Really upset about my car

[Trailblazer]

I am really upset about my car.

Saturday night, my husband damaged our car because it was not in gear when he started it up and it lunged and went back and forth and hit a tree. The door came off its hinges and it will not close and it also damaged the door. Luckily, I have good insurance with a 250 deductible, but I am still really upset because I am almost sure the claims adjuster is going to deem it a total loss. They are coming to pick it up and take it to where they do the inspection today or tomorrow and I may never see my car again.

Okay, a little history. The car is a 1986 Honda Prelude so it is a classic car. We have had the car for about 20 years and it has hardly ever needed a repair. I cannot even remember when the last repair bill was, and it had to be over 10 years ago! It goes for an oil change once a year and that’s about it. I love my car. I am sure that religious people of my religion think I should be detached even if they do not say it to me because that is the belief, but I am not detached and I am not going to allow religious people to shame me, which is what they do with their stupid beliefs.

I have no idea how much I will get from the insurance company to buy another car after they determine it is a total loss. I can only hope I will get what I consider the market value from doing my research and enough money to buy another Prelude Prelude - 2nd Gen 1982 to 1987 because I do not want any other kind of car!

I have never been in a car accident that was my fault in my whole life and I have been driving since I was 17 years old. I had one accident when I was 17 but it was not my fault, and I was traumatized by it. Since then, I have been in two accidents that were not my fault, one in 2015 and one last January, and as a result I had two total loss claims with the insurance company I have now. I replaced the 1995 Honda Odyssey with a 1999 Honda CRV in 2016, and it was the CRV that was rear ended last January. The insurance company was very fair in the settlement. I took the money less the salvage value and kept the CRV. I could buy another CRV with that money but instead I decided to save the money and keep driving the CRV with the dent since it does not affect the functionality of the car.

I won’t be able to do that with the Prelude because the door will not close, so it has to be repaired in order to be drivable. If the insurance company declares it a total loss, I will probably take the money less the salvage value and keep the car because I can probably sell it to someone who knows how to do body work.

Preludes in that age range are scarcer than hen’s teeth and the few I have found are too far away from where I live to drive to. There is only one Prelude close to the age of ours (1984) anywhere near here and I have already contacted the seller. Our Prelude has 272, 650 miles on it and the 1984 has 163,000 miles on it and is a two-owner car in excellent condition with all the service records. I have not seen it yet but the body and interior look perfect in the photos. If I get a settlement the seller is going to bring the car down near where I live since he is coming down this way next Saturday. That would be the best-case scenario I can see now. It has an automatic transmission, not a manual like the Prelude we have now, so I would be the one driving it, not my husband! My husband is fine with that since he does not like going anywhere anyway.

 

[Nakosis]

That would be the best-case scenario I can see now. It has an automatic transmission, not a manual like the Prelude we have now, so I would be the one driving it, not my husband! My husband is fine with that since he does not like going anywhere anyway.

I was going to say, your fault for letting your husband drive.
Do you ever feel that way?

I see everything that happens in my life as my responsibility either through my actions or my inactions.

I only ever get mad at myself for letting the bad stuff happen.
I suspect most people don't go about it that way.
Just the way my mind works.

 

[England my lionheart]

He’s in the dog box then?

 

[ChristineM]

I am really upset about my car.

Saturday night, my husband damaged our car because it was not in gear when he started it up and it lunged and went back and forth and hit a tree. The door came off its hinges and it will not close and it also damaged the door. Luckily, I have good insurance with a 250 deductible, but I am still really upset because I am almost sure the claims adjuster is going to deem it a total loss. They are coming to pick it up and take it to where they do the inspection today or tomorrow and I may never see my car again.

Okay, a little history. The car is a 1986 Honda Prelude so it is a classic car. We have had the car for about 20 years and it has hardly ever needed a repair. I cannot even remember when the last repair bill was, and it had to be over 10 years ago! It goes for an oil change once a year and that’s about it. I love my car. I am sure that religious people of my religion think I should be detached even if they do not say it to me because that is the belief, but I am not detached and I am not going to allow religious people to shame me, which is what they do with their stupid beliefs.

I have no idea how much I will get from the insurance company to buy another car after they determine it is a total loss. I can only hope I will get what I consider the market value from doing my research and enough money to buy another Prelude Prelude - 2nd Gen 1982 to 1987 because I do not want any other kind of car!

I have never been in a car accident that was my fault in my whole life and I have been driving since I was 17 years old. I had one accident when I was 17 but it was not my fault, and I was traumatized by it. Since then, I have been in two accidents that were not my fault, one in 2015 and one last January, and as a result I had two total loss claims with the insurance company I have now. I replaced the 1995 Honda Odyssey with a 1999 Honda CRV in 2016, and it was the CRV that was rear ended last January. The insurance company was very fair in the settlement. I took the money less the salvage value and kept the CRV. I could buy another CRV with that money but instead I decided to save the money and keep driving the CRV with the dent since it does not affect the functionality of the car.

I won’t be able to do that with the Prelude because the door will not close, so it has to be repaired in order to be drivable. If the insurance company declares it a total loss, I will probably take the money less the salvage value and keep the car because I can probably sell it to someone who knows how to do body work.

