So I "finished" my car few months ago for the most part, and just needed prime and paint. Few days ago was driving minding my own buissness when out of nowere dude cuts me off trying to make a right in front of me at the last second. Did the best I could to avoid a full on collision and messing up my whole front end. Dude said he didn't see me, obviously . He admitted he was at fault to his insurance so that was cool. Sent pictures through stupid app like they said and mentioned I put a bunch of money into it like new engine trans etc . Dude calls me later saying he wants to come look at car. He comes by says that only reason he doesn't totale it is because of the new engine. Then saying he doesn't know what it would cost to fix being such an old car and that they don't make parts for them anymore . Told me to send him all receipts of stuff I bought for the car and that he would cotact me with an estimate. First time in a situation like this. Any suggestions on how to handle this ? Straight up I can fix it dirt cheap as I have spare parts. I want to cash out, need that check . What kind of a payout ahould I expect?

 

I'd try to get $4,500

Hood, bumper cover, ground effect, fender, headlights, headlight support, turn signal, marker light....the stuff all adds up. Then, the labor to replace it all. There's probably more parts needed once you get into it.

I'm a painter at a body shop....and that's about where I see that car.

 

And therein lies the problem - book value is going to be significantly less.
They will try to total it out.
Unfortunately, this is one of those things you have to deal with when owning/driving a classic car.

I think there is a secret government agency that goes around purposely crashing into these kinds of vehicles to get them off the road.

 

Show them Hagerty value. KBB and NADA will be waaayyyy lower

 

Sorry to see that ! At least you - and everyone else walked away without major injuries.

Hate to say it; but you're probably stuck with NADA book value unless the car was recently appraised.


https://www.nadaguides.com/Cars/1992...ertible/Values

 

sounds like adjuster is being lazy! letting you do his legwork- they're supposed to do this, yes its more of a challenge on an older car maybe get with ins co. and ask for a classic appraiser- I'd go to a couple shops and get estimates and in meantime look for a parts car if you dont mind putting effort into it it can be cash in your pocket.
My wife's Tahoe was rear ended by a BMW recently and admitted fault so I fixed it myself

went to Pick N Pull and bumpers were discounted got taillight bumper and brackets for $44

then spent a day with sons help and viola! had some minor dents but no paint breakthrough but elected to save the $ - and I put $1400 in my pocket





its a 05 with salvage title so I couldn't see doing it all

 

So dude gave me a preliminary estimate for 3,500$$$ . What do you guys think? Offer is on the lowball side. I'd be happy with at least 5k. As for parts I have everything already but the fender. If anyone has one for a convertible, pm me. I should ask for more, I didn't ask to be hit. We all know how it feels to see damage on our cars . Not cool. He depreciated my cars value. Everything can be fixed but it's not the same, that's what these insurance people don't understand. Guy who hit me was japanese, nothing against japaneses but damn. Watch out. Drive slow and be alert. No matter how careful you are there's always some idiot ready to f@$!# your shhh up.

 

Fenders are same for H/T or verts

 

Ŵ[QUOTE=zman1969;6353959]Fenders are same for H/T or verts[/QUOTE

I think your wrong. I have another vert and had to trim the fender. Can't remember if it was a pre 90 fender . They definitely have their differences . Can anyone verify.

 

[QUOTE=maroe624;6353965]Ŵ
My 91 Trans Am convertible had to be trimmed, too. The regular fender has a bottom mount that bolts to the lower pinch weld behind the wheel. The convertibles have a huge beam that runs down there, so that pinch weld is not accessible and the fender won't even fit past it. They ARE the same fender....but cut.

 

[QUOTE=dagwood;6353983]Yeah I know. Convertible fenders also have a mounting point

 

[QUOTE=maroe624;6353987]
Right. But they are the same fender, they just modified them. When ASC did the convertible conversion, they did not replace the fenders. They modified what was already there. Remember they were coupes before they were made into convertibles at the ASC factory.

 

I do believe there is a problem when you tell them about all of the good things, new things, recent upgrades or repairs. It ups the value of the vehicle and increases the buy back amount if it dose get considered totaled. The higher the repair costs, the more likely they are to total it. Going for more is good up to a point.

