ZHP totaled, need forum help

[Dave_B]

Hey Guys, long time no BS. Life and career has been busy as can be.

I come to you all today for help and guidance. My ZHP was totaled as of last Thursday. All parties are ok, albeit a little hurt pride. I rear ended a truck at a weird intersection that you couldn't see around so needless to say she's toast (pics up later)

So that brings me to today, the insurance company advised that it was a total loss. 03 TiAg 6 speed sedan with 154k miles on it. Recent service was diff seals and fluids, trans fluid flush, shifter bushings, starter, complete cooling system, Coby wheel, AUX input, VANOS rebuild with seals, new plugs, VC gasket, OFHG, oil pan gasket. New ZHP shift knob, CF lip I'm sure I'm forgetting some things. Non cold weather, nor premium but did have leather interior.

Before I advise you guys how much they are offering, I'd like to gauge your interest in what you think the car is worth in todays market? I'm in upstate SC if that helps gauge. I just got the report and it's comparing regular 330's in and around a few hundred mile radius, but it clearly states in the report that it's a 5 speed, obviously it's not.

Also, if you guys could point me to Wiki's, Car and Driver or other articles that prove the ZHP is special (or, not special :) ) I'd really appreciate it. I'm not looking for a fight with insurance, I just want them to give me an honest, fair value.

Any help is much appreciated guys!!! As for what's next? Dunno, likely another BMW but this time it may be an ///M

Dave

[Avetiso]

Glad to see you hear, Dave, but not for this reason. I'm sorry to hear about the car.

I'd say your car is worth around $9,000. Maybe $10,000. That's my honest opinion.

[brettbimmer]

Dave, sorry to hear of your accident and now totaled ZHP. Glad to hear that everyone involved is ok. I assume that you are asking for value of your car pre-accident? Pricing seems to range depending on mileage and condition, but your car sounds like she was well-kept, so even with 154K miles, she should be on the higher end of the current prices. I'm far from an insurance expert, but if you just had a lot of that work completed recently, you may be able to show them the receipts and they should hopefully credit you for some of your expenses. Definitely make sure that they know that it is a ZHP and is not a normal 330. Others on the forum have been through this and there are several good threads here which you may find helpful.

[ELCID86]

Sorry for your loss. Others here can help with specifics. We've had several incidents like that in the past year or so. Perhaps printing some of the ads here, autotrader, EAG!, etc would help the adjuster.

I hope you are considering a replacement ZHP.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[3ZHP]

Hey Guys, long time no BS. Life and career has been busy as can be.

I come to you all today for help and guidance. My ZHP was totaled as of last Thursday. All parties are ok, albeit a little hurt pride. I rear ended a truck at a weird intersection that you couldn't see around so needless to say she's toast (pics up later)

So that brings me to today, the insurance company advised that it was a total loss. 03 TiAg 6 speed sedan with 154k miles on it. Recent service was diff seals and fluids, trans fluid flush, shifter bushings, starter, complete cooling system, Coby wheel, AUX input, VANOS rebuild with seals, new plugs, VC gasket, OFHG, oil pan gasket. New ZHP shift knob, CF lip I'm sure I'm forgetting some things. Non cold weather, nor premium but did have leather interior.

Before I advise you guys how much they are offering, I'd like to gauge your interest in what you think the car is worth in todays market? I'm in upstate SC if that helps gauge. I just got the report and it's comparing regular 330's in and around a few hundred mile radius, but it clearly states in the report that it's a 5 speed, obviously it's not.

Also, if you guys could point me to Wiki's, Car and Driver or other articles that prove the ZHP is special (or, not special :) ) I'd really appreciate it. I'm not looking for a fight with insurance, I just want them to give me an honest, fair value.

Any help is much appreciated guys!!! As for what's next? Dunno, likely another BMW but this time it may be an ///M

Dave

Sorry to hear about your loss. As for the arrivals, check the general ZHP forum, that I have poster most of the ZHP related articles in.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cakM3]

Glad to hear everyone is okay....sorry about your ZHP though.....

[Dave_B]

Sorry to hear about your loss. As for the arrivals, check the general ZHP forum, that I have poster most of the ZHP related articles in.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm not sure I follow what your saying.

Yes, planing on nudging, not fighting insurance. So far, the comparisons are to other 330's, xi's, etc. I'm going to provide them with any and all ZHP's I find locally.

I was hoping to find a break down somewhere of parts that are on a ZHP, not a 330.

