Another cell phone victim

[mecheng]

Sorry for your loss, hopefully you can buy it back and fix or sell it for parts.

I agree with CN90, everytime I see a post like this, I'm glad my current cars haven't tempted me with the upgrade bug like my previous cars. Unless something affects how the car functions, I no longer fix it and I'd rather now upgrade my home theater system or landscape over upgrade the suspension (although I'd love a new sway bar). One hit, and its all gone and insurance doesn't cover upgrades.

[erikv11]

I saw the car today, I needed to grab some items from it. The shop hasn't looked at it yet, but I can see that the rear wheel well (rear quarter panel) is pushed into the rear door, which currently will not open as a result. That is going to get in the way of the quickest-fix ideas to keep it as a winter beater car, I can't just slap on new doors to deal which would otherwise address the majority of the cosmetic damage.

[FLXC90]

First the V70R a couple weeks ago, Now your 850, It just plain sucks! Too many distracted drivers for any number of reasons. Cars are too much like living rooms these days. Sorry you have to deal with it. That said, even if the wagons frame is unusable, find a clean, bad motor or dead trans to transfuse maybe?

[oragex]

I watched a guy in a Grand Cherokee drive for a couple miles on the interstate here today with his turn signal on. When I got up next to him, he was looking at his phone. Oblivious.

It's a dangerous practice.

Sorry about the 850. I hope it can be repaired.

^ some people lack judgement. Happened the same, the car in front of me was driving slower than the traffic, got up next to him, he was reading his cell phone. Honked, he laughed at me.

[dorvin]

This post is interesting in a different way, my 1998 V70 was totaled in 2012 by a guy running the red light.
My 1998 BMW 528i was rear-ended by a guy playing with his iPhone.

So, every time I spent a significant amount of my time (such as replacing axles, rebuilding suspension system, or timing belt/cam seals etc.), this issue is in the back of my mind. Why spending so much time fixing stuff only to be hit by some careless people playing with their phones?

Anyway, it is what it is, I still repair cars with the caveat that all my work may go down the drain by some distracted drivers...

I know that feeling. But if its a safety issue for your own vehicle, you don't want to be responsible when something on your car breaks and causes problems for other people. It's a tough decision.

[cn90]

This is why in an old vehicle of this vintage, I repair the functional stuff only:
- Brake pads
- Timing Belt etc.

The cosmetic stuff: a bit of paint issue here and there: I leave it alone.
Some hail storm damage (dents on the hood): I don't fix these dents.

It is down to the essential stuff and that is it.

[precopster]

Sorry to see another one potentially hit the crusher. Hope it can be saved.

I was called out 2 weeks ago by an ABS customer's son to view and confirm whether I thought it's a write-off. A police chase ended this one and the guy spun out of control. Luckily it was parked. The opposite rear end hit a tree.

[benpineapple]

Geeze sorry to hear about that.

There should be a DUI-like category for collisions cause by texting/phone use. "Driving under the influence of technology". I know someone who has caused a fender bender from phone use, and still uses their phone while driving, they the collision was a "fluke". 4 points of their license might make them rethink if it was a fluke.

Best of luck, hopefully something useful for you can come out of this.

On a side-note, in regards to adjusters, will an insurance adjuster ever account for the money dumped into a car? Example, my V70 probably only has a KBB value of like $2000; but I have put around $1800 into it in the past year and a half alone.

[abscate]

Basically, no. All the repairs you do are just that, and upgrades won't be covered unless you negotiate an agreed upon value beforehand. I'm sure some states vary on this.

I found the value that State Farm, my insurer, uses to determine write off is a closely held secret stored next to the formula for Coke. When I did finally get it out of my agent, it was about 60% of the NADA value I got off the internet.

[abscate]

Sorry to see another one potentially hit the crusher. Hope it can be saved.

I was called out 2 weeks ago by an ABS customer's son to view and confirm whether I thought it's a write-off. A police chase ended this one and the guy spun out of control. Luckily it was parked. The opposite rear end hit a tree.

That will buff out....