NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds - View Single Post - My Truck was crashed into replace or repair ?

IROCZman15 · 03-20-2018, 11:25 AM

Saturday 3/10/18 at 9:30 pm I had just come from visiting with my parents, my brother and his wife and his two young daughters in New Providence. My brotehr is getting deployed to Iraq this week, so that weekend he flew up to visit with family for a few days prior to deployment (USMC 9 yrs). So, I was traveling westbound on RT 10 in Parsippany in the right hand lane at the normal speed along with traffic. In an instant there was a car that pulled out right into the lane I was traveling in. They were unable to see me (and I had been unable to see them) because there was a 4 foot tall snowbank at the area where they were to merge into traffic. They had pulled out from the exit driveway of the Hilton Hotel, onto Rt 10 westbound. There were other vehicles in the lanes nearby me, so if I had swerved fully around this vehicle, I probably would have caused a multi-car wreck and that would have been worse. I did my best to brake and squeeze past the vehicle that just jumped out into the road, but the truck is so wide that my front passenger side hit their rear drivers side. It was inescapable. Nobody was injured and I was not at fault for the accident. However the damage was more than just a fender-bender, and now I am stuck sadly with a busted up truck and an array of options to more forward with.

After looking the truck over, aside from the obvious body damage (core support, hood, passenger and driver side fender, passenger front door, blend paint on both sides, bumper, grill, lower valence, headlight) the steering knuckle was snapped off at the lower mount. you can see it in the wheel photos. the upper mount ball joint looks to have simply popped out as the wheel assembly disconnected. The A-arm is still attached to the frame and although it was probably ground down from the blacktop, does not look twisted or tweaked. I happen to have brand new EBC rotors and pads, as well as brand new bilstein shocks sitting in my garage($800 total)....that I had just freaking ordered 4 days prior to the fateful crash. . The wheel and tire is trashed. The front wheel hub/bearing I had just installed in early February actually too.

State farm initially quoted me $10,200 payout for the truck. I almost passed out when I saw that. For two days I found better comparable vehicles than the ones they used and listed all the things on the truck that were upgrades. they finally stated $12,939.47 and I accepted that as a "locked in value"

My options are, to take the $12,939.47 payout from State Farm and buy a "replacement" truck of the same caliber, while totaling mine and sending it off to the car graveyard (a very sad thought for me)

or perhaps to buy it back from them, have it repaired using the money paid tome by State Farm, and have a salvage title....with a hopefullyfully fixed truck.

I have had a difficult time making this decision since I was really really attached to that truck. I was hoping to have it towed to a trusted body shop for an evaluation (at my own cost) to help me use their expert advice to make my final decision. However, They suggested to send them a few photos of the damage first.

Attached is a link to an album of all of the related truck crash photos.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/123927...57692930075421

I have spent countless hours over the last 8 days looking at trucks for sale to "match" my truck. I am stuck in my ways and want to get soemthing very similar. 2002-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 in black with a crew cab and short bed. 2wheel drive is what I was used to, but 4 wheel is a bonus. I have driven to test drive and see many trucks in the past few days, some of them I immediately crossed off my list and some I am still considering.. but I am on a time crunch.

My top choice is this one in North jersey:
https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto...535341906.html
I looked at it for 90 minutes yesterday and it is very very clean (inside, outside, underside) 36,000 miles since 2005. I will have to remove all the "chrome" dress up pieces he put on it, but that should not be a big deal. 2wheel drive is fin. interior is clean but does nothave all sorts of modern features (and I am ok with that). the guy also had a 68 camaro project car in the garage. he is selling this because his wife convinced him to get a brand new chevy equinox instead since he is getting older (+65). it is truly mint, with only one small body damage are in the drivers side bed by the tail light. truck was only posted for sale sunday 3/18/18 and I called within hours of the posting to get first shot at it.
https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto...535341906.html

https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1D7HU18278S509642
My second choice is this one, which I also saw and drove yesterday. It ha 100,000 iles on it, but is 4x4. The interior is pretty good, some expected cosmetic stuff. It has some extra interior features, including the power sliding rear window that I like. Underside has some rust, and this one has the begining of the typical "dodge rot" which is that the inside lip of the rear wheel wells begins to rust. engine ran strong and 4wheel drive works. will need all 4 tires asap. has been on hte sale lot for 5 months.
https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1D7HU18278S509642

otherwise, these were some of the others on my list:

. 2006 SLT black 48,000 miles $17,500 connecticut (overpriced)
http://www.roadreadyusedcars.com/200...9/Details.aspx

. 2007 1500 slt 108,000 $13.9k Lakewood nj SALE PENDING
https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1D7HA18267S248866

. 2007 1500 slt 101,000 $13.9 hatboro PA
https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1D7HU18277S168743

. 2008 1500 SLT no photos RWD 54,000 $13.5k connecticut
https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1D7HA16228J197800

. 2008 silverado Z71 extended cab $14,900 83,000 miles Kenvil (cab too small)
https://www.autoconnectmotors.net/in...tails/38108170

. 2010 SLT $16,900 68,000 miles woodbridge
https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/...520387448.html

. 2008 SLT blue 61,000 $16000 ct
https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1D7HU18268J126023

. 2006 Laramie Blue 82,000 $13,000 New york state
https://www.affordableimport.net/200...Y_14837240.veh

. 2009 Silverado Z71 black 99,000 miles $16,9000 allentown
https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/2GCEK23M891127297

. 2008 1500 black 108,000 $7,000 Chester NJ (SOLD)
https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto...528417483.html

