Hoosier Daddy
SILVER Star
My truck was pummeled with large hail 2 weeks ago. I finally managed to get an estimate on it yesterday. No official word from the insurance company yet, but I am pretty sure it won't be totalled. Now I'm trying to figure out how to proceed.
Hood and roof skin can't be fixed with PDR, but the side panels can, I believe. Hood and roof skin will need to be replaced if they are going to be fixed.
I see my options as:
1. Fix it, drive it, go on with life. I absolutely loved this truck prior to the damage, but I worry that my perfectionism will never be satisfied by a repair. Plus, the local body shops are now booking into December 2019. Yes, 2019.
2. Fix it, sell it, get a LX470. I'm really on fire for a 100 series lately.
3. Take the insurance check, spend it on hookers and blow, and spend the next year of Sundays doing amateur PDR in my garage.
4. Sell it/trade it as-is, and move on to the LX.
So option number 4 raises the question of how much market there is for a pimple-faced GX. How cheap would it need to be before someone would be interested in it? The truck was nearly pristine and highly maintained prior to the hail, so it isn't exactly the ideal beater. But then I guess someone less obsessive than me could buy it at a big discount and have a really solid off-roader they don't mind scratching up. Is that a realistic idea?
Rational thoughts and advice are welcomed.
Details to aid the discussion - black '09 with 125k miles, Bilstein 6112s in the front and remote reservoir shocks in the rear, still on airbags, with zero mechanical or maintenance needs. Completely rust-free and no dash cracks. Assume $1500 would cover the PDR for the sides (roof and hood not included). Number of dings in hood = 90, some rather large. Number of dings in roof = around 200, mostly small-medium, some rather large. Dings on side = maybe 50, mostly small, only one large one.
Hood and roof skin can't be fixed with PDR, but the side panels can, I believe. Hood and roof skin will need to be replaced if they are going to be fixed.
I see my options as:
1. Fix it, drive it, go on with life. I absolutely loved this truck prior to the damage, but I worry that my perfectionism will never be satisfied by a repair. Plus, the local body shops are now booking into December 2019. Yes, 2019.
2. Fix it, sell it, get a LX470. I'm really on fire for a 100 series lately.
3. Take the insurance check, spend it on hookers and blow, and spend the next year of Sundays doing amateur PDR in my garage.
4. Sell it/trade it as-is, and move on to the LX.
So option number 4 raises the question of how much market there is for a pimple-faced GX. How cheap would it need to be before someone would be interested in it? The truck was nearly pristine and highly maintained prior to the hail, so it isn't exactly the ideal beater. But then I guess someone less obsessive than me could buy it at a big discount and have a really solid off-roader they don't mind scratching up. Is that a realistic idea?
Rational thoughts and advice are welcomed.
Details to aid the discussion - black '09 with 125k miles, Bilstein 6112s in the front and remote reservoir shocks in the rear, still on airbags, with zero mechanical or maintenance needs. Completely rust-free and no dash cracks. Assume $1500 would cover the PDR for the sides (roof and hood not included). Number of dings in hood = 90, some rather large. Number of dings in roof = around 200, mostly small-medium, some rather large. Dings on side = maybe 50, mostly small, only one large one.
