Help me get my truck back, need to find past salvage sales

That is the plan. Just waiting to see how bar the frame is. I'm sure it won't ever be perfectly correct, but, should still serve well for a good while. Only thing that would change my mind is if I somehow magically came across a gen2 ACLB with a bad motor, good body, and a manual trans, probably not gonna have that happen though....

Edit: In reality, a flatbed would work better for my needs anyways. That's why I really wanted an ACLB but also the 2TR-FE. I don't tow much ever, if I do, it's a short distance and nothing real heavy. That golf was probably the heaviest thing I ever towed, and it just slightly went over capacity. It was literally 1 turn, highway for an hour, then 1 turn to get there. Had I had to be in a lot of stop go, would have used another truck.

 

So I just want to make sure I’m up to speed. Your truck got totaled. They want to pay you 16k for it but you feel like it’s worth more so you’re going to buy it back for 5300? If you don’t take there offer why do you have to buy it back? And why do you think it’s worth more then 16?

 

Well, I found enough. Hard to find a 2011 4WD 2TRFE ACLB with similar damage, had to substitute some things. This is probably the closest sale I could find, damage isn't as bad, considering how it can actually run and drive, slightly less miles, I'd rather repair that than mine given the choice.

https://www.docfly.com/editor/c49881b41933ccd18984/ox6rkq7wl2g-0237fb02

This at least has some side and rear wheel damage, but no 4WD, rear end didn't get as mashed up as mine
https://www.docfly.com/editor/849859f71d5ef934b043/y1by2ndyrz-0237fb02

This is another kinda close one, again no 4wd, much less miles, can't see the underside obvisouly, but *looks* less bad, looks like the bed took most the impact, driver door and fender are fine
https://www.docfly.com/editor/64c5a5f8e7e7584fbcd0/h6ut3hjak7s-0237fb02

Probably no real reason to include this other than it runs, drives, is newer, not smashed as bad, less miles, and sold for less. Guessing that frame is pretty bent though.
https://www.docfly.com/editor/300364f1ecb76f82aa34/88zjczd4v47-0237fb02

 

Because I spent over a year before the whole used car prices jacked up, I've spent the better part of 2 months looking at used cars for other people just to see how bad it is out there, I live in MN so anything 4WD and running is worth a good chunk, pickups are sought after obviously, and from every Tacoma I have looked at, just wasn't even on par with what I had. As I said before, (although it does look like prices are universally coming down some now), I had been seeing them on the low end go around 19k, upper end 22k?

I'll sell my new factory cat, the wheels aren't amazing but could be unloaded for a good chunk, K02s have about half life on them (assuming they aren't trashed I guess I don't know) because those are cheap. I would take that over a $5k truck off CL.

 

So they wanted to give you 5300?

 

That's the buy back price. Which, isn't bad, but from all the crap they made me deal with I don't mind wasting some time being petty to tell them how worthless the truck is and try and get it back for less.

 

Ok I think I got it. You took the 16k and now your buying back the truck from your insurance company for 5300 but you felt your truck was worth more. Is that correct?

 

Sounds like you have a history of going Karen with insurance companies.

 

I did not take the 16k, I'm taking 16k minus the proposed $5300 to buy it back.

 

Nope, this is only the 2nd time I've ever had any sort of issue. Otherwise I've never had a problem. First one was from some fly by night company I didn't sign up for. I've been with Progressive because they never fucked me around, made everything easy, and paid out or fixed exactly what it should be without hassle.

 

So you will end up with 10,700 and your totaled truck when it’s said and done. I don’t know man if it was me in the same situation I might take the full amount and put it towards a new used rig with lower mileage. I mean you could fix it but it would cost you the rest of the money you get and it would be worth less then the 16 anyway. You could part it out or sell it but it seems like more trouble then it’s worth to just end up breaking even anyway.

 

I'm operating under the assumption that the frame damage can be straightened, hell I can even go back to the auto tech school I went to and get it on a rack. The rear strut mounts will need to be rewelded at min, or refabbed, but that's not a huge deal. The unknown aside from how bad the frame is, would be what happened to the diff etc, again that's why I'm waiting on pics (they towed it about 2.5 hours away from me) before I commit. I actually would not put it back into DD use, I'm just starting the process of building a shop, so a truck will come in handy again. As far as trucks go, either I want a very nice Tacoma, or a cheap beater. $5k doesn't buy you a lot of truck here. And with this at least I know where I stand mechanically versus buying a $5k 6k 7k truck just to find the valve seals are going out, and the rad is leaking because the piece of bubble gum was hidden well enough it wasn't noticed. Kinda just played that game with an 07 jetta, the work I know it needed, as I dug in, ended up finding more weird things. In that case I eventually figured out someone must have hit a light pole, accounts for all the things I saw, but doesn't show up on any reports. All and all that one wasn't a big deal, my point is I'm now a grand deeper into it than I initially thought I would be, and 4x the labor. Since buying a very nice Tacoma isn't in the picture right now, I would rather stay with what I know, than gamble on something else. With the market in general anyways, just not an ideal time to be buying, I don't mind waiting to get what I want if that's what it takes.

