Aurora 1, Telephone Pole 0 3/26 Update!

[Poindexter]

I feel for you man, that is heartbreaking. And to think, I have been depressed the last few days from finding a door ding on my Classic. Really glad you made it out alright. Also happy to hear your 95% sure about getting another Classic. I'll be anxious to see how everything works out.

[95mushroom]

buccaneersfan said:

Glad you're okay. Accidents suck, but to look at the bright side you didn't get hurt and you don't have to deal with someone suing you. Did you get a ticket for anything? What insurance company do you have? Some will not let you buy the car back, hopefully this is not the case with yours.

The cop was nice, no ticket for anything and my tag was expired (though the tag is 03/07 I thought you had the whole month?). Our insurance is State Farm, not sure if you can buy-back from them.

I spent yesterday removing the audio, and installing a Durabrand HU and speaker. Today I yanked out my STS strut and sway bars. Tomorrow I'm searching for some wheels. After that, I'll only be down my "free-to-me" mods in case I can't buy it back. I'd still like to because I have a lot of stuff I can part out.

poindexter said:

I feel for you man, that is heartbreaking. And to think, I have been depressed the last few days from finding a door ding on my Classic. Really glad you made it out alright. Also happy to hear your 95% sure about getting another Classic. I'll be anxious to see how everything works out.

Yea I'm 95% sure on a Classic, though I might be a bit before I find one I like as much as mine. The other option is a 98/99 Seville STS, though they usually are out of the planned budget, and my 'requirements' are more restrict then a classic, <95k miles, black int. only, black, red, pewter ext.

[akodo]

Heres an interesting thought. I was looking over your post from last year about when you did your gauges. The "donor" 95 mushroom didn't look like it was in too bad of shape. At least, it appeared at that time to have all of the required parts to fix yours. Maybe its still available? Sometimes, salvage yards will cut you a "package deal", or sell the car outright. Perhaps a combo car could be assembled from the both of them? ;D

[95mushroom]

Yea, most U-Pulls will sell the entire car, err, whats left of it. But they like to keep their inventory fresh, I'd say a car rarely sits there longer then a month, max. Coincidently, I was back at that place today picking up some donuts for the car so I could keep my wheels. They had a tan and green classics, but I didn't spend much time looking at them.

However if I do decision do go a rebuilding route, I'm def. picking up a donor car.

[eva]

I just read your post - I'm so sorry about your beautiful Aurora...
But, as everyone else pointed out, it's good that you're okay. (And the telephone pole's family will just have to deal.)

Good luck with finding another Classic - I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you, that you find one you love as much as you did your brave and faithful old friend.

[95mushroom]

Thanks eva, I really hope so too.


I talked to the insurance today, instead of having a shop picking it up and all that, they're just sending an adjuster out to come look at it since it's probably totaled.

Here's some of the final pics , all stripped down. She's sporting her new-to-her 15" donuts (donated from a Lumina at the U-Pull for $14 ea.) with killer Pep-Boys hubcaps, and a sweet new $35 Durabrand radio and speaker.

[JimW]

I'm such a vulture....Shawn, did you car have an STB installed?

[95mushroom]

Yea it did, you could say I was the classic STB originator, I got it back on edmunds' forum days, (though Letitroll made the mod famous ). That's off, as well as my STS rear sway bar. There's actually no rear bar on the car so I hope he doesn't check that.

[A-boy95]

dude shrom ,im sorry dude, atleast your gonna get a 2nd classic.

[Flybrian]

You know, maybe its me, but it doesn't even look that bad. Aside from the radiator and that first horizontal beam, everything else looks intact. I'm absolutely astonished the bumper maintained its shape.

[95mushroom]

Yea, it ready doesn't look too bad, that bumper cover is a real champ! I'm not real sure on how much the roof damage is gonna run, but you can't the see the real damage (under the plastic skirt on the bottom). The chassis/support area under the condenser/radiator is in a nice U shape very close to what the bumper beam looks like. I'll toss some gruesome pics up tomorrow.

[auroraborealis]

Wow, glad your ok! That`s incredible, I can`t believe how well the Aurora stood up to the pole.

[aldrichd]

Even if the big stuff doesn't look bad the little stuff will add up quickly. A simple little item that you would think is $8 is really $65. It's always the little unexpected items that run the bill up.

[slimpee]

sorry man.

[Marc]

flybrian said:

You know, maybe its me, but it doesn't even look that bad. Aside from the radiator and that first horizontal beam, everything else looks intact. I'm absolutely astonished the bumper maintained its shape.

