Smashed up smart

[Alchemy R]

All of the smashed smarts I've watched at the salvage auctions have sold for more than that... I watched one sell for over 12K. I couldn't believe it went that high. That particular one had less damage than yours but that's all I could tell from pictures.

[rjc57]

I'd be going around holding my back, and saying me is hurted, hehe

[Derek Bell]

Originally Posted by Alchemy R

All of the smashed smarts I've watched at the salvage auctions have sold for more than that... I watched one sell for over 12K.

Yikes! How many smashed smarts have you seen? From now on take some pics and post 'em in the gallery. Folks are eager to see how they hold up (or not) in real life.

[tidepool]

Sorry to hear about your accident. August 18 I had to take mine in for a minor bang on the side. No structual damage just cosmetic. I had turned into a Silerado HD Truck. Only scratches. But here is it September 19 and I may get it back next week. Parts are definitely an issue plus dealerships not prepared for replacement parts. I was told they have to come from the plant overseas. Good Luck, might be quicker to get on an Orphan list.

[Alchemy R]

Originally Posted by Derek Bell

Yikes! How many smashed smarts have you seen? From now on take some pics and post 'em in the gallery. Folks are eager to see how they hold up (or not) in real life.

Good idea... I'll start saving images!

[PerryA]

Originally Posted by SuperGeek

I have to wonder if anyone in the supply chain at Smart realizes that the same parts that are used to create the car can be used to repair it. If they make even one more car on the assembly line, surely they can find the parts to repair a front end. To me it's mostly a matter of logistics and communication. The parts have to exist; if your individual dealer can't find them, you may have to look harder on your own or get assistance from multiple dealers.

As someone in logistics. . .the parts distribution channel is different from the channel for parts coming from suppliers for manufacturing/assembly. But you are right that Smart should have established this chain when they set up the dealer network. With so few dealers and owners pretty widespread, some simple repairs could be handled by local mechanics if they could get the parts. Are all dealerships set up to do more than simple maintenance? Could they do an engine rebuild? Do they have full-fledged body shops?

I wrote about Hyundai's parts distribution a few years ago. All of their parts went through dealers at that time. But they had a robust supply chain with good visibility and the ability to shift parts among dealers as needed. They had a minimum stocking configuration for dealers and the ability to provide needed parts quickly. Parts sales and after-sale maintenance were part of the deal and a major part of the dealer profit. Plus, your mechanic or body shop could get parts, they just had to go through a dealer. There are other third parties that specialize in managing parts distribution networks who can ensure parts are available.

This should not be an issue 9 months after the launch. It shouldn't have been an issue 9 days after launch, but that might be excusable.

[smartHHO]

That is some damage, but it looks very repairable. Have you looked into this site yet. They seem reasonable like 899 for full set of panels vs 1500 from dealer, and complete body kit for about 3k.

Smart Madness Home Page

And no I don't work for them.

[eozhabes]

try to get your parts from Europe youselves guys! it only put you back for 2 weeks

[spikey01]

The unibody frame may look fine but it my to be bent. You would need to have it checked out by a competent frame shop. You just can't see the damage. And it could be dangerous. This is a common issue in motorcycle accidents, but it can be straightened.
Perhaps the best thing to do is take the payout from the insurance company, put yourself on every orphan list near (or far), register for a new one, and buy a cheap used car for the interim.