If it is totaled and you buy it back, you can still drive it if it is still legally functional. However, if it gets totaled again, you won't get any money from the insurance company the second time. My firebird was hit in a parking lot (while I was getting in) by a 14 yr old kid in a stolen car at 30mph. It rear ended me square and shot the car 10 feet forward. Since the rear quarters were wrinkled, that totaled it...but it would still drive ok. I got money for it, bought it back and still drove it. Long story short, the kid went to Juvy and his older brother come to find out, was in a gang and they smashed out all my windows 2 weeks later. The back window with defrost was estimated at $1300 so it totaled the car again. Since it was totaled once, the insurance company wouldn't buy it again so I didn't get squat. They would only insure if I was at fault (liability insurance by law). The thing STILL drove since it was just windows this time so I got a hatch from the junkyard and sold it to a chinese guy who worked at the chinese restaurant in town and bought a Z28. And the story doesn't end there.....the chinese guy apparently abandoned it on a highway. He never registered it and had unmatching plates on it. I got a bill for $3500 for storage and towing from a tow company because they thought I still owned it according to the VIN since the guy never registered it. I said I sold it a long time ago so they kept it. That was the death of the little bird.......

 

Good point Raven
Something to consider. But my point is if the buy back is cheap enough (mine was $50 for an 84 Z28) then why not do it. Then only put PL/PD on it. My expireince was after my deductable I got over $2500 and for $50 I got my car. And before you think "$2500+ for an 84" I had put a lot into over a few years and showed my reciepts and the parts on the car to prove it.

 

Totally agree MadMike. It's worth the money to buy it back if it's reasonable. It's pretty rare that a third gen gets totaled and there are no usable parts on it. It would have to be hit by a train or something...you could sell or reuse many parts and get your money back. I also got about $2000 for my stock 89 V6 firebird. I had some rims and B&M shifter in it but that was it. It was totaled twice and I sold it for 600 bucks and it was V6.