Miss Margaret got injured today - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 09-30-2006, 12:00 PM

Well, first off, we are all OK and so is the driver of the other car, but I fear that from an insurance standpoint that Miss Margaret is dead. A car (early nineties Taurus) turned left in front of us. The right front corner of Margaret hit the right rear corner of the other car. The bulk of the damage is just above the bumper. The front right lights are a all busted and everything behind that area crushed. The fender was pushed into the tire so she can not be driven. Miss Margaret is my first Mercedes and I had really hoped to have her on the road until at least 400K miles.

stcbenz83 · #2 09-30-2006, 12:05 PM

thats so sad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i bet the Taraus was completley dead though.

Poor Margaret

#3 09-30-2006, 01:07 PM

The Taurus was hit just in front of the rear bumber. I did not look to much at it. Once I knew that everyone was OK I began to ache at the damage done to Margaret and knowing that the insurance company is going to think nothing of my daily driver. A fraction of a second difference would have bent that Margaret would have it the side of the Taurus. I was just mentioning that to my wife and son and the patrolman heard me. He chucked and said' "you could not be in a better car in an accident." I take it that that is from some experience.

PatricdeBoer · #4 09-30-2006, 01:37 PM

If they totall it you can always buy it back from them w/ a salvage title. My brother did that with his 240d. They totalled it because he lost a tail light and jacked up his rear quarter panel. We fixed most of it with the big suction cups. He bought the car for $400, they totalled it for $3000 so he bought it back from them for $100 with a salvage title.

#5 09-30-2006, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatricdeBoer

If they totall it you can always buy it back from them w/ a salvage title. My brother did that with his 240d. They totalled it because he lost a tail light and jacked up his rear quarter panel. We fixed most of it with the big suction cups. He bought the car for $400, they totalled it for $3000 so he bought it back from them for $100 with a salvage title.

I just came in to take a break from working on my 1981 300D. As I study this car, I realize that Margaret has more damage than I first thought. What you mentioned is probably the best-case scenario for me although $3000 sounds very optimistic from a car insurance company.
The paint on Margaret is not good, but she did come from South Carolina so she has very, very little rust. A friend has been urging me to consider getting her repainted and I was considering 'wintering' her at a body shop that he recommended to me.
Well, I am going back to the garage to continue working on Madeline.
The big issue is that I have a strong sentimental attachment with this car that I need to get over, but that isn’t happening today. It is a good this that she is setting at a lot right now rather than here becasue if she were in the garage I would probably be seting in the garage drinking my blues away.

jwhughes3 · #6 09-30-2006, 04:24 PM

I've heard in your posts how much you enjoyed "Margaret" - I hope you are able to buy her and keep her as a parts car at least to help keep your replacement on the road.

John

Scott98 · #7 09-30-2006, 06:42 PM

Sorry to hear about your loss. The same thing happened to my '85 almost a year ago. I bought it back from the insurance company and sold it to a friend. He fixed it and has it back on the road. It always seems to be worse than it is the first few days. I'm sure you can fix it. Good luck.

Scott

Hatterasguy · #8 09-30-2006, 08:14 PM

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Your currantly living my nightmare, good luck with the sharks I mean insurance company.

michakaveli · #9 09-30-2006, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Your currantly living my nightmare, good luck with the sharks I mean insurance company.

What happened Hatty?

Hatterasguy · #10 09-30-2006, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michakaveli

What happened Hatty?

Nothing knock on wood. But my nightmare is nailing a deer or having another car hit me. Insurance company says oh sorry here is $1,500.

Knock on wood I have not had to go through this with one of my MB's, yet...

sailor15015 · #11 09-30-2006, 11:02 PM

Sometimes things happen for a reason. My '85 was my first MB. It was hit once where yours was but not that bad so it was fixed. The second time it was plowed in the rear and totaled. I bought the car for $2500 and had about half that left to pay. The insurance company gave me $3700 for it so I paid off the loan, bought my '84 from my brother who was getting out of the wvo game, and was able to buy another '85 with exactly the same interior and exterior color in the junkyard. Good thing because the interior from my wrecked car is beautiful and the junkyard car is trashed. It also has a seized motor, which leads me to my winter project. I got the good motor out of my wrecked car and I'm taking the winter to rebuild it and really get to know the motor inside and out. Come spring I'll drop it in my good body, finish up the body stuff, and have two good running MB's!!! I know it sucks now but don't worry, it'll work out for the best. Good luck!

captainmonk · #12 10-01-2006, 01:49 AM

well hat good thing to worry about my SDL is now getting fixed and going to have a salvage title on it because it was totaled by insurance company soooooooooo I dont think it always works out but ohhhhhh welllllllllllllllllllll

#13 10-01-2006, 08:11 AM

I need to add that this happened with my wife's son at the wheel. He is sixteen and has his permit. Margaret is the car that he has been driving 95% of the time. He performed very admirably. He did all that could have been done and did not do anything that should not have been done. At this particular intersection there was no other place for him to aim the car to clear the car that turned in front of us. He did not panic; he just focused on braking the car and keeping it under control. He has an attachment to Margaret as well as me and he, too, is upset about the car.

This accident was an opportunity to teach him something. The driver that turned in front of us claimed that she thought that it was OK to turn because the car in front of here turned. The three of us are trying to understand where this ‘invisible’ car came from. The other driver is 19 and recently got her license and car. I asked my wife’s son what she did wrong. He said that she turned in front of us. I then asked him what she did wrong before that. He understood my point. He responded that she based her opportunity to turn on another car and not making her own judgment of the situation. BINGO!

I got the exhaust repaired on Madeline yesterday so that at least she can get done the road. Still needs new motor mounts and a few other things. I am waiting for parts.

I thought that this was funny last night. My wife does not care for Margaret for whatever reason. However, she was looking on the internet for a replacement.

One final thought right now. We are stunned at what happened after the impact. Not one person who witnessed the accident stopped. Their were dozens of cars. One person did stop who came along about twelve minutes later. It that about of time I am confident that no less than 150 vehicles passed throught the intersection. What a wonderful caring country we live in. We don't need to worry about terrorists...we have enought problems with ourselves.