WizardBlack Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 The problem with most of our cars is we have WAY more in them than the insurance company will cover. I keep my car covered with a stated value policy. Otherwise, you can go find a basic S30 that still runs and is totally stock. Figure what that costs and that's what the insurance company will consider your car is worth. If the car is totaled, they will give you that value, but you still have to buy the car back. Then you have a totaled car that has to pass an inspection by the state to get it registered to drive on public roads. The big thing is you will probably have to contend with the insurance adjuster; depending on the company he/she works for and his/her attitude. You may need to get advice from your own company; if you know your insurance agent well. The most important thing is to stay polite, do your own research on vehicle values and don't just accept what they tell you. Having researched EQUIVALENT cars is the important thing for you to do. A rusted out, barely running, stock vehicle is not equivalent. That's going to be your big point of contention. Take the 'for sale' threads on here (with pics) and other sites, autotrader.com, carbuyer.com, etc is going to be very important for you so you can get what you want out of it. I have had several claims (unfortunately). I had a modified (heavily) '02 WRX that ended up totalled. New it cost $23k and was a year old. It probably booked $18k or so, but I had LOTS of documentation of the modifications, upgraded equipment, paint job, etc. When the adjuster came in, I handed him a binder of spreadsheets, printouts of car part websites, etc. When it was over, I payed the car off (it was a 60 month loan and no substantial down payment) and cleared something like $7k for the additional improvements I made. The last option is, if it totals and you don't like the payback value, insist that they replace the car with an equivalent model. (Notice that repeat of 'equivalent'?) The biggest thing is show that you have honest intentions and want to be reasonable and polite with the adjuster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh817 Posted September 23, 2009 Author Share Posted September 23, 2009 The problem with most of our cars is we have WAY more in them than the insurance company will cover. I keep my car covered with a stated value policy. Otherwise, you can go find a basic S30 that still runs and is totally stock. Figure what that costs and that's what the insurance company will consider your car is worth. If the car is totaled, they will give you that value, but you still have to buy the car back. Then you have a totaled car that has to pass an inspection by the state to get it registered to drive on public roads.The big thing is you will probably have to contend with the insurance adjuster; depending on the company he/she works for and his/her attitude. You may need to get advice from your own company; if you know your insurance agent well. The most important thing is to stay polite, do your own research on vehicle values and don't just accept what they tell you. Having researched EQUIVALENT cars is the important thing for you to do. A rusted out, barely running, stock vehicle is not equivalent. That's going to be your big point of contention. Take the 'for sale' threads on here (with pics) and other sites, autotrader.com, carbuyer.com, etc is going to be very important for you so you can get what you want out of it. I have had several claims (unfortunately). I had a modified (heavily) '02 WRX that ended up totalled. New it cost $23k and was a year old. It probably booked $18k or so, but I had LOTS of documentation of the modifications, upgraded equipment, paint job, etc. When the adjuster came in, I handed him a binder of spreadsheets, printouts of car part websites, etc. When it was over, I payed the car off (it was a 60 month loan and no substantial down payment) and cleared something like $7k for the additional improvements I made. The last option is, if it totals and you don't like the payback value, insist that they replace the car with an equivalent model. (Notice that repeat of 'equivalent'?) The biggest thing is show that you have honest intentions and want to be reasonable and polite with the adjuster. Yah I agree. I was just thinking the same about our old cars. I have AT LEAST $2000 worth of stroker motor in there, plus paint and body from this past June, plus a bunch of other little things. I think if they try to total it I'm going to hit the road and call up the dude responsible for it. He came off as a very straight forward honest man, very apologetic, etc. I don't know if he's made of money BUT I can ask him whether he would pay for it, avoid the insurance hit, and help me avoid the salvaged title. If it comes out to be one of those write the car off situations and I can't do anything about it, I'll probably attempt to throw a fit and explain the way I'm thinking, that being; why should I be punished for something YOUR customer did to me. I'm taking a hit and I wasn't even sitting in the car, nor was it parked in any illegal spot. Or I could just call my agent and do something smart. I'm finding it funny how these "agents" say call them but they're never there. What do you do if you aren't there to take calls about accidents. i always get the secretary or someone else. Does the big wig not have to do anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardBlack Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Yah I agree. I was just thinking the same about our old cars. I have AT LEAST $2000 worth of stroker motor in there, plus paint and body from this past June, plus a bunch of other little things. I think if they try to total it I'm going to hit the road and call up the dude responsible for it. He came off as a very straight forward honest man, very apologetic, etc. I don't know if he's made of money BUT I can ask him whether he would pay for it, avoid the insurance hit, and help me avoid the salvaged title. If it comes out to be one of those write the car off situations and I can't do anything about it, I'll probably attempt to throw a fit and explain the way