Insurance declared my Golf a total loss

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
04/14/2016 at 16:39 • Filed to: None

Which isn’t at all surprising considering its age, mileage, condition, and value (you can read what happened to it !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ). But now I have a decision to make.

If I accept the loss statement, they will give me a check for a little more than $2000 and I will walk away. If I decide to keep the car and get a salvage title, they will give me about $1800. They estimate repairs will cost about $5000. But their estimate also includes things that I wouldn’t fix, such as the driver door that has been broken for years, and the windshield that has only a small crack at the A pillar. There is no indication of the state of the engine, and I know the radiator bled out (I didn’t get a look at it because the hood wouldn’t open). They indicated that the frame needed work, but only budgeted for three hours of labor to fix it. So it’s not that bad? Ultimately, I’m not sure if it’s worth the hassle of towing it to a shop, getting a salvage title, then paying at least $2000 out of pocket to get it going. Of course, I couldn’t get a car that I trust for $2000, but it also may never drive right again. And there may be hidden issues the insurance company didn’t catch.

What would you do, Oppo?

DISCUSSION (75)

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:41

I take that $2k and run like hell

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
04/14/2016 at 16:43

Yes exactly.

. . > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:43

I say fix it. It’s not just an old Golf, it’s YOUR Golf.

I bet it’d want you fixed if it was you who got roughed up. ;)

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:44

yitznewton > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:44

I wouldn’t pay to fix a Mk4 with that much damage, unless it’s like your only family.

ttyymmnn > . .
04/14/2016 at 16:45

I know it’s MY Golf, and that means a lot. I’ll never find a $2000 car that I trust, because I know this car.

Jcarr > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:45

Accept payment, buy cigars.

Kinja'd!!!

'Wägen, EPA LOL > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:46

The fender touching the door is a pretty clear tat the front corner needs to be pulled out (as is the broken windshield with nothing sticking throgh it. Hood looks repairable as opposed to needing replacement. Radiator is gonna need to be new and that isn’t exactly a massive engine bay to work in. If you are not concerned with cosmetics you may be able to fix it, but I would probably take the money and start looking elsewhere. Something cheap and japanese, probably.

Edit: You could also take the $1800 and salvage title then part it out to get yourself some more $$ towards the replacement. Just an idea if you have time and space to disassemble it and no immediate need to replace.

ttyymmnn > Jcarr
04/14/2016 at 16:46

Or perhaps a new lens for my camera....

Chariotoflove > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:46

Take the $2K. You might not be able to get another car you trust for $2K, but you won’t be able to trust this car until you spend a lot more, and it’s just not worth it.

And I’m sorry, btw. I know you needed this like you need a hole in the head.

crowmolly > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
04/14/2016 at 16:46

Same. See if you can negotiate the $2000 as well.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:47

Nonsense — my last 4 DDs cost less than 2k each. They’re out there.

ttyymmnn > Chariotoflove
04/14/2016 at 16:47

Thanks. I’m not exactly hurting. We still have two other vehicles, and having three is certainly a luxury. But it simplified matters considerably, it was hella fun to drive, and I could smoke in it.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:48

Id have a crack at fixing it myself, but I am a bit ambitious and regularly rubbish. If the frame damage is minor you could consider getting it pulled then fixing it up with junkyard parts.

BeaterGT > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:48

Take 2k. Buy Saturn. Save money. Sell Saturn. Buy something else.

ttyymmnn > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
04/14/2016 at 16:49

I have neither the time, skill, nor inclination to do the work myself. As Dirty Harry famously said, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” Somebody else would have to fix it, and that could get expen$ive.

ttyymmnn > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/14/2016 at 16:50

How much did it cost to keep them on the road? I would worry about buying a money pit.

Chariotoflove > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:50

And/or buy the wife something nice and reap the rewards. ;)

Hoccy > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:51

How hard can it be to find cheap used parts for a Golf? Damage doesn’t look too bad, so it might be worth checking out since you really like the car. Getting the car running and funcional is cheaper than getting it good looking as well.

