My 1990 Volvo 204DL Sedan (152k miles) was in a "T-bone" crash and the rear bumper assembly was completely knocked off, rear quarter panel knocked in, passenger side taillight smashed and the frame bent. I didn’t carry collision insurance as it didn’t make sense on a 21 y.o. car.

Two reputable body shops don't feel comfortable "stretching" the frame back to shape given the age of the car and the rust in the frame (stretch cost: $4k). A local mechanic offers to make it "street legal" for about $600 (installing a used bumper + taillight, making the trunk work (it is jammed shut at the moment)), but can’t guarantee there won’t be leaks into trunk. As he said, it won’t look great, but it will be a “beater with a heater”.

The car wasn't perfect before the crash, I did pay good attention to its mechanics, replaced parts with high-quality replacements and it still seems to drive fine.

I am deciding whether to put the money into the temporary fix until I can find a good replacement. (complicating matters is that I recently lost my job, so am looking at this as a temporary fix) My primary concern is safety. Can the car be considered safe to drive? Second is financial. Does it make financial sense to sink $600 to make the car "street legal" and let it limp along for another six months or so - or should I just scrap it at this point, for perhaps $300~$600. E.g. what do you feel I might get for a car like this that has obviously crashed, but is street legal?

 

I would dump the car, take the money from the sale and combine it w/ the money you were spending on making it legal. Buy another off CL or local want ads.

 

Sorry about the lose of your Brick.

What Swift said.

Parting it out is an option also, just give the forum members first shot if that is the path.

Good luck