So i came back to my car on sunday, after working downtown here in San Diego, to find that the door and front drivers fender were T boned.

Luckily they left a note.... but the girl was driving without a proper license.
Car was insured thankfully and i've handed it off to my insurance USAA who has told me that it will most likely get totalled. If their insurance doesn't step up and my uninsured motorist kicks in then they will definitely want to total it.



I've read all the threads here and started getting comps but I don't feel like the cars advertised out there represent the 20 years of care and maintenance and garage sitting we've put into this thing. So I'm totally bummed.

Any suggestions on what i should and shouldn't say when the guy come to look at it? Best approach? I'd really appreciate a little help.


when are they legally allowed to write a car off?

Wow nice bug ..i cant see them total it with just a minor ding like that ...did you have collecter car insurance on it....good luck

I had a really nice 64' back in high school. All stock, really nice. Lady wacked the front of it pretty good.

Insurance wanted to total it. My father and I just kept pushing, we don't care or want money, we want the bug back like it was. Wound up costing them more than $2500 to fix.

It's your car and you didn't wreck it. Someone else did, make them fix it regardless of loss to them.

Let him know the comps are low for what you think the car is worth.

Obviously, the insurance will go by the book to start. (Our E30 M3 was totaled and book was 8k. Disagreed. Came back at 15k. ) It's a process. But it doesn't look totaled.

Nice bug too. I hate fighting with insurance companies.

Bad deal Brer. Really nice looking car. Doesn't look like even close to totalling out the car.

Tell the insurance adjuster, that you won't accept totalling the car, and that you just want to be made whole.

Then you can go and have a labia painted on the front hood, right?

Find a shop that you trust and have them write you a quote. Just play dumb and act like your ONLY plan is to have it repaired. If they start saying anything about totalling it, CRY. Tell them some sob story about how the car is part of your life. Get them on your side. This works for girls all the time.

Had it happen with the wifes 240Z. It was stolen and beat hard. Insurance wanted to total it. Wife loved it and wanted to keep it. They ended up letting her keep the car and wrote her a check for the blue book value of the car minus the value of the (so called) totaled car.

Pretty good comments so far, and I agree for the most part.

It doesn't look like a total for one. But insurance companies, will as a matter of course, total a car if the cost of the repair approaches 50% of the blue book value.

Find comps, look on the samba and the like. This is not a contemporary car, so you have the advantage of pricing it in a closed market. Present them with selling prices for similar cars.

And I also agree with point that you don't have to accept the total. It was not your fault, you are the wronged party, and it's the obligation of the insurance company to compensate you. You may have to be a stubborn SOB for a bit. Insist that the car be repaired properly (get quality, competent quotes), and do not sign a thing until the car is repaired to your satisfaction. Sooner or later, an open claim will start getting the attention of higher ups and the insurance commission, and pressure will start to close the file, even if it's a complete repair as opposed to a total. But you'll have to be patient, that can take a while. I've had to do that a couple of times in the past, but it's always worked out in my favor.

-Josh2

If your car was original, try to get diminishing value as well. Looks like a real nice bug. Sorry to hear it was hit.

What's it worth now? Looks nice in the pic, but what's its overall condition?
Start downloading ads for comparable bugs off of the samba and local ad sources.

You said you read all the posts here, did you see the ones I put up about my fight with the ins? Your car is not an average bug, you need to search for comparable ones and see if you can find an equivalent to the Excellence value listings in the bug world. Good luck, I am glad that they at least left a note.

keep using the words vintage and collector car. and toss around lack of rust! and be polite but presistant, keep repeaing your case every time. they'll get so tired of listening you'll get it fixed.

One reason to insure the car as a collectable......

there is a 959 here in dayton.

was in an accident last year. Insurance co. wanted to total it and offer $50,000

Insurance companies are thieves.

All good advice. Thanks for replying.
I wanted some input and this place seems the best for that.

I'll keep ya posted.


.... whats the labia thing about?

Contact Rick..
Alien.

He loves bugs and has a few.
He will give you solid advice.

