Totaled '99 advice request

[TheDurk]

NJ is a very high cost state for car repairs and car insurance (highest in US) so I may be looking at a different cost profile than many of you. In any case, it never hurts to think about whether it is worth it to pay $X a year for a policy that will only pay you $2500 or so after deductible in a total loss, and almost anything is either in deductible or a total. If the calculus makes sense, then do it.

I spend that money on liability (also 500k).

 

[rkymtnman]

i do allot of (or at least i used to before my son was born) downhill mountain biking. the bikes are heavy and expensive.

i was lazy one day and left the bike in the 4runner and went to work the next day. out of curiosity i called my insurance company to see if they covered the contents of the vehicle if everything was totaled. they do not... ok not a big deal.

but the shock came when i asked them what they valued my 4runner at. they explained that it does not matter how much work i did to the car (t-belt, water pump, rad, shocks, struts, springs, calipers, rotors, trans services, valve cover gaskets, plugs, wires, bearings, 1year old tires, seats, and a bunch of other things i am forgetting) that the "value of the car" is assumed to be in working condition... so all of that work is factored into the value already.

it turns out that my F***ing bicycle, in the back of the 4runner, is worth more than the actual 4runner.

hows that for a kicker... lol

I feel your pain brother. There are 4 avid riders in my house - 2 kids race DH, enduro and some (very little) XC. Wife and I just ride...a lot. I just did an insurance eval/update to make sure we were all covered and we realized that we have more money in bikes (18 total) than in all the rest of the contents of our 3500 sf house combined...this includes electronics, guns, furniture, tools, etc. I often joke that when someone is riding my bumper up I70 in to the mountains that the contents of my T2 back rack is worth more than double the amount of the car/truck they are using to tailgate me with.

To the OP - my kid got in a minor accident with his '99 t4r. We did not have collision on it - by choice. We opted to find a straight "rolling chassis" - something with a blown motor to use as a platform to part out his clean '99 in to the "new" platform. took awhile but we are knee deep in a complete interior swap along with a motor/drivetrain swap now. After selling what we won't need, he'll be in it for about a grand...we bought a ton of new OEM parts to use in the project...and a new marlin crawler clutch

 

[ElGuapo315]

^THIS.

Total it, buy it back and strip it for parts. Transfer said parts into new slob. Definitely an option if you own a field and cinder blocks.

-Guapo

 

[rkymtnman]

^THIS.

Total it, buy it back and strip it for parts. Transfer said parts into new slob. Definitely an option if you own a field and cinder blocks.

-Guapo

At the end of the day, he'll have a t4r with a new water pump/timing belt/oil seals/pulleys, etc., new u/l ball joints on both sides, new OEM radiator, new marlin clutch and a fresh appreciation for how these things actually go together.....all for about a grand.

WAY less than paying for collision and having the ins company tell me my 6k 4r is worth 3k.

 

[phattyduck]

I feel your pain brother. There are 4 avid riders in my house - 2 kids race DH, enduro and some (very little) XC. Wife and I just ride...a lot. I just did an insurance eval/update to make sure we were all covered and we realized that we have more money in bikes (18 total) than in all the rest of the contents of our 3500 sf house combined...this includes electronics, guns, furniture, tools, etc. I often joke that when someone is riding my bumper up I70 in to the mountains that the contents of my T2 back rack is worth more than double the amount of the car/truck they are using to tailgate me with.

I had a Thule T2 fail on me while driving down the freeway... Renter's insurance covered the main cost of replacement (yay, full replacement cost!). So, a ~$12k Foes FXR paid for by insurance. Thule paid the deductible and for replacement parts for the rack. I now have the cross-bars bolted down to the rack to keep it from happening again.

As for that truck... I would buy the truck back and part it out or swap the parts to a new truck. I like the idea of finding a clean 4Runner with a blown motor. Even a 2WD, as the 4WD conversion is pretty easy if you have all the parts right there in front of you...

