Well, there's the rub. Tank is currently in my garage, half torn apart as I fix a few things on it in preparation for selling it. The registration expired the end of last month and I wasn't going to renew it, but it looks like I might have to now. We'll see what shakes out.

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'95 E300D ("Tank") - 231,000 miles
'79 240D ("Biscuit") - 197,250 miles (Sold)
'83 240D ("Ding-Ding") - 217,000 miles (Death by deer)
______________________________________

"Back off, man. I’m a scientist” ~ Peter Venkman

I was pretty confident the deer didn't make it. I couldn't stop and didn't go back through until the morning. At the place on the road where I hit it, there were hills on both sides, so I figured I would see it there. To my surprise I couldn't see it anywhere. Deer are pretty resilient, so maybe it kept on going.

__________________
'95 E300D ("Tank") - 231,000 miles
'79 240D ("Biscuit") - 197,250 miles (Sold)
'83 240D ("Ding-Ding") - 217,000 miles (Death by deer)
______________________________________

"Back off, man. I’m a scientist” ~ Peter Venkman

Well, the adjuster worked it over pretty good and came up with about $3500 in damages and, not surprisingly it is considered a total loss. I have to call in tomorrow to find out what they planning on offering me.

A friend who is an adjuster tells me that on old cars like these they don't have a value they can just look up so the insurnace company will utilize a third-party company that will call around to local used auto places and get quotes on what they would offer the car for on their lot. With that in mind, I wonder if there might be a little more room to negotiate the value?

__________________
'95 E300D ("Tank") - 231,000 miles
'79 240D ("Biscuit") - 197,250 miles (Sold)
'83 240D ("Ding-Ding") - 217,000 miles (Death by deer)
______________________________________

"Back off, man. I’m a scientist” ~ Peter Venkman

Don't let em get away with your engine and trans.

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Codifex
1981 240D ChinaBlue (Got her running with a donor engine.)
1983 300DTurbo w/sunroof.
1984 300TD manual sunroof. (Electrical Gremlins)

Too many sentimental types think deer look "so cute" and they oppose all hunting. Those people need to have a few deer hit their cars ( no PI, of course), and see if that helps their attitude.
Hope you adjuster makes a reasonable offer.
Have you ever considered an "agreed value" policy?

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

Use E-bay as a source becasue of their inflated asking and buy it now prices. Also ask them if you can have or buy back what's left. I did that with an 86 Riviera I had. (new factory Eng and trans) I loved that car but way to many eletronics. The seats had 8 or 10 different motors in them each and the dash was 100% digital with a touch screen. The car was 25 years ahead of it's time.

In my case the adjuster was cool enough to leave the title clean so I worked a deal with a local body shop and got if fixed for what they offered me for settlement.

You might be able to get a good BS to clean up the structural damage and then do the rest on your own and keep you car on the road. Worked for me and I drove that car for another 3 years and sold it.

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Mad_Matt's Current Stable:
Oil Burners:
09 Jetta TDI The highway queen @ 105k
83 300D. Sold
Gassers:
16 A4 sport line
10 Passat
83 Recaro Trans AM WS6 Bone Stock Survivor
11 Harley Ultra

That deer should be hanging from your engine hoist.

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1981 300TD "The Green Lantern"
1980 300TD
1983 300D Euro "China Cat"

hit one going 60+ at 630 am in my 350sdl $5K. took radiator, condenser, fan, etc all out. was in deer season, guy in truck stopped, took me to a phone, and then tagged the deer and hauled it off. More deer-car crashes in PA than any other state. The whole has hit at least one in 30 years. I've hit 2. One walked away, and the most recent where neither the car nor the deer walked.

be careful out there...

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71 220D 169K wrecked
83 240D 118K sweet 4 speed
91 350SDL (one of the 60% good engines) 156K
84 300d (loaner to my sister) 189K
79 300SD (partswagen)
86 420SEL partswagen
70 220d (partswagen)
68 280s GASSER!!! under construction now
85 300sd 310K miles winter beater car retired
93 300d 2.5 turbo 168K wife's car
83 280SL euro 5 speed 155K
69 250S newest project 54K

I grew up in PA and while there hit 3 deer - this is my first in MO. The first two I hit never had a chance and did plenty of damage. Third walked away with a bad headache. I don't know what happened to this one - either it kept on going or someone stopped and picked up.

__________________
'95 E300D ("Tank") - 231,000 miles
'79 240D ("Biscuit") - 197,250 miles (Sold)
'83 240D ("Ding-Ding") - 217,000 miles (Death by deer)
______________________________________

"Back off, man. I’m a scientist” ~ Peter Venkman

Turns out they did make a reasonable offer, which is actually making my decision a lot harder. I hate to walk away from a car I have put so much time and effort into. At the same time, I'm so busy lately that I know I won't really have much time to devote towards rebuilding this one. I told the insurance guy I would need some time to make a decision, but I am going back and forth on it every day. Today I am thinking that I am going to walk away from it and look for another one.

__________________
'95 E300D ("Tank") - 231,000 miles
'79 240D ("Biscuit") - 197,250 miles (Sold)
'83 240D ("Ding-Ding") - 217,000 miles (Death by deer)
______________________________________

"Back off, man. I’m a scientist” ~ Peter Venkman

I have an old hunting bow he can buy. It's a varnished wood composite bow, $125 takes it and he can find and kill that deer. Better than a gun cause kids couldn't shoot themselves or others with it very easily (arrows must be kept safe though of course).

If I could even ride a bike at 3 without the training wheels I bet my father would have been proud. I'm not even sure if I could ride a bike at that age.