oldslover Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 Remember me talking about sending my '89 International 5 speed out for a restoration paint job? Well, yesterday I was exiting a local mall and I didn't see a kid in a truck until it was too late. He squelched to a stop but not before his trucks brush gaurd caught my drivers side quarter panel and scraped it as I proceeded ahead to avoid him. It hit right after the drivers door and continued all the way back to the edge of the taillight. It's an indented crease from the pointed corner of his bruch gaurd. At the deepest point it's 7" and is shallower at the start and end points. It's just above the wheel wheel arch trim and goes back through the fuel filler door. I immediately took it to the guy who's already quoted painting it and he's added $850 to the estimate. He claims it will need a full/partial outer quarter panel [can/will not pull/fill], an inner wheel house, a new gas lid and taillight [a very slight almost un-noticable scratch in it], a new wheel well arch trim piece, [even though there's not a so much as a scratch on it] because it's just pulled in very slightly due to the deepness of the damage. I thought this was high and he suggested I turn in the entire estimate for painting the whole car [$1650 with the damage now] as it was consiquential necessary work needed, with my deductable being my only expense. Well, against my better judgement, I called my adjuster directly afterwards [Allstate, same as the guy at fault] with the estimate amount and he said today they are going to total the car based on the damage estimate since it exceeds the cars value and just give me $500 bucks, the cars actual value he says. I need ammunition, he went on saying the car will be issued a salvage title and will be good for parts only even though I stated it was not acceptable. I need to get advise on what to do here and get some credible value for the car, it's rarity issues, etc.... I'm willing to pay the difference between the damage caused and the actual paint job estimate I originally was given to eliminate the necessity to total and take my car. He claims it's still over the actual value and they'd total and pay the ACV loss [$500] versus repair on such an old car. Is there somewhere that I can have the car valued higher based on it's rarity and not just your average '89 Cutlass? What a weekend, these damn insurers are a joke! I told him my neck was starting to hurt and maybe I needed to contact an attorney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob95CS Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 Damn that sucks. Hmm, send him here to w-body.com -- We'll tell him how much it's worth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldslover Posted November 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 Did you miss the "get some credible value for the car, it's rarity issues, etc.... " statement? All kidding aside, I DID menton this forum and he said he'd need a CREDIBLE, written "appraisal" from a certified vehicle appraiser backed up with a current collector car value guide copy/printout but he does not gaurantee anything more than "book value" on an '89 Olds Cutlass so it may be a waste of $ on my part to get the appraisal. I'm going to be a big "sore on his ass" until this turns in my favor, I can assure you of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJB Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 Salvage titles dont mean parts only. My car will have a salvage title and will be registered and insured normally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldslover Posted November 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 Well, I'm going by what he told me and he said a salvage title would also include a certificate of destruction [due to age] and it would not be able to be reconstructed or titled in NC again. He also said with those 2 documents they would not sell it back to a consumer. I asked him: What if I forget the whole claim?, he said "too late, it's already being processed" This is the only damage EVER to this car, it's got the original paint [which is why is why the paint was being restored] and has never had paint work other than my touch ups over the years. Makes me so damn mad. He might think he's got the upper hand here but he's in for a fight like never before if he wants to go that route. The body guy should also have known the consiquences so when I get this problem solved [and I will] I'll need to find another painter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaPaPooh Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 ok there is kelly blue book you can look up i did mine it is a 89 dutlass supreme sl coupe with the fe3 package and it showed 3400 for blue book!! ok here is the beginning on krlly blue book follow the steps and get the value http://www.kbb.com/kb/ki.dll/ke.kb.tp?kbb&&773&split_owners you can do trade in and private for value got to as many dealership as you can to get a value i think if you tell them it is for insurance perposes they will do it for free just check around and find one that has no fee or a minimal fee to estimate the value be sure to ask for value before the dent on drivers side good luck and let us know how it turns out!! EDIT:i just looked mine up in good condition in california it was 1755 sorry i was wrong about the price!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 Tell him to find you a 5 speed CS for $500.00 Fucking BS (VERY drunk) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supreme_style21 Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 Did you tell them to start processing the claim??? I know with my company, they don't do ANYTHING until I tell them to.. which is the way I like it, especially for situations like yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89oldscutlass Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 It sounds like your insurance is trying to screw you over. Tell them you wont except the $500 bucks and go to some body garages and get it in written from them that they dont consider your car to be totaled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldslover Posted November 24, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2003 Okay guys, I appreciate the help. supreme_style21: Yes, the claim was submitted for processing to my ins agent. As soon as a claim/estimate is submitted the process starts. I went to the local Olds dealer today, not much help for an appraisal though. I found a guy who does do appraisals and he gave me a $3000 written appraisal [prior