mohater

Story time:

Sis has a 03 TL, 140k. Car is in my name (long story), so it's under my insurance policy.

Sis got into an accident last March (rear ended someone, hood pushed back). She was still using the car full time. Dad's buddy got the hood back into shape and the car is fully drivable. Made the claim with insurance (no way around this since the accident was her fault) and sat on it. She also had a couple other dings and such (wrapped the passenger door around a pole, and pushed a shopping cart into corner of fuel door).

Car is now at a point where it is not in use and can get fixed. Got estimates, from $2000 to $3000. Had the insurance assessor come out, cited $1800. Deductible is $500. So the most I can currently cash out of insurance is $1300.

I found a hood that needs 1hr of pdr (paintless dent removal) work for $300 and a door that needs a mirror (but no damage to the door) for $350. Shops are quoting door repair @ min of $600 Bumper just needs paint and fender needs a small dent knocked out (from accident) and paint. Both parts are the right color. The PDR guy will probably fix the fuel door as a package w/the hood/fender/bumper (maybe $600-700 for bumper, hood fender and area next to fuel door).

What would you do in this situation? Use the claim to fix the fender/bumper/hood and do the door/rear quarter later or cash out insurance and wing it through the PDR guy?

Thanks,

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

keep the money and run, you don't really have to ride in it much afterall, not "your" car

01tl4tl

did you do the 105 service-timing belt water pump ,,,1000+ dollar job?
and how is the transmission doing? fluid changed often- replaced under warranty?

it may be time to retire this car and let sis drive something cheaper to crash

Insurance estimates get raised once the car is apart at a body shop and more damage is found,,its common, you cant see everything with the doors on - you may have bent pillars etc

Used body parts that need extensive repair are worthless IMO
if you can do all the prep work and bondo yourself- thats one thing, but to pay someone several hundred to get things good enough to use??

mohater

Yeah, timing belt (et all attached timing accessories) were done at 105k.

Tranny was replaced under the warranty when the timing belt was done. Fluid has not been changed since the reman tranny was put in by the dealer. Warranty runs out in 3k or Nov.

I know there are no bent pillars on the door (since the car wrapped the pole, never really pushed in). The main possible extensive damage is the radiator support (the 3k estimate had that, while the 2k did not) since the whole front end has to come apart to get that off.

mohater

I hate to see such a nice car look like crap...

Maybe I'll fix it and sell it.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

the reason for the red text, which means sarcasm, just an FYI

mohater

I figured that. Just trying to figure out how to resolve this.

Thankfully, the new iridium NGK plugs fixed the misfire issue. I'll do a seafoam treatment this weekend to resolve the left over ping (only on idle).

All that's left is the bodywork... the most expensive and laborious piece...

01tl4tl

grab the motor and trans out and put into a good body with blown trans

mohater

Since the motor currently has a rough idle, not sure that would be the best idea

Place I mentioned above (sorta nearby salvage yard) priced me @ $600 for the door ($200), hood ($350) and grille ($50). He *said* the grille is complete (the three chrome pieces and the emblem are there w/the honeycomb center).

Dealer priced the grille at $280...

twilightmarchon

It might not be such a good idea to do Seafoam after you put in new spark plugs. It seems the consensus is that Seafoam isn't greater for your plugs.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

mohater

Going through the various seafoam threads (including the 15 or so page seafoam megathread), there is a general consensus seafoam isn't TOO bad for new plugs (assuming you keep the rpm high and hot when burning it all out).

mohater

Ordered the parts. This yard does rounds around MI and a family friend who is a dealer let me use his office for delivery (saves me the trouble of picking up the parts).

Total for hood, door and grille delivered: $625. Now I just need the bumper painted and the spot next to the fuel door fixed.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

you can still do it on new plugs, but just not preferred though to doing it on the old plugs which you could give two shits about otherwise
yes not too bad, and yes keeping the idle up, will help potentually keep any fouling from happening on the new plugs (and you may not get 105k outta of the plugs, which does not really mean anything, cause really they shoul be replaced at 90k or so, since they are already wasted by then normally)