NOOOO!!!!! My car is totalled!!!

I was working on the cars history (LA private investigation firm owner) I will continue to work on that for you. I was doing this gratis - free - not a service we normally offer. Nor would I offer paid services on the HAMB.

DON'T take anyones advice except that to seek an attorney. Any advice means nothing unless coming from your paid attorney.

I would surmise a damage award based on "replacement" value than on what you paid. Where I may be able to come thru for you on. If you can find other cars selling prices that are just like it - recently. And we can find a lineage for the car - even minimal i.e. - famous hollywood restaurantuer - whatever - you may have some grounds to get a better award. It may take going to court. But you also have to consider giving the car up to the insurance company.

Putting calls into my sources at CA DMV today. Keep me updated. This makes me sick. You must be besides yourself. I know you've waiting for this car like a winning lottery ticket. It was a very smart buy. I can't believe this.

FYI I don't buy the transport company claiming they are limited to 5k. Anyone can be sued. Your attorney will most likely advise sueing everyone. I would, as it isn't them you are sueing it is their insurance companies. That's what they are for.

Really sorry to hear this news. Keep your chin up. We'll figure this out.

49Lincoln

 

God, I had not wanted to see this thread because I knew it was gonna make me sad.
I guess Im evil but if my car got wrecked like that I would want people hurt...
Some cars arent just objects they are irriplaceable.
Or atleast would cost a crapload and a really long time to track down all the parts.
They should give you the historic value of the car not what you paid for.
Hell that would cause me so much mental distress I'd have to take time off work!
I hate seeing vintage iron hurt.

 

Besy of luck working this one out Scooby. It's a damn shame. Keep us posted.

 

unclescooby - CA DMV has no records associated with the car. We'll have to start with the original bill of sale. As soon as you have that information forward it and we'll get started constructing the lineage from that end.

wish I had better news.

49Lincoln

 

Yeah, the plan for right now is to drive out there tomorrow, take intensive pictures of the car, load it up, bring it home, and put it in the garage. Then I should have a police report no later than monday that will give me all of the contact information that I need (hopefully) including exactly what happened, who is involved and insurance information. I'll go from there. Everything else is just speculation at this point. In the meantime all I can do is get the car and keep trying to research it's history. Thanks to 49Lincoln and everyone else for help with that. I'm hoping to get lucky and find a reciept or something in the car. We'll see how it goes. I'll post up more pictures tomorrow night.

 

i feel sick now for seeing it like that. sorry for your loss man.

 

When I think about it, you have a weak case if you base it on some obscure figure that involves say...foot prints on the ceiling. An idea came up about running down to DMV and paying taxes based on $500K to show a fraudulent sale price. In Texas that tax would be over $30,000 and a judge would see the dates in a heart beat and then you have more problems. Do you think you need an attorney? I mean you have two 18 wheelers, the carrier, and two other vehicles. I'd say that was a significate event wouldn't you. Look, I'm not and attorney or anything but, I learned long time ago to hire professions when necessary. You wouldn't take out your own appendix would you? You shouldn't even be talking to an adjuster until you get illegal advice.

 

Not great, but doesn't look too awful bad, get it on a frame machine and pull the rearend back out, with any luck a donor can be located for the nose and tail and the parts will be the same. The only spot that could be trouble is that left rear quarter and door, it looks like some buckling in there. But still, I've seen worse, there's ways to fix all of that - the parts that can't be straightened just get cut out and replaced with something else.

Edit: looks like you pretty much decided to do what I was saying anyhow... also I see the fault is still up in the air.

With any luck you can win a decent award on this one, 40 or 50 thousand aught to pretty well pay to fix the damage on the car at any rate. But it's not going to be fun to look at in the meantime - good luck.

If you decide to start looking for parts let me know, I might be able to find some things, I did know a guy with a sedan parts car in not too bad of shape.

 

ok, you DO know you don't have to settle for that shit.
make 'em fix it.

 

Scoob, that really blows the big one!!

 

Just had to chime in and offer my condolences, hope everything works out for you...

bryan

 

Sorry to hear this about your new car Scooby. You were just telling me about it two days ago. Good luck with the situation and If you need help searching for parts just say the word.

 

I wish I hadn't clicked on this thread. Now I'm going to be depressed for the rest of the night. Best of luck to you on the outcome, keep us updated.

 

That looks horrible scoob... glad u are okay man.

 

Too bad you didn't have it appraised. You never think it will happen to you......

 

Scooby is saying the guy hauling the car had a 5K deductable on his cargo insurance.

Whomever is found at fault (usually the guy that rearends a vehicle) is the one who has to pay. If the carrier hauling the car doesn't have enough coverage to pay, you go after the deepest pockets.

