Thread: value of wrecked streetrod pickup?

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To pre-empt a lowball $800 offer, I have already sent them a letter explaining the whole restoration process, stressing that every single bolt was turned and every item replaced or reconditioned and cleaned and painted. I also pointed out that the truck is a rare model that has had power steering and brakes, a/c, a locking tilt column and a complete, updated rewiring. I enclosed several e-bay auctions supporting $15k of value and a repair specification sheet.
I have offered four choices: 1) Full value total 2) Full value total minus $3000 for allowing me to keep the salvage 3) Sign my "repair specification contract" and have it repaired (which includes detailing and installing a new chassis) or 4) Replacing the truck with an exact replacement that has been frame-offed, equipped, and detailed as ours has
Their appraiser was sent out the next day and is a street rodder and former body shop owner. He took pics of the special details of the truck and Mooneyes odometer with under 5k miles on it. He sympathized and said his report would honestly state the pre-accident condition of the truck, but that we should still expect a tough fight over establishing actual value.
As a side note, I loaded the thing on the car trailer and visited some body shops and learned the downside of telling them that insurance is involved.... They were each more than willing to take on the repair, but explained that I would have to give them the job and that the actual repairs and pricing would be determined by the adjuster.
While I wouldn't necessarily need to know what's being paid, I have a real problem with the scope of repair being under the control of a guy that is paid to save the insurance company money! What happens when they do it half-fast but it looks good to the un-discerning eye? Would a court not consider me petty for rejecting less-than-perfect repairs?
In the second round of estimate-searching, I'm going to have to tell the shops that I'm a post-settlement cash customer to actually get estimates written!

Keep in mind..........an estimate is an estimate.........not a bid.

Originally Posted by AzDon

What happens when they do it half-fast but it looks good to the un-discerning eye? Would a court not consider me petty for rejecting less-than-perfect repairs?

you have the right to have the vehicle repairs to your standards. if you feel the repair is less than what it should be, you reject the the vehicle repair, and have them fix it like you want it done. DO NOT sign anything untill you are satisfied with the job.

It turned out that the first appraiser that came out to see the truck was in philisophical agreement with me about it's value at 15K (nadaguides says 15k to 25k) and wrote his report in support of that value.
In the meantime, I had become quite stressed to learn that the insurance company uses Valuescope data to support whatever value conclusions they desire and make them psuedo-lawyerproof. Valuescope is an evil subcontract provider of of quasi-bogus values based on supposed published ad prices for vehicles that are usually found to be not comparable when Valuescope's victims do their homework.
Anyway, after 90 days of delays while we drove their rental car, we agreed to, and were paid 15k minus $900 we paid to retain the salvage. They did force a salvage title on me, though
I spent the next three months personally returning the truck to perfect straightness and I was able to do it for less than two grand.
I've learned the lesson that buying agreed value insurance would have eliminated the worry by having an insurance company with a stake in the outcome fighting for my value.
I'm currently pricing policies..... Does anybody know anything about Atlas/Elite or Classic Auto Insurance? A consumer can't be too careful these days!
Here it is: good as new!!