Someone parked a Nissan Pathfinder into the back of my 1973 914 2.0 car at 30mph! It was a totally rust free original paint perfect interior all options car. Now my insurance company informs me that it's worth $3,400 because they found a few junk cars that sold for that.

Can anyone suggest a good licensed classic car appraiser in the San Francisco Bay area or greater CA area? They claim that they will honor a higher value if it appraises for more.

Mark

Sorry to here about your car. PM sent.

Who remembers what month Exellence ran the 914 values?

That was November 2006 that excellence update values for 914. I sent all of that, comps from camp 914, comps from auto atlanta, comps from everywhere I can find. They don't care!

They want an appraisal from a CA licenses car appraiser? Whatever that is?

November 2006

Per Excellence:
1973 2.0

so-so $7654
good $8703
excellent $11650

You could always call their bluff. Tell them to find you a 914 in the same or better condition and buy it for you.

Have them look at my website and some of the 914s that I have sold.
Alot of people ahve told me this is what they have used for insurance valuation.
www.camp914.com look under cars for sale and then sold cars.
CCLIN914NATION

They need to consider any and all information and negociate in Good Faith. As a last resort and only if they continue to disregard the information you provided remind them that when they don't negociate in good faith they are in position for a bad faith claim.

If they continue to disregard the information you sent contact your Commerce Dept.

Recently someone said here that Bruce Anderson did appraisals, and I think he's in the bay area, but I don't know his shop's name.
The Department of Insurance is who you need to file a complaint with, if it comes to that. you can always threaten that if you must.
The Ca D.O.I.'s number is 1-800-927-help, and they have a website that has the complaint form on it.
Tell the insurance company that if you have to tow the car to an appraiser and have an appraisal, they'll have to pay for that, too.
Who's the insurance company? This sounds like Farmer's, Allstate, or Progressive.

If you're a member, the PCA also has a valuations committee that should be able to help you.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have sent tons of supporting data from the web sites. They cannot find comps but they keep telling me they have finished their evaluation. It's USAA and I really expected better service. Today, a check arrived for $3,900 minus $400 for the salvage value (now I'm supposed to get it hauled away and get someone to pay me $400 for it), no money for the rental I have had during the month they refused to return my calls or pay me what I need to replace etc.

I called Bruce A. He is putting me in contact with an appraiser in scott's valley. He is not licensed by the state. I agree that they will ultimately pay me back for this service.

I'm planning to buy my friends original 65K miles 914-6 so I will likely get them both evaluated at the same time. Hopefully that will save me grief later. My business partner is a trial attorney but she has been out of the country and returns tomorrow. It might get messy and take a while but she will straighten this thing out.

Why is your insurance paying instead of the driver who rearended you?
I have heard that the value of your car can go way up when you mention the pain in your neck.

If you are a member of PCA they will do evaluations as part of the membership.
I can't imagine the insurance company discrediting the POA. I just received an evaluation for insurance purposes.

Most companies use Gold Book as a guide. This:

1973 PORSCHE 914 2.0L Dsp/HP Eng Fair Good Exc Show Loan
TARGA COUPE 1973-76 2.0 4C 4,500 8,000 14,000 15,300 S 7,000
Data updated March 2007 .

Spacing ain't pretty on the cut and paste, but you get the idea.

I have USAA, and they did this exact same thing when my daily driver Subaru SVX was rear-ended back in Sept 2004. Even though it was obviously the other guy's fault, his scum-bag insurance company denied the claim. USAA said "don't worry, we'll handle it for you. But your car is totalled you can have $2500"

I was like $2500?? Showed the receipts that the engine and trans alone were worth more than $4k and their offer was total rubbish. But I was a shlub and gave up and took the money before a long battle ensued.

Good luck! I hope you are fairly compensated and that your car is repaired so another nice example doesn't end up at the smelter. I was so pissed about my experience that I was on the verge of switching carriers, except everyone I know who has had to deal with damage to their vehicles all have horrible experience getting their own companies to stand up for them. It leads me to believe that they are all a bunch of shysters who only care about you paying your premiums in full on time.

