RIP (??) RED98

[RED98]

Had a little accident today.. I was unhurt, car was not. You can see the damage in the photos. The airbags went off. Traffic stopped suddenly, I was only going 40 or so, but it was so sudden that the wheels locked up on the wet road and kaboom. So the question is, will state farm total this puppy or not? I have 147,000 miles, V6 auto, with lots of upgrades like cobra seats. If they total it, I'm swapping as much of that stuff out as I can.

Cell phone picture; that's why it's so dark and crappy quality.

 

[ChingonStang]

OMG dude...crap! I am glad your ok. I am hoping this will be your ticket to a GT? Maybe?

 

[RED98]

we'll see about the GT, (or Cobra??) First I have to see if they total my V6, which I suspect they will since the airbags went off and it needs a new hood and fenders and repainting. I dunno. If they fix it, great, I get my car back. If not, I have to dicker over a payoff and then get back in the car market, which I DON'T want to do; I have had that car for 9 years!!

 

[Skymarshal]

Whether they total it might depend on how deep the damage goes. If it got into the radiator support- maybe. If all you need is a bumper cover, hood, fender, bags and headlight- maybe not. Sometimes they'll ask you if you would rather them total it, and sometimes they'll let you buy it back after a total (you'll keep the car but it will have a "salvage" title).

What's the blue book on it right now?

 

[RED98]

Blue Book
Retail 5130
Private Party 3680
Trade-In 2250

I talked to state farm today, and they said that they do take into account any modifications to the vehicle when determining its value. Well, I have tons of mods, so they may end up saving it from being totalled. I should find out in the next few days.
Meanwhile I'm cruising in my rental Fusion V6.

 

[Skymarshal]

The air bags are going to be big. I'm not sure, but I think insurance companies require that they be replaced with new, not junkyard, and the work has to be done at a dealer for liability reasons. New bags from the dealer can be $1000+ each! The rest are standard crash parts, so they should be fine and you'll get a new paint job out of it.

The insurance companies consider modifications, but not as much as you think. They usually only consider mods that are within the scope of available factory options- nicer wheels, leather seats, off-road packages for trucks, etc. Heavily customized vehicles are usually insured under agreed-value policies for this exact reason- for instance if you have a 1981 Ford LTD with a $20,000 paint job and a $15,000 stereo system, according to the insurance company you just have a 1981 LTD worth $500.

With most of our bolt-on performance and appearance mods, you can usually sell them or transfer them to your replacement vehicle, but there will still be a lot of little things that you'll just have to eat if you don't buy it back. I had that happen with one of my last vehicles- I had just finished spending a lot of money and sweat doing brakes, clutch, timing belt, etc when a hailstorm totalled the vehicle. Rather than flush the $2500 I had just spent down the drain, I bought it back as a salvage and kept on driving it! I wound up selling it for about what it would have brought as a non-salvage, too.

 

[RED98]

Here's some better pictures.. but you know, now that I have had a day to think about it, let me share the wisdom of the Great One, Al Bundy, when his 1974 Dodge was stolen. Sure, he had fun test-driving Mercedes and Lincolns, but in the end, he was glad when the cops found his Dodge. (It was parked around the block where the engine fell out.) He said: "I'll tell you something, I'm glad they found that Dodge, because that's my car. And I hate change." That's how I feel. Who cares if my rental Fusion is 10 times more quiet and solid than my '98 Mustang. That's my car and I don't want it totalled, dammit! Even if they total it, I may buy it back and salvage it. Once again, Al Bundy's wisdom was a guiding light in times of darkness.

 

[RED98]

It's being fixed, will take a couple of weeks. I bought it back from the insurance company, salvage title, and got just enough for it to cover the repair. I thought about getting Cobra hood and bumper, but it would have cost a lot more, so forget it. But, I did tell them to leave the black insulation under the hood off and paint under the hood shiny, so at least I get something out of all this.

 

[fiveohwblow]

Man I am so sorry! Was that on the 205 where it merges with 84??

 

[RED98]

Man I am so sorry! Was that on the 205 where it merges with 84??

ummmm it was I-405 south after coming off the bridge, there's that big downhill left turn, and another highway merges in, I forget which one.

Hey, at least I get to cruise in my NEW loaner car for a couple of weeks.. a Chrysler PT Cruiser!! yeah.. envy me..

 

[fiveohwblow]

I think its hwy 30... either way that sucks man I am truly sorry. At least you figured out a way to get it repaired!!

But I am even more sorry that you are rollin a PT loser!!! I would have taken the fusion over that any day!!!

 

[Mustang2003GA]

glad to see you are gettin the ole 6 fixed

 

[RED98]

sorry that you are rollin a PT loser!!! I would have taken the fusion over that any day!!!

Yeah me too.. the Fusion is a waaay better car.. quieter, smoother, more comfortable, faster, better built, on and on. BUT.. the PT Cruiser is a free loaner, and the Fusion was a rental, so at $25 per day X 2 weeks.. I'll suffer the PT Cruiser and save $350.

 

[fiveohwblow]

Agreed. Smart move. My mom rolls a fusion and I have to say its not too bad a ride. Youll have to keep us updated, then again, I might just see ya out on the road some day or at a local show

 

[Skymarshal]

Hey, that's better than what I got!

When my last car was in the shop for collision repairs, they gave me a Geo Metro to drive for a week! What a horrible little car. You had to beat on the friggin' engine just to keep up with traffic.

 

[RED98]

Hey, that's better than what I got!

When my last car was in the shop for collision repairs, they gave me a Geo Metro to drive for a week! What a horrible little car. You had to beat on the friggin' engine just to keep up with traffic.

Geo Metros are awesome! My mom had a white '91 5-door.. the egg on wheels. When I win the lottery I'm getting one and stuffing a big engine in it. On youtube if you search "9 second geo metro" you can see a geo smoking a Camaro, it's hilarious.

 

[RED98]

Short update on my car.. it's being fixed, and in fact it'll come out of this better than it was. It turns out some of the welding done on the frame from when it got munched in 2000 was not done right, and the shop re-did it. I have new headlights, corner markers, bumper, and left fender. As soon as the hood gets here, they'll make sure everything fits, then start painting. The new airbags are in. Some of the retaining clips and screws that had been missing have been replaced, so the rocker panels will stay solidly in place now, instead of shifting around. And, I got a new Mustangs Unlimited catalog to look at since they delivered some of the parts!

 

[BK_CAULEY]

so you are the one who made me have to add the 1 to my name.

just playing man. sorry to hear about your car. i had a similiar fate with a fix i sank about 5k into in a 3 month period. got totaled by a jack ass who backed out in front of me with his truck and trailor.

 

[RED98]

so you are the one who made me have to add the 1 to my name.

just playing man. sorry to hear about your car. i had a similiar fate with a fix i sank about 5k into in a 3 month period. got totaled by a jack ass who backed out in front of me with his truck and trailor.

oops sorry! That's messed up.. well what can I say.. if it's any consolation, RED98 is pretty much my car's name, it's even on the license plates! I have had it happen to me to on my yahoo email. I wanted my nickname and then 72 for my birth year, but some FOO already took it, so I had to use 722 instead. Just not the same.

That sucks about your car.. was it fixed?

 

[BK_CAULEY]

oops sorry! That's messed up.. well what can I say.. if it's any consolation, RED98 is pretty much my car's name, it's even on the license plates! I have had it happen to me to on my yahoo email. I wanted my nickname and then 72 for my birth year, but some FOO already took it, so I had to use 722 instead. Just not the same.

That sucks about your car.. was it fixed?

sure wasnt man. it was destroyed. i miss it too.