Here is what happened, I took a day off to work on my wife's 06 TL when she calls me on her way home for lunch to tell me she had just been rear ended. I drove over to see my rear bumper lodged under the hood of a Mazda sedan, it was derivable so I went to the local Acura Dealer for an estimate, the Mazda got the bumper exhaust and Trunk Floor Pan. No damage to the Trunk, Tail Lights or either Quarter Panel.

The estimate to repair is almost $9k and Amica wants to total it. The CL was in great condition with 108k. Within the past 15 months did the 105k Service including Valve Adjustment, new Hankook Tires, Upper & Lower Ball Joints, Inner and Outer Tie Rods and December last year I installed a new Clutch, Pressure Plate, Flywheel and release Bearing all from Honda. One week before the accident I bought a quart of Deltron 2000 paint to repaint the bumpers and hood.

That said Amica is giving me two options:

If Amica retains:

Value: $8909.00

TT&L: $648.83
_______________

Total: $9557.83


If I retain:
Value: $8909.00
Less salvage: $1500.00
_______________________

Total: $7409.00

So what do you guys think, should I hold out for more?

 

If you have receipts for all of the work you did show them to the ins co.

 

I have amica. Unfortunately the car is worth what they are giving out. It's not a low figure. Most PP sales have been in the $7500 range. That's what I sold my CLS for in Sept & it had all maintenance done & tires.
You could show them the receipts for the work & see what they say. Although unless that stuff was done very recently, like a week or 2, I don't think they will do much. But the car value is spot on.
The issue I'd have in keeping it is the trunk floor pan. You may never have a leak free trunk again even after it's repaired.

 

give it up thats a good money they are offering you

 

Total it, buy it back.

Part it out

Profit

 

^ This

Contact nspecya4 and he may be interested in buying it off you.

Thats a good price theyre giving you, but definitely show them the receipts to the work you just did, they should bump up the payout.

 

thanks morgan. just sent him a pm

 

If you have the room and the time. It's going to take you a year or more to part that thing out. You also have to factor in the cost to you in time. It's not quick to go out and pick parts off your car every time someone wants them, package them up, and drive to FedEx to send them off.

Theres could be some money to be made doing it but given the time and effort it takes, it's generally a wash unless you have a car thats in high demand that you can part out quick.

I wouldn't bother. Take the money from the insurance company and move on.

 

Thanks everyone for you input, I am about to call to see if they will give me $9500 and the car if I state in writing that no bodily injury claims will be made. In turn they will need to give me a signed statement that I will not be contacted by the state to get a salvage title. Lets see what they have to say, a few parts searches tell me I could fix it myself for about $1500 and still have a nice car.

 

I highly doubt that they will give you a signed statement saying that the car won't be salvaged because they could be liable if something were to happen and they didn't report it correctly there are strict rules the insurance company has to follow.

In most states when the other party is responsible their insurance company (if they have insurance) ultimately pays for everything so I don't know if your statement of no injury will give you the leverage your looking for because even if Amica pays they will simply get the $ for the other insurance company if there is one.

 

Take the money and run. Thats a really decent offer. You could push back a little more and see if the amount goes up if you want.

 

[QUOTE=In most states when the other party is responsible their insurance company (if they have insurance) ultimately pays for everything so I don't know if your statement of no injury will give you the leverage your looking for because even if Amica pays they will simply get the $ for the other insurance company if there is one.[/QUOTE]

Amica is the other guy's insurance company paying me. And they already stated there would be no Salvage Title, I just want it in writing.

 

I see I thought Amica was your company. You might have a chance to get more it depends on the values in your area.

In regards to fixing it for $1500 you could probably do it but it won't be done right but if your willing to live with that then go for it.

I know that when my 01' was crashed I got some quotes to do it on the cheap but believe me I didn't want to drive that car after I found out what could happen by not doing it right.

