genuine advice needed after accident
 

Howdy all
I accidently crashed my 8 into a Tahoe at 15 mph... In the passenger side front corner, that spelled disaster for the front bumper, passenger side front fender, headlight, headlight and fender mounting frame, coolant overflow tank, the ecu wiring harness, hood and minor damage to the oil cooler(but no leaks)
the insurance company is probably going to total it out...
My question is is it worth it to get it back under salvage title and repair it myself, or save my money for a different car?

Pictures.

BC.

Take the settlement and get another car. Unless you're in the business of doing this kind of thing, you'd be in for a nightmare.

There is a thread somewhere on this site by DocBeech describing how to get the best payoff from an insurance company. It's worth looking for. Maybe a member who keeps track of that kind if thing can help find it.

Ken

1. Do you have an actual report of all of the damage?
2. Are you saying you'd want to actually do the work yourself or did you mean buy the car back and pay to have the work done?

If you're thinking of actually doing the work yourself, then you probably shouldn't attempt that unless you're certain you can do all of the work. If you know you can do the work, then you should be able to decide if it's worth buying back and doing the work.

If you meant buy it back and pay to have someone do the work, then it depends on a lot of things. The biggest things to consider are the extent of the damage, the costs to repair it and the offer you get. If you have a bent frame and get an offer that allows you to get a different car, I'd just go with the new car. If everything is generally repairable/replaceable without affecting the final condition of the car, then maybe this is a good opportunity to throw in some mods or pocket some extra cash.

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Here are a couple pics of the car as it sets and directly after the accident.
Also as far as new car payout, it was under a loan. So the insurance company pays off the value of the car and gap insurance takes care of whats left..
in a nutshell its like the 8 never existed
as far as the actual repair i was thinking about sourcing most (if not all)of the parts from a local salvage yard.
i have SOME mechanical auto experience (1 engine rebuild, 2 timing belts and a head, also ive worked with body in the past and get the idea.also i know TONS about electrical and electronics, i'm a bit of a nerd like that :p
ive already looked at going rates for parts, and at BEST im looking at around 2k for everything( that NOT including the cost of the car)
But then, sadly i look at the logic behind it and i find little...
i was in an accident that is the other persons fault, but my insurance rate will still go up.
Once i fix it it will still have a grind going into second and a worn out clutch and brake pads.
And once you factor in the fact where im at (norfolk VA) there is no place within 200 miles to use it to its full potential legally, it really makes no sense at all to keep it.....
but at the same time the people do things that dont make sense, that's what makes us special.:)

I mean this in the nicest way... you would be a complete moron for buying that car back.

You were upside down on the loan, which is a horrible state to be in, but you had the foresight to have gap insurance. That's awesome.

You're winning, man. The key to life is to know when you're winning, so walk away from the table a little smarter and little wiser. Take the settlement and do not buy it back.

Next time, think about buying a car that you're not going to be upside down on the moment you drive it off the lot, gap insurance or not. If you were upside down, it generally means you couldn't afford the car in the first place.

That's my genuine advice.

If it wasn't your fault, why would your rate go up?

Good deal that you had gap insurance. Since you'll wind up as if the 8 never existed, you have to ask yourself: If you never owned that car, but came upon it in a salvage yard, would you buy it and try restoring it?

Ken