Friday afternoon this dumbass kid hits me head on in my subdivision with his 4 wheel drive jeep. Basically, the whole front end is demolished - hood, bumper, headlites, and both quarter panels. My bodyshop said the adjuster came out today and he said it was totalled! I don't want it totalled. I just put new rims and tires on it ($2500) a new stereo system ($1000) not to mention all the other modifications I have done to it in the last 6 months - exhaust (Y&B), altezzas, carbon fiber dash kit, eibach lowering kit, etc. I want his insurance company to fix it. I have a 1995 Pearl White SE with black leather interior that is in immaculate condition and 63,000 miles on it and I bought it brand new. I will not be able to find a car as nice as mine for what they will give me for it. I have not talked to the adjuster yet, so I don't know how much they are going to offer me for it. This makes me so sad. I love my car. I know if they total it I can buy it back from the insurance company, but then I have to find a body shop that will fix it for the difference. Has anyone ever done this and not had to pay $ out of their pocket? Someone who's been through this give me some advice, please!

Rhonda

 

Take the wheels and stereo out and put it back to stock. I'm guessing the will ofeer $8,000 or so.

 

go to autotrader.com and cars.com and get the going rate for your car. take pictures/print outs of the cars you find when you talk with the adjustor. you will definetly get more money by doing this. I was hit in april and it cost almost $6000 to repair my car and it has 112,000 miles on it. my guess is that the insurance company is totaling the car because the front frame is bent. Also, i think you said the car was white. well, this is a three stage paint process (primer, base coat, pearl coat). a lot of extra money in labor when working with the pearl coat.

 

Lucky you, I cant wait til someone smashes into my Maxima so I can get a car with a good factory paint job.

Nissan paint= sh*t

 

Hey, my 98 GLE (pearl white with perfect black leather) was just mashed too. It's like $8000.00 in damages, but the adjuster left the claim open for other miscellaneous stuff. I think the tranny might be gone too, but we'll see.

Anyway, sorry to hear about you max. It's like losing a friend.

-Seth

 

Thanks, guys for all the info. Talked to a lawyer last nite and he told me to talk to the ins co. and let them know that this is not just an ordinary 1995 Maxima. I have won several trophies at car shows and I have all my receipts for everything that I have put on my car in the last 6-9 months. My lawyer said to give the ins co. copies of all my receipts and to maybe take a picture of all my trophies. Basically, I in negotiation with them to convince them that my car is worth more than blue book. He even suggested having someone, like a car show judge, write an opinion of value. I just happen to know the guy who judges all the Hooters car shows in our area, so I will be making contact with him today.

One question I have is that if I agree for them to total the car and then buy it back from them, will my title indicate that it was "salvaged"?

I just can't imagine life without my Max.

Still sad,
Rhonda

 

Are they totalling your car Seth?

Kevin

 

You can purchase the car back but it will have a salvage title.

 

I say strip the car of your mods, get the most you can for it and buy another one. Good things must come to an end albeit a tragic one for this max. The car will never be the same if the frame is damaged...so why would you want it back if you can't have it back in original shape? Just my thoughts...glad you weren't hurt...were you? I'd sue the pants of the jack-off that ran into you...then get a new Max!

 

Nope... just found out their going to fix it up. Found a front end clip locally. I talked to the guy at the shop today, and he's gonna let me take pics all the way so I'll post them at some point.

Sorry, but my trunk lid will stay for now...

Anyway, I'm gonna get the SE painted grill, already have 16" SE wheels, white gauges, and wing. If I can find door handles, I'll paint those with the rebuild, maybe black out the chrome trim, and do some suspension mods. I might do the 5-speed conversion too... that'll pretty much give me the SE I wanted originally.

Anyone remember that link to the 5-speed conversion page?

-Seth

 

For the door handles, you can get some Vinyl Tape fomr a sticker shop. looks just like metal, can't even tell.