Something like:

Special Door Sills
M badged shift knob
6 speed trans vs 5 speed
different gearing
M badged 3 spoke steering wheel
darker headliner
special black or silver cube trim

etc. Something I can print and take with me to the adjuster and show him, here sir, here are the differences and why the car is worth more.

Much appreciated guys.

[3ZHP]

ZHP articles, stupid spell checker


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[Dave_B]

Cool, no worries.

Would like an AW on black, with HID's sedan! That would be worth traveling for!

Can anyone confirm rear window defroster? My detailed report says it doesn't have it. I can't remember off the top of my head, but I think it does.

[WOLFN8TR]

Glad you are Ok Dave! Sorry to hear the bad news. :(

[Johnmadd]

I'm not sure I follow what your saying.

Yes, planing on nudging, not fighting insurance. So far, the comparisons are to other 330's, xi's, etc. I'm going to provide them with any and all ZHP's I find locally.

I was hoping to find a break down somewhere of parts that are on a ZHP, not a 330.

Something like:

Special Door Sills
M badged shift knob
6 speed trans vs 5 speed
different gearing
M badged 3 spoke steering wheel
darker headliner
special black or silver cube trim

etc. Something I can print and take with me to the adjuster and show him, here sir, here are the differences and why the car is worth more.

Much appreciated guys.

10 more hp than a normal 330. Different bumpers, shadowline trim. Different control arms. Exclusive 135 style wheels.

[ELCID86]

Yes. They have rear window defrost standard.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[danewilson77]

I'm not sure I follow what your saying.

Yes, planing on nudging, not fighting insurance. So far, the comparisons are to other 330's, xi's, etc. I'm going to provide them with any and all ZHP's I find locally.

I was hoping to find a break down somewhere of parts that are on a ZHP, not a 330.

Something like:

Special Door Sills
M badged shift knob
6 speed trans vs 5 speed
different gearing
M badged 3 spoke steering wheel
darker headliner
special black or silver cube trim

etc. Something I can print and take with me to the adjuster and show him, here sir, here are the differences and why the car is worth more.

Much appreciated guys.

This

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?1789-Frequently-Asked-Questions-(FAQ)-About-the-BMW-E46-330-ZHP-Performance-Package-Option

[Dave_B]

Dane, long time!

That's exactly what I needed there buddy!

So far, the 6 cars they used in their comparison, there's a single ZHP. It's also the second highest price in the list by only $400.

Others are 330i, non-sport auto, one not even listed FS anymore, and had to use BMW VIN Decoder to find details, another non-ZHP auto base, etc.

I've kindly sent an email to the claims guy asking if he's ok with me providing him additional information for an apples to apples comparison. I've gathered all listings in the 3 biggest cities nearest of me as well and providing detailed service records.

Now that we are this far...

They are offering me 7k for the car. My suspicions are correct, I'm about 1500 or so too low. Thanks for the input guys and if you have any experiences to add, etc I'd greatly appreciate it!

[LivesNearCostco]

I also totaled my 2003 TiAg ZHP 4-door but with a special declared/agreed value policy, there is no discussing the value of the pre-crash car. Instead we are arguing about the buy-back cost of the wrecked car. I believe the adjuster valued my car at $6750 before the accident but it had 191K miles and I don't think the adjuster factored in any of the mods of maintenance, since we did not discuss the maintenance history. He was only evaluating the potential repair costs. Also mine did not have the premium or cold weather packages and was cloth interior.

I believe to recreate the car by buying one of the local ZHPs for sale and bringing all the maintenance up to date and replicating the mods, it would cost me around $12,000 (including coilovers, VANOS seals, DISA upgrade, Shark Injector, etc.). That doesn't mean mine was worth that much before the crash, but that's my "replacement cost."

I'd guess your're about right that they are undervaluing your car by $1500 or $2000, depending on interior and exterior condition.

[Rovert]

PM your email and I'll send you what I recently sent to insurance a few months ago. My 2003 ZHP 6MT with 180k miles on it settled for $12.7K CAD. They were first going to give me $7.5K for it until I schooled them about the special package it had and how highly sought after it was and how they compared my car against a base 330i.

I also got a little extra from recent maintenance too. I can email you my professional estimate too so you can go over.

[Hornung418]

PM your email and I'll send you what I recently sent to insurance a few months ago. My 2003 ZHP 6MT with 180k miles on it settled for $12.7K CAD. They were first going to give me $7.5K for it until I schooled them about the special package it had and how highly sought after it was and how they compared my car against a base 330i.

