The day came, an older lady failed to yield and destroyed the front end on my car. Currently a 1999 mustang GT with 179400 on the odometer, just put a clutch in about 2000 miles ago. Definetely don't want to part with this car and it has a clear title already, hoping they don't total it out. If they do should I buy it back and fix it or what? I love it, has the black leather, clutch I want, plenty of memories and was running like a top till she hit me. Basically took out both front fenders, the bumper, crash bar, and was leaking power steering fluid all over. Any advice is appreciated, main thing is I don't think I'll find a better car for the money. I love this thing anyway.
Wrecked, what's my next step?
35thredproject
41 - 59 of 59 Posts
Joined
·
22,905 Posts
Yeah my friend decided to tell me about that after I put in power steering fluid. Still haven't drained it and put in transmission fluid.
Joined
·
377 Posts
Farmers Insurance called me back, they said the total cost of repair would be $5300. The total amount they are going to pay out on the vehicle to me is going to be $5000 with taxes and all fees included, he would not accept fixing the car for the cost of the money so im just going to buy it back and start from there. The buy back is only $500 so I can't pass on that, I could get $600 just out of my wheels and tires. They are supposed to have it towed back in town today and I'll go get some pictures, hoping this will turn out okay in the end but with such a low buy back I should be just fine.
Joined
·
112 Posts
You could buy it back, pocket $4500, and part it out and make more money and save for a new one. $5k of damage is quite a bit.
Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App
Joined
·
377 Posts
Okay, so basically I got two black fenders and a black hood for $250. Pretty good condition, will have to transfer the scoop from my current hood over but no big deal. That takes care of a major part of the expense, not having to buy those for more and get them painted.
The bad news is I picked it up from Insurance Auto Auction lot on Tuesday, the 31st with BAD damage. I originally wasn't going to need the pass side fender or any work to the door but some knuckle head really tried hard to open the door and ruined both in the process. So now I'm working on a claim to make them pay for that is it was in their care and responsibility while it happened. My uncles shop said I should be able to make it out for around $4000 or just a little under since I have provided the majorly expensive parts but wow I can't believe my turn of luck.
-- You can see the damage in the photo below.
The bad news is I picked it up from Insurance Auto Auction lot on Tuesday, the 31st with BAD damage. I originally wasn't going to need the pass side fender or any work to the door but some knuckle head really tried hard to open the door and ruined both in the process. So now I'm working on a claim to make them pay for that is it was in their care and responsibility while it happened. My uncles shop said I should be able to make it out for around $4000 or just a little under since I have provided the majorly expensive parts but wow I can't believe my turn of luck.
-- You can see the damage in the photo below.
Attachments
Joined
·
1,146 Posts
That's what I would do.
Joined
·
836 Posts
What does the radiator support look like at the left headlight area?
Aren't your impact absorbers (accordion looking things) destroyed?
Aren't your impact absorbers (accordion looking things) destroyed?
Joined
·
377 Posts
Well I don't have months to be without a car so parting it out isn't an option. I have three semesters of college left until graduation so toying around with the car isn't really something I want to do, I want a good DD again. Buying another car for $5-$6k with high mileage and God knows what wrong with it that I would need to fix wouldn't be a good practice. I know I maintain my really well and this fix is turning into new parts such as a fan assembly, radiator, condenser, etc. Yea the radiator support is destroyed but only $100 to replace that brand new one from AM. I'll keep you guys updated on the total cost of everything and how much I save buying the parts myself and having the shop do it. Insurance company seemed like they were going to take responsibility for the extra damage and cut me an additional check there so just a matter of piecing everything back together. Thanks for the comments
Joined
·
732 Posts
Buy another car with the $5000. Part the rest out.
Joined
·
377 Posts
"Well I don't have months to be without a car so parting it out isn't an option. I have three semesters of college left until graduation so toying around with the car isn't really something I want to do, I want a good DD again. Buying another car for $5-$6k with high mileage and God knows what wrong with it that I would need to fix wouldn't be a good practice."
Not seeing that as a good idea at this point, nothing decent for $5000 around here. Rather put new parts on an already good car then have to spend all the money on a junker and have to fix it up
Joined
·
1,377 Posts
Theres a 2000 mustang GT in ozark missouri. It has 160k on it and the guy only wants 3900 for it. I know you dont want to buy another car with high miles but the price is good and EVERYTHING from your current car would swap over without issues IF something were to break. But then again i dont know how far you are from there.
