Might lose Big Iron

[S.A. Boggs]

Got T-Boned in the round about, same place the postal truck hit me ten years ago. Door is cracked as well as the body, my agent said due to age [1997] and mileage [376,000] that it might not be feasible to fix him again. Wolf and I are OK, Big Iron isn't. Just when I was getting it broke in!!!
Sam

[JB White]

Can't replace an old favorite. Is it worth going to the junkyard for a door and doing your own repairs?

[S.A. Boggs]

Can't replace an old favorite. Is it worth going to the junkyard for a door and doing your own repairs?

Since the insurance has it now and if totaled I thought about buying Big Iron back. Insurance won't carry this truck if totaled out. In my AO Jeeps in the junkyard is a rarity, I have only see one and it was burnt out. No, I was going to put some money into other needed repairs to keep him on the road, so I think it is time to just let him go. I hate to do it but he and I have ran our last race together after 17 years. I will be looking at a replacement today, a 4x4 PU with auto [wife said she will drive this one] and I need more carrying capacity to haul firewood and lead.
Sam

[Allen]

It wouldn't hurt to look for a door and get an estimate from a body shop on just pulling the frame back straight again with you doing any welding and painting but if you're like me you don't need any more projects. I've had similar circumstances: you've lost an old friend, it's not worth fixing and not worth anything to anyone else. In my case I had to just eventually call a wrecking yard to come and get my car. I hated to see it go but it looked bad sitting in the yard and me working rotating 12hr shifts at the time, it wasn't getting repaired.

I have an old 1990 Silverado now that's my work truck. It has < 150K miles on it and I know everything that has been replaced on it so I would trust it to go anywhere. From a distance it looks good but up close you realize it isn't something you want to take on a "night on the town" with. My wife is on my case about getting rid of it but I won't. Over time I will spend way more on it than it is worth but just can't stand the thought of giving it away or junking it because the paint job and minor interior repairs will be more than the truck is worth.

Seeing your latest post I see you are giving it up. Probably the best move with 376K miles. How far off can an engine job possibly be? Time to start making new memory's perhaps.

[dave]

When ever cars/ trucks hit a certain age the value drops to almost nothing. Therefore I drop insurance on the vehicle. Not worth paying insurance when repair cost will be higher then value!

[JB White]

When ever cars/ trucks hit a certain age the value drops to almost nothing. Therefore I drop insurance on the vehicle. Not worth paying insurance when repair cost will be higher then value!

I see it just a little differently. It only costs me about $63 per year to carry the extra collision coverage. Liability and medical is required by state law. So, for that $63 which I don't really miss, if the vehicle is totaled the collision payout will at least put me into a roller right away and keep me going.

A few months ago my son bought a late model used car. I asked him, since he let his old policy drop, how he was going to drive it off the lot without insurance. He replied he wouldn't get a ticket if stopped because he had the recent bill of sale. "Oh yeah..so what if you get into an accident? The maximum sueable amount in this state is $1M. You got a million bucks in the bank?"
I let him scratch his head for a second until it sank in.

He's over 25 so he's covered on my car. With my policy I'm covered on whatever I drive. So, we switched cars for the trip. When we got to my house so he could buy insurance online, he asked if we could first trade vehicles! He loves that old Lincoln Like Sam, I'll miss that land yacht when it gives up the ghost. 21 years is the longest I've ever kept a vehicle.

[Allen]

I have State Farm Ins. They will fully insure me (before taking out ins.) if and when I buy a car for 2 weeks based on nothing but a dated bill of sale.

The problem I do have is that as my car gets older and somewhat worthless the rates do not go down very much. If and when I drop collision ins I keep the liability and 100% comprehensive.

I too have 2 land yacht's, a 2000 Crown Vic w/200K miles and a 2004 Grand Marquis w/120K miles. The Mercury still has a little new car smell left in it. There are no replacement equivalent's to these cars once they go.

