Repair shop suggestions for an 80 - totaled, need advice
- Thread starter coloradoadams
- Start date
my insurance made me pay more for my buyback - I woulda been happy with $2600!
ccslider
Hard Core 4+
I'd buy AAA plus and have it towed to your house. They will tow 100 miles free.
HDavis
Hard Core 4+
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This is a great deal! As mentioned by @J1000 I purchased my 97-triple locked 40th anniversary with a few less miles for more than what you got for buy back and mine was in much worse condition. They would have made considerably more on yours if they sold it via copart so I'm not surprised they were pushing to release it to them.
White Stripe
Hard Core 4+
I wouldn't let them total it. Once it has a salvage title it's worth way less. It also makes future ownership a hassle. I always tell the adjuster I don't want it totaled. They write me a check, I get the damage fixed for less by shopping around, buy a supercharger or other upgrades with left over money. An 80 series is not the best winter daily driver. Modern suvs have way more safety.
rover67
Rising Sun Member
Good point on not letting them total it I hadn’t thought about that. They didn’t total our Rav 4 even though it was totaled according to them.
HDavis
Hard Core 4+
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As a person that's owned 5 salvage vehicles. I would agree and the market agrees that its worth about 40%-50% less, but I would disagree about making future ownership a hassle. I've had no issues having comprehensive/collision insurance with all of the major carriers (I switch every 2 years) and I've had no problem selling them to the next owner with full disclosure of the salvage title. This thing with a salvage title would easily fetch 7k which would be more than fair given what the buyback was and what repairs will be.
If it went through Copart it would certainly come out the other end with a Salvage title and the buyback is technically just a loophole around that process, a loophole that will likely be closed up in the future.
All sounds like solid advice. I recall my first 4runner was injured after sliding into a tree. Slightly tweeked front frame rails, bumper and grill was the only damage. They tried to total it and write a check for $1500. I told them no, drove it to a body shop and got a repair estimate for $1200. The shop guy bumped the number up to $1500 and told me to keep the extra. He repaired it for $1000 including letting it hang out on a frame rack for 3 days to straighten it back up. I think the arb bumper cost around $800 back then (2001) and was $80 more than the new factory bumper and lower valance. I gave him $200 and walked away with a fixed truck and $300 in my pocket. Was it shady? Yea. But them trying to total my 4runner for pennies was worse in my book.
Get a bodyshop to give you an estimate with the breakdown of parts, paint and labor. Have the the shop tack on a little extra to cover unknowns and hat the insurance cut you a check. No salvage title and it is back to the way it was. You don't even have to get a new front passenger 1/4 panel and have the paint blended into the hood, a pilar and passenger door. That will save a couple thousand right there. I would still have the shop add that in.
Get a bodyshop to give you an estimate with the breakdown of parts, paint and labor. Have the the shop tack on a little extra to cover unknowns and hat the insurance cut you a check. No salvage title and it is back to the way it was. You don't even have to get a new front passenger 1/4 panel and have the paint blended into the hood, a pilar and passenger door. That will save a couple thousand right there. I would still have the shop add that in.
White Stripe
Hard Core 4+
I was under the impression you can't get full coverage after a vehicle has a salvage title. Several of my 3rd gen 4runners got hail damage a couple times. Each time they wanted to total it. Each time I told them not to. Each time I still ended up with a check for a couple thousand. And each time that check was enough to do repairs and have 1000 bucks left over for mods. When i was in a fender bender I did the same thing , they wanted to total it, i told the adjuster i didnt want it totaled, and got parts myself for a deal by shopping around. Ended up being very easy and the 4runner looked great. I sold that 4runner for almost 13k later on. In today's market it would bring close to 20k.
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HDavis
Hard Core 4+
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I absolutely agree. Whatever you can do to keep it from being branded as Salvage Title is a good thing for anyone as the owner. I think the no full coverage on a salvage vehicle is a bully tactic by the insurance company. Ive not had personal experience making a claim on my fully covered salvage vehicles but have had a close friend with experience and the insurance company priced it and paid out 40-50% less than a clean title vehicle would have brought. He was happy and it was fair because he purchased it at that market rate.
That 4runner of yours is pretty much my dream spec 4runner. I hope I can find one eventually that is as nice as that one.
Once my insurance company decided mine was totaled there was nothing I could do to convince them to go off that. Even after having them increase the vehicle's value to change the percentages of repair cost/vehicle cost, they were still firm that it was totaled. But they are happy to insure it with full coverage even now after the fact.
that'swhatshesaid
Rising Sun Member
It might be worth more than what they offered. Put together a comp sheet. I can help a bit if you need. Always counter their offer!
coloradoadams
Wincher
The 80 is back up and running!
Used bumper - Free (thanks Aaron!)
Used rad - Free (thanks Andy!)
New fluids - $100
New hood latch support brace - $50
New bumper filler - $75
Plastidip for the grill - $15
The hood is a little tweaked but latches fine and some of the other pieces don't fit perfectly, but I can deal with that! Thanks everyone for the support and advice!
Used bumper - Free (thanks Aaron!)
Used rad - Free (thanks Andy!)
New fluids - $100
New hood latch support brace - $50
New bumper filler - $75
Plastidip for the grill - $15
The hood is a little tweaked but latches fine and some of the other pieces don't fit perfectly, but I can deal with that! Thanks everyone for the support and advice!
Lastresort576
Hard Core 4+
This comment might be late. and may not relate because this is CO and not MA...But in MA if an insurance adjuster deems your vehicle totaled and you buy it back, fix, have repairs inspected/the repairs pass inspection...because the title never changed hands, it is still considered a clean title and not salvaged. Sure you would have a ding on your car fax, but no salvaged title.