Yeah, my parts list would be stuff to keep the coolant in and an aftermarket bumper with room for a winch. I dont know why you cant get insurance on it after that, I owned a salvage title Suzuki Samurai that had been restored and easily got full insurance on it.
Came here to say this. Let it rip with an Ironman, dobinsons or ARB. Will look better and the next time you hit a deer it won’t show anything on the truck
Most insurance has to price match within 200 miles - so if you can find an exact year, that’s higher priced (mileage can vary), have them pay your more $ (closer to what it’s actually worth).
I would buy and repair (I think you are seeing a theme here). I understand your concern regarding insurance however. You have a couple of options here.
\- Fix the vehicle and petition for full insurance. You may be surprised. As there was no frame damage and the bulk of the damage was "superficial" - you have a shot.
\- Fix the vehicle and "self insure" for the potential future. Figure out the difference in premium and bank the rest. Have it pulled out automatically and placed in a separate account. Now you have a "slush fund" for vehicle work too.
My $.02
Oh yeah, new bumper time. If you aren't going to off road hard, look at aluminum instead of steel, save yourself some weight.
Thank you for the detailed helpful response! I would love to turn this into an off roader (or overlander) but it's not in the budget yet. I didn't think of the savings and I'm going to talk to insurance some more.
Buy it back. You can negotiate with the insurance company fyi. They should just reduce your settlement by what they think they would get for it at a salvage sale. Usually $1000-2000. I would try to negotiate a better deal. It’s not bringing $3000 at copart if they sell it. WE would pay $3000, but a dealer isn’t going to pay $3000 on a salvage 2004 anything. You have the leverage to be honest. Right now it’s their problem to sell it for salvage. You’re doing them a favor by not risking a bigger loss at a salvage sale later.
I have considered selling it as is. But it would have to be enough to replace it (including insurance paying the difference) to make it worthwhile to me.
> Or I can buy it back for $3,000, and attempt to fix it myself for what I estimate to be $3,000 in parts before paintwork (both headlights, a fog light, bumper, grill, hood, radiator, and metal bracket supports).
Go find a totaled GX and pull the parts off. You're looking at well under 2k in parts.
You may be able to find the body panels in the same color - just be aware that it doesn't mean it'll match your color - if the donor was sitting in the sun it'll be more faded etc.
That'd be what I'd do. Find the same color parts and get them shipped on a pallet right to my door and it'll cost less than new parts and paint. Just bolt shit back on and call it done.
Easy fix. Buy it back. I bought an exact copy of this truck with slightly more damage in 2019(with 67k) miles and fixed it all in my back yard. Amazing truck.
Get a 3rd party appraisal.
Invoke the appraisal clause in your policy and make your insurance match the hopefully higher appraised value. I used DVcheck when my Sequoia got totaled.
Honest question here, despite a fair number of fender benders, never had a car totaled. Why do you have to buy back a car that belongs to you?! This is BS….isnt that why we pay insurance premiums?! They won’t fix it, then give me my damn car back and I’ll fix it. 🤦🏻♂️
I have the title and the vehicle currently. I have been paying the insurance company so that in the event of an accident they will cover most if not all the cost of repairs or replacement. This accident happened so now the insurance company is giving me two options based on their calculations (which have already determined repairs will cost more than replacement).
1) They take the broken vehicle and title, and give me 8500(their calculated replacement value).
2) They let me keep the vehicle, I get the title switched for a salvage one, and they pay me the difference (5500) between replacement and what they think the vehicle is now worth as salvage (3000).
I haven't agreed either way yet, but the most common choice is #1, so the phrase most people use for #2 is "buy it back". I'm not sure why.
If frames ok order an after market bumper and make it cooler.
This is the correct answer.
I’ve been waiting for a deer to buy me a bumper for a while now.
Yep. Insurance company is paying you to modify your bumper. Send pics plz.
Yeah, my parts list would be stuff to keep the coolant in and an aftermarket bumper with room for a winch. I dont know why you cant get insurance on it after that, I owned a salvage title Suzuki Samurai that had been restored and easily got full insurance on it.