 

The $3,500 cash offer isn’t terrible, but I would try to negotiate it up some. I think Dagwood’s estimate of $4,500 is pretty accurate. You could take it to a collision shop and get your own estimate and if it comes in higher than their offer, use that to help negotiate. I’m not sure what NADA says for value, but it’s probably right around $5K, so you may be limited on the payout unless you are willing to let them total it, take the money and find another car. Or, if they total it, by it back for the salvage price and use the parts on the next project 3rd gen. Unfortunate reality of owning an older car.

If this is not your daily driver, in the future you could take out an agreed value collector car policy. That will protect you from the lowball NADA value that the insurance adjusters use.

 

If he had a collector policy I dont think he could daily it or that kind of driving anyways? Could be wrong
Painter told me ins company would pay 80% of low KBB if I was lucky...lowballing big time. Probably have to salvage my title to get it fixed right and still be thousands out of pocket. So glad we live in a state so illegals can mooch off it and destroy your chit. Nothing happens to them.

Good luck op you may have to counter back a few times and be firm.

 

Going to look into that collectors car insurance as it is not my daily . I'm assuming you can only drive a certain amount of miles a year? But yeah man I'd be cool with 4500$ . Got under the car today and my gearbox mount has a slight crack. I'm sure I could raise the bill a lot more but just want to settle asap and move on. Ran it the other day and heard a strange noise for a few seconds coming from the front around my pulleys and brackets. Wondering what kind of damage if any does the drivetrain take from a shock like a head on collision?

 

There are different policies out there, but the one I have on my 99' Camaro SS limits me to 5,000 mi/year. I have to have enough vehicles not on collector car policies for each driver in the household and the car cannot be used for daily driving, however I am allowed to drive it to work occasionally. It also has to be in a locked garage overnight. They asked for photos of the car, including inside, outside and odometer. If they don't feel the car is worth the value you are asking for, they will require an appraisal. Most times, if you are reasonable, it's fine. I have $20K agreed value on that car and they didn't have an issue with it. That policy is $375/year for full coverage with a $500 deductible.

 

Take it to a high quality body shop and get an estimate. If you try to get to greedy, you will probably get screwed in the long run. If your estimate comes in close to the insurance estimate, then negotiate a little. I would say at 3500, that car is on the verge of having a salvage title anyway.

 

My collector car policy does not limit miles, just where you can drive, no work, school or errands. When you read between the lines they basically want to keep me off the road Mon-Fri from 8-5. I have an agreed value based on the Hagerty value which is almost 11K and I pay $190 a year for FULL coverage with a small deductible. These policies also include some perks like free flatbed towing. Once you get yours fixed I highly recommend going with one of the collector car policies. The NADA on my car is lower than what they offered you to fix your car. I am actually surprised they offered you that much and not just totaled it out.

 

Isn't there a policy out there that let's you actually drive your car, but it is insured for an agreed upon value?
Not a "classic" car policy either that states that the vehicle must be "all original" - even the rims, and can only be driven xxx miles per year.
I swear I recently saw a commercial for a policy such as described above.

I did a little searching and found this:

 

Stated value policy is what it's called. They usually have some restrictions on them, buy not as much as a true collector policy. The benefit is you can get compensated for aftermarket parts over OEM value if you can prove their cost and that they were on the car.

Just went through getting one for my 92 convertible. Agreed value of 10k. Car gets totaled I get paid that no matter what. Only hoop I had to jump through was I needed collector plates on it before they would issue the policy, Being in Michigan, that limits me to driving the car to/from shows,/club meetings, getting work done on it and unlimited use in August. In reality, as long as the vehicle isn't used for daily use, you're pretty okay to drive it without hassle. Insurance company has no mileage limits or use limits. Needed to come get pictures of the exterior, interior, under hood, odometer and verify it'd be parked in a garage. For what I plan to do with the car, it was a good choice for me. They had no issue with the value I wanted after their appraisal. State Farm is who I use and also who all my other vehicles (4 more on policy) are with. Cost me $380 for a full year. They keep their stated value/collector polices in house. Some of the other companies use third party (Grundy, Hagarty) for this type. Was told you get more restrictions with that method.

 

Thanks for that, toomany.

 

Yeah, I would take the 3,500 and run, before they change their mind. I'm not sure how much parts are in your area, but in AZ you are looking at less than $500 in parts. Use the rest to get a good paint job and move on. Most insurance companies will find 3 similar cars for sale in your area and and build an average value from there. Just my . 02. I would take that check with a smile.
Dr.K.

 

Too bad the OP never came back and updated the thread. Would of been nice to see some pics of the car. I've done collision repair in the past and could have given the OP some pointers.