PaulX608

Well, after more than a week in the body shop, additional damages were discovered in the tear down that pushed the estimate beyond the total loss threshold. My choices are: accept $2800 and hope they don't find more damage and keep it with a salvage title OR accept $3300 and get something else. The main problem with the 'keep it' option is that the estimate doesn't address the ignition problem the car developed after the accident. Just a full tune up on it will cost a few hundred to do, and if one of the coils is damaged it goes up from there. I've had the car as my daily driver for 6 years and put over 100,000 miles on it. I've got my $7300 out of it and then some. I wish I had the time, space, and energy to part it out but I just don't. So unless someone wants to give me $1500 for it as it is, I think I'm gonna take the $3300. I hate to leave the W124 community, but I think I'll just get a fill in car for now until the wife's ML is paid off, then look for a late R129 for me. I always wanted one of those.

neanderthal

Sorry to hear that.

If they are low balling you, why don't you tell them to fix it. The cost to repair is prohibitive, and they should very quickly give you a better offer.

AdrianL

+1 You don't have to take the initial offer, like with anything, barter!!

A guy I know on the S4 forum was able to talk his company to a very fair sum, allowing him to replace his S4 with a beautifully maintained example with records.

PaulX608

Thanks to the help of the guy at the body shop standing up for my car and it's condition aside from the collision damage, the estimated value and total loss threshold had already been raised. The $3300 seems fair to me, and I've accepted it. Like I told my wife, had I kept it and had it fixed I'd have had to shell out more cash, be without the free rental I've been driving for a month, and still have to address the ignition issue. My only wish is that I had the time, space and energy to have kept it and parted it out. I was hoping someone else would have liked to have done it, but after a week of searching I could find no one to take it on. All in all, while the loss of my 400E sucks, I think I'm OK with moving on. I bought a real nice 2002 Sebring Limited 'vert, and I've bonded with it. I'll start saving for an SL and come back to the fold in a couple years. We still have a W163, so we're still in the family. Actually the Sebring IS a Daimler Chrysler! It's been good on here and I've gleaned a lot of useful info from the board during my 6 years of W124 ownership. Thanks a lot you guys and watch out for minivans.