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Value of my metro
Topic Started: Jan 12 2016, 04:27 PM (915 Views)
Smidgen
Smidgen

Hello all. I was recently in a car accident with my metro. I was rear ended at around 35 mph. I have not gotten an appraiser out to look at the damage, but they already told me its probably will be a total loss since the back end is pretty smashed in. What I want to know is what you guys think my car would sell at or what the value was pre-crash. Here are my specs:

1998 chevy metro 266k miles on body RUST FREE METRO!!!!!!! treated with inner-frame rust reformer by eastman

38-40mpg in town and 48-50mpg freeway

Engine fully rebuilt less then 20k miles:
maintenance and mileage records
Compression 215-220 psi
Valves, guides, and seals and valve seats were cut
Head milled .045
crower 183/309 camshaft
Overbored .040 with new proline pistons/rings
piston-wall clearance .0008-.0009
all low end bearings polished and reused almost no wear seen.
new 195* thermostat
new belts
distributor cap, rotor, plugs and wires replaced every 30k miles
singh grooves added to head

3.79 transmission fully rebuilt 20k miles:
New 2nd gear all seals bearings and synchros
1.3 flywheel and clutch- 40k miles on clutch
rebuilt starter 4k miles
new solenoid
new clutch safety switch

Suspension:
New tires 155-80/13 with 2k miles
alloy rims
New struts 20k miles
new control arms 20k miles
wheel alignment 20k miles ago

body:
Tinted windows 5% rear 35% front
Brand new HID headlights with high beams
rear hatch release
rear trunk tray (rare)
intermittent wiper upgrade
Tachometer upgrade

HVAC
New heater core
A/C added and works! with new evaporator core

Brakes:
Brakes pads and rotors 20k miles
brake fluid flushed

radio/stereo:
Aftermarket speakers
Pyle stereo

All exhaust components replaced with walker parts back in 2011

ill post more if there is anything else I can think of. I appreciate any help in this matter.
Edited by Smidgen, Jan 12 2016, 04:34 PM.
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idmetro
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You are going to have a tough time convincing the insurance company to part with their cash. Your best bet is to gather "comparable" data - meaning ads of vehicles for sale in your area that are in as good a condition as yours. Start in the nearby area and then move outward, prepare to dig in your heels for a bit as they will likely offer low book value first hoping you take it. That being said the real value in these cars is to own/drive one not to sell one so you are a bit stuck there and I wouldn't expect a huge return. On the other hand you could buy back the wreck and if you can find a good shell...
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pdqrunner


http://www.kbb.com/chevrolet/metro/1998/coupe-2d/?vehicleid=6242&intent=trade-in-sell&mileage=125000&category=hatchback&options=237899|false|6297063|true|237980|true&condition=excellent&pricetype=private-party
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snowfish
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Basic GearHead

The more receipts the better. :thumb
Edited by snowfish, Jan 12 2016, 05:48 PM.
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t3ragtop
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Turbo3 and Twincam Tweaker

the appraiser will look into your car and notice if you kept it clean. he will also note the appearance of the exterior not involved in crash damage. those guys tend to settle higher for clean cars. ;)

as a rule, they also tend to settle higher and more quickly if there is pending injury as a result of the accident. talk with an attorney, see a doctor, whiplash symptoms can appear after a delay.

have an idea of what a replacement for the crashed car will cost. the markets vary from location to location. the point of insurance is to "make you whole" on your loss.

unless the appraiser/ claims agent makes you a great initial offer on your claim, be prepared to refuse a settlement and hold out for what you need in order to replace your damaged ride. those claims guys are not only under the gun to settle low, they also get pressure to settle quickly. sometimes riding your claim for a month lights a fire under their ass to get things settled. ;)
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ZXTjato
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bass heads

show them recipts and documentation of work. remember insurance companys are not there to get you back and going, they are there to shovel shit in your mouth and make you like it. make sure the appraiser is aware of the work and restoration of this car, show him logs if you have them. but in the end they will win even tho you didnt ask for this, you did t ask to have your car crashed. they will make you do all the leg work getting paper work together they will fight you over it and find some blue book clunker and say it "looks" similar. first step is right here get your reaserch in. i am in no position to put a price on your car because i am bias and most would laugh at me for thinking a metro can be valuable. :thumb good luck tho man GMF to the rescue :cheers
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Stubby79
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$1500-2k. Not that it'll matter much without receipts. With them and/or proof of what you paid for it, and/or photo proof of work done, you should be ok.
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3 Pot
3 Pot
[ *  *  *  * ]
Super good advise her so far. I've had similar experience on my 91 3/5. I was backed into by an insurance salesmans wife, less than an hour after I bought it, in the license agency parking lot, She was driving a Ford Expedition and it totaled my car insurance repair cost to value wise. No kidding! (But a easy fix in my case though.) Did all of the above and I got 1800.00 after I bought the car back from them. Buy that sweet drivetrain and bits back and transplant it to a tired shell.

Good Luck.
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Woodie
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I feel your pain. You should be feeling it too. Never mind that you feel fine, every time you bring that phone with the insurance man on the other end up to your ear, there's a lot of pain.

Sounds as if your car was sweet. Sounds to me as if it was worth $3,000. If they're offering you $2,000, then you've got $1,000 of pain in your upper back and neck.
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ONEHARDHEAD
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Woodie is right- you are holding a trump card, use it to make sure you're not taken advantage of. I was hit from behind back in 85 and it wasted my first car, but I only got 1400 bucks for it because I was young and dumb. (Now I'm just older)
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Smidgen
Smidgen

Thanks for all the help this far. I had something interesting happen this morning. I got a text from my neighbor at 8:20 am this morning that there is someone walking around my metro brushing off snow... we assumed it was the appraiser however we never set up any appointment to have him take a look, nor did we give them permission to come onto our property. It seems they are willing to do what ever they want to get this case closed.
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Woodie
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Shame you weren't able to run out there with a long gun, that would have been a nice stage setter for the ongoing negotiations.

Mention to him that you might need a rental car, and that someone suggested to not settle for six months because back problems sometimes don't show up right away.
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Cobrajet25
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I got $3700 for my minty '91 XFi a few years ago. But I had to sue the guy who hit me to get it. USAA made me exactly one offer: $1100. They even went ahead and sent me the check after I repeatedly refused the offer just with the hope that I would be desperate enough to cash it. CASHING THEIR CHECK IS A TACIT SETTLEMENT. Gas prices were really high back then, and Metros...especially nice ones...were few and far between. The ones that were for sale were selling high, and that worked to my advantage. With super low gas prices, they don't sell for as much anymore.

Be prepared for a fight. When an adjuster sees "Geo Metro", they instinctively smile....

What their adjuster says it's worth matters very little. The insurance company owes you 'fair market value'.
Edited by Cobrajet25, Jan 14 2016, 08:27 AM.
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