If Scooby can prove that the car was WORTH substantially more than he paid for it he should be able to recover that amount in court. Remember that you are entitled to recover ALL of your financial loss....if Scoob were to have a buyer lined up before the accident that would have paid him big $$$, and he lost the sale (and profit) because of the accident, then he sould be able to be compensated for his loss (HINT!).

I'm not a lawyer but I play one on the HAMB.....

 

" I'm not a lawyer but I play one on the HAMB....."

You hit the nail on the head. Plus each state is different. In CA my attorney had me pull equal value cars from the Autotrader to justify the "replacement" value to the adjuster. I got a bit more than what I had paid for it.

 

they should pay what ever it costs to get it back into the condition it was when it first was picked up

 

ouch

 

Scooby - you don't need a lawyer -you need an Insurance Claim Handler. They know the system and can get you the best results. Too damn bad, that was a cool car.

It would look killer for Pimp My Ride.

 

I think I would rather see the car totalled......

 

Sorry to hear and see this. I'd be heartbroken, too. I bet someone was on a cell phone.

 

Scooby,
1st off that looked like a killer car! Was that being hauled on a 2 axle trailer? I am a former adjuster for Farmers insurance as well as General Motors. Here is what an adjuster look for.

1.Extent of damage in order to repair vehicle to like kind & quality before the accident (not necessarily restore to new if it wasn't in that condition already)

2. Cost exceedence of repair,(this means that if the repair exceeds 70% of the value of the vehicle, it falls with in the total loss thresh hold)

3.Any vehicle is repairable @ any price, Now you need to decide how much this vehicle means to you. It doesn't matter to the insurance company how much you paid for it. What does count is how much the vehicles replacement value is? (this is no ordinary car, so it is open to all parties providing proof of the net value of the vehicle)

4. Based on documentation of the production,condition & availabilty of a replacement unit, all parties will have to justify their settlement amounts & how they came to that conclusion. (We had a saying @ Farmers-"I would like to give you as much as I can possibly justify to give to you."

5. Don't act so quickly to settle this, Gather all of the info that you can,place it all in a folder takes names,#'s of who you spoke with & log everything starting with the call from the transporter advising you of the accident. Obtain a copy of the police report & go over it very carefully.

Good luck with that ok & hope it turns out well.
Kevin

 

Scooby you might want to contact Hotwheel (Reggie) his 32 3w was hit during last years Round up in Austin.He told me that he made the other person's ins pay for all the damages to his car.He did have trouble at first,but after talking to the head honcho he finally got things going.He might have some advise for you.

 

Man, I am sorry to hear about this. I am glad no one was hurt. If you do get to rebuild, it does look like the front at least is stock. I am sure the back is the same.
Mike

 

I just got home from the impound lot. The car looks awful but the more I looked, the better things got. There is almost no visible frame damage. The front drivers side frame horn is slightly bent and easily repairable. The rest of the damage appears to all sheetmetal. Everything forward of the front doors will need replaced and everything behind the rear doors will need replaced. The cabin space is all in remarkably good condition. The old girl stood up pretty damn well against two semis, a full size pickup, a trailer, and Chevy Malibu. I believe one good donor car could do the trick and the car still deserves restoration. The car was by no means pristine but it was a solid, rust free, totally straight car with no damage.

I'm not expecting the insurance company to repaint it, reupholster it, or rebuild the engine. I just want it put back into it's previous condition of needing a cosmetic restoration.

I got two more leads on it's history today that I'll start tracking tomorrow. Ford apparently took orders from individuals for these cars and then sent them to Hess and Eisenhardt for the conversion so even though Hess and Eisenhardt are dead and the records are gone, Ford MIGHT still have them somewhere. I also think I'm going to have some luck tracing backwards from the last place the car was left (the warehouse). Additionally, I spent three hours searching every inch of the car for ANY kind of document, name, or picture. I found one extremely old piece of paper that was shredded very badly by mice that I'm going to try my CSI skills on tonight to reassemble and read. There is no piece bigger than half of one inch. Should be interesting. But I can read the words Hollywood California on it and it's extremely old. Hoping it's something relevant.

I won't know anything else till monday or tuesday when the police report comes in. I'll keep ya posted.

 

I only have two things to reinforce...

Attorney... get one.

Replacement Cost or cost to fix.... period...

 

Scoob...once you get the clip pulled off and the rear section disassembled you'll be back on track. Everything looks bad as it comes in the door but a day of disassembly will get it looking much easier to fix. With the unboltable bent stuff out of the way the whole repair procedure will become easier to visualize. Just remember not to remove the quarters and trunk floor etc until any necessary pulling is done to straighten the parts you intend to reuse. Better to pull it back into shape in the reverse direction from how it bent AND as a welded unit, instead of individual sections. You can cut and finesse the fit of individual areas after the major pull is done.

That cars just too cool to let die.

 

Sorry Scoob... it is a serious loss.. i hurt for you.