He's OK but the car doesnt look so hot. A lady in a pickup turned left in front of him from the right lane. She was cited and he wasnt' we are making a claim on her insurance since we dont have full coverage on his car. Im worried that the cost to fix the car may be more than they determine the value of the car is, I dont think they will pay more to fix a car than the determined value. I guess they could just declare it total loss and pay that amount right? Kelly Blue book is lik 2800 book value, and I paid 4500 for it like 3 month ago, due to the mileage and condition.

This sucks, I hope we can get it fixed

 

Hey Larry if the car still starts and runs ...it can still be fixed..just a used bumper, fender, hood ? maybe some suspension parts . Im sorry to hear bout that accident but as long as everybody is okay thats good. Hope it can be rebuilt unlike mine where it would cost too much .

Maybe if that firebird had a V8 Max could've just avoided this accident if he pressed da pedal to da medal oh and that looks like it can be buffed out j/k Larry N Max

 

That really sucks!

Just fight the ins co's when they start talking about totaling it--hold your ground!!!

 

That SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!

 

The car starts and runs fine. Actually the hood opens easily. Max is going to post some more pics on a web hosting thing or something, but the only damage in the engine compartment that is visibible is the charcoal canister is pushed over a little against the air filter, and the piece that goes across where the radiator is is a little bent.

Now the opposite fender, by the door is pushed out a little, I dont know about the suspension, frame etc. The appraisal is set up for Tuesday or wednesday, we will see, we will have to see what they say. The fault issue is a slame dunk, Max did not recieve a ticket and the other lady did, also there are two witnesses who gave statements to the police that are included in the report. Max has a headache today which worries me a little, but it may be un related, he said he got hit a lot harder than that in high school football.

 

The frame is deffinitely tweaked a little bit. I know some good frame guys who can pull that out and make it perfect.

Most likely the car will be declared a loss and if you want to keep it, you will have to buy it back from the insurance company. Thats probablly your best bet. Make sure you tell the insurance company what you paid for the car. You should be able to at least get that much out of it.

If not, I have a Camaro I will sell ya for $3k

 

Definitely buy it back Larry! I've done it many times, you buy it back for junk price. Well Worth It !!!

 

Well I guess I will find out from the insurance company today or tomorrow, but Im kind of confused. Sonar says I should be able to get out of it what I paid for it, which is 4500. I think they will value it at like kelly blue book price, which is like 2800, and Wheel spin talks about junk value. They better not offer me some junk value price like $500. The car was perfect and due to the stupidity of a driver they insure its now damaged. I want the car back like it was. So if they offer 4500 or even 2800 I think I can get it fixed for that.

I don't know though

 

Like has been said--if the ins co wants to "total " it, before u acceptthe offer, strike a deal to buy it back as part of the settlement--and bargain the buy back price down as best as possible. Make sure it is agreeded on before U sign anything.

 

Well the appraiser is there this morning to look at it, but the more I think about this, the more depressed I get. Even in the best case if the give say 2500, and I have to buy it back for 500, $2000 is not going to get the car anywhere back to where it was. Maybe If I do a lot myself and with help of some guys like Sonar said he knows to straighten the frame. Im beginning to think its better to either have a beater that you don't care about, or a new car with full coverage, anything in between is risky. Especially if you have to fly to Las Vegas and buy the car and drive it back, especially if it is ridiculously low mileage owned by an old lady who only drove it to the supermarket, especially if you pay $2000 over the blue book price because of the mileage and condition. Basically I gambled and lost

 

Wait and see. When my first IROC was stolen I got them to go up over1200.00 over the original offer for reimbursement. I had to prove the condition of the vehicle whic was not hard--a few pics and receipts--REMEMBER THERE WORDS ARE AN OFFER NOT A FINAL DECREE!!!

 

Larry tell those ****'s to fix Max's car no questions asked....or else you'll bust out a high priced lawyer for your son's neck injuries. But seriously bitch them out and go postal on them.

I would tell them that that car was a classic ...and if that dont work call the big boss and let him know you want the car in the shape that you had it before the accident. Get the TEXAS HAMMER

 

Right. Well I still havent' heard the final word from the insurance swine. They did say it would be declared a total loss. Apparently it was close, but the guideline they use is if the cost to repair is estimated at 80% or above the estimated total value of the car, it is totaled. I mentioned kelly blue book, and she said we don't use that, but she didin't know what they did use.

