I wound up in some trees a couple of weeks ago and insurance was REALLY good to me. I'm glad these verts hold their value!

They totaled the car, but I'm still keeping it. They valued it at $6090. Plus tax, minus deductible, we settled at $58XX.00. I asked how much to buy it back (expecting a good bit). Adjuster came back and said really slow 2..3..8.. "$2380", I asked.. "Nope, $238.00". I lost it and just started cracking up.

So I'm getting ~$5600 and the car.. It will have a rebuilt title, but oh well. Front nose area and hood are shot. I tweeked the fenders, the upper radiator support has a slight bow to it, the passenger door has some dents, and there's a dent behind the passenger door on the rear quarter.

It was driveable, but I had went ahead and yanked all the front parts off. I was going to take it around to the few decent body shops when my boss told me to stop by this place two blocks from my house. The place always seemed to have wrecked cars out front, but no signs of a body shop. Stopped in last week and found out the guy is a 30+ year body man that has been working on getting some friend's body shop up and going for the last 8 months. He just got back into his shop and has almost nothing on his plate and is gung-ho to get started.

He's doing a GOOD paint job. I'm taking the car apart and providing all the replacement parts (including a RA1 hood!!!). He's taking the car down to the steel, fixing the fenders, is going to attempt to fix the door (or I'll find a replacement), fix all dents minor or major, alligning the fenders/hood/nose, and spraying it with the stock jade-green metallic Dupont paint.

Besides the major body panels, i will be assembling the car. His total charge is $4000. Not too bad considering all the work that's going to be done. I should be able to get the rest of the parts for the other $1600, but I'll probably go over replacing worn seals and other items.

I'll get some pictures as soon as my new camera comes in. We got broken into two weeks before the wreck and had all our DVD's and our digital camera stolen. About the only deductible we didn't hit last year was life insurance!! Here's comes 2005... it HAS to be a good year.

Kevin D.

 

Good to hear! I was wondering what happened with it. I was afraid you might go buy a Honda and call it quits! Can't wait to see the finished product.

I installed keyless entry in my old clunker the other day. I guess that's my mod for the year!

 

Well it looks like you are making the best of a bad situation, and actually coming out ahead.

 

I'm trying real hard... It's tough sometimes..

Kevin D.

 

Even if you don't fix it , you can still come out great parting it out. Have you priced a rear spoiler for a 'vert lately? Yikes!

 

I knew a guy from work who knew someone in bodywork, but he was fired and moved on. I need a contact like that. I have $5K in debt my dad paid off, but that's interesting to note as a guideline, but I'd likely have my local estimate much higher I suspect. I have rust in alot of areas and dents front and rear, which carry to the sides. A front fender was going to run me about $160 to ship (with cost incl.) Then I'd need to paint. While I had my loan, I agreed with accident parties not to contact insurance in favor of keeping my rates the same and paperwork out of the mix. I'll always wonder what move would have been better, over the 5 year loan, it took more then one hit, but I also had a large loan and little cash in my budget for out of pocket repairs.
Bill

 

Don't part it out....Verts are too rare as it is. If it comes down to that PM me....I'll buy it for the right price....

 

Oh I'm keeping it, and it is going to be fixed (starting Monday).. I've done to much work on it to let it go.

Bill, keep in mind on your fender that you also have to calculate cutting the bottom of it off and rewelding an attachment plate (unless you found fenders from a vert). I'm letting the body guy work magic on the original fenders father than go through all that.