value of 1984 300SD after accident (long) - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Junkman · #16 08-29-2012, 11:00 PM

I was rear ended in my 85SD with ~ 2004000 SHOWING on the clock. Other driver was at fault. INsurance company gave me the option of accepting ~$2850 and keeping the car or slightly over $3k and it going to salvage. Price goes up if you've done a lot of maintenance and talk it up. I was getting ready for paint and alot was done or didn't need work.

A body shop friend pushed the passenger corner out to fit a tail light from the parts car. Cost = $50. I could sell it for $2,000 in the condition but am going to drive it.

What coverage do you have? What deductible? What condition was it in before the accident? Answer those questions before filing. You can likely get help from your agent if he knows the business. Ask him on a "hypothetical basis". He will understand.

Rule #1: NEVER give a carrier more information than they ask for. Never give them anything until you are sure that you want them to know.

Edit: If frame isn't bent, suspension is cheap if you can wrench. Even fenders are easy to change. Collect your 3 grand, repair & drive or sell for additional 2k. or both. Don't tell carrier that odometer doesn't work. They adjust for every mile over 200,000. Also, don't mention AC & CCU. It is their job to investigate and determine what they think is fair market value. You need only accept/reject and state reasons why. In other words, STFU.

pawoSD · #17 08-29-2012, 11:08 PM

From the description of what happened, I doubt the repairs would be that significant in cost. I can think of: Spindle assembly, ball joint, shock, wheel, tie rod(s), maybe lower control arm, but I bet the spindle/ball joint would break away before it would bend or fail.

Sub $500 repair if done with mostly used parts and on your own. Maybe $500-750 at a shop if you provide the parts.....

I would not total it for that if the car is decent. Fix it up, get the brakes back up to snuff, and keep on driving.

t walgamuth · #18 08-30-2012, 03:52 AM

The subframe could also easily be bent. They are fairly easy to straighten though at a frame shop. The whole front end is made to fold in a crash so it could easily be bent a bit. The only way to be sure is to take it to a good body shop and get an estimate.

When my son was 16 I bought a nice running 81 240d with a side hit on the front. I peeled off the fender and hood, straightened the underlying inner fender with a borrowed hydraulic body jack and a large hammer, painted all the damaged areas with good paint and a brush. I also painted the fender and hood with a brush with high quality paint and it looked fairly good.

I ended up with a nice running decent looking car for about a thousand dollars and thirty or forty hours of labor in my garage.

He drove that car for a couple of years and got hit on the same rf again. At that time I bought a straight car with a bad motor and swapped in the rest.

ToddM300SD · #19 08-30-2012, 09:51 AM

Great info! I have dealt with insurance companies doing both the "right" thing and clearly just trying to give you the minimum possible to get rid of the claim.

As for the condition of the car, I would call it "fair", although I get many compliments about the condition of the car. It has 213K real miles. odo works. When I purchased it, it had been sitting for two years, so it needed some minor work -- new glow plugs, two tires, fuel tank hose, new filters, belt adjustments and a battery charging. It has some bubbling rust on two of the doors about 2"x2". Also, the passenger side rocker panel is rusting behind the front wheel at the jack point. I can still jack the car up at that location with no problems. Driver's seat is a replacement and is in very good condition with all power adjustments working. Paint is good, but could use a good detail. I only paid $700 for it because the previous owner was a friend and just wanted it out of his garage.

Please see my profile: I have added more pictures taken before the accident.

As for my insurance, they are a large company that has been very fair to me over the years. My deductable is $500. I assumed the car to be worth 2K-3K when I insured it, hence full coverage. I normally wouldn't do that, but for what I paid, if the car was wrecked badly and totaled, I could purchase something else in decent condition.

Thanks for everything, so far.

rscurtis · #20 08-30-2012, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry

Master cylinder fails.

I don't buy that. You essentially have two master cylinders in tandem that are connected hydraulically. If the rear section fails, it becomes mechanically connected to the front section. If the front section fails, then the rear is doing all the braking. I suspect only half the master was working to begin with.

ToddM300SD · #21 08-30-2012, 12:15 PM

I can certainly replace the suspension pieces myself. The car is currently at my home and cannot be driven. I would have to tow it to a body shop for frame measurement. It's hard to tell, but it appears the attachment point for the lower control arm is bent in or buckled. I'd have to jack up the passenger side to compare. Also, the outer tie rod is bent in a "u" pattern. It's not pretty.

gatorblue92 · #22 08-31-2012, 08:18 AM

Not pretty but I would fix it myself and not even go through insurance.