[Sunray]

"...How far off can an engine job possibly be?..." Less fuss and cheaper to put in a used motor.
A '97 anything they're going to write off. T-boned with cracked parts likely means the frame is at least bent. Cost more to fix than it's worth.
Comprehensive coverage(that fixes stuff like cracked windshields and damaged caused to your vehicle by you hitting posts, etc.) is fraudulent. Insurance companies have no intention of paying out on fixing your accidents. The deductible can be more than what it costs to fix whatever is damaged. Had an '87 Samurai that I needed a windshield for. Comprehensive deductible was $300Cdn. Cost of the windshield, installed, was $150Cdn.
Collision is you hitting other vehicles and fixing the stuff you run into.
"...the value drops to almost nothing..." Your vehicle drops in value every year. The insurance companies have their own Blue Book.
"...because he had the recent bill of sale..." He's confused. In most places you cannot drive off the lot unless you're insured. A bill of sale is not insurance. $1,000 fine in Illinois for driving without liability insurance. Plus his vehicle registration and driver’s license would be suspended up to three months until a $100 reinstatement fee and proof of insurance are submitted.

[Allen]

A lot of cars if not most cars are sold on weekends and at night when the ins offices are closed. Do you have them towed home? No. Like I said State Farm and probably most other company's will insure you up to a couple of weeks till you can call or get to their office. The ins payment begins on the date you buy the car, not the 2 weeks afterward so there is no free ins, just ins in advance. I can buy a 40,000# dump truck or a Lamborghini and be covered from day one w/o notifying the ins co till later. You probably have to have an existing policy with at least one other car though I suppose.

By 100% comprehensive ins I mean I pay no deductible. It covers limbs falling from trees hitting your car, rock chips on your windshield and most any act of God that you can't avoid. I've had a lot of windshields replaced over the years and have never paid a dime. I don't even know the cost.

If any of you have any doubt call your agent.

[S.A. Boggs]

I have had State Farm for close to 40 years, so far please with the coverage. The shop gave thumbs down on repair, so total. I can buy it back and use a salvage title to insure, problem is finding the needed parts to repair as no parts available. Called junk yards, nothing available. When I find out next week what I am allowed will go looking seriously for a truck, maybe another Jeep/Grand Cherokee. With my neuropathy some days climbing in and out was painful to say the least.
Sam

[blocker]

What about EBAY? They sell everything!!

[S.A. Boggs]

Last night went on line looking @ 4X4 pickup's, will take a look see this A.M.
Sam

[Allen]

If you go the ebay route you can sort it by "nearest first" and it gives you the approx. distance from your zip code. Most will be out of state and no doubt further than you want to go. You are still buying sight unseen too.

Here is a sight called AutoTrader:

https://www.autotrader.com/?LNX=SPMSNBRANDCAMP&cid=SI_444086461_1432577200_1

And probable the best sight, craigslist, but watch out for scams. If the description if brief, if they show their own email contact, if they only show one picture, if the price is an odd amount and ridiculously low then it more than likely is a fake add. Most are legitimate though and local.

https://mobile.craigslist.org/ This is for Mobile. You will need to change the local upon logging on.

[S.A. Boggs]

In life a guy wants a good woman, a faithful dog, dependable handgun and truck. I am going to do my best to keep Big Iron, we have been together too long to be separate. I have a guy who will do good body work reasonable, we need a new door so I am looking. I wonder if a late model Jeep door will fit mine, gona looksee.
Sam

[Allen]

I have a guy who will do good body work reasonable, we need a new door so I am looking. I wonder if a late model Jeep door will fit mine, gona looksee.

Doubtful, they changed body styles a couple of times since 1997. This guy who is doing the body work may have better resources on finding a door.

craigslist examples

https://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/d/parts-only-1997-jeep-grand/6503583377.html

https://columbus.craigslist.org/ptd/d/jeep-parts-used-oem-wrangler/6489044600.html