), the car is only worth 29-31k. So doing the math, at some point the insurance company will lose less to total it out. It just depends on what their costs are to send it to auction.

 

[Boony1968]

Besides the actual punctures, there's a lot of spidering - all over. So, I am sure the price is to get the potential hidden damage done right. It's an '05, but the tail lights were upgraded to one of the later model years. Three of the light inners were cracked or busted completely, but just the inners. Lights still work except for reverse lights. I found the inners on lotusgarage - not cheap, but not too bad either.

I have stated value coverage so it was no where near at risk of being totaled.

Any thoughts or experience with the S111 "track" clams?

Called S111 - they have a "track" clam in stock and I could have it next week. Very nice young lady said fit and finish is solid, but would need to cut out hole for lights. Seriously considering this. I could get a marine guy to repair mine to sell and break even.... I just purchased a clam hinge that I was going to have the shop install since they were pulling it anyway. Hell, I could do most of this.

 

[mannix]

Out of curiosity, how did the battery get to the right side lamps?

My battery cables are NOWHERE NEAR long enough to let it go over there.

Did the battery disconnect and flop around?

How fast were you going?



Iain

 

[Roundabout]

I have no experience with the aftermarket clams, however, I will say that when I see a car with a modified or aftermarket clam, it makes me very suspicious, which I have to think would end up affecting the sale value. On the other hand, if you repaired the clam and showed me pictures of the original damage, it may not negatively affect my perception of the car's value at all (in this case).

Just my $.02...

 

[sturgeongeneral]

First, NEVER post on a public forum about making money on an insurance claim! That is fraud and can lead to big trouble. Second, replacing a clam, repainting, and Star shield does run $12 to $14K. Fix it right and buy a better battery mount.

 

[Boony1968]

Out of curiosity, how did the battery get to the right side lamps?

My battery cables are NOWHERE NEAR long enough to let it go over there.

Did the battery disconnect and flop around?

How fast were you going?
Iain

1. The cables were long enough to reach about the mid point or so in the truck.

2. Eventually, yes. Battery broke loose completely. The carpet and foam pad under the carpet got bunched up an helped the rolling around.

3. How fast? I don't know, but it was FUN. Isolated mountain road with lots of switchbacks. Advan a048's medium compound. Had a lot more had more to do with G's than speed.

I replaced the Conti's that came on the car about a week before the bad luck with the Advans. Tires were expensive, but DAMN I had a blast.

I miss my car.

 

[mannix]

Inconsistencies in Lotus wire lengths? NEVARRR!!!!

ha! Interesting. My battery cables are SHORT - I doubt you could get the battery completely off the mounting area without disconnecting at least one of them first.

I never had my battery come loose. Not complaining.



Iain

 

[Boony1968]

First, NEVER post on a public forum about making money on an insurance claim! That is fraud and can lead to big trouble. Second, replacing a clam, repainting, and Star shield does run $12 to $14K. Fix it right and buy a better battery mount.

Thank you, and I appreciate what you're saying. BUT, I am NOT trying to make money on a claim. My time is much more valuable than the body shop guy's time.

First, I am considering options other than paying a shop X per hour to do all the work that I could "pay" myself to do. Second, the insurance company concluded it would cost X to repair - I had nothing to do with that, zero influence. Third, the car is free and clear - I could keep the check (and a busted car) and do nothing if I wanted to but that would likely directly impact any future claim on the stated value. And, I want my car fixed.

Where's fraud if I can find an alternative and or do much of the work myself to bring the car back to standard? I have not even seen the breakdown of costs yet, but nearly 10 grand for this seems obscene to me. I am not a fiberglass guy, but I can pull and install a calm - OEM or aftermarket. There's NO fraudulent intentions here and I do not appreciate such an inaccurate insinuation, especially on a public forum.

As previously mentioned, I bought the clam hinge kit which includes battery relocation with proper mounting. And, I want to fix it right which is why I asked for experienced input.

 

[sturgeongeneral]

No offense intended. just trying to protect you. Insurance companies watch the web looking for ways to deny claims.

Thank you, and I appreciate what you're saying. BUT, I am NOT trying to make money on a claim. My time is much more valuable than the body shop guy's time.

