Police found my Camry! Is it going to be totaled?

[jbrams]

Hey TNation folks - my 1991 Toyota Camry station wagon was stolen almost 2 weeks ago and today the police called to tell me they'd found it about 20 blocks from my house (and I found a ticket in it from only a few blocks away - wish that meter maid had noticed it was reported stolen!).

It's damaged pretty badly ... but I'm curious if it is so bad that my insurance company will declare it a total loss ("totaled"). Could you help me figure out if they will "total" it?


The damage includes:

1. Smashed front passenger-side quarter panel and turn signal/side-light (looks like they hit something fast and hard, the metal's sheared off!) The front bumper is also all scratched up with paint from another car.
2. Ignition screwed up (from their using a screw driver as a key I'd guess)
3. Driver Door lock screwed up (same)
4. Dent in rear quarter panel (probably from same "accident" that damaged the front end)
5. Rear bumper schmushed (kinda pops out, also probably from same "accident") on the side and there's a crack/hole in the back
6. Front door severely dented (make it impossible to open all the way)
7. Radio faceplate removed, radio damaged
8. Dash around radio destroyed
9. Radiator is low on coolant (WTF?)

The KBB value is between $2400-2900. The NADA is about the same, $2500-3000. It had just over 100,000 miles

Is it totaled?

I'm headed out to remove a battery cable so they can't take it again before the insurance company's inspector can come take a look at it. They also took most my stuff from the car including a Zune, some nice glasses, and a bunch of CDs (they left one of theirs actually) and left a water bottle with some stinky pink drink in the car with some other trash ... just bad news all around.

I was eeking 34mpg out of my wagon and I'll be sad to see it go if that's what happens. Do you think they'll give me the option to buy it back rather than auction it off? If it's not totaled, what do you think the repairs would cost?

Just a warning for others: this is a commonly stolen model (the 1989 camry has been in the the top or second spot of the "most stolen" cars list for the past couple years according to a recent post on fivecentnickle which if was about a week after mine went missing, nice ). Install a kill switch and use a club I suppose.

Thanks for your help folks, pictures coming in a few minutes after I walk the dog (sorry, night pics).

[jasonck08]

Wow its amazing someone would still risk stealing an old car and trash it... Whatever happens I wish you the best.

[jbrams]

Thanks for the good thoughts! Apparently they're taken often for parts to sell or for joy riding ... mine seems to have been used for the later, bummer

Uploading the pics to a web-album now so you can see the damage - what do you think?

[Kingdom934]

I'm glad you got the car back...in one piece more or less...

The damage might rank the car as totaled. The damage might just be more then 75% of the car value. You'll most likey have a few options I think in this situation.

1) They will take the car and give you money to buy another car
2) They will let you keep the car and they will give you a smaller amount of money (smaller from the #1 money amount) because your keeping the car.

The damage doesn't look too bad since most of them are on replacable body parts (i.e. fender, door, bumpers). Only thing I'm worried is on the quarter panels (like the one on the rear) and some other damage caused from the damages.

The front looks like....seriously, what the heck did these people hit? I just hope who ever they hit isn't hurt or anything. At lease the hood looks OK.

The damage on the back rear looks like somebody or something smashed into it. I don't see no paint damage, so might have been a blunt object.

They key hole (lock) damage looks familar. Some idiot broke into my grandparents (now mines) '85 Camry about 8 years ago. They messed up the driver lock and destoryed the battery holder. They stole the car battery only...and the battery was dying anyhow. What drove me nuts is that the passenger rear door was UNLOCKED during that time. Seriously, if they want to go steal the battery, go ahead and do it, but if there's a door open, USE it and save from destorying a LOCKED door lock...


Anyhow...

Most of these parts can be saught after in junk yards for a decent amount of money. Price depends where you go.

As a note, I'd suggest checking ALL the fluids just in case.

