[PeakOilExists]

2001 Silver 5 speed

I need to tell the insurance folks tomorrow (Thursday) if I would like to buy back my car or not. IMO, it is far from what I picture as "totaled", but I guess they don't get it.

I'm posting this to see if there is interest in a front-end damaged vehicle or if there is enough demand for parts for me to go through the hassle of parting. Body panels are in used condition--I didn't the beat the car up, but I sure didn't baby it, either. It has been my daily transportation for the last 5 years and 90k miles.

There are 153k miles on the car, original battery pack. Two new tires 2 months ago, two new tires 6 months ago. If someone thinks s/he might be interested in the car, I can take many more pictures. The link below is to the crash pictures-- if you're looking for damage, this is the most conservative look you will get--in person, it doesn't look half so bad. I'm pretty bummed....but I need to be thinking about this right now. If anyone has any thoughts on the demand for parts, please let me know that also. Thank you.

 

[Hybrid-Battery-Repair]

2001 Silver 5 speed

I need to tell the insurance folks tomorrow (Thursday) if I would like to buy back my car or not. IMO, it is far from what I picture as "totaled", but I guess they don't get it.

I'm posting this to see if there is interest in a front-end damaged vehicle or if there is enough demand for parts for me to go through the hassle of parting. Body panels are in used condition--I didn't the beat the car up, but I sure didn't baby it, either. It has been my daily transportation for the last 5 years and 90k miles.

There are 153k miles on the car, original battery pack. Two new tires 2 months ago, two new tires 6 months ago. If someone thinks s/he might be interested in the car, I can take many more pictures. The link below is to the crash pictures-- if you're looking for damage, this is the most conservative look you will get--in person, it doesn't look half so bad. I'm pretty bummed....but I need to be thinking about this right now. If anyone has any thoughts on the demand for parts, please let me know that also. Thank you.

The link didn't come through, but why don't you fix the car? All states have methods to get a "rebuilt salvage" title.

That's what I did. Some states allow used airbags, some don't. I've got a set if you need them. Take a look at the bottom of my DIY page for before pictures of Green Machine (back when it was a blue wreck). I put $3000 into it, but $1500 of that was brand new airbags. For example, a bumper cover is only $125 new. car-part.com can help you find parts.

What do you give up? You lose some resale value (like you care). You lose your 150,000 mile battery warranty (you're already over it) and your 80,000 mile warranties.

In the eyes of the law, the car has been rebuilt to safe and useable condition - just like it was before the accident. I've even got full collision and comprehensive coverage from GEICO.

If your airbags went off, you'll need bags, the bag computer (I paid $50), the clockspring ($40 new), and a pair of seatbelts (I paid $150 from a junkyard). Fenders go for about $75 and the bumper bar is about the same.

 

[joeaax1j]

The link below is to the crash pictures

No link. Moving on though, terribly sorry to hear about the Insight. Hope everybody in the car came out OK. What are your plans for a replacement?

As for parting out, what kind of storage space do you have? Personally, I'd definitely lobby for parting it out. There have to be many parts that people might like to buy. For example, what condition is your oil pan in? Specifically, the threads on the drain plug? I might be interested in that. Also, what condition is the passenger side rear wheel skirt?

As our cars get older, the parts are going to be harder and harder to get. There is a thread right now about a guy who needs a 2000-2003 driver's side floor mat, but Honda doesn't make them any more. I hope you and I, and everybody else starts seeing our used parts as very valuable.

Thanks and good luck,
Bryan

 

[jkbrushaber]

insurance insight

How much do you have to pay for it? How much was the estimate to fix?

 

[PeakOilExists]

Holy cow-- I'm a teacher and it's the last week of school. I've been exhausted--sorry for flaking on the link.

accident pictures by hazetguy2 - Photobucket

There are a few parts to this story... my husband is a vintage VW mechanic and all he has ever driven are split-window buses. I have an Insight, which I have been rabid about not wanting to give up. However, when looking at the (50+ year old) buses and at our finances, we figured we'd had to sell something when kids came along (car seat and three people and what not)...we simply can't keep the Insight AND buy another car. And then there was the accident, so this whole timeline is accelerated.

The adjuster estimated about $4k to fix it. I have no idea, really--I'm no good at estimating that kind of thing, and it hasn't been to a body shop (dealer doesn't do collision).