Preludes in that age range are scarcer than hen’s teeth and the few I have found are too far away from where I live to drive to. There is only one Prelude close to the age of ours (1984) anywhere near here and I have already contacted the seller. Our Prelude has 272, 650 miles on it and the 1984 has 163,000 miles on it and is a two-owner car in excellent condition with all the service records. I have not seen it yet but the body and interior look perfect in the photos. If I get a settlement the seller is going to bring the car down near where I live since he is coming down this way next Saturday. That would be the best-case scenario I can see now. It has an automatic transmission, not a manual like the Prelude we have now, so I would be the one driving it, not my husband! My husband is fine with that since he does not like going anywhere anyway.

If it's offered, take the money and keep the car then get a body shop to repair the door. The repair will in all probability be less than that settlement.

Though the company may say get it repaired and they'll pay the repair costs.

 

[Trailblazer]

I was going to say, your fault for letting your husband drive.
Do you ever feel that way?

I see everything that happens in my life as my responsibility either through my actions or my inactions.

I only ever get mad at myself for letting the bad stuff happen.
I suspect most people don't go about it that way.
Just the way my mind works.

My husband has been the only driver of that car sine we got it about 20 years ago because I had another car, and I could not reach the pedals and drive a stick shift even though I used to drive a stick before I got a car with an automatic transmission.

I go back and forth. I do tend to blame myself but this time I know this was not my fault. It was his fault and I am still pretty angry at him and he knows it and as usual I am the one who has to deal with the insurance company and getting another car. He never does anything around here, but that is another story and another problem that has been going on since we got married 37 years ago. My life was already bad enough before this happened.

 

[Trailblazer]

He’s in the dog box then?

Yes he is, Bigtime.

 

[England my lionheart]

Yes he is, Bigtime.

Lol,thought he might be.

 

[Trailblazer]

If it's offered, take the money and keep the car then get a body shop to repair the door. The repair will in all probability be less than that settlement.

Though the company may say get it repaired and they'll pay the repair costs.

IF I can get a body shop to repair the door.
I found out with the CRV that most body shops will not repair total loss vehicles. The other problem is getting it to the body shop since the door will not close.

I really want the red 1984 Prelude and I think I deserve it so if the insurance pays me enough I think I will buy it, and even if they don't pay me enough ($5000) I can afford to pay the difference. That way I can drive it and I won't have to worry about my husband driving. He does not want to drive anyway so he does not care.

 

[Trailblazer]

Lol,thought he might be.

And the thing is, he does not care because he knows that there will be no punishment.
It's not fair, but that's the way it has always been... I get mad, he ignores me.
He does not even feel guilty. If I did that I would feel really guilty and accept the blame.

 

[England my lionheart]

And the thing is, he does not care because he knows that there will be no punishment.
It's not fair, but that's the way it has always been... I get mad, he ignores me.
He does not even feel guilty. If I did that I would feel really guilty and accept the blame.

Ah the bliss of marriage lol

 

[Trailblazer]

Ah the bliss of marriage lol

I take it you are single...
That would be bliss.

 

[England my lionheart]

I take it you are single...
That would be bliss.

lol yes I am and it is,Datong’s far less stressful ;-)

 

[Trailblazer]

lol yes I am and it is,Datong’s far less stressful ;-)

I might as well be for all that he does around here, which is nothing.
All he does is complain about his medical condition, which he thinks is sooooo serious.

 

[England my lionheart]

I might as well be for all that he does around here, which is nothing.
All he does is complain about his medical condition, which he thinks is sooooo serious.

I think that’s called “married manism” lol,manflu is proof of that.

 

[Trailblazer]

I don't expect anyone to understand why I have a sentimental attachment to a car, after all most people would not even have a car as long as I keep my cars....
I felt the same way about our previous house that we lived in for 17 years. I could not sell it so it was made into a rental, and whenever anything happened to it I was very upset.

It is almost like the cars and the houses are living things, but I know they are not, so I feel somewhat silly about all this.... Yet the feelings just are.

 

[Trailblazer]

The car was just picked up by the towing company and I probably won't ever see it again.
The driver told me he is almost 100% sure it is a total loss so all I can hope for is that the insurance pays me enough to buy another car like it.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I feel your pain. Cars really are an extension of us, can be a reflection of us, amd vitally important tools (for that getting around thing). Being without just hella sucks.

 

[Shaul]

So just take the door off. You can pocket the insurance money and get more fresh air too! Win-win. Doors are overrated anyway.

 

[Trailblazer]

So just take the door off. You can pocket the insurance money and get more fresh air too! Win-win. Doors are overrated anyway.

I don't think that would work because (a) I live in Washington State (where it is always raining) and (b) it is probably illegal to drive door-less, unless you are postman.

But maybe I could find another door in the wrecking yard and have a body shop put it on for me.
Then I could probably sell the car since it is a classic.
I still want another Prelude if I get enough money from the insurance and I can get a nice one.
We only live once and I am no spring chicken so I deserve a nice sports car.

 

[Trailblazer]

I feel your pain. Cars really are an extension of us, can be a reflection of us, amd vitally important tools (for that getting around thing). Being without just hella sucks.

Thanks. I never drove the Prelude because I have my own car, the CRV, but I was still attached to the Prelude. I am hoping I get enough money from the insurance so I can get a Prelude, a nicer one. Ours was functional and got us around but the paint was peeling and the interior was not in good shape. It was also a stick shift and I don't like driving those anymore.

We have to have two cars because we live so far out in the country, but I am not about to spend a lot of money on cars even though I have the money, especially since I hardly ever go anywhere except grocery shopping once a week.