Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2008 11:01:20 -0500
Reply-To: Greg Potts <greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Greg Potts <greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
Subject: Re: What to do with a crash survivor
In-Reply-To: <w53bq7zg2tz.fsf@fozzie.woozle.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
Hi Neale,
Recovering your investment is going to depend on your relationship
with the insurance company. It'd be easy if you were interested in
parting out the vehicle. It'll be more difficult otherwise.
First thing, is to regain custody of the vehicle ASAP, if you don't
have it. Storage costs add up quickly and the insurance company is
not going to act quickly unless you agree to the initial offer, which
is going to be very low. I very much doubt the value of the engine
will be considered. I'd be surprised if their first offer covers the
costs of the rack, bumper and tires.
Secondly, you need to negotiate the value of the vehicle with the
insurance co.
If you can convince them that the value is high enough to repair the
van, then you can sell it and get your money out of it that way. Show
them all your receipts, and the values posted at Go-Westy, etc.
If they write it off, you need to buy it back and part it out in
order to recoup your investment. There's no other way. The equipment
required for this is only a few hundred dollars, if that. The big
stuff can be rented, cheap. I parted out a 1989 7-passenger a few
years ago; it took me 10 hours to get the engine out; it was the
original and had a LOT of rusted fasteners. A new Go-westy engine
would be a LOT easier. Get some good quality sockets, allen wrenches,
screwdrivers and a rubber mallet and you'll be good to go. You can
sell the tools when you're done and get your investment back on them,
too.
Your location may have a lot of impact on your rights and privileges
in dealing with the insurance company. If you care to share your
location and insurance company I would expect there may be others on
the list who can offer more specific advice.
Happy Trails,
Greg Potts
1973/74/77/79 Westfakia "Bob The Tomato
www.pottsfamily.ca
www.busesofthecorn.com
On 5-Jan-08, at 8:28 PM, Neale Pickett wrote:
> It's funny, I was working on a message to this list asking for
> opinions
> about whether I was cut out for owning this vehicle. Last night as my
> wife and I were discussing that very subject, someone failed to yield
> pulling out onto the freeway and we T-boned them at 55MPH. My wife,
> daughter, and I are all bruised but not broken, amazingly. The
> windshield landed 15 feet ahead of the bus.
>
> I was mostly focused on the people but here's what I took away
> about the
> 1989 7-passenger Vanagon:
>
> * It went from 55 to 0 awfully quickly
> * The cooling system now has a very fast leak :)
> * The windshield is gone
> * The front end is pretty banged up
> * My feet are fine
>
> We decided this was our cosmic invitation to acknowledge we're not
> Vanagon people.
>
> I'm guessing from having read this list that the insurance company is
> going to want to total it. There's a good chance the frame is
> bent, and
> in their book the vehicle's probably not worth that much. I happen to
> know that the parts on this thing are worth quite a bit. We have:
>
> * A 2.3L GoWesty engine, still under warranty (about 7,000 miles
> on it)
> * New Nokian snow tires with reinforced sidewalls, about 100 miles
> on them
> * A Gary Lee rack
> * A Gary Lee rear bumper with trailer hitch
> * An unused Bus Depot awning
> * Two new GoWesty rear seat belts (weren't in use during the crash)
> * A whole van full of parts in good shape
>
> The question is, how much of a pain is it going to be for me to
> recover
> some of the money we put into the bus? The engine alone was around 5
> grand. But I don't have the equipment to tear the thing down and sell
> the parts out.
>
> Any suggestions as to what to do?
>
> Neale
> who has a sore chest and a newfound love for Ralph Nader
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