I was recently in an accident, and well my insurance is calling my car totaled. The damage to front isn't that bad, but both airbags deployed, so they feel that it is too expensive to repair. They gave me an estimate of 11k, which I felt was too low considering all the parts I have put into it. So my choice is to keep the car, but get only 8k, or salvage it and get 11k. The car had about 78k miles on it. Any thoughts on what I should do?? All the parts that I have are listed in my signature.

Thanks

 

remove the mods from the totalled car. take the $11K. buy another and reinstall mods.

 

If I remove the mods won't it decrease the estimate?

 

It kinda makes sense to me to keep it. If they're giving you $8k to fix it on your own that seems cheaper than buying a comparable car and modding it to your current point which would certainly cost more than $11k.

I guess it really depends on if you have another car to use while your MINI is being restored and if you are able to do most of the work yourself rather than blowing that $8k real fast by having a shop do all the work.

 

Actually, I think a lot of insurance companies will let you remove a certain amount of aftermarket parts. I think my insurance covers up to $3k in aftermarket parts so I think I'd be able to remove some of mine or at a minimum take my aftermarket parts and replace them with OEM parts.

If kromdom's suggestion would work out for you, then it's probably your best bet and the quickest way to get you back up and rolling.

 

from personal experience (California), MODS are not factored in the estimate......unless you had the value of such included when you got coverage.

In fact, there is another thread about a JCW owner who is fighting his insurance because they are valuing his car as a "plain Jane Mini."


EDIT: looks like you're already on your way to demodding: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ut-my-r53.html

 

Hmm I haven't really taken a look at anything else that was damaged. As I have not been able to get to my car. I did take some pics from the day of the accident. It doesn't look too bad.

 

This is the pic of the inside.

 

I recently restored a salvaged mini. I have a thread on it.

From my experience, You really don't know until you remove all the damaged parts. The fact that both air bags deployed is a good indication how much potential damage there would be.

Mine had intact air bags and it had both front and rear damages.

If you feel content with the salvage title and the fact that it won't sell if you want to sell it at any where near what you would imagine it would be sold at, then go pick it up.

If you have capacity to fix it, rolling/drivable vehicle without frame and drivetrain damage at 3G is not a bad deal.

 

Now that I have seen the photos. Describe what happened. How fast were you going before the impact?

 

Someone was trying to switch lanes, and he ran into a truck, which caused the car in front of me to brake. My car didn't brake in time and I ran into the back of the car. The only damage on the car in front of me was a cracked bumper. I honestly can't remember how fast I was going before impact, but it couldn't have been over 30 mph.

 

IIRC the speedometer must register certain speed before deploying and certain amount of G or inertia must trigger the air bag sensor.

Your damage seem minimal but there are few things you have keep in mind. Damage you see is relatively easy to fix. It is the hidden ones that are expensive to fix let alone diagnose.

You have to be the judge here as no one knows exactly how fast you were going and you are the only one who experience the impact.

Like I said 3G is not a bad price but then again you are getting a salvage and most people don't want that as they feel that it won't be reliable. Most likely you are not going to be making any money when you sell this unless you put it together and assuming you have all the right equipments to do so.

Just from what I see, you will put in about two grand in parts(used and non oem parts) and tools if you are going to do it yourself and you end up with a salvage.

 

I'll give you some options after seeing these photos. Pm me your email address and I'll send you some options.

 

I once bought back a totaled car i loved, but it was never the same as before and I got next to nothing upon selling it. I would go talk to the shop that has it and get all the mods you can off. If you go for an R53 again use the parts otherwise PM me, I'd be interested in several for my '02.

 

If I was you, I will buy it back. That is if your car runs and feels fine.

Don't let those who want your car for parts sway you.

Your brake alone is worth some money.

If the insurance company is maxed at 11K. I would get it back.