Im going to fight for the highest possible declared value, based on the condition and mileage. I saw a 1990 Firebird V6 on Autotrader with 88K miles and asking $6500!, another was 188K miles and asking $2995.

Ive basically decided to fix it even if I have to pay out of my pocket. I don't see where I could get a better car for $3000.

KInd of depressing though, Ill probably have to pay 1000 or so and none of it was Max's fault

 

Just make sure, IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, THAT THE "BUYBACK" is part of the deal!!!

DO NOT SURRENDER THE TITLE UNTIL ALL PARTS OF THE AGREEMENT ARE SATISFIED, and if U are soing a buyback--U shouldn't have to give up the title!!!!

 

Didn't mean to confuse or depress you Larry.

Sell High...........Buy Low.

Get as much CA$H from them as you can, then buy back as low as you can.

You've got the photos and such, and even if wrinkled on the outside, it is obviously a clean and well cared for car. You've got the goods to push up the price.

Good Luck!

 

Have not hear from insurance company yet. The mechanic pulled out the fender and put it on the rack and said the passenger spindle is bent so cant drive it or it'l eat up the brand new tires we put on there. Probably going to get a spindle from a junkyard and put on there so I can drive it.

Havent yeard from the insurance co yet, stalling I guess.

New wrinkle. If it is totalled, Im told you have to give up the title, then when you buy it back, you have to get a salvage title. Well that's going to make it difficult to sell at the very least. Also Im hearing that there are new rules that make it difficult or impossible to get new plates, or registration if it is a salvage vehicle. Anyone know about that? If I cant get it re registered next year then Im screwed and there is no since in fixing it.

Im trying to find out from the DMV but I gave up after being hold for about 30 minutes

 

Larry what you have to do if you get a salvage title is everything you buy to fix the car you must have reciepts for it and then you have to have them notorized by a notary office then when you get it all together you must be able to pass inspection and you gotta tell them its a salvage title that you need a green or blue tag making sure it says that you passed inspection. Then take all that paper work to the vehicle registration or court house i think and show them all of that crap and they should give you a clear title .
This is all from what they told me at the registration building last time i went

 

I downloaded procedures from the DMV and yeah, that's about what it said. It did not mentione the stuff about having to save reciepts and have them notarized, but did say you have to get it inspected, then apply for a salvage title. A guy from a body shop looked at it yesterday and Im waiting to hear from him.

 

I've had my car totalled and refused to give them the title. What I did was got them to lower their bid for my car by the amount I was supposed to buy it back. They NEVER had my title in their greedy little hands.

 

Yes, I read where an insurance company can do that, but if the car us declared totaled, you still have to get the car repaired, inspected , an get a Salvage vehicle title I believe. Is that what you did in that case?

 

Be sure and get body shop repair estimates from more than one place!!!

As U can probably imagine, some places are way more expensive than others. Also see if they use OEM fenders, or after market copies. Some after market stuff is good SOME ARE NOT--POOR FIT/QUALITY ETC!!!!!!!

 

nope. If they don't physically take your title - they can't change the status of it. The insurance company in no way owns your vehicle until you sign it over to them.

It took about 8 months to get my car repaired completely (and I'm still fixing little things), and it was inspected and tagged just like normal shortly thereafter.

Also - if they give you flack, just tell them you won't take their offer and they'll gradually not talk to you as much. Soon as 90 days is up, they call back REALLY wanting to get it resolved. They're much more willing to concede then.



Oh and btw...I've got new paint:

 

Well still no word from the insurance swine. They are still determining liability. WTF? There are two witnesses on the police report that say she turned in front of Max and she was cited and he wasn't.

Anyway, it is certain they will declare it totalled. I am going to buy the parts and pay a guy with a body shop here close to fix it. I need:

Passenger fender
Hood
Front completer (three pieces)
Core support ( pieces that supports the radiator)
passenger spindle
passenger headlight assembly

IM thinking of new parts, either GM or aftermarket. I could order them from Hawks, or ???. ANy ideas? I guess I could use a good used part If I could find one.

