My son wrecked my 66 ElCamino (bummer) It was not his fault. Now the other guys insurance company wants to declare it a total wreck! Has anyone had experience with this? I am in the middle of fixing this thing up and there is primer and so forth on it. I know they dont think it is worth what I think it is. Any and all thoughts would be apreciated

Jeff Palazzolo
66 El Camino
St Louis Mo

I'm certainly not qualified to say much on this, but from personal experience I've found this much. If they offer a lowball price saying that the car is not worth X dollars, provide all the info that you can on your car (engine, options, etc) and say fine, get me a replacement for that cost and I'll take it. This may help negotiate a more realistic replacement value, and make sure that you get first (and cheap) option to buy it back from them if they do write it off.

zip over to our cars for sale and print some comparable ads.

good luck!

I've always been worried about that. I've been thinking of having a professional appraisal done on my car so if some moron decides to plow into it, I'll get what its worth. Some insurance companies are really bullheaded about classic cars sometimes. They only go by some little book that reflects a price of some "found-in-field-with-a-tree-through-the-floorbord" kind of car. Well, maybe not that bad, but you know what I mean. Sorry 'bout your Elky, Jeff http://www.chevelles.com/forum/frown.gif!

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Jeremy J. Bennett
72 Chevelle
Team Chevelle #298

Don't sweat it if you have replacement value from the apprasal with your Insurance Co.
Everything on this world has a reason behind it. Things are meant to happen. You may discover looking at the car that down the road someone may have gotten hurt real bad from a faulty mechanical part on the car that could cause a death or injury. This totaled situation may be a way out from something worse happening. I know this all sounds weird but there is a reason behind the accident. The accident could of delayed something worse from happening down the road that day.

Mark

[This message has been edited by COPO (edited 09-04-99).]

COPO, are you okay?

My O2. The other insurance co has an obligation to make YOU whole again. Like Al said, provide any and all documentation including for sale adds to show reasonable replacement costs. And get dibs on the buy back.

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Mike Crosby
MCC #349 ACES #2334, TC Gold #64

RACER70
I went thru the same thing you are now. What AL says is what you have to do.I would always have a apprasal from a professional .Then show this when getting insurance to be sure you are covered for that amount. Then as with me your insurance co. will go to fight for you . Get all your paperwork and invoices for every dime you have in it to show value.Also like AL said get ads from trader,paper ect. to support your value. If they do total it you can buy it back from them.

wow real sorry to hear bout the elky. I agree with what al said about finding ads of car like it to show it's value. how bad is it? frame bent at all? my dads 4X4 truck was stolen 2 day and since the frame was bent from them asses jumping and crap they said they won't fix it so that might be a reason they are saying totalled. if it is frame maybe yous can deal that you will find a frame or something. good luck

PS they never cought the fu&^%$s that stole the truck

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Owner of a 66 chevelle malibu, car is older than i am, 17 years older.... might be on the road next year. I HOPE!!

Bill, I think I'm ok. It's just a book I read on Don't Sweat the Small Stuff....Mark

Racer- How wrecked is it? Just minor body damage, or is the frame completly tweaked?

Are they remotly justified in totalling the car?

From what I've experienced, the only way to keep the car after a total has been claimed is to drop your claim and don't use your insurance at all to repair you or the car. But this has only been when the owner of the car's company has tried to call it totalled, and not the other parties.

A friend of mine was hit by a driver speeding excessivly, it almost ripped the rear end off his 66 mustang. The car was called totalled, and he got $850 for it- but they let him take charge of disposing of the car (which was then sold for another $200).

I would tell both companies flat out you want to keep the elky and see what they say. But if it's too thrashed, I'd just let em total it and start over. Sometimes you have to admit defeat. Maybe they'll let you strip it.

Wes

The extent of damage is limited to the right front fender. It is still drivable. What concerns me is the car probably looks bad to a non trained chevelle lovers eye, however the car is really in pretty decent mechanical shape And by the way no one was injured (other than my pride)

The opposing insurance company will try to squash you as low as they can. It doesn't matter how much damage is done to your car. They HAVE to pay for repairs! Price out the parts thru GM and aftermarket catalogs get an estimate of repairs & give them a copy. If they try to work you down deny them and threaten legal action. Who is there ins company? State Farm or Farmers? these two are notoriuos for those type of scare tactics.

State Farm told me on my truck I couldn't get a OE bumper after a guy backed into me. They insisted I get "something cheaper" thats what they guy told me that wrote me the check. I didn't complain seeing the guy who hit me accually made the bumper straiter than it was when I put it on. That and I bought a new stereo with the money http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif.

