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!