[Doctor J]

The damage like this is estimated to be more then $2300, therefore, the insurance can total the car.
The body damage can be fixed fairly fast; there are some gray metallic cars on the junkyard to get you a fender, mirror, dash etc. {I did such work in the past}.
However, if you decide to keep the car, I would suggest to have real good check for the tranny, as these cranks are usually abusing the tranny while joy riding in the stolen car.
What part of California you are located?

[jbrams]

Originally Posted by Kingdom934

1) They will take the car and give you money to buy another car
2) They will let you keep the car and they will give you a smaller amount of money (smaller from the #1 money amount) because your keeping the car.

Yeah, this is what I figure, I'm suppose just trying to guesstimate whether the damage is going to cost more than say $2000-$2500 to repair (therefore reaching that "totaled" amount.

The damage doesn't look too bad since most of them are on replacable body parts (i.e. fender, door, bumpers). Only thing I'm worried is on the quarter panels (like the one on the rear) and some other damage caused from the damages.

Yeah, I can't figure out what a body shop would charge to replace those. I see the front quarter panel on-line for $60+$20 shipping, the quarter panel for $70+$20 shipping. I guess the cost would mostly be in labor and in re-painting.

The front looks like....seriously, what the heck did these people hit? I just hope who ever they hit isn't hurt or anything. At lease the hood looks OK.

I'm surprised that neither of the headlights was damaged - good design Toyota!

The damage on the back rear looks like somebody or something smashed into it. I don't see no paint damage, so might have been a blunt object.

My guess is whoever took it was not a conscientious parallel parker =(

They key hole (lock) damage looks familar. Some idiot broke into my grandparents (now mines) '85 Camry about 8 years ago.

I wonder what they'll find the cost of a new set of locks to be (for the front doors, ignition, and back door)? I can't imagine that'll be cheap

Most of these parts can be saught after in junk yards for a decent amount of money. Price depends where you go.

Who knows, probably the pick-and-pull locally or one of the many salvage placed in Sacramento ... I'm hoping it doesn't come to that I guess, but I really did love this car.

As a note, I'd suggest checking ALL the fluids just in case.

This is what concerns me the most - the coolant is quite low - normally when I check it the level is just bellow the cap, but now I can see there's none above the metal grating in the radiator - it's still wet, but the fluid level is clearly too low. No idea what they did to cause that or what it will cost to repair

Thanks for the detailed reply!

[jbrams]

Originally Posted by Doctor J

The damage like this is estimated to be more then $2300, therefore, the insurance can total the car.

That's as much as I figure too

The body damage can be fixed fairly fast; there are some gray metallic cars on the junkyard to get you a fender, mirror, dash etc. {I did such work in the past}.

Is there welding involved? That's beyond my capacity though I have a friend at the fabrication shop who could help.

However, if you decide to keep the car, I would suggest to have real good check for the tranny, as these cranks are usually abusing the tranny while joy riding in the stolen car.

As with the lower coolant level, I can't know what happened to the transmission. I smelled the fluid and couldn't find a burnt scent, but it does run at higher RPM than before - I couldn't say why.

What part of California you are located?

Berkeley/Oakland

[Doctor J]

I am not familiar with your area, but i guess you can find Pick your part yard there;
The dent on the rear can be pounded out filled and painted; no welding is necessary but some sheet meal work is needed to check/repair inner fender /radiator core support; you may need nose piece as well in addition to front fender/ corner light assy.
Do the drive test for tranny checking; listen for noises in gear and check for slippage.

[jbrams]

The dent on the rear can be pounded out filled and painted;

Or just left alone maybe - I can't see putting too much money or time into it I suppose - I have some of the paint color already, I could figure something out I guess.

no welding is necessary but some sheet meal work is needed to check/repair inner fender /radiator core support; you may need nose piece as well in addition to front fender/ corner light assy.

Huh, you don't think I'd need to replace the quarter panel to get it next to normal looking? If I found a panel at the pic-n-pull would it be relatively easy to replace (just bolts and time, no welding?)?

Do the drive test for tranny checking; listen for noises in gear and check for slippage.

