I have a 1987 Acura Integra Special Edition (rare, first year, limited production model) and just had an accident ...not my fault. Their insurance company cannot find another one like it to estimate it's value and are using a regular Integra to guess it's value. The damage is minor (front bumper, grill and one headlight) and the rest of the car is in excellent condition (I bought it new). They want to call it a 'total' instead of fixing it, based on their low estimate of it's worth.

What are my rights and options? I feel it has some collector value, is worth more than they say and that the decision to total it should be mine (not their's).

Does anyone else know where there is one or have any idea about it's value? I've searched coast to coast.

Thanks, Jim

 

Tell them you want $15k for it. Or just don't back down until you get something close to what you want price wise.

 

The Special Edition was not as special as you think.

It should be valued as a base Integra with leather.

 

You always have the right to keep the car, insurance company will cut the check and you'll have your integra with a salvaged title

the damaged you described sounds enough to total an 87 integra

 

Not true. I originally paid more for the all the special factory outside trim, ground effects, and spoiler. The rest of the car is all mono white (wheels, mirrors and trim etc). Just it's condition should make it 'special' and I get asked about it all the time. What they are offering won't buy a good go-cart.

This is really about the insurance industry and fairness. It should be fixed instead of totalled, which also messes up the title and forces me to buy a new(er) car.

 

I understand how insurance works and the 80% total rule. But that's their financial guideline (not mine). If the accident was my fault, my insurance company would do the same, but I'm not the one at fault and will suffer a loss. This car still runs great and has/had many years left. If the exact same damage was done to my new TL, they would be fixing it.

 

It doesn't matter what you paid for it-- the guideline for insurance appraisal is what anyone else would pay for it in perfect condition now.

Your options are to check Craigslist, Hemmings, Autotrader, etc. to see if there are prices for '87 Integra SEs in your area. If not, your car's value may be based on values for an '87 Integra LS (which may be around $1500, which my '88 Integra LS is worth assuming I sell it some day).

If the insurer totals out the car, you can ask it to let you keep the car so you can get it repaired.

 

English translation: I overpaid for the car.

Now that is out of my system, just keep saying no to what they offer and see how much they will come up. A friend had a Fiat Spider (I'm old) get washed down the street many years ago and I think it was about the 4th offer he finally accepted. A sad fact is that OUR stuff is never as valuable as WE think it is.

 

Houses APPRECIATE in value
Cars DEPRECIATE in value - unless it's something REAAAALLY special, and I don't think there's anything special about an '87 Acura Integra, Special Edition or not..

 

i'm not saying this to be a jerk: but from what the accident sounds like their gonna total your SE Integra.
it's not a like other members said a "collectors car"
it's not like a Type R or a Mustang GT500 those are both limited build cars.
your SE was not a lets say #502 of 3000 built that year.
so i hate to say it probably most you'll get 2 grand.

 

Somehow we've gotten off the point... I'm not trying to get more than it's worth, just enough to fix it. I also don't want it to end up with a dirty title. The term 'total' makes it sound like it was in a really really bad wreck, which it wasn't.

So far the adjuster hasn't been unable to locate all the parts it needs, new or used, and I'm sure this will also affect their decision.

Stay tuned...

 

I'm sorry but "Special Edition" Hondas/Acuras are actually the opposite of what you think. Sometimes they change the name to "Value Package" and nothing changes except the name. It is pretty much a regular Integra, and the reality is, if a car is worth (in the insurance co.'s mind) $100, and it costs $100 to fix it, they will total it.

Not to be an asshole but life isn't fair. And insurance companies especially aren't fair. I doubt anyone has personally told you that insurance companies have any morals or have fairness in their policy.

 

Actually, the SE to the Integra LS was the equivalent of an A-Spec body package TL to a TL-- spoiler/wing, rocker panel moldings, etc. I don't know if the SE front bumper/air dam was different from the LS. IIRC, the SE wheels were gold LS wheels and there were no suspension or engine mods.

 

It's still a 21 year old car that was mass-produced and can be found just about anywhere. Nothing makes it a rare or special so an insurance company will see it as an Integra and that's it.

 

i agree.
don't even bother getting a attorney to fight it by the time you pay an attorney to fight it the retainer worth more than the damn car.

 

Per post #7.

If the insurance company gives OP a check for the totalled value without asking for the pink slip, the car may not get a "salvage" title-- that's what I recall from the '80s when I got a check for the totalled value of my rear-ended Mustang while keeping the car.

 

If you go to Kelly blue book, there is an option for a SE Integra, I dont know all your cars info but asuming it has 100,000 miles it is worth $1,200. Here is the link you can modify it, but I dont think it will change much.

http://www.kbb.com/KBB/UsedCars/Pric...=100000#survey

 

The insurance company came up with $1622 (factory parts and labor) to fix it and let me keep a clean title. I found a flip up light assembly and side signal lense off an '88 that's the same. The bumper will take a while to find. The only hard part will be the front cross support that holds everything together which is part of the welded uni-body (it was bent back and down about 2 inches).

A little body work and paint and it should be good to go.

Thanks guys.

 

And I think the SE was the only 2 door first gen that would come with power windows. I could be wrong.



Another thing about Honda SEs. Yes it's true that as of lately most of the SE are stripped down versions of the higher trims. Usually they are LXs with wheels and no moon roof. However, back in the 80s and early 90s the SE was the limited top of the line Accord. I'd still love to have a 91 teal green SE Accord. Just hate those damn automatic seatbelts.

 

Yeah well not exactly true in this horrible economy. Our house went from being valued at $450,000 in 2005 all the way to $300,000.

That sucks balls!

 

talk about taking a hit in the shitter.

 

. . . and what was it worth in 2002?