Can anyone here give the insurance value of a 1980 300D with
300,000 miles in the state of California ?

What I mean is, the value at which the insurer will claim a total loss
after an accident.

My door got scraped and the body shop estimate is $1300.
What we fear is that the insurer will report the car to DMV as a total loss
and then we have to go through the lengthy process of getting a salvage title.
A salvage title for a car that never left the road.

A few years back we had a car get hit while parked, door dent.
Car never left the road, door and window worked fine.
Insurance company declared total loss.
First I had to go to a CHP office and have a police officer verify the VIN number.
Then had to go to a DMV inspection station and spend $100 and four hours
getting the car inspected.
The inspection result was that the car needed $1000 in repairs to be road worthy.
(a car that we had been driving and smogging and re-registering all these years).

We ended up registering the car in another state and giving it to a family friend.

I lost the car my father gave me because of the insurance company
and their rush to total based on unrealistic values and damage assessments.


When I asked the insurance claim adjuster this exact question they said they could not tell
me and did not know...????
They were incapable of telling me the value threshhold at which the vehicle would be considered a total loss.
I would only learn after their adjuster did an estimate.

As it is , the car was parked in a parking lot at the high school.
Gets hit when no one is there. I was not driving (my son was).
Insurance company already reported it to the DMV under my license number
as an accident.
The person who hit the car left the scene.
Somehow.... I am not getting the feeling that this is going to turn out well.

Thanks all. If you tell us a value, try and describe where you got it.

__________________
80 300D 340K Owned 30 yrs
83 300SD 440K Owned 9 yrs - Daily Driver 150mi/day
02 Z71 Suburban 117,000
15 Toyota Prius 2600 miles
00 Harley Sportster 24k
09 Yamaha R6
03 Ninja 250

http://www.nadaguides.com/

is what inusrance companies use

http://www.nadaguides.com/default.aspx?LI=1-22-1-5013-0-0-0&l=1&w=22&p=1&f=5014&y=1977&m=1115&d=4166&c=12&vi=76641&da=-1

is the insurance value of my 77

__________________
1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)

Any possibility of going to the Junk Yard and getting a used door and maybe repainting the car?

I live in CA and in the past my Father has had a Car declared totaled. What he said he found out later is that he could have taken the money for the Totaled Car minus the scrap value of his Car and kept his Car and fixed it himself.
I would have a salvaged title but if you plan to Keep the car it will not matter to you.

The next thing he told me was is that he could have made the Insurance Company fix his car. You might want to check the Law on this.

I looked at the above site and it seems to me that to amount given on that site was over estimated. What I have been told the Insurance companies use is the amount it would cost it your area to buy a similar used car. Example: the same car in New York will not be worth the same cost in Phoenix AZ.

Also, the Insurance Adjusters are hired out and work for a bunch of companies, they do not work for specific Insurance companies.

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

The car will not be declared a total loss unless you accept it as a term of settlement from your insurer and hand over the title in exchange. Opening the can of worms might flag your policy for future claims, though.

My experience with California insurers is their primary basis for valuation is recent sales of similar cars. Similar is completely at their discression. They look for Regals when there are no transactions for Grand Nationals or GNXs I imagine $1300 is well above insurance value for any 80 300D. Better look into classic or collector car coverage if these cars have value to you. Otherwise drop comp and collision.

The question is, will they pay an amount under the total loss radar and skip the salvage title? It should be safe to ask your insurer a hypothetical question or ask what section of the policy covers that topic.

Sixto
87 300D

I gladly pay for an agreed value policy to prevent nightmares like this.

__________________
- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

All good answers.

FYI - The Autoclub rep told me that they automatically inform
the DMV car is salvaged if repair exceeds value.

Nada Guide lists car as low value $5,000 for my area.
So I might avoid salvage title problems.

Regarding this minor injury, it is easier for me to buff the paint
and replace the trim and be done with it.

It just makes me angry that the brat hit it in the first place, then took off.
We both have the same insurance company, a witness led us to the offender.
They admitted guilt and it was no problem for the insurance company.
I do not have comp on this car at all.

I have owned this car since 1984. My wife and I had our first dates in this car.
I taught her sisters, my niece, and my son how to drive using this car.
It runs so well and is worth so little that I realized I probably will
end up keeping it forever.

Regarding salvage titles - I consider them to be a scourge and do avoid them.
Why have a salvage title if in fact the car has never been wrecked ?

Thank you all - I have decided to just fix it and avoid the insurance company.
Hate to give the other driver the break but maybe kharma will sneak up on him
some other time.

__________________
80 300D 340K Owned 30 yrs
83 300SD 440K Owned 9 yrs - Daily Driver 150mi/day
02 Z71 Suburban 117,000
15 Toyota Prius 2600 miles
00 Harley Sportster 24k
09 Yamaha R6
03 Ninja 250

Get another body shop estimate for $500 or so and at least get some cash out of him

__________________
1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine