Totalled - was A4 Sport code

[Swann, Benjamin R. (BSWANN)]

Right!

My sister had a nice '85 Scirocco - totalled by the ins. co when she hit a
curve.

The wheel was folded up - looked terrible.  We had it towed to a friends
body shop.

With somewhat over $1000 estimated repairs in labor and parts(new prices)
they were going to give her $1200 and total the car.  

When she told me this, I insisted she fight it, find comparable example
cars, as it was certainly worth more(this was around 1992, so the car was
not that old then, and was very well kept.

They ended up giving her around $2500 for the car, and let her buy it back
for like $250, which I gave her the money for and bought the car from her.

I want over to the shop with tools and jack, control arm, wheel/tire and
axle, as I had some of these coincidentally just sitting in a pile in the
back yard.  Fixed the car while it was raining, since I didn't want to leave
it in the "vandelism zone" it was in.

3 hours later I drove the car home, with only some fender fold that needed
straightening.  Ended up selling it to a friend for too cheap.

Even if I had bought the parts, it would have been worth it.

So totalled to the insurance co. is not always that bad.  It usually means
that the estimated parts and repairs on the car by certified shop exceeds
the wholesale "book" value of the car - many times they are a good deal for
the DIYer.

Regards,

Ben Swann
2 Q's in the barn, and too many totalled cars resurrected from the dead in
days gone by to recall.
_______________________________________________

> From:	Tom Nas [SMTP:tnas at euronet.nl]
> Sent:	Tuesday, October 10, 2000 11:45 AM
> To:	quattro at audifans.com
> Cc:	Stuart Friedman
> Subject:	Re: A4 Sport code
> 
> "Stuart Friedman" <stuartf at bypass.com> wrote:
> 
Depends on the type of damage that totals the car.  My dad has rebuilt
nearly every Audi he has owned, most of the time from engine fires.  A few
belts and ducts and new wiring harnesses and paint is usually all thats
needed in a fire damaged car.

Rob

> YMMV, but I'd be wary of this car. It takes a LOT of structural damage to 
> total a practically new car. This car may never drive like a new one 
> again... and it surely won't have the structural integrity of an undamaged
> 
> example, nor the panel fit.
> 
> Does the car have a salvage title? Unless you want to keep it until it 
> disintegrates, you'll always have that to lower your car's resale value.
> Considering all these things, $20k might not be that much of a bargain.
> 
> BTDT, drove a few resurrected-totalled cars. Many were superficially 
> perfect but far from it underneath.  I'd prefer an older but undamaged
> car.
> 
> But then again, as I wrote: YMMV.
> 
> My $0.02, etc.
> 
> Tom