to accident value] based solely on the rarity, being a 1 owner etc... even though it needs paint. This however was shot down by the insurance company because there was no value guide to back it up, as required and it's insured of course for ACV [actual cash value]. As I understand it, the ins company is only responsible for damage related to the collision and for ACV. My agent is trying to work with me, seriously he is but he's tied by Allstates rules and the adjuster is an a-hole. He said the claim can be thrown out like it never happend if the other party at fault wishes to settle between ourselves, thus relieving them from penalty [effected coverage rates, etc...] as well. This would also not be recorded therefore no accident report or damage disclosure would be filed against the VIN# into CaFax or the likes. Okay, I call the guy who ran into me and he says he has no $ to pay the damages [just the actual damages] , that's what he has insurance for. I tried explaining to him that it will raise his rates etc... but he said who gives a FXXX! if you want your car fixed then proceed with the insurance company. I also called an attorney and he said we should go after them both for insurance manipulation but that guarantees no resolution of the cars value. He also advised I go in for a check up to be sure no injuries resulted. Typical lawyer! He said we can go after the at fault party for the difference in ACV and appraised value or get the insurance company to consider half that appraised amount which would be sufficiant to cover actual damages costs but he did not grasp the fact that I just want my car fixed! I'm still in a rut, the insurance company [adjuster] wants to proceed ASAP, pay me $500 and take my car since it's their property after paying the claim and is no longer considered "streetable" with a certifcate of destruction branding. This is rediculous, I guess all I have left to do is cancel the claim and pay for it all out of my own pocket. If it means the difference in keeping and losing my car then I'll have to live with it. I can't believe the victim has no rights, makes me sick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWeb80 Posted November 24, 2003 Report Share Posted November 24, 2003 I'm sorry olds. THis is like every ins company, always trying to come out way ahead and screw the customer service. I hate big corporations. They suck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0sh_man Posted November 24, 2003 Report Share Posted November 24, 2003 just dont sign ANYTHING!!! You still have the title to your car, your the legal owner, If you sign anything it may give up rights to your ownership of the car. the insurance company has a right to make you happy with the claim. $500 seems very low, the NADA book on my multi owner damaged 91 GTP 5 speed was 3400. Id tell them you will accept the $500 insurance, but you will not accept that they total the car out. a 5 speed cutty is rare, even more so than a 5 speed GP or lumina matthew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonyman87 Posted November 24, 2003 Report Share Posted November 24, 2003 :guns: insurance :flip: If anything they should let you keep the damn car. your name is on the title not theirs! tell them your switching companys and to go fuck themselves and to keep there 500bux. just a thought that is complete bullshit that they wont sell you the car back! i would ring their necks :verymad: if i fucked up a quarter panel and insurance said totaled i would be irate. its a fuckin fenderbender not an demolition. be sure to take lots of pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomshado Posted November 24, 2003 Report Share Posted November 24, 2003 Here's what I would do. First, this depends on if you are on GOOD TERMS with the owner of a local junk yard. Take the $500 if the car is going there, and then buy it back for the cost of the metal in it, I think its about $120. Then take the remaining money, and buy the replacement parts that you need. (go to car-part.com and look there, they have everything, ever.) Then once the repairs are done, you are back to where you were and just get it painted. You will have to re-title and register your car, but it won't cost as much as it does here, $87 for a license plate. Jesus that pisses me off. This whole method is super underhanded and well, I say good, fuck the insurance folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldslover Posted November 27, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2003 Interesting scenarios but way too much red tape for me. I had another guy look at the car and he laughed when I told him what the other estimate entailed. I agree, the damage looks worse but seems to be a real easy fix without ANY needed parts. I get the idea that the original estimate from the guy I was going to have paint the car was puffed to make a few easy bucks and he never intended to utilize the new parts stated. If you saw the actual damage you'd laugh at the $850 estimated to repair. I also uncovered some interesting info, the original body guy contacted the insurance company about buying the car IF it's totalled. This call was made the same day after I told him they were going to total it due to the damage estimate. It seems he also made a few comments to locals that he "may be getting a super rare Cutlass International 5 speed for next to nothing". I made a formal complaint by mail today for insurance fraud investigation. This 2nd guy also said he'd repair the damage as if it was never even there and paint the entire car [which I had planned on having done the 1st week of December with the other guy] for $1250 [$400 less than the 1st guy including the damage repair] and this guys work is very good. I looked at several of his paint jobs and body work [comparing the finished results to the original damages photos] and I must say I'm impressed. This estimate also included repainting the front bumper due to bugs and chips over the years. The rest of the ground effects are excellent. He said new windshield and rear window seals are inclusive. I guess I'll proceed with the complaint letter and have the car repaired/painted awhile [scheduled for Dec 15th-19th] always having the option of dropping the claim I started and paying the entire amount out of my pocket but they'll play hell trying to take MY car as I've never signed anything. My first experience with insurance and after 22 years with "the good hands people" I'm looking at other insurance companies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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