I restored an 82 300D about a year ago for my mom with the help of TurboBenz. Last week she was driving the car in San Antonio, about to drive it to Shreveport, LA. She had finally got a transfer at her job and found a house. well before she could leave San Antonio someone T-boned her while she was drivng the 300D.





After the insurance shinanigans, the car is totaled, obviously, they offered her $7000 with the option to buy the car back for $2500. I live in CA where you can still get a pretty nice 123 for 2500, so I was appauled to think that out in TX they value the hunk that is now her car at that price. I told her to take the full 7000, and I'd look for another 300D for her.

Here is my pickel. In the pricess of restoring the car she got euro spec bumpers, headlights, and some aftermarket wheels I had laying around. I'm in CA with the cars original scrubby bundts, its DOT spec light. She is in LA with the insurance coming on the 12th or take the car. If i were closer I'd be swaping out those wheels and headlights, and going and finding some US spec bumpers for it.

Has anyone ever removed parts during an insurance buy-out situation like this?

My mom being in the process of moving doesn't have the ability to work on the car. Is there anyone in Shreveport area who could help her pull the parts, or maybe would want to buy them in trade for your US spec stuff. If its even possible to do this without offending the insurance company.

Anyone have any thoughts? I just hate seeing all of my hard work go to the junk yard.

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Hopefully your mom is alright.

But you shouldn't feel bad about the work you've done. She's getting 7 grand for the car. That's should be enough for all the work you've done.

If you are able to get the parts off, that should feel like a bonus.

.

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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

There are many stories here about people negotiating on the offered settlement. I think I'd try to maybe negotiate to accept the settlement offer, but try to get maybe $1000-1200 for the buy-back. You should be able to get a great 123 for $5-6000 and swap in the bumpers, lights and wheels. Maybe scavenge the engine/transmission at your leisure and have those as spares for the next one and send the rest to the crusher.

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Current Stable

• 380SL (diesel)
• Corvette C5
• Manx
• Baja Bug
• F350 Powerstroke
• Auburn Boattail Speedster replica

Mom is ok. She had such a typical reaction. she crawled out the other side of the car and was upset that her car got wrecked. It wasn't til after calling me and telling me about the car that she said she was ok. I've heard a few MB owners who have been in crashes say they crawled out and yelled at the person who wrecked their car. I suppose thats why we drive these cars, if there is an accdent we have time to yell at people cause we don't need an ambulace

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That is a same, looked like such a nice car....what type of vehicle t boned her? I think it would take a strong vehicle or high speed to cause it to push in that far.....also glad she is alright.....amazing the price you got for it and amazing the price to buy it back.....I only got 2500$ for mine because of the bad paint but I didn't have to pay a dime to keep it.....carport offered to buy it from me for 30$.....I simply popped the dent out of the fender and paid for a brake n lamp inspection....re registered it as salvage and still driving it today with out any signs of the wreck I had.....plus I still have to original California plates still...

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If you have the resources, one way to buy time is to buy it back for $2500 and give yourself time to part it out, then sell the remaining. You still get $4500 plus whatever you get back on parts.

Spend the $2500 for another good car, then you still have $2000 + whatever you got back to bring it back up to speed.

Glad your mom is okay!!

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg

Offend the insurance agency ??????

Like they never offend us !!

Ya need to counter... 10K for the restored car, 500 for the buyback

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1985 300D 198K sold
1982 300D 202K
1989 300E 125K
1992 940T

"If you dont have time to do it safely, you dont have time to do it"

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

great mercedes engineering... didnt even buckle that b pillar the slightest...

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1981 NA 300D 310k miles

I got the buy-back price down to ~$500 on my '84 300TD. Basically, State Farm started out at $2000, I balked, told I wasnt' going to accept their offers at all unless I could take the car back for under $700. I called 3 junk yards what they would pay for the car. Best one was $500.

The totaling agent then called three more yards. He then advised me he would offer me the car back at the average of those was... $500.

Had he just shut up and give it to me in the first place, he would've had $700...

Always negotiate. Never take their first offer.

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'85 300TD "Puff The Magic Wagon" - Rolling Resto
'19 Mazda CX-9 Signature - Wife's sled
'21 Morgan 3-Wheeler P101 Edition
'95 E300d - SOLD
'84 300TD "Brown Betty" - Miss this one
'81 240D "China Baby" - Farm grocery getter

I would get permission to remove the parts and replace them with pick and pull parts. Since time is tight perhaps just the wheels and maybe headlights. A good friend near where the car is could do this easily.

Chances are it will not change the value as the car is salvage yard bound. Some insurance adjusters have some common sense and some are just something else.

Glad your Mom is ok Nick, sucks to have totaled it.

I bet the "B" piller is pushed in at the bottom. saw a 240 that got "T" Boned, but much harder, and put a "V" in the drivers seat an shoved it into the Pass Seat.

Find out what the local salvage yards pay in that area and offer to buy it back for that price. The Insurance CO will then go after the other CO anyway to recoup their loss.

Shame for it to go to the scrap yard w/o a total strip out, looks like it is a nice car.

Every time one gets scrapped, there is one more out of the inventory.

Think I saw 7 yesterday in 3 local yards.


Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

"$7K!" That's a handsome sum they offered! How many miles are on it?

I like andrew's strategy employed to get the car then for $500.

What were the miles on your car?

Good *advise, THX!

Mom tried negotiating with the insurance but they refused to budge. she asked about buying parts back off the car, they refused. At the end of the day, 7k is a good offer, so they took the car and shes getting a check. The car had just under 150k.

Yesterday I picked her up a new car.
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/346395-moms-new-car.html

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Last year, I got in an accident with my 82 300cd, 110k. Their initial offer was about $1200. I *****ed and screamed and called them about a thousand times. Six months later, they finally came around and offered me just under $10,000 for it. Never, ever accept the first offer from an insurance company. Especially with these cars. Glad everything worked out well for you!

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1982 300d -Adolf- Got it for 500 bucks from a guy that thought he knew how to make biodiesel. Even the best diesels won't run on burnt french fry ends! 318,000 and counting
1982 300cd -Erwin- 107,000 miles! The most fun you can have in a diesel. Wrecked by an idiot, massive insurance payout for me. Tough to see you go, my friend.
1983 300d -Katrina- Another five hundred bucks. Straight outta New Orleans, by way of Maryland. Work in progress. 291,000 and counting

$1,000 and $10,000 are not even in the same ball park!