Totalled the Explorer.

[Capt Jay]

Over memorial weekend a tree sorta ran into the side of the Explorer. I've got glass coverage on it, so when it broke the wing window I figured I'd turn it into the insurance company. They told me the damage was around $3,800. It dented the quarter panel and the roof. They told me the truck wasn't worth that amount of money and they were going to total it. After negotiation. I'm getting just under $2,000 with a buy back of $300. I still own the truck, it still has a clean title, mechanically it's just fine, it just has a dent in the drivers side. New glass and a few bumps with a hammer and it will be good as new. The glass is $80. I'll be walking away with my truck and clear about $1.600.

 

[Ozwynn]

you came out ahead. good deal, I lost $500 when Teffie totaled my saturn because of the deductible, and its not like any money came from there pocket, they salvaged it for $1700 and kept $500 to cover towing and recovery. Jokes on them, I paid $200 for it and it cost me $26 and 15 min to get it running. [/ramblings]

 

[Mark_88]

Good stuff!

I came out slightly ahead when someone decided they could beat me across the highway...but still haven't fixed the bent front bumper...got the parts waiting for me...two new headlights...just gotta come up with the $200 the guy wants and go at it...

 

[Capt Jay]

The problem is trying to explain to an insurance company the price of a special use vehicle. They don't understand lift kits, winches, custom bumpers etc. They kept asking for receipts. They looked at the bumpers and asked how much they cost. I tried to tell them that they are custom fabed. I might as well have been trying to explain quantum physics to a chimp. At the end of the day I still own all the parts and the custom work. I did come out ahead....SUCKERS!!!!!

 

[Cooke15]

what are you going to replace it with?

 

[rangerbum]

Hey, I know its odd, but when I got T-boned last week(after I found out that the other guy had good insurance) secretly thought: JACKPOT! It's a wierd thought, but I think its only right that we make a profit from insurance. Think of how much they owe us and we never get it unless something bad happens. I didnt realize it, but unless your in an accident, insurance seems like a waste of money.

 

[Capt Jay]

what are you going to replace it with?

Nothing. It's a dedicated off road truck. Look at my picture, that's it on it's side. I don't care what it looks like, it runs well.

 

[Totalled]

What about my explorer?

 

[Sunk]

A buddy of mine got rear-ended at a pretty slow speed in his '73 Baja. The BMW that hit him bent up the custom rear bumper into the pushrod tubes and cracked a few welds. He got a quote from an older guy in town who owns a shop and like kids who can break and fix things.

So the other driver's insurance gave him a check for $1500, he spent $10 on some collapsible pushrods tubes (didn't have to pull the heads), jumped on the bumper and ran a new bead across the welds that cracked.

I was waiting for somebody to hit my rear bumper, hitch and all.

 

[MAKG]

Heh, my wife totalled the Prizm a few weeks ago.

Looked at the clock and rear ended an F250.

So I picked up a 1990 Jetta for her. The clock is dead center in the instrument cluster. I just wish that F'er had an actual check engine light....

Still gotta smog it, and the a***hole previous owner concealed a cold-start problem. It MAY just need plug wires and/or a coil; I can hear the arcing in the radio.

But it cost less than the settlement on the Prizm. Made about $100, and it was half the budget set aside. My wife likes how it looks; go figure. So, I'll fix the problems (let's hope the PO didn't hide anything more major than that -- seems unlikely due to a few-months-ago smog sniff; if he was selling a lemon it would be just about due for its biennial inspection now). I'd be annoyed, but I'm still under budget if I have to replace that huge aluminum head.

The temperature gauge was stated inaccurate; I suspect there just isn't a thermostat in there or it is stuck open. The heater is warm.

There are miscellaneous annoyances, like a broken rear door handle. I'll get those taken care of (thank you Pick'n'Pull).

 

[CopyKat]

Insurance don't give a rats ass about modifications. It could have $20 000 in parts and they will look at the bottom line "It's a 93 Ford Explorer" Unless you have $20 000 in reciepts to back up your claim. Really the only reason to buy back is for the parts invested. They can be swapped over to a new shell or sold for more profit.

Was it insured as an ORV? Around here insurance for ORV/OHV's are more expensive than registering for the street.

 

[Capt Jay]

No it wasn't. I didn't learn that little pearl until after it was totaled. Live and learn. The only considerations that they gave me was the lift kit, rims and winch. I'm just curious if I can now still insure it? I'm not going to fix it, just bounce it off trees. The only reason it was insured was so I could put tabs on it so I could park it on the street. I had comp. just because I have a problem with breaking glass, go figure. Hind site being 20/20 I'm glad I did. It pays a lot of my Christmas presents.