ToddM300SD · #23 09-01-2012, 01:00 PM

Alright, after much thought, I decided to submit a claim to my insurance. It was not an easy decision. If this was simply a matter of bent suspension pieces, it would be a no brainer. But I hit the rather tall curb at roughly 20 MPH and ran up and over it. There appears to be slight frame damage. This could get expensive fast, especially having to tow the car everytime I need to move it. If the car is able to be fixed, I know everything is correct and warrantied. More than likely, it will be totaled. If I had paid 3K+ for the car, I would be upset. I didn't. I'm fine with starting over with another diesel (or, gasp, a gasser!). I've always liked the W124 300CE. Or maybe a W123 diesel coupe? I'll know next week of the outcome. Also, depending on the value (if totaled), I will buy the car back for parts.

Yes, my premiums may increase, but the unknown of the full damage made me hesitant to just start replacing parts and hope nothing else was damaged.

pawoSD · #24 09-01-2012, 02:46 PM

I still see less than $700-800 in repairs....even if you had to have a shop straighten it a bit.

Most of the parts can be had used for pretty cheap, other than a shock/ball joint and tie rod(s)

ToddM300SD · #25 09-01-2012, 02:55 PM

I would also have to address the total brake loss issue. Probably not a huge problem to diagnose, but still, the problem is there. I know I have detractors of my decision, but at the very least, someone in the future can learn what to do or not do when dealing with a similar situation.

97 SL320 · #26 09-01-2012, 05:49 PM

Run the numbers and see if you really want this on your record.

( Making some $ assumptions here , please post the final outcome. )

Car value $ 1,500

deductible $ 500
salvage value $ 250 ( if you want the car back )
Increase in premiums $450 ( 30% increase on $ 500 base for 3 years )
Total $ 1,200

The amount you are " ahead " $ 300 , and you now have an accident on your record should you have to change companies. Even if they value the car at $ 2,500 is $ 1,300 really worth it? A $ 10,000 + car? sure it is worth it but not a zoomer.

And. . .In many states a police report needs to be filled out if there is property damage / car is unable to be driven from the scene. If you didn't file a police report you have technically left the scene of a accident and could be charged.

Some loser at work got all drunked up one night and drove / rolled his car over a hill. Not wanting to get hit with yet another drunk driving charge, we walked home. He was taken to court for leaving the scene of a accident.

ToddM300SD · #27 09-01-2012, 07:31 PM

I appreciate the information. I asked my insurance co. how they value my car in the event of a total loss. They indicated they would reference local vehicles in similar condition to assertain value -- a little scary.

Do you know of any 81-85 300SD's selling for $1500 that run very well, shift perfectly, have almost all electronic components working to factory standards (including the climate control) interiors that are 7/10 and minimal rust in a few small spots? When I did a local search, most 300SD's in similar condition were selling for 3-5K, again depending on condition and the optimism of the sellers. My insurance may find a few junkers to whittle me down, but I've been through that before and know not to accept the first offer if it is lowball. I'm betting on this working out for me financially in the end: either the car gets fixed or I get enough money to buy another vehicle. If I wind up with $1000 and increased premiums, than I know I made the wrong decision. I'll know soon enough.

Junkman · #28 09-01-2012, 07:53 PM

Take the money and fix it. Those parts are not difficult or expensive. It is difficult to find cars as nice. Mine was 3k and needs paint. There are plenty of parts cars in the south. Make a list & see if someone will send them to you.

Edit: the only question is how much money the adjuster calculates the damage to be. If no frame damage, you're golden.

Dubyagee · #29 09-01-2012, 07:58 PM

I would fix her.

ToddM300SD · #30 09-01-2012, 11:36 PM

That's what I'm hoping. I get a price for all necessary work. If it's just the suspension, (and the frame is straight) then I will take the money and repair the car myself. The car is being towed to the body shop on Tuesday for an estimate. I will talk to the owner and explain that I don't want the car totaled or every little flaw examined -- just the accident damage. That conversation could go in a number of directions. This body shop is an "approved" business for my insurance company. Are they in bed together? I don't know. I will after the conversation.