But then again, you could put that money towards something else. I would, but then again Golfs are a bit too normal here for me.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/14/2016 at 16:52

could he buy a Celica for that price?

Somethin' 'bout a truck > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:53

Read this closely.

1. Take the money and run.

2. Spend $1,600 on a 1998 Ford Taurus with light fender rust.

3. ???????

4. Profit.

Justin Hughes > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:53

Texas? Dang. If you were nearby I’d say take the $2000, buy the Prizm that Pixel’s trying to sell for much less than that (he’s in CT), and pocket the change.

ttyymmnn > Somethin' 'bout a truck
04/14/2016 at 16:54

It’s No. 3 that worries me.

buford-t-justice > Chariotoflove
04/14/2016 at 16:55

Happy wife happy life

Brian, The Life of > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:55

Take the $1800 and the car. Buy some zip ties and pound the hood back into shape, have the frame straightened, replace radiator, strip interior, cage it, and then Lemons that mofo!

ttyymmnn > Justin Hughes
04/14/2016 at 16:55

A Prizm? No. I could never drive a car that was misspelled.

ttyymmnn > Brian, The Life of
04/14/2016 at 16:56

Kinja'd!!!

Not me in that picture. I can’t afford those cigars.

Justin Hughes > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:56

Use some spare change to yank off the Prizm badges and replace them with Corolla badges. :)

jkm7680 > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:57

I’d say probably time to retire it and buy a new one?

Jcarr > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:57

Better yet, fund a trip up to Wisconsin for AirVenture 2016 and see the Mars .

ttyymmnn > jkm7680
04/14/2016 at 16:58

We just took on a five-year note for our 2013 Civic. We are not a two-car-payment family, unfortunately.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 16:59

Let’s see:

First pickup: bought for 1700, drove everyday for four years, spent 400 for some brake work and leaking rear something when I first got it. No issues.

Tercel: bought for 350, fixed myself with 800 worth of parts, drove 9k wonderful miles, sold it.

Current pickup: bought for 1k, spend 40 bucks on new brake calipers and 90 on a new tailpipe. Owned and driven for four years.

Celica: too soon but is in way better shape than anything I’ve ever bought.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 17:01

Yeah that’s fair enough, attempting the fix probably isn’t the best idea regardless. I guess take the payout and hope you find something decent for the money.

Jarrett - [BRZ Boi] > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 17:05

Is it possible to take the $1800, keep the car, part out the car, and get more than $2000? I’m not exactly sure how the system works.

ttyymmnn > Jarrett - [BRZ Boi]
04/14/2016 at 17:06

No idea. It doesn’t sound like something I’d want to mess with. But I have thought that if the insurance is giving me $2000, they have some way of making that money back and more.

thebigbossyboss > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 17:06

Not sure how titles work in Texas. Is it a salvage because it’s not worth the money to fix it, or is it a salvage branded car that needs to go through an inspection before it’s allowed back on the road?

I fixed a car that was a “salvage” based on value but not on repair and took it to a cheap but professional shop to have it done. If it’s a salvage branded car because of frame damage you’re (probably) going to have to go through a lot of hoops to get it back on the road including (probably) an inspection of some sort that can easily turned up missed mistakes.

You’ve already mentioned you don’t want to start fixing it yourself, so my advice is take da money and get rid of the car. It is sad I know, but if you desire a 3rd car you could be able to come across a driveable car with only a little more cash. My car costed $2700 (CAD) when I got it. I’ve driven it for 6 years and put over 143,000 kms on it myself. That’s almost 89,000 miles.

I am preparing to get rid of it now, but that’s because I want something new. If I had to keep driving it due to circumstances I easily could have. My biggest bill for my car was close to $600 four years ago for a fuel pump.

