Bro, it may look ugly, but that's ENTIRELY fixable! INSIST that his insurance company FIX your car....don't let 'em bully you into totalling it out!

Mike

__________________
_____
1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
_____
1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
_____
1985 300TD
270,000 miles
_____
1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

www.myspace.com/mikemover
www.myspace.com/openskystudio
www.myspace.com/speedxband
www.myspace.com/openskyseparators
www.myspace.com/doubledrivemusic

I've been thru this kind of crap before.

If it's the other guy's fault, then you have more leverage when insisting that you intend to keep and repair the car...Make sure they understand that it is a "collector" car, and show evidence and documentation of the improvements and work you've done, etc....Convince them that it's an unusual and hard-to-replace vehicle. We're not talking about some stupid Honda Civic or something here, we're talking about a vintage Mercedes...Make them understand that.

It's YOUR car, and THEIR customer is at fault...It is their obligation to make it right and pay for the damage he has done to your vehicle.

I've had to stomp my feet and make "polite threats" a couple of times, over a couple of different cars, when someone hit me and their insurer didn't think it was "worth it" to fix my car. Don't give in.

Mike

__________________
_____
1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
_____
1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
_____
1985 300TD
270,000 miles
_____
1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

www.myspace.com/mikemover
www.myspace.com/openskystudio
www.myspace.com/speedxband
www.myspace.com/openskyseparators
www.myspace.com/doubledrivemusic

you have enough 'before' photos to put up a pile of evidence of the car's condition before their 'insured' caused your losses.

take it to the nearest MB dealer for your estimate!

__________________
1984 300D Turbo - 231k....totalled 11/30/07 RIP

Agreed with the others...that car's wayyyyy too beautiful to let her go to waste...especially when it at least appears that all you need is a new hood, a new passenger's side fender, a new right-side headlight assembly, and a new grille...

FIX HER!!

Any body man that can't pound out that hood is no body man. It MIGHT be cheaper to get a new hood from a junkyard, tho.

At least you're in California where there are a lot of rust free Benzes.

__________________
Semibodacious Transmogrifications a Specialty

1990 300D 2.5 Turbo sedan 171K (Rudolf)
1985 300D Turbo TD Wagon 219K (Remuda)

"Time flies like and arrow, yet fruit flies like a banana"
---Marx (Groucho)