I've done the buy back thing before and it worked out well. repairs would have to wait for the better weather though and she needs transport to get to work so don't know if it would work out. As you say, sometimes you just have to let go.Sometimes there comes a point where you have to let it go….
Or the insurance pays out, you buy the car back and stick some new doors on it and end up no worse off but now you have cash in your pocket