sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

I'm guessing the sunroof glass plus labor would be about $1200-$1500. So there must be over $5000 bodywork damage by the hail (for them to total a 2001 - they usually total the car if the repairs cost over 75% of the retail value). Unfortunately, bodywork repairs are expensive and many really good cars are totalled for this reason. Have you spoke to a "Dent Wizard" to get the hail damage out of the bodywork - usually MUCH less than a bodyshop.

Take the money and the car and drive it into the ground!

Russ White

Keith,

Thanks for your thoughts and right now, that is exactly the plan. The State Farm guy said in Tennessee any estiamte beyond 70% of the value of the car results in a required total loss. He told me his estiamte was near $9,000 for repairs. When I aksed about PDR ( paintless dent repair ) he said they did not estimate that way and would replace the damaged panels, including the roof which is very expensive. I should get a call with the numbers soon and plan to tell them I want to keep the car. I just can't see letting this wonderful driving car with no damage that affects its safety go to the scrap heap. Will drive it until it drops!

Russ

JAB

Absolutely the best idea; mine has 187K and still going strong.

gazi001

Old is Gold. Keep the RX.

Hatchman

I would start shopping around, there has to be dozens if not hundreds of RX300's with sunroofs in junk yards. Very rarelly would the sunroof bust in a wreck unless the thing was rolled/flipped. While I was waiting around to have the sunroof shipped to me, I would start calling around to all the body shops in town and find out who could swap a sunroof out. I bet you can find somebody who has the skills that could probably come to your house and do it in an hour or two for a hundred bucks. The hole and wiring area all there, I bet that somebody can swap it out on his own time (without the shop's markup) and will be more than happy to pocket some tax free cash. Or, you could go to a local lexus dealership and beg them to have mercy on you and see if they would give you a copy of the pages out of the manual that tells you how to do it yourself. Or maybe somone on this forum has a pdf of the maintenance manual. At least you could see if there are any "special tools" required that might make it a professional only job. I hate buying a hundred dollar tool I may only use once.

Then, find a paintless dent removal guy and see what kind of a discount he would give you for the whole car. It might take him all day, but I bet $500 or so would get you pretty far. I had a guy come out to the house one day, after 3 hours and for $80 he took out every dent in my Mustang, he even found some I didn't know where there.

Good luck. Glad you are keeping her. One piece of glass and some dings doesn't make a totalled RX300. She's got at least 200K miles in her!

Russ White

I told the insurance company I am keeping her! I send them copies of the title and they send me a check for $5,500. The first $325 goes for the new sunroof and then I start shopping the dent removal guys. I think this is going to work out. There was no point letting the car go with new tires and new transmission and no other issues. Thanks so much for all the support. Russ

hypervish

Thats all they gave you 5500... wth.. lol

carguy07

$5,500 and keep the car does not sound that bad to me.

Hatchman

Yep, $5500 will go a long way in paintless dent repair, sunroof, and all. Now you can drive her for another 100k miles and have cash to boot!

Russ White

Remember guys - I had a $2,000 deductible and the $5,500 is after my deductible has been subtracted. I think I did okay. Russ

hypervish

Your right it isn't bad at all actually, I was extremely tired when I read your post last night and thought that they were keeping the car... lol

jsmith27

Replacing the sunroof glass is very easy, it took me about five minutes. Just pop out the plastic trim from the inside and there are four 10mm nuts to remove then the glass lifts out.

My sunroof also was broken by hail.

Carver

If the replacement becomes problematic at all you could always weld a piece of steel on it and paint the roof for a few bucks.

Russ White

JSSmith was absolutely correct. I am just back from the trip shop and I watched the procedure. First, lots of vacuuming to gather up all the little pieces of glass that were everywhere. Then he popped off two front to rear trim pieces on each side of the sunroof and just reached in through the broken one and loosened and removed two nuts on each side and lifted out the old one. Dropped in the new one and got inside the car to replace the nuts then the trim pieces. Looks as good as new. Total cost $325 plus tax. Anyone that can find the glass should be able to do it for just that cost if you don't break the trim pieces. Suprisingly easy. Maybe this post will help someone else in the future. Just a note - try to resist ever opening the sunroof after the damage until you have vacuumed up all the little pieces as they will get back in the tracks and be difficult if you open before vacuuming - at least that is what the tech said. thanks to all for your thoughts..... Russ

Hatchman

$325 sounds like a good deal. Glad it worked out for you and I bet this will help someone in the future.