Welcome to Just Commodores, a site specifically designed for all people who share the same passion as yourself.

New Posts Contact us

Just Commodores Forum Community

It takes just a moment to join our fantastic community

Register

Damaged car auction prices.

losh1971

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
22,383
Reaction score
22,002
Points
113
Location
North Tas
Members Ride
VE Series I SS Ute
Anyone been to a car auction where crashed cars are sold? I'm trying to estimate what my insurer would ask for my ute now it's heavily damaged.
 

vywgn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2006
Messages
782
Reaction score
389
Points
63
Location
Adelaide
Members Ride
1967 Holden HR Premier Wagon / 2015 VFII SV6 Sedan
Yes, can certainly vary pending what is on the car that is useful to the yard/person buying it
 

VS 5.0

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2006
Messages
7,980
Reaction score
14,099
Points
113
Location
Perth WA
Members Ride
VE SSV Z Series M6
As much as someone is prepared to pay.
 

losh1971

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
22,383
Reaction score
22,002
Points
113
Location
North Tas
Members Ride
VE Series I SS Ute
I was hoping there may have been a rough average price that a wrecker will pay for a damaged Buick V6 ute.
 

shane_3800

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2011
Messages
4,187
Reaction score
1,753
Points
113
Age
35
Location
places
Members Ride
vr commo
I was hoping there may have been a rough average price that a wrecker will pay for a damaged Buick V6 ute.

It changes every year. The insurance companies will compile data on this but good luck getting that.
Whatever is selling well is what the wreckers will pay for and that changes often.
Your ute is not a big seller this is because people that still drive 20yo plus cars usually fix them by them selves and if they require major work it's more likely they will be sold. The engines and gear boxes are more likely to be rebuilt as most second hand engines and boxes are high milage ect ect. This means wreckers don't do big volumes of sales on older cars so they won't pay much for them.

Sorry to hear about your ute :( what happened?
 

UTE042_NZ

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2017
Messages
731
Reaction score
3,769
Points
93
Location
New Zealand
Members Ride
MY17 Magnum Ute
There's also your location to consider losh. Do I recall you saying there arent a lot of wreckers locally? How much would the insurance company or a successful bidder be willing to pay to transport the vehicle on top of paying auctioneer's percentages? How much would your local wreckers want to pay to buy back some of their stock, when realising it means one of their their regular customers has just left the market?

Would you really want to buy it back if it is written off? I had raised Hilux which a had a Commodore go head-on under the right front corner, bent chassis plus. It was repaired but I wish was written off. Right front ABS never worked properly at low speeds in mud ever again, developed terrible noises with right suspension at full extension, couple years later had to grind 0.5mm off sway bar to releive it from rubbing on control arm.

Your ute is of far more value to you than the the sum it is insured for because you have invested time and emotion into it. Insurance companies have access to research and are fully aware of the roller coaster you are riding rght now. The timing and nuance of their communications will be shaped to steer you towards acceptance of their offer. Insurers have massive amounts of experience at handling people in your situation and in the end they almost always get things their way and, in my experience when I've fought them, the eventual result has not been worth the stress.

Try to take a step back and think of it with an open, cold, hard, emotionless mind. Wait and see what the insurer proposes. Please be careful what you wish for.
 

Skylarking

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2018
Messages
9,993
Reaction score
10,322
Points
113
Age
123
Location
Downunder
Members Ride
Commodore Motorsport Edition
Anyone been to a car auction where crashed cars are sold? I'm trying to estimate what my insurer would ask for my ute now it's heavily damaged.
Insurance companies have huge pool of data they can rely on but for your vehicle‘s age, it likely means it’s simply going to be a % of insured value (the % being an average across that class of vehicle and age).

Auctioneers love seeing previous owners with an emotional attachment turn up... along with the sudden increase in phone bidders :eek:

Just wait for the insurance company to show their cards and then you’ve got something concrete to bargain around :)
 

vc commodore

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2014
Messages
10,651
Reaction score
12,321
Points
113
Location
Like the Leyland Brothers
Members Ride
VC, VH and VY
A mate has been working in the same wrecking yard for 15 years as a mechanic....His boss goes to Melbourne on "spending sprees", buying write offs and shipping them back to S.A....He knows what is needed with parts, the price he gets for parts and pays accordingly for these wrecks...He will even buy economic write offs and get them repaired properly and back on the road from there....

He makes sure the price paid, including freight is made within the month, with salvageable parts and the rest is cream on the top for him....
So it's not the insurance company that dictates the price he pays, it is him.....This will also apply with your situation....A wrecker will cough up what he can make within the first month and the rest of the car will be cream on top....considering you have been saying not many VR's are around your neck of the woods, I can't see a wrecker coughing up too much doe for your ute, which then puts it in your favour.
 

shane_3800

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2011
Messages
4,187
Reaction score
1,753
Points
113
Age
35
Location
places
Members Ride
vr commo
A mate has been working in the same wrecking yard for 15 years as a mechanic....His boss goes to Melbourne on "spending sprees", buying write offs and shipping them back to S.A....He knows what is needed with parts, the price he gets for parts and pays accordingly for these wrecks...He will even buy economic write offs and get them repaired properly and back on the road from there....

He makes sure the price paid, including freight is made within the month, with salvageable parts and the rest is cream on the top for him....
So it's not the insurance company that dictates the price he pays, it is him.....This will also apply with your situation....A wrecker will cough up what he can make within the first month and the rest of the car will be cream on top....considering you have been saying not many VR's are around your neck of the woods, I can't see a wrecker coughing up too much doe for your ute, which then puts it in your favour.

A panel beater might bid high on it and he'll try and fix it at cost then on sell it as commodore prices are high atm.
 

Skylarking

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2018
Messages
9,993
Reaction score
10,322
Points
113
Age
123
Location
Downunder
Members Ride
Commodore Motorsport Edition
Both the above two posts provide good perspectives but they are competing points of view from Losh’s perspective.

It will be interesting to hear how it all turns out, hopefully in Losh’s favour :cool:
 
Top