What should I be looking/listening for specifically? I drove it around the block and it didn't seem out of whack, but I had the mirror hanging by a wire and couldn't exactly get it out of the highway. I didn't hear any special noises or feel any slipping though.

Oy, the insurance guy is looking at it right now, he said he'd call me back soon but that was an hour ago. He said "I just want to warn you, it looks like it might be totaled from what I see already" when I directed him by phone to where the car is parked.

[Doctor J]

Outer body panels are easy to replace but if they are dented heavy enough, the structure they bolted to is also deformed [ thanks to unibody "paper metal" construction].

[Doctor J]

For the transmission: whining noises while in drive and in park, the car standing still; bumps during upshifts.

[TBayToyotaBoy]

Fix the car! The fender and bumper won't cost much, and you can leave the rear quarter alone--it's not bad enough to stress over. Find a fresh gen2 Camry with keys at the scrap yard and replace all the locks...

OR

You could shop around for another gas miser, except that you won't know anything about the history of the car. This option usually ends badly.

Your choice is clear! Buy the car back from your insurance co and fix it up on the cheap. Assuming the frame is undamaged, that is...

[jbrams]

Fix the car! The fender and bumper won't cost much, and you can leave the rear quarter alone--it's not bad enough to stress over. Find a fresh gen2 Camry with keys at the scrap yard and replace all the locks... OR ... You could shop around for another gas miser, except that you won't know anything about the history of the car. This option usually ends badly.

I'd agree about fixing it up, but now I'm not sure that I can trust the car itself - it's lost some coolant missing since taken and I'm just not sure of the tranny now - who knows how they drove it, eh?

Instead I'd put the money toward a newer Corolla (1998-1999 hopefully) or a Civic (1996-2000) ... maybe a 1994-1997 Accord. My wife has a '99 Camry which we like, but it's not gonna get the fuel efficiency I'd like for a potential 90 mile daily commute - the Accord likely similar at about 29mpg, but the civic or corolla at 33+ mpg highway would be nice.

Thanks for the good advice and thoughts again!

[jbrams]

Well fairly good news from the insurance company today:

The car is totaled

Summary:

Should I:
(1) buy my car back from the insurer for $600 + $600 in repairs (total $1200 with $2100 left in my pocket to save for a new car)

OR

(2) Take my $3,300, add a few hundred from my savings and buy a 98-99 Corolla (or 96-00 Civic)?

Details:
The "value" was set fairly high: $3,800 (there was a lot of recent work, low miles, brand new tires).

The deductible is $500 so they're offering my about $3,300 for it.

I can buy it from them for $600 which would mean getting a check for $2,700 and keeping the car.

I'm leaning toward keeping it but I'll run it past my mechanic first. What do you guys think I should do considering its current problems and qualities?

Problems:

• Leaking coolant (no drips, probably out the exhaust?)
• Brakes squeal at low speed while turning hard
• Front passenger quarter panel needs to be replaced (beyond the help of bondo)
• Dash trim around the radio and the stereo itself need to be replaced (pic-n-pull trim + $50 strereo)
• Passenger side mirror hanging by some wires (needs total replacement)
• Transmission may have been abused for the last ~500 miles
• Front and rear bumper need to have scratches/holes buffed out and patched over
• It will have a "salvage" title
• Burns a little oil (not a serious problem, just a thing a car this old reasonably does)

Cost for repairs = ~$620

$20 side view mirror and housing
$100 + time for replacement quarter panel (hoping for right color)
$200 to replace radiator (big maybe)
$300 miscellaneous

Positives:

• 109,000 miles
• Brand new tires (just paid over $300 at Costco)
• Runs quiet and smooth though it's not very powerful (can't tell if it's normally weak or if it's just getting old or if there's something amiss).
• Great interior condition, even have the color-matched cargo space cover for the wagon rear
• Fair-good fuel efficiency (29-33mpg highway consistently - though who knows now)

[deezeejoey]

I'd get rid of it. them camry wagons are ugly. get yourself a fun car.