Oh no, not another W124. Lord Sterling's Benz: Will he fix it or will he fix a Rover?

[Lord Sterling]

Cheers Pete. Wasn't really looking to better my car as such, just more so I'm aware that S124s aren't exactly cheap and plentiful. This is also why the Insurance companies want to wash thier hands of people with older, hard to value cars. Offer them a £value according to the "Glass's guide" and let them get on with it.

 

I was told that the value of a car comes from these guides rather than what the popular value is. They won't offer you what the car is worth on sale/forecourt but what it's worth as a standing object.

 

The worst that can come out of this is my insurers agree that my car is worth no more than £900 as a total loss, let them take the hulk away, chuck the money at me and let me get on with buying something around £500/£700.

[Bear]

Interesting. When my Granada Scorpio was written off, the insurers defaulted to letting me keep the salvage (third party at fault). Zurich underwriting the other party, and my 208,000 mile 2.9 V6 estate that I'd paid a total of £400 for - most of that being four brand new tyres, the second pair I was on the way to fetch when a woman in a Colt ran into the back.

 

They offered £1,210, but only after their assessor had been to see it (at my house) - I never even saw the guy, apparently all he cared about was verifying that the car had a CD changer as that skipping was on the repair estimate from the dealer. I said I'd just taxed it and it was still driveable, and they said yeah, keep the salvage.

 

The £900 seems fair IF you can keep it. If they're going to piss about over £70 worth of scrap (which is all they're likely to recover from it), they're idiots and deserve bombarding with adverts from specialist W124 dealers who ask up to £5K for clean facelift six-pot wagons.

[Bear]

Oh, and just FYI...

The insurance is only one part of the equation. I had another bellend sideswipe my van in '94 - prat was speeding in a 30 in an Orion 1600 Ghia and he caught the rear behind the B-pillar. Unfortunately for him, aside from the busload of students who were witnesses (he'd been showing off at college), I had a camera and one of those wheel things for measuring distance. So I photographed all of the bits, the skidmarks, measured the stopping/skid distance, drew a diagram of the road etc. and also photographed his car - specifically the bald tyres and extensive inner wing rot revealed by the crash.

 

My insurance brokers did all the legwork for me, armed with these prints and so forth, and the bolshy little bugger was told to sod off. Except, he'd clearly had a chat with a solicitor.

 

I got a letter a while later asking for the alleged cost of him replacing the car, and his loss of earnings*, and threatening small claims court. I send it to my insurance company with, again, pictures of the car condition and reiterating that it was his bloody fault, and never heard a thing about it again.

 

If their insurance doesn't cover the losses and you can document pre-accident condition of the car (don't show 'em the pick where the wheel wants to get in the passenger seat ) and put together a catalogue of equivalent cars, you can always sue the third party for losses. They will then have to pass that on to their insurance team, who will then have to defend their settlement (do not accept the terms "full and final settlement" until you're ready to accept it as thus).

 

Stupid thing is, the credit hire of that Insignia is going to cost them more than pissing about over the value of your Mercedes. Their loss adjuster/defence team is billable at £180/hr typically, in 6-12 minute units.

You are entirely able to respond to them accepting their £900 as a partial settlement then indicating that you will pursue their insured party for the remaining costs to be put back in the position you were before the accident.

[colino]

May I respectfully get you to have a look at the link in #182.  That is what the insurance company is going to abide by, even if you nag them to do it.  They aren't going to do anything other than a full and final settlement, "they" the insurance company, would still be holding the bag so they aren't going to take a half acceptance with you crossing your fingers behind your back.

[rainagain]

When my oh's car was hit by another driver we went through her insurance managed to haggle the value from £500 to £650. The annoying thing was the excess of £250 was deducted from this settlement. I was told to get this from the third party's insurance, when I called even though their customer had admitted liability they told me I had to request it via my oh's insurance solicitors. I argued this was nothing but a waste of money in fees and for in time waiting for money so we could use it towards a replacement car. Luckily I was able to buy the car back for £75 salvage and repair it long before the £250 eventually turned up.

[purplebargeken]

Take the money and buy a lovely Rover 75 with all of the toys. You could buy mine for 500 quid

[Junkman]

But you'd have to auction it off at Cannock for maximum hilarity.

[Bear]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181827507236?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[worldofceri]

To be fair, £900 less £54 for the salvage is only £4 less than the total value of it's last two sale prices put together.

 

I know you've sunk some money and effort into the car in the meantime but we all know old cars are worth less than the sum of their parts.

[andy18s]

But you'd have to auction it off at Cannock for maximum hilarity.

And bid on it to push the price up......

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I would push for £900 plus the car. For them to have Copart collect it, store it and finally auction it off will cost them money - and they know it.

 

£900 and the car would be a fair result for a 1994 200'000 mile Merc Estate that's worth about............£900.

 

£900 will get the damage fixed and a pair of pattern wings as well. Or take the cash and wang it on Ebay for £300.

 

Oh, and you're allowed an extra 7 days in the hire car - that's so you can receive the cheque, cash it and buy a replacement. Bet they didn't tell you that.

[Lord Sterling]

Well, my insurance is now dealing with it. To be honest, if they say £900 then £900 be it so. The reality is I can't afford to store another car (even with Richard K's generous offer) at least I can off and buy a car to scratch that itch, the opportunity is there, why not take it.

