ZW 944

My poor 944 was rear ended on the highway when I braked for a bale of hay that fell out of the pickup truck further ahead in the lane next to me. It tumbled across my lane, so I slammed on the brakes, and in the incident the Ford Crown Vic slammed into my rear. their airbags deployed, but everybody was okay... Except for my poor 944.

Anyhow, I'm mostly just relieved that everybody was okay, but now, the other person's insurance company has totalled my car, and they've offered me $4500 for it, and I feel like its worth more than that. (I realized that I'm not going to get back the $$ I put into it.)

So basically, I was hoping you rennlisters could help me out in determining the value of the car. So far, I've looked on autotrader, cars.com and pca listings to compare prices with similar conditioned cars for sale. I've also looked at excellence magazine's price guide as well as the NADA price guide for "classic" 944s. Everything so far I've found says that they're low balling me.

A little bit about the car:

1987 944 nonturbo
Burgundy over linen
118K miles
Excellent paint (minus the one area) 9.5/10, and clean interior, seats are like new 8.5/10


Noteworthy Options:

Automatic
ABS


Upgrades:

Koni shocks/struts
250# lowering springs
Turbo S sway bars



Owned for 3 years, and in that time I've put on 20K miles - daily driver

List of things replaced in that time (with receipts)

Headgasket
oil cooler seals
thermostat & thermofan switch
hoses
all belts
brake fluid flushed
catalyic converter
TPS w/ TB reseal
Silicone vacuum lines
LR spark plug wires
Dist. cap & rotor
ABS relay
oil changes w/ mobil1 10W-30 & Mahle filter
all season tires w/ 6mm tread left
ball joints (w bronze bushings)
inner & outer tie rods
odometer gear (mileage is off by maybe ~100 miles)
steering rack reseal
all new PS hoses & resivoir NO LEAKS!!
koni yellows all around, w/ welt #250 lowering springs
motor mounts
rod bearings
AOS seals


Problem areas:

AC doesn't blow cold (but worked last summer, aka leaks)
sunroof doesn't operate by itself (needs relay)
dash has cracks, but has a cover
passengers side lower rocker panel just infront of rear tire had some rust, so I tried to repair it. I cut out all of the rust, and bondo'd repainted area doesn't shine, and is kinda lumpy.


Heres some pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69380832@N06/?saved=1

Thanks for all your help in advance!!!

ZW 944

Heres the link for the NADA value, and the Excellence values page for others who are in the same sort of situation, or just for reference...


http://www.nadaguides.com/Classic-Ca...oupe-2D/Values

http://www.excellence-mag.com/resour...uide/241500240

Paulyy

What that's it? a crooked bumper and slight damage at the back?
have they looked at the car?
I'd be trying to get that fixed.

Jfrahm

Maintenance items don't count much for car value. Cars should generally have tires that are not worn out, good ball joints, non=blown head gaskets, etc. $4500 seems OK to me but you might get some consideration for any upgrades such as Koni Yellows. Non-working AC is -$1000 in my mind so you might keep that to yourself.

Finding another car and bringing it up to the condition your car was might cost more than $4500 but if your car was for sale it might be hard to get $3800 for it IMO.

Check the completed Listings on ebay, there is a white 87 5 speed that sounds really nice with 80K, a 5 speed an no Ac or sunroof problems that sold for $5800, only issue I see is that it has the rear SPE panel.

Overall I think if your car was for sale and you were offered $4500 that'd be a great offer, but maybe the insurance company should be on the hook for more than what you could sell your car fort to make you whole.

-Joel.

AScholtes

Dont take the offer. Send them the links that you posted and see if their offers change. Also, make sure you have all your documentation on how much you have spent. If their offers dont change, tell them you will have your attorney contact them. If that doesnt do it, then get an attorney...

stew-gart44

i would think 6,700 atleast...they put mine as 4,500 if i totaled it and mines a 83

MAGK944

What insurance company was it. I was rear ended in my 86 dd a couple of months ago. Not much damage, bumper shocks, bumper and plastic side pieces bent. Their company was Geico and they wrote me a check for all new parts $2100.

I asked the assessor what price would they write it off and he said over 50% of the value which his book had down as $6500.

My car is nowhere are clean as yours.

ZW 944

Unfortunatly, the picture doesn't show it very well, but, theres a lot of damage. the car took the blow VERY well in my opinion.

Right now with the car,

The catback broke at the flange,
the rear fenders are each bowed out about 2in
blistering of the paint around the arches
doors are VERY difficult to open or close
about 1/2in between the rear wheel and the wheel well

hatch wouldn't open untill I removed the hinges, but once I did, I found apparent frame damage - the two side compartments have the inner wall buckled out (the sheetmetal is extremely mangled, and the entire "floor" under the hatch carpet bows downward on the drivers side, and this is apparant just from looking at it.

The spare tire well was also pushed towards the front of the car, and there is a bluge in the front of it that is the rearend of the transmission...

So, I'm no expert, but I'm 99% sure theres frame damage...

ZW 944

The course of action right now for me is to tell the other insurance company (Progressive) that their offer is unacceptable, and give them what I have for sources, and I'm compiling a list of similar cars from autotrader, All of which are worth more than what they're paying. (And I'm not even trying to slant the data my way!) But its also hard because of how rare automatics are, and also I feel that because its an 87NA, which has ABS, that that option should be worth a pretty penny just based off of how rare it is.

Then, I have also contacted my insurance company (state farm, whom I've always been happy with), and also the PCA for a valuation request. I plan to use both ways to get what my car is really worth.

I have a problem with how the adjuster for progressive seemed to base the condition of my car based only off of year, options and mileage, when in reality I feel like the 944 market revolves much more around maintenance receipts and condition of the car.

HICKS

Maintenance receipts do nothing for the value of a car for insurence. It's part of ownership, it's all assumed that it works. It's like selling a car worth $2000, but you just put in a new clutch that cost you $1000. The car doesnt become a $3000 car.

Automatics may be 'rare', but that doesnt increase value on a 944.

Everything else you're doing is right. Getting a valuation from the PCA will be good, but remember "Don't misunderstand about the PCA valuations; we do not evaluate your particular Porsche."

Here is the value guide from Excellence: http://www.excellence-mag.com/resour...uide/241500240

The key to getting what you want is to push the issue with insurence. They always bid low and hope you take it. Keep doing your own reserch and come up with a number that you will be happy with. I wish you luck, and let us know how it turns out!

Dawgz83948

$4500 for an auto, take the money and run..

racer

Sorry to hear about the accident. Of course they are going to offer on the low side. They will make it as hard as possible for you to get more.

imho, $4500 is certainly in the right ballpark.

How much do YOU think it could have been sold for? It seems the market for most cars is pretty weak at the moment no matter what the "book values" might say.

nkgosselin

Sounds fair. Note, with insurance companies, maintenance means nothing. But any upgrades (like your shocks or a stereo or floor mats) would be added to the value. $4,500 is not bad. You can fight for months and maybe get another $500.

ballysdad

Ask for what you want and see what they come back with just do it in writing and write "for settlement purposes only" on the email. Yes upgrades can be paid just take out your receipts and list them.

mytrplseven

Take the money and then see if you can buy the car from them at auction. If you can you'll pay piddly for it and then part it out. In the end you'll have enough to buy a turbo.