well, yesterday I finally finished my swap PARTS. the 3800SC is completely rebuilt, the 4t65e-HD is totally rebuilt, the harness is made, axles made ECM redone, and all set up on the spare cradle that is also redone. (Everything is done Except the installation)( car is a 42k mile 4 cyl Notchie in excellent cond) TODAY, on my way to the car show, I'm going down the highway and some Fool runs a stop sign and broadsides me ! (He got the ticket and is insured). I figure there to be about $4000 worth of damage e(at a Body shop) I used to write collision estimates until 15 years ago. The car is insured through "Grundy worldwide" for $5500. Anyone ever file a Claim with these guys? If they total it, How do I go about doing a Buy Back??? Can I even do it ?? sooo Depressing.
Grundy will cut you a check for the insured amount, & usually allow you to buy the car back for 20% (but I doubt it's worth that). They have been very good on settling claims on cars that my brother had insured. I haven't had any claims with them (knock on wood ). HTH, ~ Paul aka "Tha Driver"
There are no title issues that I'm aware of, but of course there are some hoops you'll have to jump through to get it back on the road as far as getting a safety certificate. At least that's the way it is in the GWN, but I'm sure the States has similar insurance rules.
If I can get $4400 AND keep the car, it is Surely worth it. I can fix it , repaint it, and have new wheels (all done by Me)for about $900 the car has perfect interior, ice cold air. all that's really hurt is the right fender, door,(I have a door) upper control arm, mirror , 2 Lace wheels and paint. I was a body man for 30 years. I doubt I could find another car in this shape (Fixed) for $2k. so I'd end up with $3500 and the car is fixed. how long did it take for them to send a check ? Thanks
Very sorry to here about your accident but I am glad you are okay. I just got back to Forest corners from downtown Ocala. Were you going to the car show at The Tilted Kilt?
It'll probably take a couple weeks, usually the process goes faster if your covered under auto loss of use and have a rental car.. They tend to speed things up considerably.
A few years back my wife wrecked our truck and I told the insurance man not to total the truck but just give me what he could and I would fix it. That way you still have a clear title and keep the car. I don't know how this will work for your insurance company but saved me a lot of problems later.
I don't know how bad it was but you have done a lot of body work and can probably fix it yourself.
yea, I was on my way to the tilted kilt. and yes Ray, that's the plan. won't really know until I pull the fender and door, don't know if the door post is in or not. I know I could get another body cheaper, but this is such a reliable car and such good MPG. ( I'm really mixed on pulling the 4 to put in the 3800) If I could justify another car, I'd both fix it and put the 3800 in another body ! not enough parking !
Hope you make out okay with the insurance company. The three of us should get together sometime and swap Fiero stories. We could start a mini Ocala Fiero club
Before going to Grundy, contact the other driver's insurance company and file a claim. Take your car to a couple reputable body repair shops for an estimate; present the estimate to the insrance carrier and demand that they settle the claim. They will probably attempt to diminish the value of your car, or tell you that the damages exceed the value of your car, but be firm. If they give you any crap, tell them you have the option of going to your own insurance carrier for the full value.
Don't know when this occurred, but be sure your are not injured before settling any injury claim. It is not unusual for an injury to surface sometime after the accident. Good luck.
Really Can't "Take " it anywhere, it's not drivable. I called Grundy as soon as it happened. They can" fight with" the other company. It's an "Agreed upon Value" policy, so either I get the "repair cost" and keep the car, or the top end (which is A lot more than it's worth). I just want to fix my car, (No, I'm Not letting Anyone Else touch it, I've already sampled the Quality of the Body shops around this city. the "Adjuster comes Tuesday from Grundy, so I guess I'll know then. A member here is going to ship me the "Parts needed" as soon as I know what's going on. Thanks
A few years back my wife wrecked our truck and I told the insurance man not to total the truck but just give me what he could and I would fix it. That way you still have a clear title and keep the car. I don't know how this will work for your insurance company but saved me a lot of problems later.