[colino]

The offer is probably quite a realistic one.  I've no idea why people think carting away the scrap will be a chore for the insurance company.  It has become an important and lucrative income stream with none-claiming parties actually paying for the residual.  The categories have been a mess for a long time, and being a long-term buyer from salvage auctions (currently retired) what was genuine salvage that needed considerable fixing, now is a jokeathon with examples carrying a C cat only needing a mirror and an indicator to put right and cat Ds often being mangled wrecks looking at bean tin oblivion.

On a hopefully objective level, I wish everyone would put claims through their own insurance, not onwardly referred to a, "claims agency/specialist" and get them to do what they were paid upfront in premiums to do and get rid of the extra tier of parasites that have evolved.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Would £900 not easily get one of the Rovers back on the road, thus helping the storage issue in the process?

[Lacquer Peel]

I think the Rovers are in permanent storage.

[dave21478]

Ya.

I dont mean to pry or insinuate and feel free to tell me to ram it if you believe, but your postings here suggest your finances could be described as "shaky".

IMO getting a known car on the road and having half a grand left over during a rocky period would be preferable to spending out on something unknown and potentially troublesome. Granted, a new car is always nice, but ..... well, Im sure you see what I mean.

[andy18s]

I have to agree with Dave,you have 4 cars you obviously have a fondness for,and some funds coming.

Maybe take an oppotunity to gather the best bits into one place,and get your favourite 1 back on the road and enjoy it

Anything you buy now could swallow everything very quickly

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

 I've no idea why people think carting away the scrap will be a chore for the insurance company.  It has become an important and lucrative income stream with none-claiming parties actually paying for the residual.  

 

 

Not if the car is worth £250 at auction and it costs the insurance company twice or three times that to recover/store/sell it. Copart aren't going to do that for free.  That's why the insurance company didn't want to collect my write off that they valued at £750. The same happened in 2007 when a Carina Estate went into the back of me - they just didn't want it and the guy who owned the Carina actually gave it to me.

 

Insurance companies need to make a profit and anything that costs them money is a no no. Of course you get old shit going through Copart but that'll be stuff in recovery yards or dropped off at a body shop, cars that they have no choice but to collect and dispose of. However, much of that goes into U Pull It yards now to be crushed straight away or put in the yard for a month to sell some bits off.

[Lord Sterling]

Would £900 not easily get one of the Rovers back on the road, thus helping the storage issue in the process?

Yes, it would, but it won't make the storage issue any easier, plus who can say how long I'm going to be in this shaky financial position for? Can you tell me? I've been like this for a long while now and I can't see it getting any better soon.

 

Yeah, buying another cheap car with potential problems might not be a great move from where your sitting but it's the only chance I got to get something else I like.

[Jim Bell]

Buy more cars is always the answer.

Buy cars, complain about storage and lack of funds.

Buy more cars, complain about storage and lack of funds.

 

It's a cycle that afflicts a lot of folk.

[hauserplenty]

I found this, and thought it might be relevant:

 

http://www.w124.co.uk/runningcosts.html

 

With that kind of money, it looks like fixing the '97 825 might be the best option, but whichever one you chose, you could defray your costs by selling the other three. Plus you'd free up the cash going to storage each month.

 

My advice*: Don't buy another car. In my part of the world, having one shed that you can keep running is enough of a challenge. I can't imagine paying out for non-running cars. I'd have to sleep in one of those storage sheds.

 

* unsolicited and free gratis and for nothing so you get what you pay for &c.

[richardmorris]

How about

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-E280-Estate-1995-7-Seater-S124-W124-/221854090930?hash=item33a788c6b2

[Lord Sterling]

Right, well I got made another offer, £957 and car goes to scrappy or £900 with car.

 

Whats the general opinion? Let Merc go and purchase another car/get KV6 on road or take slightly lower and get Merc repaired? I'm very tempted to get Merc repaired given the amount of money I spent getting it sorted mechanically.

 

I like the Merc alot, it's useful and interesting. The Rover is a great and interesting car but I've had Rover 800s for ages and getting a bit to used to them now.

[andy18s]

I'd take the full offer and sort out 1 of the Rovers.

If I had the Merc fixed up it would be a niggle in the back of my mind that's it's not the same as it used to be....

[jonathan_dyane]

Get money and keep car. You'll need it to pay for your next insurance when they wop the price right up to punish you for being in an accident.

[jonathan_dyane]

A couple of second hand doors and some bodging and it'll be mended in no time.

[Jim Bell]

Spend £6.66 on your lucky number.

Win.

 

Drive round like a boss in Mitsubishi. Flick V sign at insurance industry.

[colino]

Take the £900 +car and ebay it.  Your going to get a whole lot more than £57 for those remains, with very little trouble on your part.

[oldcars]

Right, well I got made another offer, £957 and car goes to scrappy or £900 with car.

 

Whats the general opinion? Let Merc go and purchase another car/get KV6 on road or take slightly lower and get Merc repaired? I'm very tempted to get Merc repaired given the amount of money I spent getting it sorted mechanically.

 

I like the Merc alot, it's useful and interesting. The Rover is a great and interesting car but I've had Rover 800s for ages and getting a bit to used to them now.

Does the Merc still run and drive safely? If so take it back, take the £900 and you have a runner while you decide if you fix it or bridge it. Either way you should be quids in. Even if you get another merc having the other for spares would be handy, but again it comes down to storage space.

[purplebargeken]

What would 900 quid buy you that you would find interesting and in good condition?

 

What is required to repair the Merc, do whatever other little bits that need doing and to what kind of standard. Costs?

 

Is using the 900 quid and whatever you got for the Merc via eBay or whatever to bring a Rover back up to scratch and rationalising the remainder an option.

 

I know you are kind of used to them but it's an option in the wider scheme of things.