No surprise.....we all know how strongly built this car is.

[dmgraz]

that blows big time, glad to here your okay. I wouldnt rebuild it, just sell it and get a 2nd gen. im sure you can make it look sick as heck.

[95mushroom]

Update,
I got the call from the insurance, good news and bad. The total value of the car (inc. tax/tag) was 3,718.50, minus the 500 deductible, we're getting a check for $3218.50. The bad news is State Farm won't let us buy the car back. They had people totaling cars out and buying them back for insurance money. Sucks big time. I really was getting the idea to do a Lucerne chassis swap.

Looking at replacements hasn't gone very well either. Everyone I've look at, I never get the idea that I'd like this car to be mine. I get the impression that someone else fat butt wrinkled the seat. I also notice every little flaw the car may have and find it extremely hard to overlook. I really don't want to offend, but there just seems to be generic Auroras out there, in pain pastel colors, none of them truly comes close the personality and character mine had (color and driving feel). Maybe I just need to wait a bit longer for the right one. I really don't like the idea of something besides an Aurora, but I went to go look at two non-Auroras over the weekend as well.

[macadamiaman]

If you can afford to wait, then wait... Something will surely come up. $3218 isn't very much

[95mushroom]

It's not, but its a lot more then I'd was thinking I would get (I was thinking more like $2,000 max. before the dedt.). My parents will likely match that amount, so something under $7,000. Which should get me a nice Classic, pending one pop-ups, but is barely enough for the other thing I'm looking at...

[scottydl]

macadamiaman said:

If you can afford to wait, then wait... Something will surely come up. $3218 isn't very much

x2, although you got a laugh out of me with that "fat butt" comment. You might have mentioned this earlier, but were you able to salvage the wheels?

[95mushroom]

Yea, I saved the wheels, all the audio stuff, and the STS sway/strut bars. Back on pg. 3 is some pics with the sweet 15" steel wheels and hubcaps.

[BuccaneersFan]

What size where those wheels? ;D

[95mushroom]

buccaneersfan said:

What size where those wheels? ;D

I believe 15x6 steel rims, wrapped in various manufacture tires, all 4 different, though all 215/60/15, with the right rear tire showing some cords

[akodo]

95mushroom said:

. I get the impression that someone else fat butt wrinkled the seat. I also notice every little flaw the car may have and find it extremely hard to overlook. I really don't want to offend, but there just seems to be generic Auroras out there, in pain pastel colors, none of them truly comes close the personality and character mine had (color and driving feel).

Awww, come on. There was a really "Unique" one on E-bay a couple weeks back, with plenty of "personality!" And a cute wing, too.

Too bad about them not letting you buy it back. I don't get the scam, though. THEY decide the value/how much damage was done, soooo .... I guess if you like to do your own body work you MIGHT be able to make a couple bucks on the deal, but your premiums going up would eat that anyway.

[BuccaneersFan]

95mushroom said:

buccaneersfan said:

What size where those wheels? ;D

I believe 15x6 steel rims, wrapped in various manufacture tires, all 4 different, though all 215/60/15, with the right rear tire showing some cords

I meant the good ones you took off. Where they 17s, I can't remember?

[cherry2002]

I'm sorry to hear you can't buy the car back. Keep looking , you will find a good replacement, it might take a few months but keep looking around.

[Poindexter]

Yeah keep looking. A month or so ago on ebay I saw one located in FL with 28,000 mi. If I lived down there I would have been all over that one.

[froggyscike]

$3,218.50 is still a little more then what NADA says our car is worth, NADA says my car is only worth with 136K its only worth at low retail its only worth $2,375 and Clean is $3,475 so its right in the middle, now i think 95mushrooms aurora had something in the 130K range, so i think he made out quite well now if he didnt have the deductible of $500 he would of been over the clean retail value.

[95mushroom]

Well, the deed is done, they came about 10:30am and took her away. I'm definitely bummed right now, I think it hurts the most because I didn't get to say good-bye.

buccaneersfan said:

95mushroom said:

I believe 15x6 steel rims, wrapped in various manufacture tires, all 4 different, though all 215/60/15, with the right rear tire showing some cords

I meant the good ones you took off. Where they 17s, I can't remember?

They were 18x8 Bonney GXP rims with BFG 255/45 g-Force KDW tires.

Yea, those super low miles cars are tempting, though they always have zero options. I'd definitely trade some miles for a color I like more with options.

[Mr. Javi]

Good luck dude, let us know what you end up getting.