Basically, my car got hit the other day (at a funeral) and I have a bad feeling they will claim the car totaled at the body shop.
The question I have is: If the car is totaled, Will it make a difference if I go to a body shop the person's insurance co reccomends or no? In other words, if it's totaled, will they low-ball me?

Thanks guys

 

Is your car modded? If so, you just lost all of your parts. Due to insurance reasons you wont be able to get the parts off, you will have to buy the car back from insurance. When my other evo got hit I brought it to my house

I got 25+k from the dudes insurance for a 05 with 57k on it.

 

Luckily it was just the 200sx, it just has aftermarket suspension. Not worried so much about that. Just hoping i won't get a low-ball offer on the car if it's totaled.

 

I thought it was your evo, 200sx what you worry about?
body shop doesn't do the appraisal. Insurance CO will search the market value and they will call dealer ship about the retail price, and they avg out all the quote and add the sales tax.

 

It sounds really stupid, but the 200sx has been such a great car for me and never failed me. I have a stupid attachment to it, and it's not even SR20 powered, just GA16... slow as *****.

basically though, it's never failed me. Even when someone somehow spilled water on my ECU inside the car, it burned 58 capacitors and 1/2 the board was like black. It ran like total crap, but didn't leave me on the side of the road. Got me in my driveway an then quit.

I just got hit on the side and had a pickup truck climbing the side of the car and it drove away after the accident. The truck couldn't even drive becasue the bumper was pushed under the wheel. Even though my door won't open and the side is crushed in, it still drives me.

 

yeah insurance can be shady....i covered all my mods on my evo for a reasonable price...

 

If they claim the car totaled, how hard would it be for me to register it if I wanted to buy it back and fix it?

 

I don't think it's hard at all to reregister it. You would obviously just have a salvaged title. There might need to be some type of inspection after it's fixed, but I'm not sure.

 

I know how you feel. I had a '97 Sentra (basically 4 door version of your 200sx) and it was extremely reliable, also slow as *****, but I babied it (looks-wise anyways). It was rear-ended one day when I was just sitting at a stop light. The car ran and could have been repaired, I even drove it for a month while this all was being sorted out. But, no body shop would guarantee their estimates on it because they where unsure what they would find once they pulled out what they could see, even if they welded on a used rear clip. If I kept it, anything unforseen over that would have to be paid out of my pocket. The quotes stopped at $4800 and that was what the car was worth, at the most.

The insurance company tried to only give me something like $3500 for totalling it out (the Kelly Blue Book value at the time for "good" condition) but I argued my way to $4800, using the other drivers father's words at the scene "is that a new car?" against them. That was the price for excellent condition on the KBB site.

I remember seeing it being towed away from my house. It looked so sad and kind of pathetic.

 

I actually had a 1990 honda accord back about 8 years ago that my older brother totalled.The car had quite a few mods including a JDM H22 VTEC motor.I had the car towed to my house and put all the stock parts back on the car and actually got more than I thought I was going to get.I got $4000-$500($500 deductable) $3500 and the insurance told me to just keep the car.I even sold the car to a local junkyard and got anothe $300 for the car so it all depends.

 

A guy I know in Jersey got 18K from the insurance company for an 04 (I think) and negotiated to keep the car. He got it fixed for 10K and had money to burn.

 

The insurance company may take the position that the cost to repair your car exceeds the value of the car less the salvage value, which is the definition for "total" in most locations. However, they are not entitled to keep your car, and you can always negotiate the retention of your vehicle, and the amount of "deduction" from the total loss value for you to keep the "salvage". In many states, there is no "salvage" deisgnation on a title, and it is often the case that salvaged vehicles are retitled in those states to obtain a clear title after they have been damaged. The damage will usually show up on carfax or similar, however...

 

depends on wherever your car is towed to. my '01 prelude SH was totaled and the graveyard it was towed to had no problem with me taking whatever i wanted off of it as long as i replaced the stuff i took (with stock parts/whatever.)

 

I had my (parked)95 eagle talon tsi rear ended while I was at work and the insurance company totaled it and I bought it back for $600, the insurance valued it at $3500 with that much in damage, after I bought it back my title still stayed clear and have been driving the car since, it just looks %@&^ed up in the back.

 

There are several variables that can make or break the whole deal. Your state's insurance laws will determine your limitations.

Then, I assume you own the car outright. If so, you should be able to get an estimate for the maximum they will pay toward the repairs. This amount will be lower than the salvage amount they will offer. This will allow you to keep your car with a accident listed, but no salvage.

Several years ago bought a salvage vehicle off ebay to rebuild and was lucky to get it titled just prior to a change in state law. Shortly after, they cjhanged the law to state no salvage vehicles could be registered. It may have changed since then, but I haven't had the need to look. Point being, make sure ou check out the laws andlimitations before making a decision.