Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

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duragauge
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Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 2:24 pm
My tercel:: 1986 Tercel 4WD SR5
Location: Willamette Valley

Re: Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

Post by duragauge »

Haven't posted in a while. Not much update on the Tercel, but I did pick up a new project, a 1992 F150 that's been a veteran of a few Gambler 500 events here in the NW..
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62hpLOL
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My tercel:: 1986 SR5 wagon rust-free

Re: Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

Post by 62hpLOL »

How do you like your suspension setup so far?
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duragauge
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My tercel:: 1986 Tercel 4WD SR5
Location: Willamette Valley

Re: Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

Post by duragauge »

Quick update. After an accident in the school parking lot this week, it looks like the insurance company is going to declare my Tercel a total loss. It's only cosmetic damage, but the body shop wanted $3500 to repair it. Still waiting on valuations, etc., but we'll make sure it doesn't end up in the scrap yard either way.

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Mattel
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My tercel:: 1988 Corolla 4wd Wagon (AKA Corolla All-trac) 5speed, AC, Power Sunroof, Windows, Mirrors, Steering, Locking, Diff Lock, 14" Corolla SX Alloys with Silica Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, 210,000kms
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

Post by Mattel »

Thats annoying! How much are they willing to pay you out for it? You can often negoetiate to have the car left. with you once you get payed out. Although you will have to salvage title it
With the money you recieve you could probably get it fixed at a non insurance company shop.
Don't take the insurance companies first offer either.they will try and lowball you. go online and screen grab adverts of similar condition Tercels for sale to prove how much they are wiorth.
Previous: 83 Tercel SR5 4wd, 84 Tercel SR5 4wd
88 Corolla 4wd Wagon 5speed, All power options, Fact Sunroof, Diff Lock, 14" SX Alloys, Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, Tow Bar, 210,000kms
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

Post by Petros »

do not trust a thing the insurance company tells you. their job is to lie to you about the value to minimize their liability. Many from the insurance adjuster's office will act very friendly towards you, and act as if they are on "your side" (a ruse, remember who is paying them). They will automatically assume a 35 years old Tercel has no value, or make you think that is true, without any supporting evidence. it is always a troublesome fight to get fair value.

Search the internet for similar vehicles going for very good prices, and provide them to the adjuster. they will give you a line of BS like "we have to go by our valuation", again, their job to minimize out-pays, so that de-facto means when they do their job, they are defrauding you of the value of your car.

The best you can do is negotiate for a high value, and than work out a deal where you keep the car to fix it yourself. do not let your guard down, I once went though this kind of thing, provided proof their "value" for my car was a lie, and they agreed to the value but than said that must make the salvaged car worth more. so they were going to pay me less. There will not be a happy ending, but you can make out okay, with a lot of hassles on your part. they will first go for a a quick low ball pay offer, and put pressure on you to accept it. keep after them, if you do not agree to they low ball offer, they will than likely drag it out to wear you down.

Good luck. keep that car of your on the road, as far as I am concerned, they are not replaceable at all. There is nothing else out there, new or used, that is as good a car at the Tercel4wd.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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simon84
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Location: Banff, Alberta, Canada

Re: Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

Post by simon84 »

Similar thing happened to me about 5 yrs ago (in Canada so there may be some different legalities etc.) but in my case the damage was very minimal. Just a small dent to the front and rear door and they still opened and closed perfectly. Repairs came in at about $2k and they rote off the car. I ended up with $1200 and kept the car. Maybe I could have gotten more but since damage was so minimal, but it was really just bonus cash for me. It was also BC insurance so the car may be written off in BC but no issue in Alberta.
Driver: 87 Tercel SR5, white, 4ac, weber carb (aka the Tercedes)
Road Tripper:95 Mitsubishi Delica L400 2.8L Turbo Diesel
Motorbike: 94 Kawasaki Ninja ZX6
Project Car:Red 68 Plymouth Sport Fury III
Previous Tercel:Orange 84 Tercel 4wd (aka the pumpkin)
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duragauge
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My tercel:: 1986 Tercel 4WD SR5
Location: Willamette Valley

Re: Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

Post by duragauge »

Just got my settlement today. They valued the car at $2300 and, since the repairs would have been close to $3500, they declared it a total loss. I bought the car back from them for the $225 they would have got at the scrapyard, leaving me with just over $2000.

