[lowROLLERchevy]

while driving home today a girl made a left off the highway off ramp. she was originally headed for the middle lane then changed her mind and swerved for the left most lane...... which i was sorta using at the time ...

I know the cars totaled, but i just want to be able to talk to her insurance company knowing full well what its going to cost.

Car is a 1998 Ford Contour SVT. 109k miles. Heres my parts list & their purchase prices:

Fender: $75
Bumper: $700 (
Fender Liner: $25
Head Light: $200
SVT Grill: $200+
Front strut (Koni Yellow, if avail & if even required) $190+shipping
+ paint the fender, bumper and blend the door as said door is already a bad repaint as far as color match, so the hell if I would want it any worse ....

KBB says cars worth 3k, and i figure this is within a few hundo of that.....

[E.Furgal]

I'd take the check and just drive it. it doesn't look all that bad
it'a 14y/o I'd not dumb to much money into it..
and I'd not let them total it and take it..

[novafreek6872]

Originally Posted by E.Furgal

I'd take the check and just drive it. it doesn't look all that bad
it'a 14y/o I'd not dumb to much money into it..
and I'd not let them total it and take it..

I agree. Its kinda got a cool mad max, I don't give a crap vibe to it now, drive it and enjoy parking next to fancy new cars with perfect paint You dont even have to wash it anymore, think of the money you'll save!

[69 widetrack]

The accident wasn't your fault, make the insurance company pay for it, drive it till the wheels fall off and then get paid $300 to squash it. If you fix it, it's still a 1998 Ford, worth less than if it had never been hit.

[lowROLLERchevy]

I already planned on cashing the check and driving it as is. And I already save money by not washing the car. lol.

[DanielC]

Take the check, and after that, if you want, see if you can get parts to fix it at a local junk yard.

[lowROLLERchevy]

grill and bumper are NOT available at local jy's as they are SVT specific. i can however get my choice of numerous rusty red fender's and sandblasted / oxidized headlights.

[69 widetrack]

Originally Posted by lowROLLERchevy

grill and bumper are NOT available at local jy's as they are SVT specific. i can however get my choice of numerous rusty red fender's and sandblasted / oxidized headlights.

In this case stick with date coded correct parts, you're only devaluing the car if you throw on a shiny Red fender with headlights that work. Just like all of us here, we want to see Concour's 100 Point restorations. See you at Pebble Beach, I'll be there with my Pristine Chevy Volt.

[DanielC]

If the plastic headlights are the same plastic as my 1996 Aerostar, they can be polished out. Same process as buffing paint, but you cannot get the plastic warm. Use very slow speeds, and light pressure with a buffer. But before you buff, sand with 400 to 600 grit sandpaper, wet, then work up in grits, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000. Then buff with a rotary buffer, keeping the pad wet. I use Meguire's diamond cut cleaner, or heavy cut cleaner, and finish off with swirl remover. you can use just about any brand of buffing compounds you have, 3M, Mothers, whatever. Thay probably will all work in the headlights.

There may not be a lot of grills, and bumpers around, but I find it hard to believe Ford made only one Contour STV. If you choose, try to get new parts.

But again, it is your car. But if these cars are as rare as you indicate, does that not make them worth more?

The insurance company does not care if you fix the car, or not. All they care about is releasing their liability in this car, as economically as possible, by getting you to sign the check.
Is not the insurance company obligated to replace with "like kind and quality" ? But if you have already signed the check from the insurance company, you have released the insurance company from liability.

[Lizer]

does the bumper actually need replaced? Is it broken somewhere underneath? If it's just dented/smooshed, take a heat gun or hair dryer to it, get it really warm, then push it into shape from the back with your hand. Hold until it cools and it will keep that shape.

[dirtyfingers]

I like the way lizer thinks, have the best of two worlds keep the mony and patch it up real cheep. duraglass the fender ,buy spray paint to match,who realy looks?, and take the wife or girlfriend to dinner.

[lowROLLERchevy]

The cars being left as is and its getting a custom plate. The name "contour"
has always been shortened by my fiends into what got to be one of the most
loathed words in the English language.

Doesn't help that NYS lists the model as "CNT" on the title.

Also doesnt help that the NYS DMV allows "CNT" on license plates

[lowROLLERchevy]

[lowROLLERchevy]

So, Allstate wrote the car for $1350 .... and their adjuster thought he was to smart to talk for me ... ok i dont mind $1350 ....

then Allstate decided that I'm 25% at fault because i didnt avoid their customer by slamming my car into the divider in the center of the road (they didnt say it like THAT but its what i would have had to do)

So now i have a new estimate. $2450 for the repairs not including the busted fog light and the belly pan thats dragging on the ground ..... or any of the possible suspension damage.

i think ill just keep getting estimates till someone writes one for like $3100 and THEN call Allstate back w/ an offer of my own.

[69 widetrack]

I don't know what book value is on your car and I'm not sure how Insurance company's work in the US but in Canada they write a car when the repairs reach a certain percentage of the value. Not sure getting a higher estimate is going to get you more money for the Ford. What you can do is argue with the insurance company for reasons, like low mileage, or that it was in excellent condition prior to the accident...be a PITA and they might give you more just to get rid of you.

That sounded rude...but insurance company's have meetings with adjusters and the adjuster doesn't want a claim outstanding to long, he'll get called on the carpet.

Just a thought
Ray