Rear ended. Weighing options

So.
Got rear ended on the 28th
Turned tailgate into a taco and bent the bed floor. Bed kissed the cab. To my standards not bad.

Bill Black collision looked at it this morning and said they would likely total it. Can buy it back and fix with the cash... ok....

I don't want a salvage title
Apparently that's the thing in NC

Progressive did originally give the choice of Get Money or Get it Fixed. I opted toward Get fix not knowing they would likely try to bury it.

I'm certain a tailgate for 150 from car-part.com and a chunk of angle iron is about all I really need.

Anybody have experience navigating in a spot like this? I'd like to bill them for a bed and associated shipping then not.

THANKS

 

Take the money and run.

 

If there’s enough flex for the bed to contact the cab, the frame might be slightly bent.

 

NEW Primered Steel - Rear Tailgate Replacement for 1995-2004 Toyota Tacoma 95-04 | eBay

 

I got rear ended years ago. Tailgate was fine. Bumper twisted downward, shocks dented from contact by spare, and bed hit the cab so dents on rear corners of cab. Insurance ran it at $3.5k repair gave me a check. Body shop ultimately cost out $5k. I guess the ins. paid them because I didn't. Truck was perfect in the end. But 2 years later Toyota bought it back for frame rust.

If you want to keep the truck keep it. Salvage title only matters if you plan to sell it, yes? If you're cool with DIY repair take the money and don't worry about salvage title. Make sure you have a complete assessment of damage before committing to keep it.

 

I know little about salvage titles. I do know that if Ive already been essentially cashed out of it theres little to lose if it is valued lower due to such a thing. Somebody mentioned insurance but I dont carry anything above liability anyway.

I was considering calling today to try to avoid the salvage. They originally offered an option to provide (Money to Fix) or (Get it Fixed). When Get it Fixed turned toward money with complications (salvage) I started thinking maybe I'd be better dialing them back, just send in an estimate from car-part.com for a junkyard bed and tailgate. Buy tailgate for $150, nix the bed and get a chunk of 2 inch angle and bend the bed floor back down to meet and be done with it. (In any case of keeping it, this Is the plan). Bed has a plastic liner anyway. I am so not worried about the dents in the cab. Squirt some paint on em.

Sounds like I may allow the total-buyback-salvage to take place afterall. It still drives perfectly. The presumed bearing noise of my last posting was present before the crash. I want to believe its the driveshaft carrier bearing. New one is in the mail.

Since it was mentioned, there were frame rust issues but i have since fixed them well enough. A couple of plates and a shock mount built from concrete anchor bolts from home depot. That one will not be coming off again.

Thanks for the input. Im feeling better about all this. My war horse will ride again.

 

The worst thing about a salvage title is the difficulty or inability to get full coverage insurance. After a vehicle is totaled, the insurance company doesn’t want to keep paying out if it gets in an accident down the road

Due to that, the perceived value also goes down, salvage titles are worth less on the open market. Means it’s harder to sell and will sell for less, and if you are hit in the future they won’t give you as much money

Doesn’t sound like any of that applies to you, so take the money, buy the truck back and run it

 

Sounds good to me
Thanks

 

Depends on miles, wear and your attachment to it.

Remember, it's just a thing, and things really don't matter. Wife had a Rav4 LTD, and it was sweet, leather and heated seats, independent air controls, the works. Same thing, rear ended, she drove it home. Little warp in the rear door, I could see it would pull right out. They totalled it and I about blew a gasket. Wife calmed me down, we were about to make a cross country drive and insurance gave us what was on the loan + 2500, one less car to move.

Your best bet is to pump up whatever upgrades you may have applied, maintenance investments, and complain a lot to get the payout higher. Everything above is true, if I were in love with it I'd salvage it but how long do you chew a bone before you move on.

 

more info needed.....
good shape, needs work, how many miles....???
Easier to just have them fix its vs you jumping through hoops, trying to navigate this...
That year, what difference does it make if it has a salvaged tittle or not?
You can always buy it back...

 

Whats the buy back cost?

Picxs would help too.

 

I'd be worried the frame if the bed hit the cab. I don't know how'd you go about it, but getting that thing on a rack and find out if the frame needs to be straightened before making a decision would sure make sense.

 

I delt with a salvage title vehicle (motorcycle). This is very state-specific so what I say may not apply to you...
As I recall (in MA) salvage title can continue to be registered only by the original oner. There are complications with selling it and insuring it (collision only, no comprehensive). A "salvage" title can be turned into a "reconstructed" title which is fully registrable and insurable, including full coverage at full KBB value, but simply carries the note that it was once salvage and now properly fixed. The inspection process to get a "reconstructed" title is a pain and mainly focuses that all the work was done and by whom; and that no stolen parts where used. As far as registry/insurance cares it's now back to a regular vehicle. But the perceived private market value is much lower.
Side note - this is where washing titles comes into play. Someone buys a salvage/reconstructed vehicle, registers it in a state that only does regular titles, and then can register it in any state with a regular title again. FYI.

 

Interesting

 

Ins adjuster 26yrs in here

-main reason is ttl loss is bc of high salvage value…..especially for RE impact
Buy back(owner retains salvage) is at very minimum 40% of the ACV of the vehicle a moment B4 crash
IMO bc RE impact, could be upwards of 55% of ACV……shit just turning on my computer to write estimate(power cost) will total her
-salvage title
Meh……really state specific
In TX can still have COMP/COLL coverage, but figure on 40% deduction if she is in another crash
Just run with Liability
All insurance companies now a days don’t pay crap since EVERYTHING has gone up in price
-I would keep her…..bc you are not letting ins comp make $$
For example
Insurance pays you $10k and takes taco and sell at auction for $5k
-figure on having to get a “legal “ salv title to be registered in most states

 

Mine got rear-ended in 2017, and I finally got to do what I had been thinking about for years!

Flatbed it!

 

freakin NICE!!! ^^^^^

is tht a slideout drawer or ramp.....just above the license plate?

 

It is a simple cabinet that holds 2 pair of MaxTrax traction boards, a 4 foot Hi-Lift jack, a full size axe, and a full size D handle shovel, with room left over for either another 2 pair of MaxTrax, or a long version of RotopaX can (4 gal) or a combination their connected smaller containers. It also has the access to the factory spare tire winch.

On either side of the license plate under the covers (L to R) Large Anderson Power Pole connection, 7 Pin trailer connection, and on board Air, and Water system connections.

 

The flatbed is the tits

The estimator valued it just over 10k
He said his computer said 4k and he knew better.

I kept it
Said they would cut a check for 7500 ish on monday
Thanks for the input