 

take the money and let the car go and start fresh

 

The only thing I see that might take a little time to repair is in the first couple pic's. Other than that I stand to make money on this. I bought my 03 CL-S-6 in 2008 with 60k for $9000 cash. One headlight repair $200 and a set of tires $600 later and its a nice running sports car. To keep it that way I have done all the maintenance. Even at 108k now it runs like it was new.

 

Does anyone know if the rear suspension knuckle and rear exhaust for a TL are interchangeable with our CL. If they are I should be able to make these repairs for under $1000 leaving some $$ left over for my efforts.

 

The exhaust is different. Im not sure about the knuckle.

 

Run with the money

 

honestly speaking u still on the winning side.
Good deal, good value, taking to account cost price paid 4 car, Dep.. and all that stuff.
u still make its out with some $$$

 

Anyone want to join me making a contribution for poisx7 to an English class?

I settled today for $8000 and the car will not have a Salvage Title. Parts have been ordered, rear bumper and exhaust from the Cat to mufflers. Tomorrow I am going to Northern Tool to buy http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...2691_200332691 to repair the Sway-bar Bracket on the sub-frame. Bought a quart of Deltron a week before the accident to paint the hood and bumpers so it looks like I will net $6500 for a weekends worth of work.

 

^Nice! looks like you made out like a bandit on that one! Glad everything is working out. I absolutely hate accidents..

 

Nothing like having the right tool for the job http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...2691_200332691 I should have bought one of these a long time ago.

It may not be pretty but welding this really made quick work of what would have been a difficult repair. Closer inspection made it look like I would have to replace the entire rear sub-frame just to replace this bracket that holds sway bar.

 

Well she is ready to roll, received my parts Thursday so I installed the new exhaust, rear right alignment adjustment bar then sanded and primed the bumper. Saturday I finally shot the bumper with Deltron paint, Advantage clear coat and flex additive. Today I took it to Firestone to make sure the alignment was good and here are the results. Wish I had taken a few days off this week I could have painted the entire car but all in all I think it matches pretty well.

 

Is that an OEM bumper? The bottom looks warped.

 

yea in this pic the bumper looks messed up...

 

Even the pics of the bumper off the car, it doesnt look right.

I really hate to pick apart your work, as its more then I wouldve done, but on further inspection it looks like the trunk needs to be realigned as does the exhaust.

 

you should have replaced the rear bumper with a new one, besides that it looks good

 

The pics of the bumper only look odd because it's being suspended by wire which is the best way to paint it off the car and it is an OEM Acura Bumper. All the trunk to tail lights to bumper lines match up nicely. Looking close at the pic from behind I probably could adjust the two bumper alignment tabs attached to the trunk floor. I also need a new license plate, it was badly bent in several directions in the accident. As far as the trunk floor, who cares, the spare fits and who's going to pay any attention.

The way I see it this car has almost been a freebie. Since I started driving in 1974 this CL-S rates right up there with the best Muscle Cars I have owned like my 1969 Chevelle SS 396 375-HP 4-Speed or my 1967 Firebird 400 Convertible 4-Speed. It may not have the raw torque they had but this car is loads of fun to drive, smoother, more reliable, much better on gas and a lot easier on my 50+ year old ass.

I am definitely on the plus side with this one having paid only $9k in 2008 with 60k on the odometer, driving it 50k and no down time other than for maintenance and this accident not to mention a clean title. If I were to sell (which I don't plan to do) it would all be profit. There aren't many who can say they have broke even little loan made a profit on any auto they have owned.

 

^ no need to get upset over it, like I said it looks good other then the bottom. You did a great job and yes the car is pretty much free to you at tha point.

 

Maybe its just the angle of the pic, but the trunk looks likes the gap on the pass side is smaller then the driver side.


And I understand the use of wire during paint, but the bumper stayed in that shape once mounted on the car. You can see where its warped between the mufflers.

Aside from that, I still applaud you for fixing it and getting it back on the road.

 

It's not hard if your a smart buyer. Im almost 20, and ive already done it twice