I love the internet where people guess or assume or think instead of providing real life experience.

I am currently a Regional Claims Manager for a top 3 personal lines insurance company and as stated one time the following is the most likely occurrance:

Assuming that you have a modified crash beam you will most likely be fine. Adjusters see over 1000 cars per year and are very well informed about parts, BUT they are not so well informed or experienced that they can tell the difference between a properly modified rebar and an OEM rebar. Now NO rebar is different since any idiot knows that the car should have one.

Now, assuming you do not have one, it is up to the adjuster to determine what % of the damage is extra and as a result of not having a rebar. At this point it becomes somewhat subjective, but be sure that you will be responsible for a significant portion of the damages under the contributory negligence rule. Essentially you contributed to your damages by failing to have an appropriate safety/structural item on the vehicle.

Even worse, if you have passengers in your car and they are injured, the insurance company of the tortfeasor/at fault party will adjust their injury claims/payments by this same % meaning that you will now be responsible for the difference.

Is it really worth it to not have one? No. A modified one should be perfectly fine assuming that the welder does a good job.

 

APPRAISAL PEOPLE that come to see your car. They dont care.. They probably wont even notice the crash beam.

I worked in a body shop in the past. They come and they even do back door deals with the body shop. to make that extra cash. Just make sure whatever the body shop is replacing is all OEM. If its a NO FAULT or COMPREHENSIVE claim your insurance shouldnt go up. GL

 

I'm not sure I'd want to take my car to a body shop if they haven't seen one before I'm pickier with body shops than I am with mechanic shops.

And adjusters may vary, but the one that looked at my car after their client backed into the side of me and ripped apart my side door and front quarter panel... Well... They were damn good at their job, and I'm real thankful they were. Otherwise the parts under the quarter panel etc that got damaged would not have been "noticed" I am very thankful that they were as skilled as they were with appraising the damages. 8k would not have been fun to pay myself

But you want them to notice and be good at the job. As has been said, the crash beam only helps at sub 5 mph speeds, and if they're good, then what sspaladin28 said will come into play. Meaning: if you're hit at over 5 mph, they should be able to determine a crash beam would've been little help, and you shouldn't have problems. Unless I'm reading what sspaladin28 said incorrectly.

 

Some guy cut me off, and I ended up hitting a guardrail which caused my whole front end to fold in like a chair, at the time I had AMS FMIC, and AMS GT35R kit, the fmic didn't have a nick on it, which I also did not have a crash bar at the time, the insurance company came looked at the car, cut a 6k check, and moved on.

I think 99.9% of them don't really care, they just want to go home!!

 

Of course they will RIP APART your car. THEY WANNA GET PAID!! they will look for the SMALLEST damage and put it on the estimate.

 

Find the old beam, bust it up real good to look like it was on there, and put it on.

 

Exactly. Most wouldn't even know it were modified unless they really knew their stuff.

 

Exactly my point. You think they won't notice the crash beam missing if that is the case?

 

MODIFIED CRASH BEAM? nahh. IF YOUR JDM REAR is FD UP. just put your OEM CRASH BEAM ON. Throw ur BUMPER over that beam. DOESNT have to look pretty. As long as the adjuster sees something there.

 

The last couple times I got rear-ended in my DD, the insurance never even sent out an adjuster. They just paid the bill, since the other guy was at fault and they were going to get reimbursed anyways.

 

The adjuster might not come out to look at your car but they will look at the car when its in the bodyshop.

 

just have the beam modified, as long as the bumper is the only thing damaged then they have to pay you for what was damaged on the car. Im currently getting mine modded as we speak.

 

i'm surprised no one posted this yet...this is what i am gonna do whenever i finally get a JDM rear for my car...

http://www.socalevo.net/forum/index....488.msg7138691

 

That's quite brilliant. I might actually do that.

 

It's not your fault someone rear ended you. If insurance doesn't pay the full thing just claim neck pains.

I'd like to get mine modded sometime, just need to find someone to do it for me.