Those of you with wrecked A4s, please read!

Hey, sorry your A4 got wrecked...but how 'bout giving its parts a chance at a second life? Think about it, it'll be living vicariously through another A4. Bottom-line is I want the all-red taillights. Anyone willing to part?
Thanx.

Unfortuately, you're not likely to get any parts from the owners of wrecked A4's. I'm sure that probably all A4's are insured due to their cost and if they are totalled then the insurance company owns the salvage. That is unless the owner buys it back from the insurance company.

Back to the wrecking yards... ;-)

Sean
97 1.8Tqm

/

Look at it this way:

The insurance company is in essence purchasing the car from the insured for its PRE-accident value. The insurance company is now the new owner. The salvaged vehicle is then auctioned off in order to recover part of the loss on the claim.

If you were paid the value of the car in its PRE-accident condition and were allowed to retain the salvage for free then you would actually be in a financially BETTER position than you were before the accident. This is because you received the value of the car plus you are now able to sell parts off the car or sell it outright for its salvage value for further gain.

The owner of the car always has the option to retain the salvage by deducting the salvage value from the amount of the settlement. Of course the car would now be tagged with a salvage title even if it was completely restored.

Please don't flame me about the values placed on cars by insurance companies as I'm not trying to address that issue. I'm just explaining how things work.

Hope this helps.

Sean
97 1.8Tqm

The adjuster will determine a salvage value on a total. This is the amount he expects the insurance company to reclaim for the remains. Usually they have a dismantler already lined up. I have found the salvage value to be on the low side. It is your car and you can either:

1. Accept the salvage value
2. Dispute and nogotiate the salvage value (always try)
3. Buy the car for the (negotiated) salvage value

Note: If you buy a total and rebuild it, you may have some difficulty trying to insure it with the company that processed the total.

Who needs insurance. Just make it your race car. After you buy your salvage, gut the interior, put in the race seats and roll cage do all the upgrades to the engine, suspension, put on slicks and your ready for the track. Then if you crash.....no need to worry about wrecking your daily driver!
-C.

email me if interested