I'll post better pictures once I get it back home so you guys can give me some advice on bodywork. It runs and drives just fine, so I may not even bother.
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Mattel
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My tercel:: 1988 Corolla 4wd Wagon (AKA Corolla All-trac) 5speed, AC, Power Sunroof, Windows, Mirrors, Steering, Locking, Diff Lock, 14" Corolla SX Alloys with Silica Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, 210,000kms
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

Post by Mattel »

Such a pity with your car looking really straight. But for $2,000 I'm sure you could find a good backyard panel beater and look for a couple of secondhand doors to get in back in shape (they look salvagable tbh). Glad your back on the road. Have you touched up the scratches with primer?
Previous: 83 Tercel SR5 4wd, 84 Tercel SR5 4wd
88 Corolla 4wd Wagon 5speed, All power options, Fact Sunroof, Diff Lock, 14" SX Alloys, Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, Tow Bar, 210,000kms
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

Post by Petros »

That is a real bummer. a decent Tercel4wd daily driver will sell for $3500-4200 today in much of the country. not a restored "like new" Tercel, just a good daily driver without any serious problems and mostly rust free. so they under valued your car by over 40 percent. Crooks. you should have held out for more.

I can believe the $3500 repair costs, properly done body work is expensive. but the insurance company got off easy, they could have had to repair a new SUV.

Double victim: car crash, and the owners insurance company victimized you again. You should have held out for fair value. No fault of yours, you were just parked in an unlucky place.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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duragauge
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Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 2:24 pm
My tercel:: 1986 Tercel 4WD SR5
Location: Willamette Valley

Re: Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

Post by duragauge »

They probably did under value the car, but I don't have any experience fighting with insurance companies.

Here's a panorama of the passenger's side

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The main damage is the rear quarter panel.

Image
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

Post by Petros »

it does not take much to get them to up the offer: they send you a settlement offer, that when you sign it you agree to accept their first offer, and by signing it you give up all your rights to get compensated. You are not obligated to accept any offer from them. you just refuse to sign their offer. Send it back to them unsigned with a letter saying that is not acceptable, and you include documentation of the value of a car like yours.

Too late now. I assumed you signed it. a lawyer will tell you NEVER sign anything. review and do your own research, think about it. if it was not a fair offer (it never is), do not accept it.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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Mattel
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Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:11 am
My tercel:: 1988 Corolla 4wd Wagon (AKA Corolla All-trac) 5speed, AC, Power Sunroof, Windows, Mirrors, Steering, Locking, Diff Lock, 14" Corolla SX Alloys with Silica Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, 210,000kms
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

Post by Mattel »

The doors look fixable and a lot of the dent on the rear quarter could possibly be carefully pushed out from the inside. You could possibly fix it for that price including paint in Australia. I'm not sure about the US.
Previous: 83 Tercel SR5 4wd, 84 Tercel SR5 4wd
88 Corolla 4wd Wagon 5speed, All power options, Fact Sunroof, Diff Lock, 14" SX Alloys, Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, Tow Bar, 210,000kms
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Petros
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Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

Post by Petros »

dents on the rear quarter panel can be a bit of PIA to fix, there is inner structure in that part of the car that can be in the way. I have ended up with project cars with dents in that area that appeared to be easy to fix. you have to strip all the interior panels, and for the areas you can not directly push on from the inside, have to make tools, out of wood boards and blocks, seems to work best, to reach behind the areas with the dents from the side, or where ever you can insert it, so you can push on it indirectly.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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duragauge
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Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 2:24 pm
My tercel:: 1986 Tercel 4WD SR5
Location: Willamette Valley

Re: Gambler SR5 - Introduction & mystery part

Post by duragauge »

Quick update. I stumbled across another 1986 SR5, manual with AC about 10 minutes from my house and brought it home.

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Since I don't need this as a daily driver, I'd like to take some time and do a mild restoration, maybe a respray, maybe a 4ac swap, make it be something nice.

My Gambler SR5 was missing so many trim bits and pieces that making it fancy was never on the table, even more so now with the body damage.

I don't need 2 Tercels, so the Gambler one will probably be up for sale for cheap once I get the salvage title from the DMV.
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