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If State Farm claims to use (or insists on using) apples to apples comparisons (i.e. comps), make them show you the apples: ask for a face to face negotiation with the adjuster and have them walk you through their valuation process. If they really are using apples to apples, they should have comps in the form of adds (print or Internet) or dealer listings. If you can go into the negotiation with some of your own amunition, they should be willing to consider it.
Also keep in mind that with a car that old, its acceptible to drift on the years - don't be suprised if they use 1990 or 1992 models. Unless there are significant year to year model changes, be willing to accept this... over 10 years old, the mileage is probably more of a value factor than the exact age. Don't let them drift more than a year either way, though.
As for the damage, your best bet is to get estimates. Since you don't have the car, you'll have to describe the damage to a shop and get a less exact estimate. If you can get 2 or 3 that would be better. Be fair - use a shop you would have chose had you still owned the car. A decent shop should be willing to do this. If you've been having your car serviced at the same place, start with them. Even if they don't have a body shop, they may have a good idea of what needed to be done just from memory. The shop where the car is now may be able to provide an estimate...and this might be the most valid.
If you can't get any usable estimates of your own, then ask the adjuster to explain how they arrived at their estimate. If they are acting fairly, they will have derived the repair cost using the same process they would use to estimate a claim for similar damage - this is generally done using a book or database of standard damage repair costs that they have negotiated with selected area providers. This might be something best done while looking at the car so that you can make sure the adjuster isn't including new damage in the estimate. If they just pulled a number based on some "statisical averages" or use some other fluffy language to describe it, they're being lazy at best...dishonest at worst.
If you can get them to start somewhere between 3975 and 4875, then subtract a fair estimate for the damage I think you'll have what a reasonable person would consider a fair deal. If they won't budge on the 3975 starting point, then work hard on the estimate for the prior damage. Personally, though I wouldn't not accept 3975 minus fair damage without some good hagling, I wouldn't call in the lawyers if they weren't willing to move from this.
Conincidentally, $3975 happens to be the NADA average retail value for a 1991 Saab 900s 3dr with 118K miles - at least in my area (metro Atlanta - no salt, but few buyers for cars more than 7 years old). The high retail value is $4875. NADA generally uses with dealer pricing and dealers generally sell cars that are in (at least cosmeticly) excellent condition so I would be willing to admit that 3975 is in the fair rage - though its the lower bound of that.
posted by 65.81.41...
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