First, I am considering options other than paying a shop X per hour to do all the work that I could "pay" myself to do. Second, the insurance company concluded it would cost X to repair - I had nothing to do with that, zero influence. Third, the car is free and clear - I could keep the check (and a busted car) and do nothing if I wanted to but that would likely directly impact any future claim on the stated value. And, I want my car fixed.

Where's fraud if I can find an alternative and or do much of the work myself to bring the car back to standard? I have not even seen the breakdown of costs yet, but nearly 10 grand for this seems obscene to me. I am not a fiberglass guy, but I can pull and install a calm - OEM or aftermarket. There's NO fraudulent intentions here and I do not appreciate such an inaccurate insinuation, especially on a public forum.

As previously mentioned, I bought the clam hinge kit which includes battery relocation with proper mounting. And, I want to fix it right which is why I asked for experienced input.

 

[Boony1968]

No offense intended. just trying to protect you. Insurance companies watch the web looking for ways to deny claims.

Thank you and I know.

I haven't had an auto claim since about 1989. Even back then, I got the check, bought the parts and did the work myself. Saved a $1,000 on the repair and put the savings back into the car. That was one of my favorites too, an '86 CRX.

If I get denied for asking questions, well? That would bring up an entirely different situation and be a big black eye for them. I am not trying to get over on them, just asking about opinions and options. It was a very unfortunate occurrence for the insurance company and me. I just want my car back, correctly. If the situation can make the car better than before it should be a win for both of us.

 

[DDJ74]

LOL...how would it be a win for the both of you? It's only a win to the insurance company if they pay nothing. As far as insurance fraud you can do whatever you want with the money. You can pocket it and not fix the car or fix it cheaply and pocket the extra cash. The money they offered is yours according to their assessment. Now i would fix the clam since it's very little damage. Take it to a good fiberglass shop.

 

[Bane]

This is a well-known problem, sorry it had to happen to you.

It's in the "uber post". The tech guys at my local autocross don't even let Elises run if they only have the early (05-06) battery tie down.

Here's my post from nearly 8 years ago...

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f3/battery-tie-down-failure-rear-clam-destruction-27431/

 

[dcat151]

That's one of the reasons I put a Braille battery with a RLS bracket in my car. It's worked great so far, so if I were you, I'd check one out.

 

[Doge]

This thread made me go out and check my battery. Lo and behold, my battery slid back and forth quite easily. Therefore I fabricated my own battery bracket. This is the rough first try just using an aluminum strip bought at home depot:

(Yes, there is a walmart battery in the car from someone in the past, I do plan on replacing it with a better battery soon. Yes there is a zip tie there which was temporarily put there to make sure it lined up.)

I basically just built a frame around the battery connected to both factory mounts and lined the inside with foam tape where it touches or is near the battery. It no longer slides.

 

[MotoGeek]

Just to add, I got burned with the S111 hold down bracket. It fooled me because it holds tight against lateral movement, but one big vertical bump and the thing peels open like a sardine can.

Also I'm in the same situation with regard to repair. I ended up replacing my rear with a new oem Exige clam in primer. Paint and some minor crack repair to the front clam and still are getting me quotes upwards of $20k, and that's with me doing to dissassembly/assembly myself. In fact, they don't actually give a quote, but just tell me to have it parted out because it will be a lot more than that. I get the impression that if they're simply not interested in the work unless they can fleece an insurance company for $500/hour.

 

[glagola1]

This thread made me go out and check my battery. Lo and behold, my battery slid back and forth quite easily. Therefore I fabricated my own battery bracket. This is the rough first try just using an aluminum strip bought at home depot:

(Yes, there is a walmart battery in the car from someone in the past, I do plan on replacing it with a better battery soon. Yes there is a zip tie there which was temporarily put there to make sure it lined up.)

I basically just built a frame around the battery connected to both factory mounts and lined the inside with foam tape where it touches or is near the battery. It no longer slides.

Did you get that idea from me? http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f25...oming-loose-moving-around-121712/#post1814771

Also, Iian, you better secure that battery. It's not a matter of if it comes loose. It's a matter of when.