How much is "really low miles" worth?

[BCM1323654788]

I've bought back a car from insurance after a total loss accident. It was $405 once it was salvaged and sold the whole car for parts, I'm talking expensive upgrades I put on a Mustang 5.0 (1995 model and the year of the accident was around 2009), sold it for $2500 and it was worth it. I wouldn't think you're required to report any small accident unless you want to get reimbursed by the insurance or it causes structural damage to the vehicle (something major like a bent frame or the front end getting knocked loose and the wheels being pushed back) that may alter driveability or cause an unsafe condition. He'll probably want to have a mechanic look at it to make sure nothing was damaged structurally, but it sounds like he'll be ok. He may also want to research whether or not that make and model car is affected by "deleting" the factory airbags, meaning the ecu (main computer). I wouldn't think it would be a problem, but I would look into it, or ask the mechanic to make sure.

You can get an aftermarket steering wheel from $50-150 and it will have a horn in the middle and look nicer than the stock one that's busted open (black rubber or woodgrain, check jegs, summit, ebay). You can get a carpet cover for the dash as well that will match the interior. The windshield will run you about $175 if you call a local business that does it. The quality of the glass won't be as good as factory glass. When you look straight through it it will be the same, but as you look towards the sides of the windshield you'll see "waves" in the glass where it just wasn't pre-formed to the car as well as a factory windshield. It's not a deal breaker though, and the factory glass will run you $4-500. Also the new glass won't have scratches, which can help to clear things up to an extent.

I'd say keep the car and put a little money back into it. It sounds like he'll break even on cost after he get's his "total loss" money (usually 75% of its actual value) from the insurance and buy's his car back (also tell him to get a quote to find out what they will ensure it for after it's salvaged, to make sure they will cover it). I wouldn't want to pay a mechanic more than 1 hour of labor to replace the steering wheel and reconnect the horn (bout $85-100).

To me it's a no-brainer, try to keep the car first because he's not going to have anything in it vs going out to find a similar car in similar condition, sounds like it'd cost around $2k to replace it.

Hope this helps.

 

[rockyfatcat]

They do resell airbags. Local junkyards won’t. But eBay and other places do

 

[gh1950]

They do resell airbags. Local junkyards won’t. But eBay and other places do

A of the airbags on Ebay are counterfeit. The massive recall on airbags has created a shortage of real ones.

 

[fastfish66]

My buddy just got a small parking lot dent on his front bumper.
On his 1995 Honda Accord. One owner, well-maintained vehicle.
But because this small low-speed accident caused his airbags to blow (both sides), and the passenger airbag in the dashboard cracked the windshield right above it, the insurance company is calling this a total loss.

Here's the catch: The car has only 85,000 miles. This was his mom's car for many years, and she hardly ever drove it, letting her husband and adult kids take here nearly every place she needed to go, using their own cars. It was under a carport 75% of its life and the interior is like new. No sun fading, no stains, or rips.

So, is it worth trying to sell this car whole , or part out the engine and transmission, rather than let the insurance company pay the "book value" on it (probably less than $1000) and total it?

What's a good 23 year old Honda with only 85K miles worth, anyway?

Honda has a recall on air bags. Don't know if this one is in that group but might be worth checking.

 

[DerekB711]

the hard part is the salvage title for the vehicles. a lot of insurance companies aren't that keen to them and are starting to be very picky in doing so the premiums go up. I would fix it up and use it as a daily driver. with 85,000 miles in a Honda. it should still be on the road barely sipping gas for another 10+ years.

 

[romans1212]

Its worth about a Glock 19

 

[gh1950]

Its worth about a Glock 19

It would be an even trade. They both are stippled.

 

[8675309]

i would keep it and search for a cheap clean titled car with a
blown motor,bad trans,etc., and take the two cars to make
one really nice one,then part out/scrap the leftovers or
hang onto the best parts for future use and you got it made

 

[mtnsmith]

My buddy just got a small parking lot dent on his front bumper.
On his 1995 Honda Accord. One owner, well-maintained vehicle.
But because this small low-speed accident caused his airbags to blow (both sides), and the passenger airbag in the dashboard cracked the windshield right above it, the insurance company is calling this a total loss.

Here's the catch: The car has only 85,000 miles. This was his mom's car for many years, and she hardly ever drove it, letting her husband and adult kids take here nearly every place she needed to go, using their own cars. It was under a carport 75% of its life and the interior is like new. No sun fading, no stains, or rips.

So, is it worth trying to sell this car whole , or part out the engine and transmission, rather than let the insurance company pay the "book value" on it (probably less than $1000) and total it?

What's a good 23 year old Honda with only 85K miles worth, anyway?

I have always looked at mileage as a percent of value of the vehicle. If it is one that you can expect to run 160k miles with no major problems, I say 85k miles is half it's original value. I am in that situation with a 11 year old Camry with 44k miles and a 02 Civic with 63k miles and a 1988 Toyota pickup with 64k miles. It would take a real lawyer to get anywhhere the value of the vehicle from the insurance company but the best tact to take is not accept a cash payment but insist the insurance company replace the car with one with like mileage! It would probably take a 2010 Accord to get one with like mileage, but I would scream for days till they came uup with a decent settlement - no $1,000. ever.

 

[mtnsmith]

I would assume that if the claim is submitted to the insurance company and the car is declared a total loss, my buddy or anybody else who buys it with a salvage title would have to get the airbags replaced to make it street legal again. That's O.E.M. safety equipment and a standard feature for that make and model.

But, what I'm suggesting is what if my buddy doesn't ask the insurance company to pay any claim?
The car gets SOLD to some other private individual, as-is, and then my buddy just cancels the insurance policy on it. Or, my buddy keeps it and "fixes it" without ever submitting an insurance claim and asking for a check from the insurer.

Must the insurance company total it, and pay you, over your objection, EVEN IF you just want them to butt out and leave you alone to take care of the car yourself at your own expense?

I think when a car is totaled and claim satisfied, the original owner can request to buy back the salvage and he may have first choice to do that. However, only a licensed shop can repair a totaled vehicle now. Anyone used to be able to do that and have the dept of transportation, state, check it out for safety items. I rebuilt about 5 totaled cars in 1989-1991 time frame. Bought current year model low mileage vehicles and rebuilt them. I have a 1988 Toyota pickup which was one that I rebuilt that I still drive today.