Hatrack River Forum: Nathan Learns a Valuable Lesson on Value

This is topic Nathan Learns a Valuable Lesson on Value in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :

The Price of my Chevy Lumina Euro "InsertYearHere" =
(The Price the Estimator gave me) 2,000 bucks;
(The price the internet is telling me) 1,000 bucks

The Price I paid for it =
500 bucks.

What a broken tail light, a dent, and unseen damages cost =
2238.12 bucks

How old you have to be to get a rental car > 18 [Grumble]

This was my first wreck. This wreck was also not my fault. My car is going to be totalled it sounds like. The guy did fess up to the accident which is a good thing, but from what the estimator said, it looks like the Insurance Agency is going to write out a check, hand it to me, and send me on my merry way.

What I am planning to do: If they total it and write out a check for the 2000 dollars (which I doubt they will) I'll buy it back, replace the tail light, replace the bumper (which apparently needs to be replaced), and hopefully have some money left over. I'm going to see if they will give the rental car to my parents, so I can drive around in the family car (as seen during the April Get Together).

All in all, the least I can say is that I've learned a lot about accidents. They suck. They are expensive. And they suck.

Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :

Lumina's stink. They don't have cupholders. (Former Lumina owner.) At least it wasn't your fault. Does your insurance go up anyway?

Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :

Testify, Nathan!! Testify!!

(Just finished dealing with her erroneously issued ticket for HER auto accident...)

[Frown]

(Got 35$ knocked off the fee and a strong possibility that it will be wiped from her record)

[Big Grin]

[ August 18, 2003, 02:46 PM: Message edited by: Ryuko ]

Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :

It better not go up!!

Posted by Emperor Palpatine (Member # 3544) on :

<-------drives a Lumina.

Or rather, the proper thing to say is that I will be driving a Lumina.

Dude, that sucks. ((T))

Posted by eslaine (Member # 5433) on :

Yep.

The other day a blind older woman (I assume she was blind, I drive a red car and it was broad daylight) plowed her SUV (too big for her, obviously) into the rear quarter panel of my Saturn.

Thank you for them Poly-Panels Saturn. The impact produced a small scratch, rather than the crumpled fender it would have been had it been made of sheet metal.

I got out of the car, and told her as much. She was very embarrassed. I told her she should watch out, and take it easy with that monster.

And we all drove away. No insurance involved. I have full coverage, but I really don't want my premiums going up due to a fender bender, not to mention the hassle of getting it repaired.

I feel for ya dude.

Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :

MN has no-fault, which means that EVERYBODY'S insurance goes up...

[Grumble]

Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :

Yikes. Ryuko, you have my sympathy on that No-Fault dealy.

Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :

T! Whatever you do, if they total it, do NOT buy your old car back and fix it.

If the frame got even the most slightly bent you are in for a world of hurt down the line. You are much better off to ask the insurance company for full replacement. If not, then don't accept any check they give you that won't replace your car. Trust me, the insurance company will most often try to low ball you. Don't sign anything without talking with someone in the know or an attorney first. If it is the other guy's fault and his insurance, then they have to make it right.

Many times they will send a document with the check for you to sign. This is a waiver of future liabilities. Once again, don't sign anything until you are sure that all of your stuff is replaced and that you have no medical needs arising from the wreck (if it was that bad).

It doesn't matter how much YOU paid for the car, what matters is that YOU would have to replace it for whatever price the market would dictate to you. Make the market dictate to them, not the other way around.

Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :

Hmmm... ::rubs neck:: that whiplash is starting to kick in. Think I can push for 4,000? [Wink]

Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :

On a side note-one more annoying thing about Luminas. The engine lays on its side ! I had to take the engine out to get to the stupid spark plugs! You're better off without it! [Wall Bash]

Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :

Trust me on that, I know. I had this 2 month long ordeal back in March and April dealing with the engine and what not.

As Jon Boy said at the LAN party: "I'm still confused at how you broke your engine mounts."

I don't know if I posted this, but it did end up costing around 500 dollars, after a ton of refunds for stupid mechanics.

Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :

Don't pity me too much, I still pay less than a lot of others I know, due to my excellent grades and femininity. [Wink]

Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :

Broke like...snapped? [Eek!]

That's weird.
added: Heh heh, Ryuko. I pay like $50 bucks a month for being a girl. My cousin pays over a hundred a month! Poor boys. [Evil Laugh]

[ August 18, 2003, 03:06 PM: Message edited by: PSI Teleport ]

Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :

I've always had a bitterness that girls pay less insurance than guys.

Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :

Engine mounts aren't that difficult to break. Some of them are made out of pseudo-rubber material that simply breaks down with time. I do think it's funny about the engine being mounted on its side, so you have to take it out to change the spark plugs. It reminds me of the engine in my truck - it needs to be removed from the engine compartment to take the oil pan off. [Dont Know]

I'm sorry that the insurance company is totalling out your car. That's not very fun for you. [Frown]

I hope you can get something worked out and find yourself something reasonable to drive around in. I can sympathize on the car rental thing. I remember trying to arrange for a rental car for a conference I needed to go to for work. I was 20 and most companies charge you huge fees if you are under 25.

[ August 18, 2003, 03:08 PM: Message edited by: ludosti ]

Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :

It's weird that you have to be 21 to rent a car in most cases, but you can rent a U-haul if you're eighteen. U-hauls are a lot harder to drive. Ask me about it sometime.

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

I got in an accident a few years ago, and though there was no damage to my car, the other car was totalled ($2400 in damage). However, as I was setting up my new insurance, I found out that there was also $7200 in medical bills. What the crap?! No one was injured. The passenger (a little boy about ten years old) ran off to school because he was late. The driver, his grandmother, walked home to change and get her license (she was in pajamas at the time). There is no way that there was $7200 in medical costs. Looks like I got screwed over, and I found out three years too late.

Sopwith's right about the frame. If the damage is more than superficial, don't buy the car back. It will die a slow, painful death, and it'll cost you a lot more than you save.

PSI, what kind of engine did yours have? I have an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme with the 3.1 liter engine, which is the exact same chassis and engine as T's car. My engine is most definitely not on its side, though it is a pain to work on simply because it's front-wheel drive.

Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :

Same stupid engine, except laying on it's stupid side. Stupid General Motors.

added: although mine wasn't a Euro. Maybe that's the difference.

[ August 18, 2003, 03:18 PM: Message edited by: PSI Teleport ]

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

I think the only difference is that the Euro had an optional 3.4 liter engine and slightly niftier trim.

[ August 18, 2003, 04:03 PM: Message edited by: Jon Boy ]

Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :

And a "spoiler", woo hoo.
I'm looking this up right now because I need a pic. The engine was tilted back about 45 degrees. It was very irritating.

Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :

Wait a sec, what year is yours?

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

Mine? It's a '93.

[ August 18, 2003, 04:19 PM: Message edited by: Jon Boy ]

Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :

And your engine isn't rotated back? It can't be front wheel drive thing alone, because I've only had one car that wasn't FWD and their engines weren't all caterwhompus.

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

Unless I'm just dumb, my engine is of the regular, non-rotated, straight-up-and-down front-wheel drive variety.

Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :

Well you're not dumb. But I don't think I'm going crazy.
Edit on previous statement:
I went back into my old notes and realized that I had to take the engine out for another reason, and I changed the spark plugs while I was back there because it's so hard to get to them, and on previous attempts I had not been able to loosen the front motor mount. So I didn't HAVE to take the whole thing out. But it was definitely rotated back. [Dont Know]

[ August 18, 2003, 05:04 PM: Message edited by: PSI Teleport ]

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

Your engine probably looked like this, right? (Though without the funky air intake.) That's not tilted back. Maybe you are going crazy.

Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :

Well my husband came home and we talked about our cars. He thought it was tilted too but then when we looked at our pictures we saw that it was normal. I swear I don't know where I got that from but I guess you were right! Maybe I was just confused because you had to tilt it forward to get to the other side...? All I know is that when I got to the garage the thing was already pulled out of there so I didn't see it then. Oh well. [Razz]

We've hade five cars in two years, maybe it was one of the others.

Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :

Current price of gas in Montana: $1.79 a gallon

Borrowing a roommate's car and filling with said gas to go home over the weekend for a wedding: $40.00

Round trip Greyhound bus ticket to make the same journey: $44.00

Getting to read during the whole 4 - hour ride: Priceless. [Smile]

My newest soapbox? Public transportation.

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

Yeah, it's a pain when you have to work on something behind the engine. You can't replace the alternator without tilting the engine forward. I had to get a crowbar and pry it forward while my dad worked on it. My back really, really hurt after that.

[ August 19, 2003, 11:42 AM: Message edited by: Jon Boy ]