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Follow up: I fought, but could not avoid a salvage title. Managed to get $3500 and the truck. Should be enough to get her back on the road, with a little extra thrown in for a long awaited repaint.

For the record, receipts for maintenance and repairs will help your case, no question. Just consider what affects *your* estimation of a vehicle. Those same principles apply to insurance valuations as well, because they define the market price. Stick to that thought, and the negotiating stays on course.

Thanks for all the input.
Doug

Maintenance will establish that the truck may be worth the top end of normal value, that it was in superb condition. But the cost of maintenance will in no way add to the base value of the truck. Bought new tires? Oh well. Just did a brake job? Same thing. Engine rebuild? Nice; again, this just means it is in the top 'cherry' range of normal.

Modifications to vehicles do indeed add to the value, but labor is NOT included, and the value added is depreciated by some amount. Put in ARBs? OK, that is about $1300 before depreciation, regardless of what labor you paid. Bumpers? Wheels and oversized tires? Lift? Same thing.

This is not theory. This is based on real world experience with a 1990 4Runner hit by a driver with State Farm insurance and totaled.

You did very well to get $3500 and no salvage title, goodonya.

-Bill
'87 4Runner w/ '96 5VZ-FE, 'Red Chili II'
'97 Taco XtraCab 3RZ-FE, 'BlackBean'
TLCA # 13257, Rising Sun 4x4 Club Land Use Coordinator
"He who stops being better stops being good." -Oliver Cromwell