I also got a little extra from recent maintenance too. I can email you my professional estimate too so you can go over.
Could you please send that to me too! PM inbound.

Sent from my GS3.

[Dave_B]

Rovert, sent you a PM.

LivesNearCosto, I had a very similar Stated Value policy on a previous car, so I know how that works. Wasn't so concerned on the ZHP with what I bought it for vs. what it was worth at the time, I thought i had it all covered.

Again, I don't think the insurance company is far off, and I expected their first offer to be low. I've kindly sent the claims adjuster an email last night and asked if I could provide him with some details and actual comparisons of ZHP's for sale in a nearby vicinity. Hopefully we can come to terms and I can get back in another soon.

[pfr]

... Car and Driver or other articles ...
Dave

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/bmw-330i-with-performance-package-road-test

good luck - Peter

[ZHPRegistry.net]

My friend totaled his ZHP this past winter. The car was stock and had under 60K miles. He got ~13K for it. Just providing this as a data point. Keep in mind that insurance companies do not care what mods you had on the car. And in general, for non-enthusiasts, mods don't actually add any value to the car.

[johnrando]

Sorry to hear Dave. Glad you're OK. Looks like you're closing in on what you need. Good luck!

[Vas]

Sorry to hear. Good luck

[Imola.ZHP]

Sorry to hear this. As I said on one or more other recent "totaled" threads/posts, NEVER take their first offer, ever.

Can you blame them for comparing to cheaper, less optioned (and possibly maintained) cars? They get bonuses based on how LITTLE they pay out. Think about it.

Hope you were able to increase the payout. I'd love to have a copy Roverts info handy just incase that ever happens to my car.


--Marcus

[Rovert]

Just PM your email and I can send it. Hopefully no one should ever need to use it!!

[ranger]

I went through this a year+ ago with my totaled ZHP.
1) Do not take first offer.
2) Get copies of all funds spent on car since purchased. My experience is that the adjuster DOES take this into account. They will not pay you dollar for dollar but they take this info into account. Example - I had just replaced brakes and had copies of parts costs - they gave me that.
3) The adjuster will just search for XXXX year BMW 3 series and will use stripped 325s in comparison. Go on Autotrader, etc and pull ads for cars as close to yours as possible.
4) Using that above, I got a very fair payout on my totaled 2005 330Ci ZHP M6 AW Coupe (RIP)

[wertyu78]

Sorry to hear the car is totaled but happy hear that everyone is okay. Let me know if you need a hand with anything, whether is wrenching, insurance troubles, or someone to drive you to get another car. I'm always willing to help.

Also, see if you can get a buy back price on the car. I'd be interested!


Sent from my iPhone

[Dave_B]

Guys, an update. Finally settled with the insurance company this morning. I refused the first offer of 7k and it's been upgraded now to just over 9k. I'm happy with that with mileage, etc. So now I'm searching for another ZHP in the following thread:

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?13950-WTB-6MT-Sedan-ZHP

Wyatt, appreciate it buddy. I'm going to ask them the buy back but I'm afraid it will be more than it's work (thinking it'll be 3k) I'll make sure to update this thread with that info.

[johnrando]

Good news

[Santacruzslick]

Congratulations on getting a fair value for your car. I've got several friends going through the same thing as we recently had some flash flooding that totaled A LOT of cars. Last count I heard was 38 BMW's alone...I also saw first hand some extremely high end cars under water, it was a sad sad day. Working at a shop I've been dealing with the insurance companies a lot and with enough perseverance and research on your end it is definitely possible for anyone to do as you did to increase the value of your loss. Best of look finding a replacement ZHP!

[Imola.ZHP]

Two thumbs up! Never take the first offer!

[Dave_B]

Does anyone on the board have access to run a CarFax for me?

I've got a car I'm looking at, but it's 2 states away. They have a carfax, but it's from 2010. Obviously we're missing a few years there.

Any help appreciated.

[Imola.ZHP]

2010, lmao


--Marcus

[wertyu78]

Does anyone on the board have access to run a CarFax for me?

I've got a car I'm looking at, but it's 2 states away. They have a carfax, but it's from 2010. Obviously we're missing a few years there.

Any help appreciated.

Yes, send me the VIN!


Sent from my iPhone

[DKnowltronics]

So sorry to raise this dead thread... But my insurance company is offering me $5300 for my totaled (hail damage) 04 ZHP with 150k miles on it... They are stating that the performance package has no added value in the secondary car market. Can one of you send me anything that you used when disputing your cars values to help?

Thanks!

