BMW Compact Damage Advice

[yg54sg]

Hi all, looking for a bit of advice here, someone crashed into my first car I bought when I was 17, which my parents use these days, to cut a long story short the car was parked the driver was drunk and fled the scene. The police later got it out of him that he was the driver (found beer on the back seat of the car and identified the supermarket he was coming from) the insurance company came round and took pictures and has offered £550 as a first offer as it is a write off. This car has had new brake lines, coolant system and various other bits about 1400 quid spent on it over last 2 years. Looking at something similar on ebay can range from 400-900 pounds should I be able to get them to throw in the car with the 550 or should I ask for more based on the amount spent on it in the last 2 years? Surely its within their interests to leave it in my garden than have it put on a low loader which is more than the scrap value? Im sure breakers wouldn't want this either as its a 1995 compact 316i

I am sure it could be repaired but just not sure its worth it... however its my first car

 

[srhutch]

What you need to do is provide adverts to you insurance company of similar cars for sale, ie same spec and mileage as possible and their prices. This is your bargaining tool. What you spent on the car to keep road worthy is irrelevant.

Depending on the damage, if its Cat C or Cat D then you could buy the car off them. When I bought mine back it was 20% of the value, but that was 14 years ago.

 

[mmm-five]

It doesn't matter how much you've spent on the car, as the insurance company would assume the 'normal' value for the car would be for a car in good operating condition.

Replacing these parts are part of the ownerships costs, not the value of the car.

Otherwise my e34 M5 would have been worth £15k, not £3k when I sold it

 

[yg54sg]

Thank for the advice guys - i guess you could argue that those parts would not need replacing again for another 19 years