I am facing a similar but more expensive decision, and I'd appreciate any opinions. We have a 20-year-old SZ 532 built-in (covered by panels that match the rest of the kitchen--and we've been told it will be hard to fit these panels to any new machine). The refrigerator compressor is leaky and so the temperature can start to get unstable in the frig. The freezer compressor works better but also apparently leaks a little. We've had the compressors recharged (total cost about $300) a couple of times and that has stablized the situation (it lasted for about a year this last time), but the repair people tell us they aren't supposed to keep doing this for a leaky compressor. Oh, and the icemaker stopped working last year. I don't actually care about this all that much, because I didn't really like the shape of the cubes anyway, but I suppose if we were going to repair the compressors we might as well fix the icemaker too. So the total cost of the repair, if I replace both compressors, might approach $2500 or even more. We bought the house about 5 years ago so I don't know the history of how this unit was used before then. However, the repair guy did mention that it has a few minor non-SZ parts, so it was evidently repaired at some point in the past. So at some point in the next year or two we will probably be facing the decision whether to fix or replace. I wouldn't consider throwing so much money at a 20-year-old appliance (especially one that I haven't owned since it was new) except that I keep reading hair-raising stories about the problems people have with the newer (electronic) Sub Zeros, and the consistent advice that the older (mechanical) ones are the best refrigerators out there, not to mention that replacing the frig may lead to a wholesale kitchen remodel. The repair guy claims that the repaired machine will be much quieter as well as more energy efficient, but of course his job is to sell me an expensive repair. Does anyone have experience with a major repair like this on an old SZ unit? Is it really worth it? Or should we just suck it up and buy something new, knowing that it probably won't fit the existing panels? Thanks for any advice.

Thanks Bucky. So far so good. I loved the Rivieras, it's unfortunate that GM pulled the plug on such a beautiful car... but business is business I guess. His car doesn't have the supercharged engine, just the standard 205 hp version... but it pulls the car pretty good! Another quwstion that perhaos you can answer: When turning on the air conditioner, is there a more convenient way of getting the air to blow through the vents than having to push the air flow button several times to get it off of the floor to the 'mid' setting? Everyime I turn the AC on, the setting is always on the floor (regardless of where it was the last time I shut the car off) I'm sure the memory feature would take care of this, but I'm still learning that one too!

That quote is very close to what I received on the same Infinity system. Mine's just slightly higher as I was adding modification of my existing flue (chimney) plus a air cleaner and a steam humidifier.

The insurance company compares the repair cost to the value of an un-crashed vehicle of the same vintage and pays the lesser of the two amounts. In my opinion, if this were a collector and show car, he would entitled to getting it back to the same condition as before the crash, however, it is not. Is very unfortuante: I see two options: Total the car and take the appraised value, or keep the car and accept the cash settlement and have it repaired on his own. However, he should first get an estimate of the repair. I see $4000 to $6000 or more repair cost. There is something more wrong under the hood since it will not start. You did not say what that damage was. Was the engine damaged, say a cracked block? Maybe a bunch of busted accessories and brackets on the front of the engine? Cracked manifold? The visible damage is front bumper, bumper cover, probably 2 radiators (engine and air conditioner), left fron fender, hood, grill, front headlamp assembly, running lamp in bumper, possible frame and steering links, 2 shock absorbers (if there is any age on these, these are replaced in pairs to keep the front suspension action balanced), possible front suspension spring and spring brackets, There could be distortion of the sheet metal under the windshield, Possible wiring harness damage, battery and battery pan depending on where the battery is located, possible battery acid damage if the battery was cracked, The right front door may have scratches that will have to be fixed and included in the paint job, and front end alignment after everything is put back together. The paint job will be over $1000 for color matching and fairing the paint into the old paint. The front wheel should be checked for damage and replaced if there is any dents or distortion. The front brake may need rebuilding and any damaged brake lines replaced. As you can see, the repair is extensive, and that's unfortunate because your vehicle appears rust free, rare for an Explorer that age. There will be no settlement until the police report is available. You did have the police survey the scene, didn't you? Expect about 1 week before the report is available from the police station. The police report and witness statements are used to determine fault or percentage of fault of each party.