 

besides the replacing of the airbag units and parts, and having the modules reset and replaced, cosmetic wise, it doesn't seem that bad. Here are some photo's of my wife's car. When the guy's insurance company came out to estimate it, he said it was over $10,500 in repairs, and wanted to cut me a check right there and then. I then had my insurance company come out, and they quote $6600. When all said and done by the body shop, AND with some extra goodies installed, it came out toe $6800. I can't see that being over $11,000 in damage, even with the airbags deployed, that's probably around $4-5,000 in repairs, and the rest is a couple grand, if you do the necessary steps to keep the body shop cost low. Remember people, insurance companies are just that, companies, which means they are in business to make a profit. To them, our cars are gold in the parts market, and would make more money off your wreck, then the check they cut. Engine-2500-3500, trans-3000-5000, Misc. body parts-3000-4000, BAM, made money back, and they didn't even have to do the tear down work.

 

If I cut down the cost to repair, will they still give me a salvage title?

 

Only way I believe they would give you a salvage title is if you accepted their terms of what the cost of damage is, and give them ownership, they cut you a check, and then buy it back. If the cost of repairs is under a certain percentage of what the vehicle is worth, and is proven with estimates from shops, then no, they just cut the repair shops a check to get whats repaired, and your good to go.

Also have to remember that since you hit them ( even though they had jumped in front of you and slammed on the brakes) since your insurance company isn't able to go after the other guys insurance to recoup the money for the check that they give to the repair shops, that money is coming straight out from their business, effectively, they are losing money ( although you've been paying for the insurance) Thus why they are ready to cut you a check and take that car, to part it out and make that money back.

 

Just want to learn, I thought insurance companies don't part them. It is the salvage folks who buys these vehicles for parts? Thus insurance auctions?

Regardless, I have seen many Mini's totaled for no good reason but one thing is though these things we drive is not that rigid when it comes in contact with other vehicle.

 

Exactly, but you think an insurance company would pay you 10,000 and end up auctioning the car and only get 5,000? They have set prices for these cars, and set the starting bid just below what they paid, and usually break even, or make a few bucks. Also, the new big thing is shipping them overseas to countries that don't have easy access to parts, they pay a premium for those cars.

Yes, with the advantage of uni body cars and safety, these cars are designed to dissapaite the energy of the crash through the chassis, especially the front of the vehicle. However, there are several pieces on the front of the vehicle that will deflect the energy before the chassis takes it, mainly for low speed accidents, hopefully this is the case.

 

If I was in your spot, I would buy it back. Find another Mini on which to install your mods. Use stock parts from the new host to replace the mod parts you wish to keep and then sell the wreck to someone else who is either ambitious enough to take it on or does this all the time. If the wreck doesn't look that bad, surely someone will give you 3k for it and then for absolute certain, you will get every dollar of mods out of it that you put into it.

Insurance companies are required by law to total your car when damage repair cost exceeds 60% of blue book value using new OEM parts. They may however choose to do so at amounts under that at their own disgression.
Laws on salvage vehicles vary greatly between states, some even forbidding owners from buying back a total. The condition of title is one of those things that varies greatly as well.
Here in Missouri, I could buy back a total and retain a clear title if cost to repair is under 80% of retail value. If I surrendered it to the insurance company, even at 60%, it would have to be titled as salvage, which is a non-road use title for the purposes of proof of ownership.
Anyone buying a "salvage" vehicle must then perform necessary repairs to make the car safe and roadworthy. They then must have the vehicle along with all the receipts for the necessary parts inspected by a special Highway patrol officer to ensure that he repairs were not only performed but that the parts used were not stolen. If everything was done correctly you can get a "prior salvage" title, this is a road use title that you can now get plates for.
On a side but related note, cars with a "prior salvage" title are worth 70% of blue book value no matter how minor the damage was or how well the repairs were performed.

When you are talking about airbags deploying at $600+ a crack, $500 plastic bumper cover, $500 windshield, $250 each headlights, its not really hard to see how a car gets totaled. You, however can choose to by used or aftermarket parts and save big money.