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JT
71 SS Vortec 355
www.angelfire.com/co/KellyMotorsports (http://www.angelfire.com/co/KellyMotorsports)

Don't even get me started about the Insurance companys.
I deal with them every day, I swear they have a license to steal. Unless youv'e had the car appraised by an appraisal service showing what the car is really worth,they're only going to give you average retail value for it when they total it.
When an insurance company writes an estimate for damage, they write it as low as possible to keep the cost of repairs low. weather it's for used or aftermarket parts, or not allowing enough time to straighten something.So basicly we can't even fix the car properly.
When the amount of their estimate comes within so many dollars of the retail value of the car, that's when they determine it a total loss. Because they don't want to pay!If they decide to take the car, you can always buy it back. Some Insurance companies leave it up to you to do what you want with it after they total it.
We all know, just about anything can be fixed,it just depends on who's paying and how much it's going to cost. Bottom line is if you have a nice classic or antique, get it apraised before you insure it, that way if anything happens to it, you will be covered.There are appraisal services that specialize in just antique and classic cars.
I plan on having mine done when I finish it


Jeff

[This message has been edited by JSL (edited 09-05-99).]

[This message has been edited by JSL (edited 09-05-99).]

Back in 1985 my 1979 Monte Carlo was rearended through no fault of my own. The other guys insurance company offered me about $1,300. I knew that my car was well cared for, and it that it was worth much more. I found a similiar car on a dealer lot for $2,650, and thats what the insurance company gave me. Then, I brought the car back for the standard salvage price of $200. I fixed the car myself, still own it, and it looks great. Bottom line is that you may want to try to find one for sale that is similiar condition to yours prior to the accident. That would give the insurance agent a tangible price to work with. Good luck!

Wow, you guys are really scaring me. I have a 71 Chevelle SS that I paid $5200 for and have since out about $1500 more into it. I just have liability and uninsured motorist on it. I have allstate and they wouldn't do anything else. I had a gut total my 1985 LTD in 1996. He rear-ended me, got a ticket, and I JUST settled with the insurance co. (Farmers). I called almost 200 car lots (live in Houston) to get prices for the car. They FINALLY came through but I had to do all the legwork. I read in the Yearone catalog that if you do get totalled and buy it back, it will only be with a salvage title. The original title is destroyed on a total, thus ruining your restore value.

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71 Chevelle SS
350/350
Spring, Tx (N. of Houston)
N. Georgia motorhead

RAA: would you care to add some detail as to how this all worked?? You have some knowledge that you could share. Of course, ,most of our cars are insured as ordinary cars (probably a mistake) and as luck would have it, we may get whacked in traffic one day. So what kind of stuff did you have to do to get a settlement AND buy back your old car?? Do they make you bid against others at an auction or what? I know that my cars have more $$$ in them than State Fram will give me in the event of a disaster.

Wow, you guys are really scaring me. I have a 71 Chevelle SS that I paid $5200 for and have since out about $1500 more into it. I just have liability and uninsured motorist on it. I have allstate and they wouldn't do anything else. I had a gut total my 1985 LTD in 1996. He rear-ended me, got a ticket, and I JUST settled with the insurance co. (Farmers). I called almost 200 car lots (live in Houston) to get prices for the car. They FINALLY came through but I had to do all the legwork. I read in the Yearone catalog that if you do get totalled and buy it back, it will only be with a salvage title. The original title is destroyed on a total, thus ruining your restore value.

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71 Chevelle SS
350/350
Spring, Tx (N. of Houston)
N. Georgia motorhead

I had getting my 67 insured for what I wanted it to be (8500) I thought 8500 for my car was fair. They said they would only insure it for 1500. I rinsed hell. finally they sent me to one of there appraisers. real nice guy he appraised it for 10,000 he didn't even ask any question, i started with my spiel all i go out was 12 bolt posi completely redone suspension he stopped me and said 10,000 i said OK bye bye. the insurance company has it not insured for 10,000 and i am as happy as a pig in mud. my ponit here is the squeaky hinge gets the oil if you know what i mean

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Hot66ss
Los Angeles,CA

66 Super Sport
67 Malibu
Aces Member 2380
Team Chevelle member #262
members.aol.com/chvellss (http://members.aol.com/chvellss)

Try calling your state government to find out what the Law requires the insurance co. to do in your case. Then you can "negotiate" with the insurance co. or take the owner of the other vehicle to small claims court to get back the market value of the car.

To all, If the insurance co wants to total your car and its not very bad( read fixable), tell the claims adjuster that you want to buy it back for the salvage value( typically 10% of the loss value) you will get the loss value and then pay the salvage value ,DON'T surrender the title. I did this with a 65 Ford that I owned and I repaired the car. I never surrendered the title so there was no salvage title. I was told by the claims adjuster that they didn't want to dispose of the car anyway. I also did this when my son was in a wreck with his 77 Malibu and it never had a salvage title. We stripped the usable parts as the car was too bad to fix. You should all have you car insured by a company that specializes in Vintage Cars, your rate will be less,but they do have conditions such as it can't be a daily driver,etc. Sorry to hear about your loss http://www.chevelles.com/forum/frown.gif .

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Leo Paugh
Maryland Chevelle Club #017

[This message has been edited by chev64 (edited 09-07-99).]

I went through that 10 years ago. I was rearended 1700 in damage and the other parties insurance wanted to total it. It was a battle but I got the money and a clean title they didnt total it. It will be a battle you may want to cut out ads to show market value, Is the frame bent? You need to prove the car is worth more than its damage.
If not settle the Total Cost and buy it back for $400.00 Run the numbers, good luck!