Is a car fixable if it is a write off! Or is it not worth it!
The back story is.Car was crashed by our sober driver on his way back to his home. I thought he had a full licence as he had volunteered to be sober drive. He tested positive for alcohol at the scene of the crime but then was below the alcohol limit at the police station- he has not had a drink for 4 years so I knew he would be a safe sober driver (or so I thought). The police have charged him with careless driving. He only has a restricted licence and was driving outside his licence conditions. The insurance has declined my claim due to the licencing conditions.which is fine and I totally understand. The driver will pay for the vehicle.which I only had for 2 months before he crashed it. I would like to get the car that was crashed fixed and give it to a family member who is in need of a vehicle and then use the remaining of the money to buy myself another vehicle.
So is a car fixable if it is a write off!
skyline_guy_r34,
Apr 8, 6:19pm
Normally its written off it the repair costs are 75% or more of what the car is worth.
So basically going by that rule you are better off leaving that car in the past and buying another.
marcos1,
Apr 8, 6:20pm
Possibly, but probably an uneconomic proposition.
rob_man,
Apr 8, 6:22pm
If you're a panelbeater and the car is still registered there's a chance it's worthwhile. If not, cut its throat.
toretto_gal,
Apr 8, 6:35pm
My brother's best mate owns a panel beaters here in Hawke's Bay and as for the car being registered.yep still registered as I got a new 12 month registration when i bought it, and a brand new warrant.
smac,
Apr 8, 6:37pm
Ya it's economics, not mechanics. It means it will cost too much for the insurance company to repair, rather than being irreparable. With the time/materials/know how it may be worth while.
richardmayes,
Apr 8, 6:37pm
I was told that if it's a relatively low-value car they will write off if the repairs look likely to be more than about 50% of the value - if there's only a couple of thousand dollars in it they could easily spend that and more having their guy muck around for half a day making phone calls and doing the paperwork, it becomes a waste of their time.
I have bought back a written-off car and had the repair work done with the payout before, to good effect. But only because it was a relatively unusual old classic car, and by good fortune the panelbeating took care of some rust I was already planning to get cut out and repaired before the crash. You wouldn't bother with a Corolla or a Maxima or whatever, take the payout and go car shopping!
toretto_gal,
Apr 8, 6:39pm
What about if it is a relatively newish car like a 2008 Ford!
Sorry about all the questions
rlr29,
Apr 8, 6:40pm
Right, So the insurance won't pay out and the drivers been charged then!How about you tell HIM to fix it for you!
rob_man,
Apr 8, 6:41pm
Well it kind of depends on the extent of the damage and your expectations of how close to the original vehicle you want it to be when it's fixed. If the damage is mainly superficial, mostly bolt on parts for instance, you can exchange the damaged panels yourself and disregard all the different colours.
toretto_gal,
Apr 8, 6:42pm
The guy is going to pay for the car for what I paid for it but I have a family member who is need of a car, and I was wanting to help out by getting the crashed car fixed for her and then buying me another car with the rest of the money
pandai,
Apr 8, 6:46pm
It would be easier to answer the question, knowing what the car is and how damaged it is.If you're talking about a car that's only a couple of years old, it could well be a five-figure repair bill! In which case far easier to buy another car.
richardmayes,
Apr 8, 6:50pm
Sorry, just re-read your original post properly. "Write off" in insurance terms means what #2 and #3 said. But as you explained, insurance is not involved here.
You need to go the Ford dealers and see what another 2008 Ford with similar KMs would cost you to buy. Then, you need to get your wrecked car to a couple of repairers/panelbeaters and see if you can get a estimate (or even, shock horror, a quote) for making it like it was before the crash.
The money will tell you which way to go!
(You would probably be wise to do what the insurers do, and only go down the repair route if it is 75% or less of replacement price. Repair work costs can escalate, whereas the price tag on a new car is what it is. )
toretto_gal,
Apr 8, 7:00pm
Thank you so much. I will definitely go and get a few estimates from different mechanics/ panelbeaters and work out the numbers from there. That will be the first thing I will do once I have got the car back in my possession (still with the insurance company). I only bought the car 2 months ago and I was also on the Ford website having a look at their prices for the same car and I have a rough estimate of what I could buy one for.
jsbike,
Apr 8, 7:24pm
if the driver is paying to repalace the car, wont your car become his! If he is paying to replace it, he should be getting to keep the crashed car, not you.
rob_man,
Apr 8, 7:32pm
For the same reason it would become the insurance co's property if they paid out or replaced it.
jsbike,
Apr 8, 7:39pm
ditto that. its not fair to expect someone to replace a car without them at least getting posession of the crashed car. He should have the option to sell the crashed car in order to re-coup some of the money, just the same as an insurance company.
tshop,
Apr 8, 8:47pm
sounds like a hard day at the office
foxdonut,
Apr 8, 10:42pm
Seriously.
Insurance and all that stuff about some jackass who might or might not have been drunk etc doesn't mean sweet FA in the grand scheme of things.
Tell us what the car is, what it was insured for, and most importantly what has happened to it.
"it crashed" could mean it was sheared clean in half by a power pole then caught fire and exploded or that it bumped a curb and needs a new wheel - which is it!
elect70,
Apr 9, 12:30pm
As insurance wontcover itits still your car & registeredits up to you what you do . May be uneconmic for insurance company but as have access to tradesget partsat best price &cheaperwork. Presume you are trying to help the driver who crashed it
rlr29,
Apr 9, 5:10pm
I don't know how stupid the guy is, but I don't think he's going to let you back screw him either.
richms,
Apr 9, 9:09pm
My crap skyline was written off and all it needed was a new bumper, headlights, fender and bonnet. They have some insane priceless for car parts that just the bits added up to about $3k before paint and labour. Good thing there is this site for bits eh ;)
lookoutas,
Apr 10, 7:23am
What is the car! Post some photos - and I might risk getting a yellow card. And help you all out.
autocars1,
Apr 10, 6:05pm
Anything is fixable if you throw enough money at it.
lookoutas,
Apr 11, 7:03am
Here's the hard facts. You own a car, and want to get pissed, so you you got someone to drive you. "Good move" You thought he had a full licence, but didn't confirm the fact. You didn't even make sure he wasn't drinking. "Bad move" So you were a fool before you got full. A lot of your predicament is your fault.
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