Agreed value is your friend... It might cost you a little more but well worth it.

Somehow my POS 914 has an agreed value of $5000 just in case...

My company (USAA) won't do agreed value. They send me to American Collectors Insurance who will do it, and for very little money, but then they say you must use it primarily for show, parade, club events etc.
I want to use the car for normal driving. Which companies will cover for agreed value and normal driving?

I too have USAA, and they made it 100% clear when I insured my 914 that it would not be treated in any special manner if invloved in an accident. It would be treated as a 1974 model year car, and I would have to have the collectors insurance that limits its use, if I wanted it to have some huge $ value put on it. In USAA defense, they are the best insurance company I have ever dealt with. I read that they have opened their doors to non military folks.

Since this thread is slowly becoming about insurance companies and 914 values, I'll add that if you don't have stated value for your car and documentation to prove it, you may end up like poor Mark, getting screwed over. My insurance company (State Farm) has written a stated value policy on my 914 for 20+ years. I register it w/regular plates (no "historical" or "collecter" tags-too restrictive for use of car) and they have a portfolio of pics to show its condition. After my restoration is done, there gonna get a disc w/about 100 pics on it and we have already agreed on the valuation. BTW. the stated value is entered on the insurance "declarations" page. The "stated value" declaration should be on 914 insurance coverage if the car is "good" or better condtion.

Guess I will call State Farm, at least for my old Porsche. Like Martin, I really like USAA and don't want to switch my "normal" cars. I am afraid, however, that State Farm will say all or nothing.
The thing that bothers me about USAA is that they are charging very similar premiums for my Porsche as for my 2001 Audi Wagon. Yet they will say the Porsche is worth way less if it is totaled.

I should've added that State Farm has my 914, wifey's GTi, the Honda Element and the house as well. That might help my cause (and keep all my premiums reasonable).

Get an average agreed value.

Do the homework.

I'll do some for you by looking and sending you average sails prices.

To this, I will only add what I came accross 15 years ago with State Farm, and more recently with Ohio Casualty.

If non-factory parts are available for less, they mandate usage. Guess what - Japanese parts for German cars are good for 3-5 years at best. Ask me how I know!

Sorry for the hijack! As my buddy from New Orleans says - this gives a case of the "red ass". Not sure what he means, but it fits.

1) You are absolutely correct. USAA told me the same thing and I do have agreed value on my restored 930. You are also correct that it can only be used for "pleasure driving" and it is not covered for "transportation driving". I plan on changing that because it really isn't covered.

2) Folks have asked why my insurance is paying? The guy who hit me also has USAA so I may end up suing the other driver and my own company for damages and bad faith dealing.

3) USAA now informs me they will pay more if it appraises. I will do that and pass the savings on to them. I plan to buy a 914-6 next week that is very low miles (65K). I'll let you guess how much that will cost. I plan on getting it appraised regulary and filing pictures so this is easier if it happens again. All the insurance in the world is rendered useless if they don't take the data and do the right thing.

4) USAA is going to get a complaint in the form of a ready written law suit asking for the value of my car, my time in dealing with this, all rental fees etc. with a statement that I'm looking for a check in 15 days or it will be filled. My Attorney partner is finally back in the US and the keyboard is a blazing.

I also have had State Farm for many years for all our street cars (4), Porsches (2), motorhome, house, business, etc., etc.

They have been absolutely amazing whenever I've had a claim. My daughter managed to total our 2001 Mazda Tribute with 80,000 miles, and they paid out more than the Kelly Blue Book excellent value (plus tax and license transferring fees) on the loss. I think that like any business, the insurance companies take care of the customers that support them routinely.

I did put the Porsches on historic status and coverage because they really don't get driven to anything else but club events nowadays. When I compared State Farm to Hagerty or JC Taylor, they were very competitive pricewise. You may do well to check them out.