[Rovert]

I'll see what I can do after this busy day of work is over. It's been crazy....

[DKnowltronics]

Thanks, I really appreciate it.

[Johnmadd]

So sorry to raise this dead thread... But my insurance company is offering me $5300 for my totaled (hail damage) 04 ZHP with 150k miles on it... They are stating that the performance package has no added value in the secondary car market. Can one of you send me anything that you used when disputing your cars values to help?

Thanks!

Buy it back and get a killer paint job afterwards. Good luck.

[DKnowltronics]

Buy it back and get a killer paint job afterwards. Good luck.

Over 500 dents, the quite to fix it was $5800. But yes, I might buy it back because they are small dents.

[fw_fw]

So sorry to raise this dead thread... But my insurance company is offering me $5300 for my totaled (hail damage) 04 ZHP with 150k miles on it... They are stating that the performance package has no added value in the secondary car market. Can one of you send me anything that you used when disputing your cars values to help?

Thanks!

As others have done, start looking at the classifieds here, auto trader, cars.com, etc. Printout ads of comparable cars to show them the real replacement values and that the ZHP package DOES have added value compared to a regular 330i.

[GotZHP]

So sorry to raise this dead thread... But my insurance company is offering me $5300 for my totaled (hail damage) 04 ZHP with 150k miles on it... They are stating that the performance package has no added value in the secondary car market. Can one of you send me anything that you used when disputing your cars values to help?

Thanks!

So most insurance policies will have an "independent appraisal clause" which allows you to hire a 3rd party appraiser to determine the value of your car. Normally, this will only cost $100 to $200 dollars out of pocket. The insurance company will also hire a 3rd party, and the two independents will come together and determine the value of your car.

I just recently rebuilt my car after an accident where I rear ended someone. I would have chosen this route if I were more financially stable and could go without my car for a few weeks. The above stated process can take up to 3 weeks and i just couldn't rent a car that long. My insurance company value my car, 04 116k sedan, at $8,400 with the ZHP package only adding $800 dollars in value.

Such bullshit, and if I had a second vehicle, I would have fought them on the price.


If you have a second vehicle, go the route of hiring an independent, and you will see that you will get more for your car. Check my build thread to see how much work I did to my vehicle! Was not going to let the insurance company total it.

If you PM me your e-mail address, I will send you my appraisal that shows the $800 dollar increase for the performance package. The 800 is way less than the ZHP package adds in terms of value to the car, but it is certainly better than nothing. My accident happened less than a month ago so it is recent information from Progressive.

If you have any other questions, PM me. And is it just hail damage? As in the car is mechanically sound and operational? Post pictures of your car!

[az3579]

My insurance company value my car, 04 116k sedan, at $8,400 ...


That is actually very reasonable as far as insurance payouts go. I'm surprised they offered such a high amount.
Damn insurance. Pay so much for not much benefit.

[GotZHP]

That is actually very reasonable as far as insurance payouts go. I'm surprised they offered such a high amount.
Damn insurance. Pay so much for not much benefit.

And then when you actually need it and use it, your rate goes sky high. I am tired of being screwed everywhere I turn as a consumer in this country.

[GotZHP]

Over 500 dents, the quite to fix it was $5800. But yes, I might buy it back because they are small dents.

Also,

another thing to look up as this varies state to state. You need to find out how much, in a percentage of damage, needs to be done to consider the car totaled. In Cali, its 100% of the cars value in damage must occur for the car to be totaled. If you get the value of your car raised about the quote of $5,800 then your car may not be totaled, and your insurance company would have to fix it and you would just pay your deductible.

[Rovert]

You pay that because when someone successfully sues you for $3,000,000 and wins. You aren't left wrecked. Lot of fraudulent claims also drive costs up.

[holyc0w]

You pay that because when someone successfully sues you for $3,000,000 and wins. You aren't left wrecked*.

*Depending on your coverage limits

[Karl Lazlo]

You pay that because when someone successfully sues you for $3,000,000 and wins. You aren't left wrecked. Lot of fraudulent claims also drive costs up.

True. With a caveat.

Most people in the US carry insurance to comply with their respective states' registration policies and laws. If insurance was really a risk transference vehicle rather than a compliance vehicle, it would be more expensive.

[GotZHP]

True. With a caveat.

Most people in the US carry insurance to comply with their respective states' registration policies and laws. If insurance was really a risk transference vehicle rather than a compliance vehicle, it would be more expensive.

California state minimum only covers $5,000 dollars worth of damage to another car if you caused the accident. 5K doesn't get you far in today's world.