Crash Finale

["Giller,Bruce C." <bgiller@domain.elided>]

	As you all remember my accident in January, when someone pulled out in
front of me and I 'T boned' him with my '73 GTV to teach him some road
manners.  And it was the same day that I FINALLY got the rebuilt engine
running - 18 miles on the tripometer.  And the GTV has been languishing
at the body shop since awaiting  final verdict.

	The insurance folks made me an initial offer of $1645 if I kept the
car, and $1760 if they kept the car.  They
subtracted $650 for previous damage.  I faxed them 12 pages of
engine/parts receipts.  They responded with an offer of $200 more for
these expenditures - about $.05 on the dollar.  Their evaluation sources
scoured their database for all GTV sales in the US and only came up with
two!  One for $2600 and the other for $4400.  No idea just how they got
this information.

	  I countered with a barrage of website listings, NADA, CPI (Cars of
Particular Interest), and a comment from the Sports Car Market letter. 
They ignored all these online sources, even going as far as to say they
never use NADA.  Then one of the agents in the room (I was on the phone
at the time), came up with a CPI book and it gave a valuation of $6150
for my GTV.  So after deducting all expenses, they offered me $4978
($5803 if they kept the car) which I took and the check is in the mail. 
I've already called the body shop to begin work restoring the car by
first giving me an estimate (due today).   I'll probably have to sink
some money in to the car so I'll have to absorb a loss but at least
it'll be back in my driveway.  And I can fix a few cosmetic problems
that have cropped up since buying the car.

	It took awhile to get them to see that my GTV was worth more than what
they were offering.  It just took persistance, even headedness, and lots
of faxing to sway them to my side.  I was looking forward to going to
Lime Rock this Spring in the GTV, but I probably won't be able to make it.

	Bruce

	'73 GTV on the mend
	'86 Spider

--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided