02 Milly might be dead and gone

[jutu]

So back in August of this year with the hurricane that came through NYC my car was flooded and has steadily gone down hill due to being under salt water for about a day or so. Being the genius that I am after the flooding I just wet vac'ed the car and checked the electronics and at the time they all worked.

They have started in sequence to stop working, seat heater, power seats power windows, etc. So finally I took the car to my mechanic on Monday and he put it on the lift took one look and told me to contact my insurance company, its wasn't going to be cheap to repair. In his opinion I should get rid of the car sooner rather than later. So the insurance company went by today left him with the impression that they would total it out.

Now here's my delima, I use the car pretty heavily in the winter as my other car is an 08G37 which isn't crap in the snow on summer tires (no winter tires as storage would be difficult). But I just sold the Infiniti and replaced it with an 2012 BMW M3 which I'm scheduled to go pick up in SC on 1/26/12.

Now I have two questions, first should I attempt to buy the car back from the insurance company and continue to use it as my winter beater or should I be in the market for a new car and if so which car? I'm not sure who here has had experience with working on flooded cars but the general consensus is to just walk away.

Being that honestly the car is sound mechanically but not some hot cosmetically I am not expecting to get a big payout to cover the car and I do not want to put any additional funds into getting two new cars at the same time, any suggestions here?

Oh and I'm not to mechanically inclined so parting it out isn't really much of an option for me, which sucks because it is a special edition with the light cream seats and black carpet and trim.

Thx

[jutu]

Update, the car was totaled. Sad day, but they will let me keep it and cut me a check. Guys the misses will have to do without heated seats and i"ll have to make do with everything else. LOL

[wilfredom]

If ur not mechanically inclined, better forget bout the salvage..in flood damages u need to take seats and everything else just to replace the jute covering under the carpet to avoid the smell of fishy water..salt water will do a party on all ur car electronics etc etc.. try to get the salvage for some $50-60 us dollars., prolly ins co angree, just to avoid auction expenses of a car nobody wants..good luck pal..
PS..FYI.. If u add all the improvement u has made to the car from the time of policy coverage started u can claim part of that investment too..at a little additional cost to the policy

[99SnowWhiteMillyS]

If you can afford a '12 M3 and you're not mechanically inclined I would say just buy or lease one of the new compacts on the market. Almost all of them now get 38-40mpg highway, and your monthly payment would be a joke, and you would have a warranty which is ideal for a daily driver.

I personally wouldn't touch a flooded car, the insurance company totaling it and paying you off for it is a blessing.

[bigb]

you know. for half of the payout you could buy another millenia in probably better condition for a winter beater. beat the **** out of it and it would probably still keep running.

and then sell the one you have too....

just a thought

[98MazdaMilleniaS]

Get a 4wd Jeep Cherokee, you can have it lifted 6 inches on 33's with lockers all for under $5k.... or you can leave it stock and have a vehicle superior to any other in terms of snow driving.... it has more ground clearance and superior breakover angles than any gen of Wrangler except the current(even then it is superior to the 4 door). 5-speed manual Cherokee is faster than Millenia S and auto is quicker to 45 or so....

[98MazdaMilleniaS]

PERFECT (ultra low mileage) EXAMPLE ! It also handles better than the Millenia in the fact that it weighs a good 400 lbs less, 50/50 weight distribution, optional lsd, RWD, less body roll, no understeer, controllable fun oversteer, and etc. This is coming from a previous milly owner.... The 4.0 and AW4 transmission(SAME trans as in the 300 hp Supra Turbo !) are BULLETPROOF(just avoid the 99-01 0331 heads prone to cracking, you know if you have it if you have an ignition coil). The 4.0 just completely destroys the 2.3 in bottom end fun off idle power and in sound(when you get FM 40). With this every time you just go to get groceries, it's like an adventure. You don't know what you are missing out on.... Since it's mainly winter beater it gets ok mpg... 16-17 around town. 21-24 on highway. I get 25 mpg in 42 mph cruise in OD. IFS is for the feeble, so AVOID the KJ's(aka libertys) ! Get a lift and you wont have to worry about flooding out ! Or.... just keep it stock you will be fine my friend.

Plus I don't like hyrdolocking my engine if I drive through a 2 inch puddle(I kid, i kid; this applies to cai unless wal mart bag is over it). Nor do I like having to worry about losing my front bumper on a curb, or worry about trucks headlights blinding me, or not being able to park in an open field on july 4 because the entry is a steep divot and I would bottom out, or the fact that I slam my head into whatever t bones me, or that i have like 2 feet of crumple zone on the highway, or that I will get decapitated if i rear end a semi at 30 mphm Or the fact that if a semi rear ends me he will go through half my car at just 50 mph or the fact that if a dumpster truck hits me head on his wheel would go over my hood and crush me or the fact that I can't go through 7+ inches of snow or the fact that if I rear end someone at 2 mph my car is totaled, or the fact that i would be incompatible wth larger vehicles and die, or the fact that I don't have half the visibilty as I normally would in an suv....

There is also HUGE aftermarket support, a co-worker at work has a turbocharged AX15*built manual 4.8 liter stroker Cherokee and run's high 11 second 1/4 miles in 115-120 mph range... dynoes 521 whp, 644 lb ft. You could blow away your m3 with $10k in mods.... plus he has a 4 inch lift and 33's.

1996 Jeep Cherokee Sport, $6,995 - Cars.com