I don't know how bad it was but you have done a lot of body work and can probably fix it yourself.
Ray
I would agree with Ray. If you can fix it for $1000, (or some amount less than their "write-off" bottom line) tell that to the insurance company after you get the quotes. You really need to avoid the "Written-Off" status haunting the car. It may make it difficult to get insurance on it without jumping hoops. It's nice to get extra cash, but in the long run keep it simple. However, you better be sure that you can fix it for what you think you can. Make sure you check for any hidden mechanical/frame damage that may not be obvious. Otherwise you'll walk away with the car, and not enough cash to fix it.
To answer the original question...the last time I did a write-off buy-back, I just told the insurance company. They just simply sent me a check for the insured amount less 10%. No additional paperwork required. I bought it for the engine/stereo only. Took fire department two hours to cut me out of it...wasn't fixable after
I spent 30 years fixing the "prettymuch Un fixable" , Or shouldn't have been fixed, so, I can handle it. I've never had to deal personally with my own car being close to 80% With an Ins Co involved. In 1986 a30 foot tree fell on my 1970 Z28 and I had to replace the roof, both 1/4 panels trunk and tail panel, any other car, I would have junked it, but it was my baby and there was No Ins ! yea, have to wonder about Grundy "Re-Insuring" it after the fact.
I'm pretty sure, I will be fixing this car and leaving it Stock, then get the '88 coupe for the swap. Now I have to get new engine/ trans mounts for a 88 cradle, I have everything already set up on a '86 cradle. Tuesday will tell.
well, so much for My Plans. the guys ex wife who actually used to own the 88 now wants double for it just because she doesn't want the hubby to get it. so, now I don't have either ! AND the appraiser from the other guys Ins came by today. walks over says, "man, Nice clean car. then walks around the side that was hit and goes OMG, writes a couple of things down, doesn't even really look it over and say, well you know there are "Options". He said he's the Appraiser, the guy in the office is the" adjuster". him not looking at it more than a minute, or underneath, Am I correct in assuming he's totaling it ? or is it Still up to MY companies adjuster ?
My companies "adjuster "was supposedly here today to look at the car when I wasn't home. after calling him 5 times, he called me back, asking" if the door was power or manual' ?" He was supposed to be checking the car out, yet did not open the doors, I asked and he "said" he checked the bottom,(you cannot SEE the damage without removing the wheel, and both the front and rear tires are Flat so he couldn't have looked underneath. He didn't seem to KNOW anything ABOUT what the damage was. I had left a paper on the dash, on top of the vin(that they need to take a picture of) with a list of the damaged parts, price, and where they could be had, he said he didn't see it ! He didn't even Know the winshild was broken ! Can't wait to see his report. feels like the other guys rep is treating me better than mine.
Now the adjuster tells me he thinks the car can be fixed for $2500 and I MUST take it to a body shop of my choice! I did, it was flat bedded to a shop, the owner came out, looked at the car for 10 seconds and said, " do you want it taken off the truck", I asked why, He said it's obviously totaled. then he asked, "has your Adjuster looked at the car" ? I said Yes. Then he said " What the hells wrong with the guy, my wife could come out here and tell it's totaled , I wouldn't touch this for less than $5000 ! (agreed value $5500) The adjuster from the guy who hit me said it's totaled, other body shops said totaled, now the shop of my choice almost laughed it off the lot ! this Adjuster is a real moron, Isn't an "agreed value policy" supposed to pay off if the" body shop of choice" calls it done ?? anyone know what the buy back rate is in Florida ? By the way, this is GRUNDY Insurance.
If you plan to fix it yourself, it might as well be at your place, unless your insurance will cover the storage and tow charges.
If you can get written statements from those mentioned above that it is 'totalled' and/or repair estimates, you could try taking that info to your insurance company & present a case for receiving the agreed value.