Trust me, put the keys in front of you, keep both hands where you can see them and walk away. Trying to get a salvage branded vehicle back on the road without truly knowing the extent of the damage is hopeless. Get an estimate or two, most shops will esitmate for free, but I’d be very leery about trying to repair it. It sounds like more of a money pit than a 203K used car.

I am sorry this happened to you ttyymmnn, but my advice is sincere. I totally understand your grief over this, I would be the same way.

and 100 more > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 17:06

You’re in the land of hipsters and breakfast tacos as well, right?

Something unique:

http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/5539260885…

Something less unique, but from the same brand:

http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/5539158678…

Civic with an engine that’s barely broken in:

http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/5538928253…

$1700 for the car, $2.99 for another bag of Doritos for the engine bay:

http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/5512098195…

This one might actually be for me:

http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/5538798513…

ttyymmnn > thebigbossyboss
04/14/2016 at 17:09

2700 CAD is like $37.42 USD, right? ;)

Not really grieving, just disappointed. It’s not the way I wanted to say goodbye to this car.

and 100 more > Justin Hughes
04/14/2016 at 17:10

Listen to this man, he’s not wrong!

thebigbossyboss > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 17:11

Oh I completely get that. It sucks, there is no two ways around it.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 17:16

This is probably the best suggestion (unless you can talk the insurance company in to more than $2k). Take $1800, and then there should be parts that you yourself could easily part out - rear light assemblies, stereo, mirrors, seats etc. It’s amazing what you can find buyers for on ebay...just price it a fair bit under what similar items are selling for and yours should get swept up super fast and should comfortably net out well over $2k. What’s left you can try selling to a junk yard for whatever they’re willing to give you + free tow.

ttyymmnn > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
04/14/2016 at 17:18

I like this idea, but I just don’t have the time to deal with it.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 17:20

If you play your cars right, you could probably get one that is only about 10 years old for around $2k.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/14/2016 at 17:22

I spent $3k on a screaming nice car a little over a year ago... It’s a car my friends actually envy , if you could imagine that.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 17:23

I spent $2k on a car in 2007 that I drove for 8 years. I slapped a receiver on it and towed a trailer 1200 miles with it, too. Over the years I think I spent something like $1500 on it, between a timing belt, clutch, and a set of brake pads that I really didn’t even need. The only thing “wrong” with it was that it was in dire need of a coolant change when I got it and it was a little under 10k miles from needing that new clutch.

Perhaps the best money I ever spent.

Steve in Manhattan > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 17:25

Walk away. Engine problems down the road, trying to get it aligned, if that’s even possible. Unibody damage is difficult to fix. The insurance company stopped looking when they got to 2 grand. You do not know what else is there. Done and done.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 17:25

Call a local junk yard and tell them about your car, ask what they’d be willing to pay for it as is + tow. If >$200 consider taking it if worth your time.

Chariotoflove > buford-t-justice
04/14/2016 at 17:29

You understand!

MUSASHI66 > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 17:36

Put $2000 down on a Civic/Impreza/Forester/anysimilarsmalli-ish car and lease it for like $100 per month and you’ll have a new, reliable car for a while with a fairly small monthly expense.

ttyymmnn > MUSASHI66
04/14/2016 at 17:40

We just started a 5-year note on a 2013 Civic EX-L. Even at $100, I can't really do another payment with three boys in the house. Neat idea though.

Takuro Spirit > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 17:40

Take salvage title insurance payout, keep the car, fix the mechanicals (radiator, etc), make it legal/pretty enough to drive, and enjoy!

ttyymmnn > buford-t-justice
04/14/2016 at 17:48

True dat.

d15b > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
04/14/2016 at 17:49

That is fantastic advice.

d15b > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 17:51

+star for “hella”, bro.

I’m sorry to hear this happened. Take the $2k, save up more cash and get another third car for $5-$6k in the future sometime?

Jayhawk Jake > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 17:54

I would just take the money and run.

