re. Help with valuation

Fri Mar 21 18:54:26 PDT 2008

Unless you had declared/stated value insurance, I wouldn't expect them to
pay for any aftermarket parts. They were insuring it for a set predictable
amount, which then dictated the premium you pay. You can't change the
equation by saying it's worth "more", but then having never paid the premium
for "more". I'll agreed with Ben in that documentation/records will help the
case, but the best you can hope for would be "above avg condition" for the
year/model. Your service history/pics/car shows etc will help to convince
the adjuster that yours is worth, whatever, +15% more than an avg example.
The chipped ecu and stereo can come out/resold easily. A new blower motor
doesn't enhance a '91 cars value, just like an inop one doesn't degrade your
valueation. It's assumed that what came on the car is functional(not that
they check). That's why they deduct for previous physical damage.

2700$ salvage value? Ah, no. The insurance co has to pay storage at the
bodyshop, towing to auction, auction house cut, and paperwork involved in
the processing. Unless we're defining the term differently, salvage value
would be the dollar value reclaimed by the ins co when the salvage is sold
off at auction(or before). Most often it's the avg of the last 5 (same) cars
that sold for them.

-Cheers
-Chris Semple
Concord, NH
'84 4000q
   '93 E350 Club
      '02 Jetta Wagon 1.8T

-----Original Message-----
From: quattro-bounces at audifans.com
[mailto:quattro-bounces at audifans.com]On Behalf Of Ben Swann
Sent: Friday, March 21, 2008 4:59 PM
To: mikemilr at blackfoot.net

Mike,

I have two current price points for you, although I don’t know if that will
help since
officially reported values are often a fraction of the real transaction
value, and
reported cost is usually lowered to save on taxes – not that I’d do anything
like that.
If they have 2 examples of  $3600 or about, that may actually be helping
your case –
only us Audinuts realize these cars are worth so much more than reported
values.

1. I am selling ’91 200Q20V  turbo quattro avant for $2500.  Car could be
considered to
be drivable but needing work.  Car was originally purchased for $1500 and
needed a lot
of work, and certainly would not pass inspection.  For $2500 still needs
exhaust and
brakes all around and some other things, just to pass inspection.  I’d use
the argument
that even a wrecked ’91 avant is worth a lot more due to its rarity, but
they often
don’t car unless you have collector’s insurance.  Once car is inspected and
on the road,
expect it then to be worth closer to $4500 – and it still is not a prime
example of an
avant – all stock and nothing fancy.

2. I am buying a wrecked ’91 200Q20V sedan for $2700.  The engine is worth
more than the
$2700 but needs to be pulled.  Once pulled this engine will be worth a lot
more,
although most 3B engines are only worth around $2400.  I’ll of course be
getting
additional parts from the car.  I don’t know if it will help telling them
that the car
is worth more in parts – they may actually want to take advantage of that.
Of course
someone needs to pull the engine and that costs money/time too.  Too often
junkyards
don’t know about the cars and won’t offer but a few hundred for it. This car
will be
disposed of and the $2700 is basically salvage value.

If you can, use a baseline stock poor running condition and needing brakes
and
suspension for around $2000 and then add up all expenses, modifications and
repairs
within recent history.  If you put in say $20K and you can prove it, you may
be able to
get back a prorated portion of the value on the car.  Often the aftermarket
stuff does
not count for squat, but if you got improved aftermarket for the same or
less than
dealer cost, then that is an expense you can count.

I had spreadsheet for an ’87 avant totaling over $17K several years ago and
got $7k from
insurance.  Of course this might only work if the other person is at fault.
Then there
insurance is liable to provide reasonable replacement costs with equal or
newer vehicle.
Getting that is the battle, but I have found a serious threat of incurring
their time
and expense with possible legal action has worked for me to get back a large
portion of
the fair value, followed by a cheap buy back, so I could actually recoup
some more of my
costs, but never really got my money back.  You just need to be insistant
and perhaps
have the balls to follow through with repetitive phone calls, correspondence
and if
necessary legal claim.  I only had to do legal action once when I had to
prove a
construction contractor was liable for enableing an accident due to
misplaced road
markers.

In any event – document everything.  Hopefully that job was already done, as
it is
harder to put all this together after the fact.  Keep that folder full of
receipts and
back up with a spreadsheet of costs on the car – it works, but most don’t do
it and end
up losing when an accident happens, especially when the car was towed to the
junkyard
with all the receipts stashed haphazardly in the glovebox.

I have seen plenty of 200 sedans in great shape going in the $5K price
range, so don’t
expect to get a lot more than that.

Ben

[Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:12:54 -0600
From: "Mike Miller" <mikemilr at blackfoot.net>
Subject: Help with valuation
To: "200 20v List" <200q20v at audifans.com>
Message-ID: <004d01c88abe$66c98000$0600a8c0 at lcs2>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=original

I'm still fighting with the insurance company over my accident last Nov. The
car is a
definate total. The insurance co is using 2 recent sales of cars that are
totally stock
with an average sales price of about $3600. I'm arguing with them that as
mine had Euro
headlights, Eibach/Bilstein.
upgraded stereo, and a Hoppen chip, it should be worth more. Not to mention
the new
heater core/blower motor, PS pump, brakes, window motor/regulator, and 54.6
miles on new
snow tires, etc.

If anyone has sold a 200q20v in the last several months and wouldn't mind
sharing the
details on the vehicle as well as the price it sold for, please contact me
off list @
mikemilr at blackfoot.net What I am trying to do is to counter their arguement
that the
upgrades add no actual value to the car.

thanks,
mike]
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