-Charlie

 

[97t4r81]

I flipped mine and bought another exactly the same just a year newer. I bought my wreck back from insurance and have swapping the best out and parting vehicle. I've made money, learned a TON about how these rigs go together and met nice 4Runner folks whom I've gotten to help. Downside is my wife has been happier about my landscape design choices, but she understands. If cheap to buy back and you have space, I'd do that. I echo others, that it can be fixed. It up o you to decide if it should be, my vote is to get another. Glad you're not hurt(physically). Safe travels

 

[niwtsol]

OK, there are three things that really bother me on this forum.

Bad advice on alignment
Bad advice on electrical repairs
Bad advice on body repairs

OK, more than 3
...
THIS IS REPAIRABLE but....

unless you have been doing body work for a long time I'd say this is...

NOT REPAIRABLE by you.

As one post said, the core support and rt side fender apron are TOAST. Those parts are welded on and if purchased new are actually made up of at least 5 parts. If you get them used they need to be cut out of the donor vehicle, trimmed to remove what you don't need, and then welded in to your rig.

The frame is most likely not damaged based on the picture, but I assure you the upper body is NOT SQUARE. It's not rocket science to make it square, but do you own a friction jack or a pulling post and have a way to anchor your truck?

As someone else said, even if you were uber-confident in your skills, this is not a weekend repair. Even for a highly skilled tech this is a multi-weekend repair just to get it to the paint stage. In a shop a body man could get that part done in a few days, but that would run you over $1000. Unless of course your brother in law is a body man and owes you big time.

I would fix it in a heartbeat if it were mine. I'd even buy it if I could and fix it. But I have 35 years of experience on my side, and I teach auto body for a living, and have access to almost any tool or equipment I would need.

If you choose to fix it, understand it will not be easy, fast, or inexpensive. If you feel an attachment that out weighs those things. Then GO for it!

:flamethrwoer2:

My apologies for making a thread that goes against so many of the things that bother you!! But thank you very much for detailed response.

So the good news - I do have a little 150cc scooter as a second vehicle, so I am not super dependent on the car.

I got a bit more information from the insurance company. They are valuing the car at $8,800 (I paid $8900 for it 5 years ago, so I am damn happy with this). They are saying salvage value is $890.

That means if I can get the car down to me ~$400 (uhaul truck and trailer) - I have about ~$7k of "insurance money" to repair this...

So if I pay for a body shop to just the core support and RT fender. A lot of the other work I can do myself/learn myself... would be a pretty fun project. Now the downside is I could be in over my head, sink money into this, and end up without a workable truck 3 months from now... decisions decisions....

 

[JRZEE2000TR4LTD]

Buy the total back and either part it out or use it for your replacement truck. No way I would sink any money into it unless you have the complete means to do it. You have to factor in all the ancillary expenses, including your time, to properly evaluate whether or not you want to take on a project like this. Besides, chances are you'll find a truck for around $7000 that's better than you had.

 

[phattyduck]

My apologies for making a thread that goes against so many of the things that bother you!! But thank you very much for detailed response.

So the good news - I do have a little 150cc scooter as a second vehicle, so I am not super dependent on the car.

I got a bit more information from the insurance company. They are valuing the car at $8,800 (I paid $8900 for it 5 years ago, so I am damn happy with this). They are saying salvage value is $890.

That means if I can get the car down to me ~$400 (uhaul truck and trailer) - I have about ~$7k of "insurance money" to repair this...

So if I pay for a body shop to just the core support and RT fender. A lot of the other work I can do myself/learn myself... would be a pretty fun project. Now the downside is I could be in over my head, sink money into this, and end up without a workable truck 3 months from now... decisions decisions....

Your friends should be paying to get the truck back home to you. I assume the agreement you had was they would return the truck to you after they were done camping? Even if the accident wasn't their fault, that's the risk you take borrowing somebody else's stuff and they should be making it right from their end.

-Charlie

 

[octanejunkie]

Your friends should be paying to get the truck back home to you. I assume the agreement you had was they would return the truck to you after they were done camping? Even if the accident wasn't their fault, that's the risk you take borrowing somebody else's stuff and they should be making it right from their end.

-Charlie

And pay your deductible

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