My insurance company wrote off my '84 SE in 1999 after I was hit by a Neon that slid over the centerline on a corner. The appraiser said it had undercarriage damage - I laughed about that - it didn't. I was able to 'argue up' the settlement to $1900, get it fixed (including repainting that I was contemplating anyway), recertified and have $120 left over to put towards new tires. The policy was reinstated and it was back on the road and still is with 363,000 kilometers (255,555 miles) on it now.
Unless they're paying the storage charges, don't worry about what the insurance company 'feels'.
If no one will fix it for $2500, they have to decide if they'll give you the agreed value based on the written estimates you get.
Maybe their intention is to make you worry about what will happen by low-balling the repair. That way you might find someplace to fix it for less than you've found so far; they pay less than the agreed value and you've done all the leg-work.
Get written estimates for $6000+. Then they'll be happy to cough up the $5500.
[This message has been edited by David Hambleton (edited 01-26-2014).]
Tell them your "shop of choice" is one of the Fiero specific shops recommended here. None of your local shops will know anything about your car. They won't even know what to do when they can't find prices for new replacement parts.
Well, the Estimate is at $3400 right now , but the estimate is still missing a few things. I gotta find out where he thinks they will actually Do a 4 wheel alignment on a Fiero for $69 ! (I couldn't get anyone to do it Correctly for $100) Anyone know where to Get a Windshield "Strip" (the plastic that goes around the windshield )? Closer it gets, step by step, .....Hopefully it may get done by tomorrow.
Anyone know where to Get a Windshield "Strip" (the plastic that goes around the windshield )? Closer it gets, step by step, .....Hopefully it may get done by tomorrow.
Last windshield I had put in they used a different kind of strip, it was wider and IMO it looked better. I asked and it was just his standard weather strip he used on all of the cars. I was probably 3/8 of an inch wider and laid flatter.
You have to check with your own state DMV and Highway Patrol to see what needs done with a totalled car buy back. Some states dont do anything you just keep it. Ohio for an example, if its totalled the insurance company gets the title in their name to dispose of. If you buy it back, you have to have it inspected when its roadworthy by the Highway Patrol. They call it an inspection, but its actually just a check of all the serial numbers. SO in my case here, Id have to have reciepts for all the replaced parts WITH THEIR serial numbers from where you get them, plus all the chassis numbers have to be correct. That includes the motor and transmission. I redid a Suburban and had it inspected and one door was a reproduction and didnt have a serial number. They wouldnt sign me off to get a new title and registration until I put another door on and they inspected it again. The fee was $10 and took about an hour. Thats just here, mind you, and your state may be entirely different. Ive never dealt with your insurance company before and some of them WONT sell you back the wrecked car. Good luck.
Last windshield I had put in they used a different kind of strip, it was wider and IMO it looked better. I asked and it was just his standard weather strip he used on all of the cars. I was probably 3/8 of an inch wider and laid flatter.
I agree 100%, my glass company uses that wider molding and unless you have a 100 point restoration job, its a lot better.
well, I decided to settle it for the $3400 (for the Collision part), I'm tired of arguing with this "not too bright adjuster" (Hell, maybe he's smarter than me, I'm giving up and "eating" about $200 of it just so I don't have to talk to him again!) I've already got all the parts except for the spindle and windshield Thanks to Kevin ! Spindle on the way ! Now if the weather, and my back will give me a break. been in the 40s and raining for awhile now, This is supposed to be Florida ! LOL
Are you hoping for cooler temps? Lol! The weather network forecast for Ocala: 66 deg & rain today & around 80 deg for the next 5 days... We've got another snowstorm coming for tomorrow here. Visiting a pick & pull today - it's balmy - just above freezing...
Yea the weather. It amazes me every day, the" weather people" here have been saying it's going to be 71 today and then in the 80s, they've been saying that for a week. fact is, it's 43 and raining. haven't had a decent day for 2 weeks. Yesterday could have Snowed ! better than -20, but hey, this is supposed to be FLa. ( but better than being in Ca with No Water !)
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