CLK550 $wagger

Unfortunately I have some bad news for all of my fellow W209 lovers. The other night I was on my way home from work and upon entering my local township I discovered the roads were completely unsalted and unplowed.
About 10 mins from getting home I was going around a corner that was slightly down hill at about 10mph and lost grip and slid for about 30-40 feet into a telephone poll. It was a very unfortunate event but I am just very glad that I nor anybody else was injured in the accident. My front passenger wheel is what originally made impact with the telephone poll which tore the suspension off the frame not to mention how smashed in the body was. As soon as I got out of the car and looked at it I immediately feared that the car was totaled.


So after a couple days my adjuster was able to get out to the tow yard and after he crunched the numbers my biggest fear became a reality when he informed me it was in fact totaled. He said that he was at $15,000 not even including the suspension.

Considering it took me 9 months to find this one I started scrambling to try to find another one when they informed me they are only giving me 10 days with the rental but after thinking long and hard I decided that I will just get something along the lines of a BMW 330xi to hold me over while I try to find another one. Not to mention then I would have a winter car and my next clk550 would never have to see a snow flake again!


The ironic part is I was just starting to look into trading the 550 in for a c63 or an m3 but now that its gone all I can think of is getting another one! These w209's are extremely addicting!


Now before we get into the pictures I have an idea that I would like a little bit of advice on. I have the option to buy it back for $6,600 which seems extremely cheap to me and from the research I've done there is definitely some money to be made with it. I've thought of two options let me know what you think about them and please let me know if you have any better ideas or if you think it would actually be worth doing or not.

1. Try to find a buyer for the full complete motor/tranny in a couple days for $6,600 then I can part the rest of the car out and its pure profit and from the research I have done that would be a steal for somebody.

2. Find somebody that would be interested in purchasing the whole car wether it be a business or a person and making some money that way.


To be honest out of the two options I could come up with Im leaning more towards the second option because I don't really have a place to dissemble it to part it out...

Thank you guys for all of your time and help you gave me to help me maintaining and modifying my W209. I look forward to getting another one and doing all the stuff that I didn't have a chance to do!


Last but not least the photos

Fatz

Really bad news ..... Glad you are physically ok.

The insurance co. would have a buyer at or near the $6600, and those people make their living at used parts sales. If you have the time, equipment, and expertise to disassemble the car, I would say go for it. You also have to factor in the cost of getting rid of the left overs that can't be sold. Towing and crushing the left overs is probably not cheap.

Good luck... and again; glad you are ok.

Yidney

If 10 mph did that I may sell mine! I'd not buy it back for $6,000 if it were me. Too big a hassle. How many people locally need that engine or tranny even if the price is good in the abstract?

mercedes4ever

At least your OK. Those iced roads are a curse!

kb24forlife24

I'm really sorry for what happened ,but really happy that you're ok! That looks like a really messed up front end, ad that happened at 10 mph...whoa. Just glad that you're ok! Best of luck to you!

CLK550 $wagger

Thanks for all of the kind words and advice! The benzo is definitely going to be missed... It was like loosing a part of the family! This is definitely the most friendly/helpful car forum I have ever been apart of. You guys are awesome!


I have decided to just call the biggest local foreign junk yard and see if they'd be interested in it. Other than that Im just going to let the insurance company keep because like a couple of you suggested Its going to be a bigger pain than its worth to part it out or do anything else. I just sent him over pictures that he asked for and Im waiting to here a response so I'll keep you updated on what ends up happening.

iyeoh

I'm so sorry for your precious loss!

"Local township," icy and not plowed together. Sounds like you're from Joisey!

Rudeney

I am so sorry to hear about this. I suspect with the sliding, you were going over 10mph. As for the deal, I wouldn't buy the salvage car - I'd make them give it to me. Basically, they are giving you a fair value for yours, but the salvage price is way too high - it's $3K at best. Look in recent sales on eBay and for-sale cars on Auto Trader to find comparable cars with higher prices and negotiate the deal.

CLK550 $wagger

Thanks for the helpful advice rudeney and for the kind words guys. Unfortunately I decided to just let the insurence company take it because I'm going to have to start paying daily for the car to sit at the tow yard while I figure where to take it and it's also holding up my insurence check. Theres money to be made but for me I just don't think it's worth it becuse it's going to start costing money.


To help clarify the 10mph with you guys because I know a lot of you are wondering about it. The hill is pretty steep so when I say I was going 10mph that was before it started slipping and To be honest I think I may of started picking up speed a little since I was sliding down a pretty steep hill and it was completely ice.

gaazmon

Dude that sucks just glad your ok and all. That's what really counts. The damage looks really extensive. I think u made the right call by just letting it go. I would've done the same

xsever

Glad you are ok and safe. It is saddening to see the car like that though. I must admit.

Did you have winter tires on or all-season?

rafiwadud

as mentioned before, glad to see you are safe (hopefully says something about MB in general and their products.) I would like to think after an accident like that, god forbid, I would walk out of it fine too. Hope you stay with the MB family, i just feel like BMW lacks that one special quality, MB has (though idk how to explain what it is lol) but BMW are extremely reliable cars, specially 3series. Had 2 previously in the family before I was old enough to buy a car lol.

You're car will be missed, long live every white w209. We are a dying breed

CLK550 $wagger

I apologize guys haven't payed attention to this post because I've been tied up searching to find another one!


Thanks again guys I truly appreciate kind words.

@xsever I was running DWS Continental All seasons but they were getting a little worn on the outside edges... I did't even notice until I looked afterwards.

@rafiwadud yeah its starting to look like I'll be picking up another CLK550 although unfortunately its probably not going to be white.

Paulers

Sorry about your 550. I purchase my 07 550 cab with 84k miles back from Geico for 3800 due to a side impact. It needed a inner and outer quarter panel, door and rear suspension work for the tune of 18k at http://www.ptautowerks.com/. We kept the rental for 30 days while I argued with the CCC valuation and got more money for things like Nav and Harmon Kardon Sound and condition! The 3800 plus sales tax was removed from the payout check for agreed upon value of the car plus sales tax.

If you have the time and place for the wrecked car it may be worth buying depending on the year and mileage. Maybe try to pre-sale the engine trans to make sure you will do ok.

My wife was unhappy about my repurchase as she hated looking at her wrecked car. 550s are not as plentiful as 350s and it took a while to find a decent deal. I shipped one from the east coast to replace her's.

jhbrad

Sad to hear of your loss...that was a really nice 550! What did you end up doing with the insurance company?

omega48er

glad that you are ok and no one got hurt. i slipped out this last winter when it was a little wet out side with snow, thank god nothing happened. that was the deciding factor for me to have a beater jeep liberty for the winters.

best of luck to you, hope to see you in another w209 (who knows maybe a clk63 wink wink)