Rich

USAA doesn't do classic car insurance. They have a company they refer you to called American Classic I think.

Unless you were illegally parked, it is the girls fault and as long as the car was properly insured it should be covered. Get an estimate... Find out what you are dealing with. That doesn't look too bad.

Nice Bug too by the way!

I think you're right about American Classic. I have it, but not long enough to remember the name for sure. The only problem with classic car insurance is the restrictions they put on mileage and driving habits. I don't know what I'd do if I wanted to use the 914 as a daily driver.

Good luck with the claim. I've bought a car back from the insurance company before to sell parts off it. You could actually make out on the deal, but hopefully it doesn't come down to that.

Being parked illegally is a not a disqualifier for responsibility. My wife hit a car while backing up that was in a red zone. Bzzzt, her fault....

As to having "full" coverage on an older car, unless you stipulate repalcement costs, they are going to use the "book" and total it out. The time to discus value is BEFORE the accident. They have a contract and lawyers....you have a peice a paper and a damaged car....

I swear I need to do an article on this.

First: gather and print all the information you can before meeting with the appraiser. Do not just let them come and inspect the damage without meeting them personally. Nicely present the info to them. Your insurance carrier is required to take your information under consideration before making an offer to settle.

Because you have a classic bug you need to hunt down the best examples you can find for comps. You may have to use different years but refer to condition and not year as a criteria.

Try here: http://www.colomemotors.com/gallery/main.php

Get your own estimate from the shop you want to have complete your repairs.

And based on what I see there, with the right repair person all that damage can be worked back out and I doubt the car will total with the right comps.

Most appraisers don't have s clue when it comes to classic cars. They get their comps from software. The software they use has a search fuction that is connected to the internet and a newspaper data base. We all know the best cars are never in the local paper for top dollar.

rick, do this and i will nominate it immediately for classic status... we all need an adjusters input....



i have usaa and they recommend american collectors. i have them for my 914 though have never had a claim. could have insured the teener as a regular ol' car for a bagillion $$ per year in MA through USAA but went the american collectors stated value route instead.

good luck!

Are you sure your Insurance company rep is an honest man?

I had a bug get hit with slightly more damage( a small dent in the quarter panel between the door and the fender), and the rep totaled the car.

Why did he total the car???

That way he could pay me $150 for a $1500 car, and then he could buy my "totaled" car for $87.00.....

Seems his daughters car was stolen, the wheels, engine and interior were stripped, and he was gonna get my brand new engine, my brand new wheels and tires, and my rolled and pleated interior for a song....

I would have been screwed except the rep blurted all of his plans to my buddy who owned the auto body shop that had both cars in the lot...

Ken

How long ago was this? You should have reported him to the commerce dept. It's against the law for an appraiser or adjuster to trade in his own salvage. That guy sounds like a puke! Gives honest appraisers a bad name.

Here's a good comp. even the same year.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=610395

Here's a stock 66

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=521112

Here's a 59

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=558141

another 59

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=696265

Another 59 this one is a rag and has some earings...

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=444995

Here's a 61 stocker with a rack

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=680242

You slave over a car that is 49 years old, and some idiot student driver is careless and messes up your world! I won't even start on insurances! Many of us feel your pain.

I don't have much to say that is positive, except "good luck" and I hope everything works out in your favor.

Pete

thanks! I had already printed those out.

I spoke with the geico rep, her insurance, and they did not want to send a rep out to meet me personally. They insisted that their appraiser view the car at one of the shops doing an estimate so he could properly inspect the vehicle and discuss with the shop what is and isn't appropriate.

I told them i'd let them know when I was taking it in.
The problem is that most likely i wont have time to hang around, so he would most likely assess the car while I'm not there.. her insurance companies appraiser that is.

hmm.

If you bring the car to a shop of your choice, and your discuss repairs with the shop and are comfortable with their repair purposal, then you should be able to leave the car with them. Be sure the shop will escort the appraiser to the vehicle and be sure the shop owner and appraiser have an agreed scope of damage before he leaves.