Kevin

 

OK, here's the deal. The insurance company offered $10,200 for my car and I can buy it back for $1500. That leaves me $8700 to fix it. The insurance company informed me that because my car is a '95 it will NOT have a salvage title. Only '96 and up would end up with a salvage title. I asked the lady if she could guarantee me that and she said she didn't have to, it was the law. So, my body shop so far is at about $5,000 to fix it. Going to get my check this evening. They even gave me another week on the rental car. I think I might just change insurance companies to State Farm.

Rhonda

 

thats great news man....good to hear......maybe take the stuff off your car, and with the 10 g's you can buy the same year, same options .....thats just my thought

auto --> 5spd

 

Why dont you total it make sure they give you more then its worth to fix. Then buy back the car and fix it. U will have some money left over.

 

thats what he just said .....

 

RR95SE or the little **** ??

 

Hehe, sorry couldn't resist.

 

nice !

 

That's great, you could get a super charger for the money you will get back. I was once hit buy a guy in an old thunderbird that I bought for $6000, the insurance company gave me $8500. So insurance comapnies can be cool sometimes and getting in a wreck can be a very good thing especially since the thunderbird had an oil leak (a Ford, go figure).
Thanks,
Paul

 

I don't understand why you have to sign over your title and then buy the car back. They should just pay you the money and have you sign a waiver. I haven't had a car accident this severe before but I know that I was once rear ended and someone else's insurance was paying--I just got the estimates (like $900 or something) and they cut me a check. I didn't even fix it for months. It doesn't seem right to me that they are requiring you to sign over the car--I can't see how they can make you do that. If their adjuster agrees that you should net $8,700 then they should just cut you a check for that. Then there is no way your title could possibly reflect salvage. I would never sign over my title if I wanted to keep the car and fix it up. The only think I can think of is that it has to do with the lienholder--do you have a loan? By the way, that salvage thing sounds funny--it depends on the state--I'd verify that the title won't say salvage on a 95 with someone in the government or a car dealer. But then again I don't trust insurance companies...Good luck!

 

Who said anything about signing over the title? All I have to do is give them a copy of my driver's license and sign a piece of paper. Not sure what it is yet, but I work for a lawyer and you can bet that it will be reviewed by him first. No lien. Paid off back in '98. I know what you mean about not trusting insurance companies. Not only do I not trust them, I hate insurance companies!! Anyway, I've decided to put a '97 front bumper on it and then get the Stillen aero kit. Frame was checked and no damage to it. If I had decided to just take the $10,200 all they would have let me take off the car were the rims and stereo, and I would have to give them the stock rims and Bose system, which is no problem because I have them. I have checked the area and car max, car trader, and cars.com and couldn't find a '97, '96 or '95 that's as nice as my car and has as low mileage as mine has. Anway, all's good; I'm happy to get my car fixed and have a little $ left over.

Rhonda

 

IMO.. I would take out all the mod and get
another Max with no accident history.......

 

THis is my reccomendation.

take the 10G's and by antoher maxima,mybe a 97 SE or something. Also buy the wrecked one back and a part it out. You'll probably more then break even.

Kevin

 

If I buy the wrecked one back, I won't have 10G's anymore; I'll have $8500.

I don't have the time to part out a car. There are not many Maxima owners in my area, or let's just say not many that modify their Max's. I know I could sell the parts to .org members, but I don't have the time to do that either.

So here's the deal, I'm buying it back and dumping the excess $ back into it and am currently waiting on my insurance agent to call me back regarding additional insurance on it. That's it; that's what I'm going to do.

Not to sound ungrateful for everyone's recommondations, because I am very grateful, but the above is what I'm going to do.

Rhonda

 

Well, you've got to do what is best for you. Considering the mileage of your car and that there is no frame damage you're probably making a good decision. The best part is that it won't get the salvage title. Good luck with everything let us know how it all turns out.

Kevin