I am in a bit of a bind. The wreck (pics coming) might be totalled, and if it is, I don't knwo what to do about whether to buy it back and fix it or to just let it go and buy a new car.

If i keep it, I KNOW that 50% of the replacement parts are way over-priced, but I do not know what to do about getting better prices. For example, it is $499 for the radiator, but I found them online for $125. $119 for the grille, $45 online. $151 each for headlights, $70 each online. $48.44 for corner lights, $50 for the set online. Is there any way to buy these parts and install them myself and to keep the difference, or to use it to offset the $500 deductable?

BTW: link to my questions on a potential 97+ conversion, if I end up keeping it:
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=273277
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=275494

 

It all depends on how much they offer you....

 

Prob in the $6500-7K range, which is what they are going for in this area right now.

 

The bluebook on GLE is much higher than it should be. So that helps you unless you want to get a new car. My damages on my 95 GLE were $5,400. There is no way the car was worth that much. Depending on insurance companies and coverage they will fix up to 85-90% of the bluebook value of the car. But I do know that your prices are a bit off though. You can get DC clears off custommaxima for $33. You can replace most of these parts, or atleast I could, but you will still need paint and that will be atleast $1000. Post some pics.

 

Not corner lights w/ the 4 pieces, the OEM clearance/cornering lights...those are what they are replacing.

Any painted part I will let the shop do, except the grille, which I may just go w/o until I decide on the 97+ front end issue. I can get a replacement grille for a LOT less than the new ones, and i can order the headlights and clearance/corner lights, as well as what we call corrner lights, and install them myself. That will save me about $200 toward meeting my deductable...

Edit: Pics will be up this evening.

 

Here is the best pic I have of the damage:

 

And another pic:

 

Last one for now:

 

How many miles on your car? If high, I think you should take the money and run.

 

89K and change.

 

i had the same exact accident, the car was the same color as ur but mine was 98, and state farm told me it wasn't totaled because the motor wasn't touched and state farm fixed it for me for 6.200 or something like that i wish i have had done it my self cause itsn't not really that hard there is nothing to really bend out except the fenders (if you decide to keep them), i would be getting a carbonfiber hood, and the cross beam that connects to your fenders(you can usualy get them out of the junk yard and weld it on, i saw all the work that they did on my car and most of the money went to the paint and stuff like that which just sux. And even if u bend what ever u need by ur self or have someone do it its not that expensive.

 

If the decide to fix it, I will most likely NOT have them replace the grille, headlights, corner lights, or grille. I will do all of that myself. The quote from the ins company, the headlights are $150.99 each, the corner lights are $48.44 each, and the grille is $119.00 plus $23.73 for the front hamburger. $541.59 for all of that, and I just got a quote from a guy on eBay for just over $300 for all of those parts. I think that I will be having them pass on those parts and I will replace them myself, especially considering that I am going to upgrade to 97+ headlights, cornering lights, and grille.

Also, I am going to try to get the shop to look around before ordering the $499.03 radiator that the insurance company has written up. I found them all over the place for $100-200.

 

Wow... that's worst than the accident I got into and mine was $5500 to fix but the bulk of that price was damn air bags and sensors...

 

I had no airbag deployment.