03-20-2018, 11:25 AM	#1
IROCZman15 10 Second Club / Meet Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Roxbury, NJ Posts: 2,101 iTrader: (8)	My Truck was crashed into replace or repair ? Saturday 3/10/18 at 9:30 pm I had just come from visiting with my parents, my brother and his wife and his two young daughters in New Providence. My brotehr is getting deployed to Iraq this week, so that weekend he flew up to visit with family for a few days prior to deployment (USMC 9 yrs). So, I was traveling westbound on RT 10 in Parsippany in the right hand lane at the normal speed along with traffic. In an instant there was a car that pulled out right into the lane I was traveling in. They were unable to see me (and I had been unable to see them) because there was a 4 foot tall snowbank at the area where they were to merge into traffic. They had pulled out from the exit driveway of the Hilton Hotel, onto Rt 10 westbound. There were other vehicles in the lanes nearby me, so if I had swerved fully around this vehicle, I probably would have caused a multi-car wreck and that would have been worse. I did my best to brake and squeeze past the vehicle that just jumped out into the road, but the truck is so wide that my front passenger side hit their rear drivers side. It was inescapable. Nobody was injured and I was not at fault for the accident. However the damage was more than just a fender-bender, and now I am stuck sadly with a busted up truck and an array of options to more forward with. After looking the truck over, aside from the obvious body damage (core support, hood, passenger and driver side fender, passenger front door, blend paint on both sides, bumper, grill, lower valence, headlight) the steering knuckle was snapped off at the lower mount. you can see it in the wheel photos. the upper mount ball joint looks to have simply popped out as the wheel assembly disconnected. The A-arm is still attached to the frame and although it was probably ground down from the blacktop, does not look twisted or tweaked. I happen to have brand new EBC rotors and pads, as well as brand new bilstein shocks sitting in my garage($800 total)....that I had just freaking ordered 4 days prior to the fateful crash. . The wheel and tire is trashed. The front wheel hub/bearing I had just installed in early February actually too. State farm initially quoted me $10,200 payout for the truck. I almost passed out when I saw that. For two days I found better comparable vehicles than the ones they used and listed all the things on the truck that were upgrades. they finally stated $12,939.47 and I accepted that as a "locked in value" My options are, to take the $12,939.47 payout from State Farm and buy a "replacement" truck of the same caliber, while totaling mine and sending it off to the car graveyard (a very sad thought for me) or perhaps to buy it back from them, have it repaired using the money paid tome by State Farm, and have a salvage title....with a hopefullyfully fixed truck. I have had a difficult time making this decision since I was really really attached to that truck. I was hoping to have it towed to a trusted body shop for an evaluation (at my own cost) to help me use their expert advice to make my final decision. However, They suggested to send them a few photos of the damage first. Attached is a link to an album of all of the related truck crash photos. https://www.flickr.com/photos/123927...57692930075421 I have spent countless hours over the last 8 days looking at trucks for sale to "match" my truck. I am stuck in my ways and want to get soemthing very similar. 2002-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 in black with a crew cab and short bed. 2wheel drive is what I was used to, but 4 wheel is a bonus. I have driven to test drive and see many trucks in the past few days, some of them I immediately crossed off my list and some I am still considering.. but I am on a time crunch. My top choice is this one in North jersey: https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto...535341906.html I looked at it for 90 minutes yesterday and it is very very clean (inside, outside, underside) 36,000 miles since 2005. I will have to remove all the "chrome" dress up pieces he put on it, but that should not be a big deal. 2wheel drive is fin. interior is clean but does nothave all sorts of modern features (and I am ok with that). the guy also had a 68 camaro project car in the garage. he is selling this because his wife convinced him to get a brand new chevy equinox instead since he is getting older (+65). it is truly mint, with only one small body damage are in the drivers side bed by the tail light. truck was only posted for sale sunday 3/18/18 and I called within hours of the posting to get first shot at it. https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto...535341906.html https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1D7HU18278S509642 My second choice is this one, which I also saw and drove yesterday. It ha 100,000 iles on it, but is 4x4. The interior is pretty good, some expected cosmetic stuff. It has some extra interior features, including the power sliding rear window that I like. Underside has some rust, and this one has the begining of the typical "dodge rot" which is that the inside lip of the rear wheel wells begins to rust. engine ran strong and 4wheel drive works. will need all 4 tires asap. has been on hte sale lot for 5 months. https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1D7HU18278S509642 otherwise, these were some of the others on my list: . 2006 SLT black 48,000 miles $17,500 connecticut (overpriced) http://www.roadreadyusedcars.com/200...9/Details.aspx . 2007 1500 slt 108,000 $13.9k Lakewood nj SALE PENDING https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1D7HA18267S248866 . 2007 1500 slt 101,000 $13.9 hatboro PA https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1D7HU18277S168743 . 2008 1500 SLT no photos RWD 54,000 $13.5k connecticut https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1D7HA16228J197800 . 2008 silverado Z71 extended cab $14,900 83,000 miles Kenvil (cab too small) https://www.autoconnectmotors.net/in...tails/38108170 . 2010 SLT $16,900 68,000 miles woodbridge https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/...520387448.html . 2008 SLT blue 61,000 $16000 ct https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1D7HU18268J126023 . 2006 Laramie Blue 82,000 $13,000 New york state https://www.affordableimport.net/200...Y_14837240.veh . 2009 Silverado Z71 black 99,000 miles $16,9000 allentown https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/2GCEK23M891127297 . 2008 1500 black 108,000 $7,000 Chester NJ (SOLD) https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto...528417483.html __________________ 1987 IROC-Z - modified Last edited by IROCZman15; 03-20-2018 at 05:18 PM.