A deer and I had a high-speed highway run-in over the weekend and by beloved 2001 Durango didn't make it out alive. Damage to the radiator and front bumper are bad. The rest of the car, however, is fine. Electronics, everything inside, the tires, the glass, leather seating (all 3 rows) even the doors (save the rust on the lower right drivers door). Engine turns over just fine (though without fluids I would not run it more than a few seconds).

I have no experience taking a car apart, however I have an empty bay in my garage and am looking for some advice...The insurance company will let me keep this for salvage if I take $700 off the $2100 they are offering me for the car. I can't help but think I can get more than $700 out of this thing piece by piece. Plus I have never taken a car apart before. Could be interesting?

The other question I would have for anyone who has done this before then is what my cost will be to have the carcass taken out of my garage and to the junkyard when I'm through (this of course is covered for me if I just take the $2100 and let them have it).

Advice would be welcomed, either way. I am in Pennyslvania.

 

Your biggest money will be the drive train. Make sure you take a picture of the car from several angles before pulling anything off. I would probably sell the engine, transmission and transfer case as a unit and ask $800. If the tires and wheels are good with plenty of tread. $200-300 for the set. Interior parts, the dash and seats will probably be the only things you sell. Look around on Craigslist to see what they are running for. Leather is a plus. You may or may not sell the doors. If the bags blew, there goes that money. If not, someone rebuilding a wreck might need the doors. Once you've cleaned all the parts you think you can sell, look for an ad looking for scrap cars. Usually, these guys will come get it and haul it away. Give them the title and it makes it easier for them to sell it for scrap.

Keep in mind, you may sit on these parts for a while.

 

Having tried a few part-outs over the years (with way more popular cars), the best advice I can give you is... let them take it. Even if you make a profit or break-even, it's simply not worth the time & hassle.

 

Good advice from both of you...I have the open garage bay but I certainly have considered that I'd be looking at it every day and next to whatever new truck I get reminding me of how smashed up it got. It certainly doesn't look like I'd stand to net more than a grand give or take and while money in the pocket is nice, so is a more open garage and more free time not spent ripping my Durango apart. It's almost just a tempting curiosity now, almost, to see how much I can get for all the still-good parts in there, not to mention would be an interesting way to learn about cars (haven't really done any work under a hood, only mechanical and electrical inside really).

All that said though I think you're both right!

 

How bad is it actually? You could probably get a new front end fairly cheap. If you're patient, maybe even in the correct color too.

 

Yeah, how about a few pics?

 

How many miles on your Durango? It sounds like you might be able to sell it as a whole to someone willing to fix the damage. Maybe they have a 2001 with a blue million miles (those are longer than green million miles) that is mechanically worn out but has good body parts. Do you still have a good title or did the insurance mark it as salvage? Since you're not experienced in mechanical work, I wouldn't advise breaking it apart. Give the insurance company $700 and sell it for $1200 as a builder. In the ad be very clear it hit a deer and is NOT driveable. Tell prospective buyers what it needs and let them decide.

 

See what laws are like where you live, and if you can even put a salvage title truck back on the road. Some states won't let you. If yours will, that 1400 bucks should be more than enough to put it back together again, and back on the road. Your insurance will only give you basic coverage on a salvage title, but, you could likely drive it for several more years.

If you don't want to delve into that much repair. Just take the money, and let it go. Parting it out might be a bit profitable, but, it is by no means a quick process.

 

Sure, thanks everyone. Here's the deets. Front end as well as radiator (at least) damaged due to speed of hit. Airbags not deployed. Interior and tires clear and great. Engine turns over. Electricals all intact and fine. All steering fluid leaked I believe as steering died. Estimate said $3800 to repair, street (claim) value $2100, $700 salvage value so $1400 to me if I keep it, $2100 to me if I let them have it. 191,000 miles and well loved.

Here's some pics!

 

That looks very fixable. Didn't go deep enough to damage the frame. Do you have any pick n pulls near you... Harry's in Hazelton? Or....search CL for rear hits (Dakota or Durango). I'd estimate about $700 to DIY all that, except if you have to do any painting. Even a chrome grill and bumper with gray valance wouldn't look far off....so you wouldn't have to be stuck searching for black.

The most expensive thing will be replacing your AC condenser and recharging the system. Looks like you need bumper, grill, grill support, AC condenser, radiator and maybe a new set of aftermarket headlights. The fender can be lived with if you don't mind the little dent. The power steering fluid circulates through the radiator for cooling/warming, so it probably leaked out... good time to switch to ATF. Post a pic of the inside, where the radiator faces the fan, if you can open the hood.

I have a passenger headlight you can have for free, if you paypal a few bucks to ship. Pretty sure I have a fog lamp too.