Head-on 40MPH collision!!! - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

diesel don · #31 05-07-2003, 10:39 PM

Eric:

Take the cash and buy another one and drive with some (of your own) minimal fix up.

Wasn't this the same TD that ran over something on the road and got scraped up? If so, it'd be hard to keep fixin it.

Don

Peyton300TD · #32 05-07-2003, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by diesel don
Eric:

Take the cash and buy another one and drive with some (of your own) minimal fix up.

Wasn't this the same TD that ran over something on the road and got scraped up? If so, it'd be hard to keep fixin it.

Don

hey don, im not sure exactly what you mean by that. i really don't need or want another 123 at this point. one is a handful enough for me. my wagon is nearing immaculate, yea there was a fender that got paint stripped off of it. i got $1500 for that, and ill get that fixed for less. then ill get this fixed and the car will be nearly perfect.

cheers
eric

kweimer · #33 05-07-2003, 11:12 PM

Is older better? Two weeks ago I was driving down highway---at about the 45 mph limit--- and noted two cars coming out of a driveway ahead of me---first car with little room to spare makes his left turn onto highway and passes me to my left (going opposite direction) and second car---to my amazement--- comes right out behind first car, turning in same direction as previous car. He didn't make it. My 1976 300D collided with his 1997 E320. Two Mercedes. My front fender was crushed against right front wheel (which was now at a 45 degree angle due to my trying to avoid hitting this guy broadside). Old car advantage: Wrecker driver used J hook and wench to pull sheet metal off my wheel, cut belt to AC compressor, and I drove home. New car towed---front end destroyed---estimate to repair over $5,000. Old car disadvantage: Insurance campany is not going to fix my car and is not going to pay enough for me to find an equal replacement---my "options" were to let insurance company keep my car for salvage and settle or me keep car and settle. I told adjuster their keeping my car was not an option. Adjuster told me if I keep car, they would pay $750---I laughed---told her to double that to $1,500 and we would have a serious conversation. Without hesitation, she said "If you will sign a release, I will cut you a check for $1,500" (I would have had to sign a release for the paultry $750 anyway!). I got my check for $1,500---body shop and adjusted didn't even do estimate to fix---"your car is too old---our crash book does not go beyond 1980---and we can't find parts for your car". I had all the parts I needed in my back yard---hood, fender, bumper, headlight assembly, fog light assembly and air filter assembly---even had a new spare belt for the AC. Had my car back together in three days---still needs paint. Had to fix it myself. Other guy's car is still in body shop---at least insurance company is fixing it. New car: More to fix, but insurance company will fix it. Old car: Less to fix, but don't expect insurance company to fix it.

lrg · #34 05-08-2003, 12:18 AM

Eric,
Do NOT take their check. Once you sign off on a settlement and cash the check you will have no recourse if you find some problem the collision shop missed in their estimate. Also, the estimate the insurance company makes often assumes some parts can be repaired to a standard you may not find acceptable (and given the condition of your car won't find acceptable.) Another way they cut corners is in painting prep and masking - part of the labor saving. It is almost never to your advantage to take the money from an insurance company unless you are going to just drive the car as is. I'm not sure about Virginia but in most states you are entitled to get the car repaired at the shop of YOUR choice. You only need to demonstrate that their estimate is reasonable. I'd get two estimates from body shops you know to be good and tell the insurance companies you are going to get it repaired at the cheaper of the two. If they have a problem with than tell them the next call will be from your lawyer. Seriously, I've been through this before and do not settle for anything less than a throughly good repair. Be fair but don't let them skin you for a cheapo repair that uses lousy parts and does a bad paint job. Oh by the way, if the insurance company is Allstate save yourself some aggrivation and just call a lawyer now.

adiaw83 · #35 05-08-2003, 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kweimer
Had my car back together in three days---still needs paint. Had to fix it myself.

Did you actually do all of the body work yourself if so how hard was it for you and do you think i would be able to do similar work on my 300sd?

engatwork · #36 05-08-2003, 07:01 AM

LOL - Ken has the insurance lady been to your house to see your collection of spare "parts"?

jas2wa · #37 05-08-2003, 09:34 AM

These cars use the normal seatbelt tensioning system in about every car since seatbelts were invented- when retracted quickly, they lock, holding you in the seat. This is no big news, and there are certainly no sensors in 123 chassis cars that tell the seatbelts to lock. Go give your seatbelt a yank and watch it lock up. A very simple mechanism. And surely Eric's performed exactly as they were designed to, otherwise his head would have gone through the windshield, not just through the sun visor...

Regarding insurance, I have to agree with the general sentiment: take the car to the shop you want to do the work, and have the tab remain "open" as they repair the car- the shop can then negotiate with the insurance company as new costs arise- our 84 TD was in the dealer body shop for major hail damage repair, and the total bill ended up being nearly twice the original estimate by the adjustor- if we'd accepted the check the insurance company first offered, we'd have a half-finished car. As it was, the dealer performed the most shoddy, half-assed bodywork I have ever seen.

-JAS

kweimer · #38 05-08-2003, 10:07 AM

adiaw83---
I did all the work myself. I believe you could easily fix your car yourself. All of the front end parts bolt on. The Peyton300TD appears to have no damage that goes beyond the outer panels (hood and fender). Mine was more difficult because the inner fender (welded to unibody) was badly bent with the air filter crushed against AC compressor. I had to cut the air filter apart to remove so that I could get to the inner fender and pull and hammer it out. I attached a come-along to inner fender through a hole (rubber bumper mount hole) already there and the other end to rollback and pulled and hammered. Also had to cut the front half of fender off to separate bent sheet metal. You can find parts at your local pull-a-part.

kweimer · #39 05-08-2003, 10:39 AM

Jim---
Insurance lady never came to house---I had to leave car at insurance companys "shop of choice" for five days---which didn't really bother me since I knew, in the long run, that I was going to fix it myself anyway. I didn't tell her that I had every part that would be needed nor that one parts supplier in the Atlanta area gets his "1976 and older" parts from me. I deal with insurance adjusters the same way I would lawyers---just answer questions or tell them only what they NEED to know. Since I have at least a dozen sets of fog lights, I was able to get an exact match to my remaining fog light.

#40 05-08-2003, 10:47 AM

.

adiaw83 · #41 05-08-2003, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kweimer
adiaw83---
I did all the work myself. I believe you could easily fix your car yourself. All of the front end parts bolt on.

interesting

BIGRED · #42 05-08-2003, 11:45 PM

Glad your ok. Is this your insurance compay or the other party?

If it is the other party they should surround you in kindness that you haven't sought to hire a lawyer. Might mention your considering it, being that your classic car now has a history of being in an accident.

kweimer · #43 05-09-2003, 04:11 PM

BIGRED;
This was other guys insurance company since he was at fault. One of the problems in pushing for a larger settlement was that my car already had damage to the right rear quarter panel from a previous accident---I already had a quarter panel cut out to repair this damage when this accident occured---so now I will repair the quarter panel and then get the whole car repainted. Important lesson learned: It is very important to keep your car in good repair---any previous unrepaired damage greatly reduces your leverage with the insurance company---especially if they are talking a total on your car.

BIGRED · #44 05-09-2003, 04:33 PM

Unless you mentione you neck seesm to be getting stiff....lol

Peyton300TD · #45 05-09-2003, 04:47 PM

i was told that i can request compensation for depreciation in my car due to the fact that it was in an accident. does anyone know about this and how valid it is?

eric