Joined
·
1,286 Posts
Good luck man! That is a lot of damage but just make sure your frame ain't bent or it'll be a nightmare in the end.
Joined
·
22,905 Posts
Which is more than it cost me to buy a radiator support and inner fenders from a junkyard.
Joined
·
112 Posts
Joined
·
836 Posts
Instead of parting it you could remove your rims, SCT tune, and TB & plentum, and still easily get $1,000 for your wrecked car. Then you have $5,500 total.
Buying someone else's never wrecked no issues ~150k mile ready to daily drive car is a bad idea, but buying your own 180k mile wrecked salvage title car and hassling with fixing it for a total of $5,000 IS a good idea? Would you buy your own wrecked salvage title car from someone else, and go through the hassle of fixing it, for a total overall cost of $5k? Because that's what you are gonna have into it - the $1,000 it's worth as a complete parts car + $4,000 ish in repairs you said. And when you eventually sell it, the salvage title will kill the resale value.
Buying someone else's never wrecked no issues ~150k mile ready to daily drive car is a bad idea, but buying your own 180k mile wrecked salvage title car and hassling with fixing it for a total of $5,000 IS a good idea? Would you buy your own wrecked salvage title car from someone else, and go through the hassle of fixing it, for a total overall cost of $5k? Because that's what you are gonna have into it - the $1,000 it's worth as a complete parts car + $4,000 ish in repairs you said. And when you eventually sell it, the salvage title will kill the resale value.
Joined
·
377 Posts
fixed
I finally got it all fixed up a couple weeks ago. The car is NOT salvage rebuilt, they did not have to report it as anything more than it was in a wreck. I paid this car off while I was finishing highschool and did not want to be back in debt while im finishing out college now. In the last couple years I've replaced the heater core, clutch, and many other projects that were a total pain in the ass and on a college budget costly. This is the reason I opted to keep it, besides me having it the way I want it and overall mechanically sound. Thanks for the input everyone, I seriously considered getting rid of it but financially and the time it would take to make repairs to another I decided to keep it. My uncle did all of the work at his shop and the frame is straight as an arrow yet again. I didn't go under on this, came right out at cost that the insurance gave me and ended up with many new parts including; new battery (old one was 8yrs old), new radiator, new cooling fan, new ps reservoir, new headlights/fog lights, new steering wheel wrap, hood struts, and obviously all new fluids. So realistically its better off then if I would have bought some unknown vehicle with similar mileage.
I finally got it all fixed up a couple weeks ago. The car is NOT salvage rebuilt, they did not have to report it as anything more than it was in a wreck. I paid this car off while I was finishing highschool and did not want to be back in debt while im finishing out college now. In the last couple years I've replaced the heater core, clutch, and many other projects that were a total pain in the ass and on a college budget costly. This is the reason I opted to keep it, besides me having it the way I want it and overall mechanically sound. Thanks for the input everyone, I seriously considered getting rid of it but financially and the time it would take to make repairs to another I decided to keep it. My uncle did all of the work at his shop and the frame is straight as an arrow yet again. I didn't go under on this, came right out at cost that the insurance gave me and ended up with many new parts including; new battery (old one was 8yrs old), new radiator, new cooling fan, new ps reservoir, new headlights/fog lights, new steering wheel wrap, hood struts, and obviously all new fluids. So realistically its better off then if I would have bought some unknown vehicle with similar mileage.
Attachments
Joined
·
377 Posts
Fomoco Rad Support
Also I took BA Mustangs advice and got the complete radiator support from another mustang. So it is the Fomoco and I paid a little more but it all worked out. Anyways here's how it looks under the hood now. Pretty newish imo.
Also I took BA Mustangs advice and got the complete radiator support from another mustang. So it is the Fomoco and I paid a little more but it all worked out. Anyways here's how it looks under the hood now. Pretty newish imo.
Attachments
Joined
·
377 Posts
I didn't realize this... hmm have to change that out now we put the Prestone PS fluid in it.
Thanks for the support man, happy to have it back. Already put a few hundred miles on her and she's running great! Now I get to keep it for my long term plan of swapping in a coyote after college when I get another DD.
P.S. IAA came through and paid $1400 for the damage they did on the fender/door so that was good. I didn't get completely screwed, basically the only thing I went south on was somewhere along the process of towing it back to Wichita lost the only key that works for driving so I had to pay $65 for a new one and $35 for an extra but it worked into my parts cost.
41 - 59 of 59 Posts
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
