So I won the auction, went and picked up the car and lo and behold, this thing is mint. No evidence of any flood, interior is completely dry, car still smells new inside, seat rails are perfect, all electronics work. Just appears to have a hydro-locked engine.
Now I knew this all going in, but now that the motor has been replaced and I've had the car inspected and re-titled I've got to wonder, why would any insurance company deem this car "total loss" and not repair it? I'm sure the insurance company paid out $13k-$16 on this car as a total loss...
A used engine installed would've only been around $5-6k.
The parts the engine needed were less than $1,400, if considering labor, book time to split the block and overhaul the engine completely is 21 hours, @ $150 per hour that's only $3,150 in labor, $4550 total for the repair....
I just don't get it...this is why auto insurance is so expensive...
Here is the car following the repair, after nothing but an exterior wash....but now has a branded title....
Doesn't make sense to me....