 

With the lack of available parts on the market now, I don't know if I'd buy it back and spend the next couple of years trying to scrounge parts just to get it back on the road. Frame damage, you need to shop first locally to see if anyone is interested it trying to repair the frame because if it needs to be replaced, you will be into a money losing deal no matter what you do.

You'd be better off taking the money and running. You'll still need something to drive, used vehicle of any kind are expensive right now, and when is all said and done, you'll spend the rest of the payout on a basic car, have a totaled truck sitting around, and a lot of money to spend to get it back on the road.

 

x2..Although the OP think that $5300 is a fair price for buy back, he's dragging it out to teach the insurance company a lesson.

 

I understand where you are coming from to a point but I just don’t think your going to come out ahead on this deal at all. I just don’t really don’t think it’s going to be worth it in the long run. They gave you 16 and totaled it because it’s going to cost more than that to repair it so your after giving 5 back your already in the hole pretty good right out of the gate and there could be all kinds of unsee problems to. You can’t get a lot for 5 but 16 is a hell of a good start. A couple more would put you right back in what you had maybe even something better if you take your time and look around. I mean it’s obviously your call but be careful the one that gets taught the lesson isn’t you because I promise nobody at the insurance company is loosing any sleep over this.

 

I see what you are saying, and even would agree with you in some or most scenarios. It would be one thing if an oil change and brake job would be a challenge for someone, then yeah, I would highly advocate what you have just said. I was ASE for years, I've lost count of the the amount of cars I've owned let alone worked on. Have build frame up, crank and block up, pretty much a vast majority of work. I guess I've never built some specialized vehicle, or strapped a holset to make a 800hp beast. I'm pretty comfortable and confident in doing this work, nothing here is that new to me. I am not ASE anymore, I'm sure my certs lapsed, and just for the sake of saying it, I never perused auto as a profession. A lot had to do with turning a hobby into a career, which is a quick way to hate said hobby, and parley the physical toll it took on my body so fast, I was getting close to getting discs in my back fused in my early / mid 20s.... So I went back to IT from once I came. Additionally, and fortunately, I have the luxury of time, and soon to be space. During my last 2 years "off", I decided to say fuck the man and make my own road. This has fortunately worked out well, to the point I am now getting out of office spaces, and instead building an office "area", along with garages for all my toys. Will there be unexpected surprises? Doubtful.... I mean, yes of course there will be. But I in general enjoy repair, automotive or anything else. I enjoy doing the work, finding solutions, and repairing something. That's half the fun to me. If I needed this truck, to get me to work for a 9-5, and it was my only vehicle, would be a different story. This is play time now, I'm not bound to a time line, I'm not bound to losing my transportation, I can basically do what I want when I want. Hell, maybe I'll pickup another doner taco, who knows? I already have a GTI on the back burner I was going to grab a parts car for anyways. My point is, I feel my knowledge and skill set, is more than enough to do the work. Work I enjoy doing. And it's not taking anything in my life away from me.

"Better", is quite subjective. Is a gen 3 better than a gen 2? Or are all honda ciics better than a truck? "Better" to me, better come with some knuckle busters and super glue. Better to me, is taking on a new project. What's not better to me, is throwing away broken things, because it's easier to buy a new one. I still rock an iphone 6s, screen number... 25+ battery number at least 10? Because, I don't think an iphone X is better.

 

I work for an insurance company as an adjuster. I total cars out every day. $5300 is a fair price but is that just what they’ve got is a quote from say Copart on a pro quote basing it on averages. I would ask for an actual firm quote from the salvage vendor on exactly what they would pay for that vehicle as it sits. I’ve seen many times where our salvage value comes in say $5000 and then we get an actual firm quote with photos of the vehicle from Copart and the value comes in at $4250 as an example

 

I actually don't disagree that 5300 isn't bad, maybe I didn't make that as clear as I thought I did. Was mostly just doing it as a time waster since they yanked me around so much. I'm aware when said insurance company has to hold your vehicle and keep the claim open that there's just a set top dollar amount, so I can't be wasting their time, resources, money, etc, that would just be rude.

Edit: This was pure sarcasm if no on caught on. There can't be overhead costs when it's parked outside....

 

This thread is the real waste of time. No sarcasm needed.

 

Please feel free to go on.