Dealing with getting it fixed sounds like a lot of headache and you’re left with a salvage titled old Golf.

ttyymmnn > Jayhawk Jake
04/14/2016 at 17:57

That seems to be the general consensus.

ttyymmnn > d15b
04/14/2016 at 17:58

That’s what I’m thinking.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 18:10

Take the money and run. The car will never be the same again.

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher
04/14/2016 at 18:12

I know. I’m really quite disappointed by this whole thing. As I said in my Requiem post, this car was worth so much more than money. It was a matter of intense pride that I couldn’t kill the engine no matter how hard I tried, and that it was still on the original clutch. And it was fun to drive, even if it wasn’t the fastest car on the block. It sounds kind of weird, but I won’t really miss the car itself. I’ll miss driving it.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 18:16

That’s my favorite Dirty Harry quote.

Manny05x > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 18:18

Ouch. I had a car totaled not too long ago take the money.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 18:20

I completely understand. It’s a shitty situation

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher
04/14/2016 at 18:30

Shitty indeed. And a whole bunch of shit of various types all seemed to hit at the same time. There’s a word for that, I think. Oh yeah. “Life.”

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher
04/14/2016 at 18:32

I’ve used it more times than I can remember. I’ve told my boys many times that it’s just as important to know what you can’t do as it is to know what you can.

mrbwa1 > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 18:44

If the frame needs work, run; run away.

Unibody frames never go back exactly right. If the frame wasn't affected then I would have looked at the cost to get it running again, but bent frame is a non no (excluding a beater truck I suppose)

ttyymmnn > mrbwa1
04/14/2016 at 18:46

I think the frame got a little cranked about 10 years ago when I got rear-ended by a Chrysler 300. There was no visible damage to the Golf (the front end of the 300 fared far worse), but they could never get the rear tires to align properly. Never seemed to cause too much undue tire wear, though.

mrbwa1 > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 18:50

Losing a good car sucks because it’s a big mystery what the next one will be like.

Also, I understand that insurance companies don't like insuring cars with salvage titles, so that's another potential headache.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 18:56

It always seems to pile on like that.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 18:57

I use it plenty myself. Not too many people know that reference.

ttyymmnn > mrbwa1
04/14/2016 at 18:59

My company never indicated that they wouldn’t insure it. They did say, however, that the smallest fender bender in a salvage car will get it totaled again, and the payout will be something like $500.

ttyymmnn > Jcarr
04/14/2016 at 21:24

We’re thinking about driving north this summer, but probably only as far as Ft. Wayne to see my brother-in-law (he works for a GM subcontractor). However, if I’m going that far, I’m going to schedule the trip around the opening of the new hangar at the USAF Museum in Dayton. I haven’t been there in probably 20 years, and I desperately want to go back. Seems like a good excuse to go!

Jcarr > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 22:17

Sounds like fun. I need to get to some of the major museums one if these days. We're going to Omaha in a couple weeks. Might try to swing by SAC.

RacinBob > ttyymmnn
04/15/2016 at 14:23

If you told me that if you could buy that car for $2000 and drive it for two more years and be happy, I would fix it. Does anybody know if the alignment has been tweaked???? Take a tape measure and check cause I bet it hasn’t. Its the bumper support/horn that got teaked, and a good shop will have it straight in hours. Its what they do.

The big help will be find the front end parts off of a wrecked silver golf. Go pick them up and find a body guy who will work with you. Say you spend 3 grand total, if you like the car, then it’s a good deal...... It’s ok to keep it, It’s ok to let it go, just decide.

ttyymmnn > RacinBob
04/15/2016 at 23:53

Thanks for the reply. All the things you say are true, but I think I’ve decided to take the money and walk. It will likely never be the same. I finally came to realize that it’s not that I feel particularly nostalgic about the car, it’s that I feel nostalgic about driving it.

RacinBob > ttyymmnn
04/17/2016 at 16:03

Cool, I agree. That’s a pretty old car, ou could do well with your money either a generation or two newer golf or Mazda 3 might do well. FOr cash buyers, I think something 7 years old is the sweet spot.