Yeah, I get what you mean about the “luxury tax” vibe. It’s weird—my old ‘87 pickup barely gets a glance, but my buddy’s modded WRX? Instant scrutiny. Sometimes it feels like honesty just gives them more ammo to undervalue stuff. Hang in there... insurance is a weird game.
It’s wild how much perception plays into it. I’ve had adjusters barely glance at my ‘72 Chevelle, but when my neighbor’s newer Mustang got dinged, they were all over it, nitpicking every mod. Feels like the older or more “ordinary” your car looks, the less hassle you get—unless it’s a rare classic, then suddenly everyone’s an expert on value.
I hear you on honesty backfiring. You’d think being upfront about upgrades or condition would help, but sometimes it just gives them more reasons to lowball. Insurance math is pretty cold—if repairs cost more than their “market value,” that’s it, totaled. Doesn’t matter if you’ve put in sweat and money.
Hang in there. It’s frustrating, but sometimes standing your ground and having documentation helps a bit... not always, but sometimes.
Honestly, I’ve seen the same thing happen.
Couldn’t agree more. I had an old ‘89 F-150 that was my pride and joy—nothing flashy, but I’d kept it running better than half the new trucks out there. When a tree branch took out the hood and windshield, the adjuster barely looked at it before calling it a total loss. Never mind the new transmission or all the work under the hood.“Insurance math is pretty cold—if repairs cost more than their ‘market value,’ that’s it, totaled.”
What gets me is how “market value” never seems to match what these vehicles are actually worth to us, or even what it’d cost to replace them with something similar in today’s market. And yeah, when you’re honest about upgrades, they just see dollar signs and start picking apart every little thing.
I will say, having photos and receipts helped me get a few hundred extra, but it’s always an uphill battle. Sometimes feels like unless you’re driving something shiny and new—or a super rare classic—they just want to write you off quick and move on.
It’s wild how quick they are to slap that “totaled” label on something just because the math says so. I had a similar headache with my old S-Class—sure, it wasn’t vintage, but I’d poured time and money into keeping it pristine. One fender bender and suddenly it’s “not worth fixing.” The sentimental value or the upgrades never seem to count for much, do they? You’re right about the photos and receipts, though—those saved me from getting totally lowballed. Still, it’s frustrating how little room there is for nuance in their calculations.
I get where you’re coming from, but I do think there’s a reason the insurance folks stick to the numbers, even if it feels kind of cold. Like, from a safety angle, sometimes what looks like a “just a fender bender” can actually mess with the frame or some hidden systems. That’s tough to see unless you really dig in, and then the repair bill just skyrockets.
The sentimental value or the upgrades never seem to count for much, do they?
Honestly, I wish they did, but I guess if they started factoring in everyone’s sentimental value, it’d be chaos trying to put a price on things. I had an old Accord I loved—ran like a champ, kept it spotless—but after a rear-end collision, the adjuster explained that even with all my aftermarket stuff, they could only go by book value unless I had those upgrades documented and added to my policy ahead of time. Kind of a wake-up call for me.
It’s not perfect, but I get why they lean on the math. Still stings when it’s your car on the line though...