I'm thinking, that being; why should I be punished for something YOUR customer did to me. I'm taking a hit and I wasn't even sitting in the car, nor was it parked in any illegal spot. Or I could just call my agent and do something smart. I'm finding it funny how these "agents" say call them but they're never there. What do you do if you aren't there to take calls about accidents. i always get the secretary or someone else. Does the big wig not have to do anything? The big wig should be out and about selling policies and helping his customers. Give them a bit of time; they don't always stay in the office, but they should be good about getting back to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh817 Posted September 23, 2009 Author Share Posted September 23, 2009 The big wig should be out and about selling policies and helping his customers. Give them a bit of time; they don't always stay in the office, but they should be good about getting back to you. Yah I don't care who I talk to, as long as things can get done. The secretary or whoever I spoke to scheduled an adjuster to come out tomorrow morning. Lets see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh817 Posted September 24, 2009 Author Share Posted September 24, 2009 Well now! The appraiser came out today. very nice and polite dude. We were polite back, just as you told us to be. I printed off the 4 parts from MSA to show him what I found and this worked out very well because his database only goes back to 1980 so he didn't know how to price everything. I pointed out the spots of damage and everything, he took pictures, did his thing. We now have $2100 for repairs! :/ Thats a ton, I almost feel bad. I said I could probably find cheaper places to get parts from and that I can reuse a lot of stuff that didn't get mega-crushed. Anyway, I'm very happy. I'll get a rental car, order my airdam, and hunt around locally for used parts. The rest will go to upgrades I guess... >_> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschiltz Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Do you actually get to drive the rental car? My little brother got t-boned in his ranger one time and got the ins. to pay for a rental, but since he wasn't over 25 he couldn't legally drive the rental, so he drove my mom's car and she drove the rental. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh817 Posted September 25, 2009 Author Share Posted September 25, 2009 Do you actually get to drive the rental car? My little brother got t-boned in his ranger one time and got the ins. to pay for a rental, but since he wasn't over 25 he couldn't legally drive the rental, so he drove my mom's car and she drove the rental. Thats exactly what we're doing however the $2100 is for repairs and not the rental as far as I'm concerned. If they try and say the rental must be done with the $2100 then they need to think again because the $2100 is sectioned out by labor, parts, and taxes, nowhere on the paper does it say rental car fee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Challenger Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 But can you drive it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trippintl0 Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 There is no reason to feel bad at all for the money. If you go to a good quality body shop and get this thing fully repaired without bondo the way you want it, it will probably cost much more than 2100! It sounds like you seem to think that since you're going to do a lot of the work yourself, that you don't deserve as much. I used to be the same way. I would fix people's cars and charge so little. I could have made the same money pushing carts at Wal-Mart. And I would not count the time to set up, get tools out, put tools away, clean up, do paperwork, etc. Believe me, I rarely do side work anymore, but if I do, and it's not a freebie (like for my parents) then I bill my time from the time I leave doing whatever I was doing until I get back - even my friends I bill this way. It seems cold-blooded at first, and it makes some people not want your services anymore, but you will eventually realize (especially once you are married and have children) that your time is very precious!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh817 Posted September 25, 2009 Author Share Posted September 25, 2009 Mom will rent out the car and I'll take hers. I plan on buying used parts and having them painted. There won't be any wet sanding or making perfect, just spray the parts. I'm the one who's fitting them onto the car and everything, I just don't want to paint again. It was 3 months in hell for me when I did the entire car. I have everything to wet sand the car and to polish it out so thats for me to do. If I haven't tried to do something atleast once, to see what its like, then thats what I'll be doing. I painted and hated it, so they will paint, but I haven't wet sanded and buffed out a car before. He quoted $350+ just for the paint and then there was labor to paint and labor to install. Since I'm installing, thats cool, they'll be painting so thats cool, and I spent like $400 on paint for the entire car. Its cheap Nason paint, works fine. Get a quart with reducers for $100 and you're good to go. I already had money lined up to finally finish my ignition and big brakes (if they fit in my wheels) so I think all this extra cash will go to suspension and fuel cell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschiltz Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Thats exactly what we're doing however the $2100 is for repairs and not the rental as far as I'm concerned. If they try and say the rental must be done with the $2100 then they need to think again because the $2100 is sectioned out by labor, parts, and taxes, nowhere on the paper does it say rental car fee. Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Your 2100 is for your car, not the rental. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sticky280zx Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Why oh why a fuel cell?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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