We have "room" (some?) for parting a vehicle, but it's mostly full of --- you got it: parted VW buses. So we do have experience with that, and we also know it's a pain. In the VW world, we exchange big parts at shows, not sure about with Insights. Do folks to pay for shipping of big parts?

 

[joeaax1j]

We have "room" (some?) for parting a vehicle, but it's mostly full of --- you got it: parted VW buses. So we do have experience with that, and we also know it's a pain. In the VW world, we exchange big parts at shows, not sure about with Insights. Do folks to pay for shipping of big parts?

Kindred souls. I used to drive VWs (I might go back if they ever actually make the 1 Liter Car). I drove a '78 Bus and an '84 diesel Rabbit. Is your husband on VWvortex? There is a HUGE VW owner base there who are constantly buying/selling parts. On the VWVortex site, the way it works typically is that somebody lists what they have for sale. The two parties come to an agreement on price with the understanding that the buyer pays s/h. Money is usually transferred by Paypal and then the seller boxes up the purchased item and ships it. I would assume that any parting out of your Insight would follow a similar process.

-Bryan

 

[PeakOilExists]

Is your husband on VWvortex? . . . On the VWVortex site, the way it works typically is that somebody lists what they have for sale. The two parties come to an agreement on price with the understanding that the buyer pays s/h. Money is usually transferred by Paypal and then the seller boxes up the purchased item and ships it.

We are both on TheSamba, and a fair amount of our income comes from selling NOS, rare, and used parts (yes, we report it all). Yes, we are quite familiar with the scene and how the selling/shipping goes--BUT, my husband's been in it for 25 years and knows everything inside and out, ie, we know what everything is worth, what is "worth it" to ship and what isn't, what people want/need, what they want original and what just makes more sense to buy repro., etc etc. We'd sell things like engines, transmissions, rims, and back corners of buses at shows--they'd mostly be ridiculous to ship. So, for instance, how rare are Insight rims? Do people need/want originals? Engine/trans/battery? What about the year-old exhaust system and catalytic converter? It's not that I'm trying to pull teeth here--it's that I don't KNOW. Thank you everyone for your help.

 

[Hybrid-Battery-Repair]

Holy cow-- I'm a teacher and it's the last week of school. I've been exhausted--sorry for flaking on the link.

accident pictures by hazetguy2 - Photobucket

Is that all? That's nowhere near the damage I had fixed on my car. I see bumper, hood and having the body shop straighten the radiator yoke. Bumper is $125 and hood will set you back about $75 used.

 

[Skuits]

Keep us posted on if you plan on parting the vehicle out or not. I'd be interested in the under engine plastics if they are still useable.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[PeakOilExists]

I'm going to be out of town for the next month. We DID buy it back. I'll be posting something mid-July.

Thanks for your advice, all.

 

[Hybrid-Battery-Repair]

I'm going to be out of town for the next month. We DID buy it back. I'll be posting something mid-July.

Thanks for your advice, all.

Please start your car if it can be run and let it idle for 30 minutes before you go on vacation. It will help preserve the life of your battery. When you come back, do it again BEFORE YOU DRIVE THE CAR.

If your car cannot be started, then please turn off your battery breaker so the body shop can't use your battery and then turn it back on and idle it at the earliest possible opportunity BEFORE YOU DRIVE THE CAR. You want to charge the battery before you discharge it.

Otherwise, you'll be considering my services sooner than you otherwise would need to.

 

[Bobcdn]

Interested in buying this car whole. Please let me know what you want for it in one piece. You can call me at 519-381-6282.
Thanks. Bob.

 

[My02Insight]

hey

I would be interested in the whole thing to if you were in the seattle Area. But its not worth shipping it here.

But if you will part it out. Im interested in the Rear Trunk Carpet and the Antenna. As well as the OEM radio. Let me know if you will part out. Thanks, TIM

 

[PeakOilExists]

Hi all,
Thanks for your advice and input. I am happy (or sorry, depending on the day) to say that I was offered a good price for the car as a whole and it is gone.

Tim, in light of this information, you will happy to know that the back hatch carpet was once got in the way of some crayons that were in the process of melting and has battle scars.

Thanks again to everyone, and sorry to those looking for parts! Good luck!