How to get a used car for half price

[Emerald_Door]

On December 10 we bought a high-mileage Honda Accord for $2700.  On December 19, someone backed into the car in a parking lot.  Geico, their insurance company, gave us a check for over $900.  On January 25, another driver lost control and side swiped us on a highway.  Geico,their insurance company, gave us a check for about $500.  The second time we left the Geico office with a check, I told the guy, "we'll see you in a few weeks!" 

So far, our only expense has been less than $100 to replace a broken headlight.  My husband is going to order the paint for around $60 and touch up the damaged areas.  There is a tiny, tiny crease in the hood, and a few scrapes, but no major damage. 

Obviously, if this were a newer car, we would probably handle things differently.  But this is an older, high-mileage car, used primarily by the kids to drive to school and part-time jobs.  And, despite the title of this thread, I don't recommend this course of action.  We've been lucky that the damages have been minor, and there have been no injuries. 

[Deleted]

Great job on fixing it yourself. It's good that both accidents were minor and nothing serious.

[Deleted]

Feels weird saying this when your car has been hit twice, but that is AWESOME! We always had beater cars for our kids, too, but the only ones that damaged them were the drivers. DD had an ongoing relationship with concrete poles and walls in the parking garage at her college. She's the oldest and, after her first incident in HS (sliding on an icy road and colliding at a slow speed with a telephone pole), we learned not to make insurance claims and to pay out-of-pocket for the limited repair needed to make the thing driveable.

[val2525]

I hope you don't get hit again!

Say, can your DH replace the front bumper on a Hyundai Accent, by chance?

[Emerald_Door]

Val, he's not a mechanic, but drive it over here and he'll take a look. 

[val2525]

LOL! I discovered I could buy the part and do it myself.

If my car was white. Or maybe black.

It's lime green so they'll have to match the paint.

Hopefully your paint job will be easy to match!

[Deleted]

My son had a Malibu that he bought outright from the car dealership, ran it in the ditch and had to replace the front bumper and fender on one side. His GFs grandpa helped him do it and he got off for the cost of parts from the salvage yard, only took a couple hours to do so I assume it's fairly easy. For the last year he's been driving a maroon car with a white bumper and fender but at least his insurance is still dirt cheap.

Val in your case I'd put the bumper on and then just go in for a new paint job. Can usually catch sales at places like Maco (sp?)auto body for a couple hundred bucks.

I never get off cheap on accidents. First one I was rear ended in my ford escort wagon I'd had less than a year, needed a new bumper, and new frame supports for around $7500 (their insurance paid). Second time I was rear ended in Dh's new car oops! and it totaled it. Luckily we had gap insurance to pay what their insurance didn't.

I did have someone open their door a couple months ago and it slammed into my car. It was storming and the wind caught the teens door. I was so freaking mad, had it a year with no dents or scratches. But it was an accident, I now have a 1" red mark from their paint and a crease in my grey door. Since it's a sharp crease I don't think I can get it out. Might check though, it irritates me everytime I look at my car, even though you can barely see it, I KNOW it's there LOL