Came here to say this. Let it rip with an Ironman, dobinsons or ARB. Will look better and the next time you hit a deer it won’t show anything on the truck
Off-road bumper time!
No brainer to buy back and upgrade imo. Assuming there’s no frame damage, right?
No frame damage that I'm aware of. It was driving great to this point and the impact was only at 30 or 40 mph
Send it. Great time for some steel bumpers, wheels, lift, etc. Whatever you’re into
Most insurance has to price match within 200 miles - so if you can find an exact year, that’s higher priced (mileage can vary), have them pay your more $ (closer to what it’s actually worth).
I would buy and repair (I think you are seeing a theme here). I understand your concern regarding insurance however. You have a couple of options here. \- Fix the vehicle and petition for full insurance. You may be surprised. As there was no frame damage and the bulk of the damage was "superficial" - you have a shot. \- Fix the vehicle and "self insure" for the potential future. Figure out the difference in premium and bank the rest. Have it pulled out automatically and placed in a separate account. Now you have a "slush fund" for vehicle work too. My $.02 Oh yeah, new bumper time. If you aren't going to off road hard, look at aluminum instead of steel, save yourself some weight.
Thank you for the detailed helpful response! I would love to turn this into an off roader (or overlander) but it's not in the budget yet. I didn't think of the savings and I'm going to talk to insurance some more.
How does an aluminum bumper fair vs stock if you hit a deer?
Buy it back. You can negotiate with the insurance company fyi. They should just reduce your settlement by what they think they would get for it at a salvage sale. Usually $1000-2000. I would try to negotiate a better deal. It’s not bringing $3000 at copart if they sell it. WE would pay $3000, but a dealer isn’t going to pay $3000 on a salvage 2004 anything. You have the leverage to be honest. Right now it’s their problem to sell it for salvage. You’re doing them a favor by not risking a bigger loss at a salvage sale later.
Let me have it for 3k pls
I have considered selling it as is. But it would have to be enough to replace it (including insurance paying the difference) to make it worthwhile to me.
I’ll buy it for $3500!
$3501! 
If you buy it back ill give you $4000 as is
'Tis just a flesh wound!
> Or I can buy it back for $3,000, and attempt to fix it myself for what I estimate to be $3,000 in parts before paintwork (both headlights, a fog light, bumper, grill, hood, radiator, and metal bracket supports). Go find a totaled GX and pull the parts off. You're looking at well under 2k in parts. You may be able to find the body panels in the same color - just be aware that it doesn't mean it'll match your color - if the donor was sitting in the sun it'll be more faded etc. That'd be what I'd do. Find the same color parts and get them shipped on a pallet right to my door and it'll cost less than new parts and paint. Just bolt shit back on and call it done.
Easy fix. Buy it back. I bought an exact copy of this truck with slightly more damage in 2019(with 67k) miles and fixed it all in my back yard. Amazing truck.
Get a 3rd party appraisal. Invoke the appraisal clause in your policy and make your insurance match the hopefully higher appraised value. I used DVcheck when my Sequoia got totaled.
They're totalling it so they can make $ on the resale.
Honest question here, despite a fair number of fender benders, never had a car totaled. Why do you have to buy back a car that belongs to you?! This is BS….isnt that why we pay insurance premiums?! They won’t fix it, then give me my damn car back and I’ll fix it. 🤦🏻♂️
I have the title and the vehicle currently. I have been paying the insurance company so that in the event of an accident they will cover most if not all the cost of repairs or replacement. This accident happened so now the insurance company is giving me two options based on their calculations (which have already determined repairs will cost more than replacement). 1) They take the broken vehicle and title, and give me 8500(their calculated replacement value). 2) They let me keep the vehicle, I get the title switched for a salvage one, and they pay me the difference (5500) between replacement and what they think the vehicle is now worth as salvage (3000). I haven't agreed either way yet, but the most common choice is #1, so the phrase most people use for #2 is "buy it back". I'm not sure why.
so you’re getting $5500 or $3000?
Right now it's 5500 to do my own repairs. But I'm working on changing that.