Really, I doubt the car will total by the damage shown in your photo. But if it does, it will be time to negociate. That's where your comps come into play.

The appraiser will have three vehicle comps to get to an average vehicle value. You need to have the time to review his comps and call the owners to be sure these really compare to yours.

You will need 5 of the highest comps you can come up with. Be sure these are real comps. Comps can be like vehicles across several years when it comes to classic collector vehicles. This is legit because you often see the same make and model across several years sell for similar money.

After you review the appraisers comps, clearly point out why they don't compare to your car. Ask the appraiser to disqualify the ones that don't compare and replace them with one, two or three of your comps. Tell him you will throw out the highest and lowest of your 5.

This should bring you back into a repairable range in value and avoid a threat of a branded title and a total loss. Try it, good luck.

Well written....

I dont understand the classic car insurance thing. It seems to me to be a crappy deal if you have a valuation source like Excellence. When my car was totaled, the lady asked me why I didnt have classic car insurance on my $15K car, I said that it made no sense because I would pay less, but be restricted in its use when the cost of the car is less than a new Honda. If it was worth more than the Excellence value, I would change my mind and go with stated value, but if it is near the Excellence value I think classic insurance is not the way to go.

It depends on the State, the rules and the contract. Every accident in CA is NOT the same as Minnesota....even the definitions are different. It's a state sanctioned racket....

I agree if you have a source like Excellence. But if your at the mercy of real world sales it would be better to do your homework in the first place and get stated value coverage before you need it. A car brer has is an exception to the peoples car rule. If the damage were worse he may have a hard time getting fair value in an average car settlement world. This is an examle of a car that should probably have stated value to avoid a fist fight. You need to weight your options and pick your battles.

That said, the information I post here should not be considered legal advise and may not apply in your state. I'm not an attorney, an auto appraiser, insurance agent, or bar keep. Nor have I played one in any day time drama. Just helpful information passed among friends.

USAA uses American Modern Insurance Group, Inc. out of Ameilia Ohio. I have their info sitting on my desk right now. I went with them because for $238 per year; they will cover my car for $20K replacement coverage. Yes, I'm limited to 6k a year in mileage but that works with me. The sucky part is; 20k is probably what I have in it including the cost of the car.

advice noted and appreciated.
its good to have things spelled out so you don't have to think on your feet any more than necessary.

One of my best friends was a USAA adjuster for 10+ years before breaking out and getting an education. He says that the adjuster is not necessarily dishonest. He is just a miserable guy who lives a third of his life in a cubicle pushing people to settle. The longer it takes to settle the more scrutiny he gets from the miserable people he works under.
When he makes an offer, you just say no... Show him your comps, show him any expert valuation you can get your hands on. If you don't like his counter offer, just say no again and tell him you can get comps all day long showing how much the car is worth. Don also says to tell him you will not settle for any situation that results in your classic getting a salvage designation. The longer you hold him up, the more you will get.
I was once offered $1700 for my totalled 240Z (2002). I gave them comps. showed them an independent appraisal that I had done. Insisted that they get their own independent appraisal. Their appraisal was even higher than mine. I then quit returning their phone calls for a month. They went nuts trying to get the thing settled. Finally, I called them back, they then offered to settle at the lower of the two appraisals. I said no. I think your appraiser is correct. They wrote me a check for $14K. I bought the car back for $700 and sold the engine the next weekend for $5K. Overall, I have sold $30K in parts off of that car.
Best advice - if you don't want an argument get it appraised at least every two years. Get Classic stated value insurance. Follow their rules. If you total it driving to work you are screwed. If you put too many miles on it, you are screwed. Basically, you are signing a contract that says you agree it is worth X, and that you will drive it less than or equal to Y, never to work, always keeping another car for commuting. When the unspeakable happens, all they want to know is did you follow their rules.

meeting went fine, as of yet there is no question as to whether they will fix it or total it. I handed her my comps and she kinda rolled her eyes. :-) but i insisted and she took them. Nice girl, very polite and fast.



Just need some replacement german fenders and it goes in for repair!

anyone have a german front and rear fender for a 58-61?