 

i wouldnt give them the title like 3.1 eyecandy said ....its just gonna be more b.s paper work and stuff like that keep it a regular title and not a salvage title

 

Well the numbers are in from the insurance company. They determined liability was their driver's yesterday. Today I spoke to the adjuster and they value the car at 3200 or so with 200 tax or 3400. Sheez. I just paid 4750 for this car a few months ago. There is a 90 firebird on autotrader with 88K and they are asking 6500 dollars for it!!. One with 188K miles and asking 2995. Max's car has 40,000 miles!!!!!!11

Well they offered a $110 buy back as salvage which seems reasonable but the value is too low. I told them IM going to thing about it.

I do not have to give up the title, if we do the deal, they just give me the difference between the value and the salvage buyback. However, they turn in something that shows the car has been totalled to the state. The next time registration comes up, I won't be able to get it registered unless Ive had it fixed, inspected, and gotten a Salvalge title. What a pain!.

Well enough bitching, I guess Ive got to be positive as Zap recommends and make the best out of a bad situation. It's going to cost about $4300 to fix, with me buying the parts.

 

U need to fight for a higher total value. Remembr it is only an offer at this point. Tell them it was in excellent condition--back it up with other similar condition cars (mileage--condition--ETC)--pics of yur car. Don't use high mileage examples of selling prices, only ones sililar to yours in how equipped, mileage, condition. One thing that helped for me was that I got a shop, that had done some work on it, to send in a letter stating the condition and how good a care I took care of it. (even if we did fudge a little

That's about what they offered me when my Maroon 89 was stolen and I bitched and bitched and bitched and got it up to 4800.00, but had to prove it was worth more than their original OFFER.

Remember it is the job of the ins adjuster to get the lowest price payoff--it is your job to get the price--play the game--don't give up and just accept their offer.

It's like if U have an injury claim--the ins offers a settlement--most people get a lawyer like the Texas hammer to gey the settlement up from what the ins co offers. In this case, a lawyer is counter productive-- bitch whine, moan, groan,--play their game-- and at least go down swinging!

 

i went to the texas hammer for a accident i had and he slowed the whole preocess down by 9 months and i didnt really get anymore money. the only thing i saw out of it was that he got a third of my settlement

 

How True!

Sometimes you're the windshield.....sometimes you're the bug!

 

4300.00
- 110.00
-3400.00

Will leave U with a 790.00 bill out of your pocket. I bet if U look real hard U can find a body shop that will do 100% of the repairs--AND DO THEM RIGHT! and do the job for less than 4300.00

Shop the job around at a couple different places--independent shops will usually charge less than national chains, but I would still go to one chain and get a baseline figure. Also check out that place called Villvian's that we were talking about out at Sam's a few months that did those 2 cars that hang out there all the time--U know the 2 red ones--the tall guy and the girl!

There's one or 2 places on that stickied list at the top of this board (private installers index--or whatever it is) that do body work--one said they give a small discount to thirdgenners.

Another tip I was given a few years ago, and THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ONE!!! is to check with body shops that are not in the "rich" parts of town! If U are in rich areas, U will probably pay rich prices. Maybe go check around the Spring Branch area--lots of body shops in that area!!! There's one really big one that I have heard good things from, but cannot remember their name at the moment. They are on Gessner, just north of Clay , way before U get to that next light. I would definately check there.

Is the car drivable?

BUT DON'T GIVE UP ON THE HIGHER TOTAL VALUE thing!!! I still have all the paperwork from my deal--ncluding the original offer fax as well as the final offer faxes!!--IT DOES WORK!!

 

<<< is an auto claims adjustor - posted to max's thread

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=319049


Have you accepted the settlement yet? IF not, let me know...

* What kind of parts did they use on the estimate?
* They probably use NADA or a market search company like CCC
* I know in OKLA... a car that old won't even be reported to the DMV as a total and if you never hand over the title, it won't get a salvage title. It will just show up if you ever have another claim that the car was paid for once. As long as you have it fixed up right, you'll be good a new!
* What insurance company is it?

Shoot me a message if you want to bounce anything off of me!

 

Lawyers SLOW everything down and usually you make less $$$ than you would have had you not gotten a lawyer!

 

HAHAHA!! Claims are worth what they are worth... doesn't matter if you have a high priced lawyer (just means you pay more) or not.

Also, getting mad at your claims rep will just **** them off and they will be VERY VERY tight on how they write their estimate by counting off for every little thing.

A claims adjustor CAN be your best friend.... or your worst enemy.

 

lol i was just jokin with that ...but i know how it is to have a salvage title even if the car is still in good shape

 

I agree... I see 3rd gens in the tow and salvage yards and it kills me!