Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 09:07:23 -0400
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: kelphoto@bright.net (mark keller)
Subject: 91' Vanagon Carat $1800 Purchase Part II
Well I'm back.
Gone for a month is hard on the list. I forgot to turn it off, and 1000
plus messages later I'm now caught up. I appreciate good times postings
more and more.
My trip included a dash to Miami, to p/u my recently purchased 91' Carat
WLE from a auto recycler. Saw the Ad in Auto Trader, at
www.traderonline.com. Something like: 90' VW Vanagon Carat, needs
bodywork, $1800. Since my dad and I can do this stuff, I perked up!.
I called for the story. A totaled bus that had been issued a
"unrebuildable" salvage title by Florida and needed to be titled in a state
that didn't categorize salvage vehicles as rebuildable or unrebuildabl.
According to Florida law unrebuildable classified vehilces are to be sold
as parts only and then crushed. This guy buys only VW's and ships such cars
to other countries. He said the van ran well and had been handicaped
modified w/ handcontrols and an electric wheelchair lift. The milage was
119k, and it had been hit in the rf corner. He said it was drivable and
needed to have a door and the front fender straightened. Pictures were
offered and accepted. Wait three weeks for these to "materialize". Really
hard to wait. In the meantime. I did one of my favorite pastimes,
research.
I asked for the Vin code cause if it was so easy to fix why why why and
more whys as to the $1800 price. Oh, BTW the Salvage guy say's for an
extra $200 bucks I'll give you all the parts to repair it, sans a front
bumper cover which I don't have. Hmmm!! $2k + sweat equity + unknowns = my
dream bus.
>From the VIN # the State gave me the insurance company that paid off the
total, I know its on the title, but I didn't want to tip off the salvage
folks of what I was up to. I wanted to get the title cleared in Florida,
Plan B was to get it titled in another State, I live in Ohio, and they were
skeptical, where I' m moving to this summer Washington state wasn't. Send
us money, make sure our documents are filled out, and vioal!!! --plates.
I track down the officer who "totaled the vehichle" She agreed to fax the
estimate to me. The estimate was a whopper. innuedo included. Somebody was
not talking about the same van. $9500 plus. The estimate also included
the PO name and his phone #. Boy was I having fun. I call the PO.
Can you tell a little about the van. Well I loved it. I drove it 55k in 2
years. I drove back and forth between Sarasota and Ft. Lauderdal to see my
grandparents. I kept it maintaned, and well it didn't seem to need much
except the usual. I had it maintain by a really good shop. ( Buggy Knutz
Too, Sarasota, FL) How did you wreak it?
Well the wreak turns out to be a tussle over the wheel by a drunk friend
who wanted to return to the bar to finish the fight, and the driver who was
a parpalegic. Nobody won. The van drove into a residential front yard
that had those Knarly railroad tie landscape dealys. Nobody hurt, 35mph he
thinks and the rest is history. He said the van didn't look to bad, but the
impact "popped' the front tire- which was a bummer cause the tires were
Miccheleins and only 2 weeks old. Hmmm. I probe. Anythin else been
replaced recently? Well yeah, new shocks,(KYB'S), brakes, wheel cylinders,
6 monthes ago. WELLL. Anything else?
Well about a year ago my alternator/ waterpump belt broke, but since I'm in
a wheelchair I just drove it to the nearest highway exit, and they said the
motor's was fried. I had a VW factory rebuilt motor installed, and
whatever it needed. Yes Yes Yes. Do you recall who did the work? He did. I
called. They said yup, remember him well. The van was well cared for and
ran really well. BTW I ask do you keep records and if so could you mail me
the van's history. LOVE to. Whoopee!!
Feeling pretty satisfied and very optomistic. I planned my next move.
Get pictures, blow up to 8" x 10" , and send them and estimate to family
members who happen to do rebuilds. They say yeah, its a good deal, cause
the parts alone would be worth that, if things turn sour. The photo's
reveal a very nice type salvage operation with lot of buses, and organized
dismanteling. Mostly late model VW's being dismantedl. I'm comfy with the
company.
What makes a wreak become an unrebuildale title? Turns out everyone belives
a little different version. From the State statues and internal documents,
the classification is determined soley by the insurance company. Hmm. I
call them
The insurance company I dealt with "Progressive" and it's agent felt the
estimated damage repairs indicated that the vehicle would be unsafe since
"all of the front end was scheduled to be replace with new parts. Thats
their story. The State did say that the it was the insurance company's
prerogative to request a corrected title if the Unrebuildable status was in
error. No amount of explaining worked here. The bottom line was kinda
murky. I got as far as having the case reveiwed by a supervisor. This
occured after I made the obervation that the repairs included only $3000
total for sheet metal and structural repairs-- half of which appeared
bogus. The supervisor said that in effect we don't want to be responsible
for the vehicle being on the road. Case really closed!!@! Humph! Ok so I
thought I'd ask.
What to do, asdf;lkjasdf;kjasdf;llkj, Seems that my previous experience
with insurance totals is that after my beloved Buick sustained a bent rim,
scratched bumper cover, and dented fender, and long scratch down the side,
the $1700 repair resulted in a "totaled" car. What!! I tell the insurance
companty, the vehicle can't be totaled, I put the spare on and I 'm
driving it. Plus its book value is $3500 or so.
Yeah but, their might be hidden damage and we don't want to be
responisible. Oh yeah, it had a 169K miles. Hmmm, common denominator? Well
the truth is these are case by case experiences. Some cars are really
totalled. Some are really not a good Idea to be rebuilt. Expert repair
people can tell the difference. Insurance companies seem to either be
gullible or very blind.
I feel the major winner is the savlage yard. In most of my exposure, the
estimator is an independant who writes repair estimates for a territory.
Insurace companies do the licensed bonded thing with em. and thats that.
Their word. Meanwhile the salvage yard laps up the gravy. A hunch is that
good parts cars get canned rather easy. But thats the way some things work
out. I've benefited. But I feel for owners whose cars are "taken from
them" cause of its desirabitly, or milage, and they want to have it
repaired, but if you don't have experience or friends it's not a doable
thing. OK Digression aside.
All in all I sense that this van has something that is keeping it from
being shipped overseas. All indicators say its a well loved vehicle, that
just got into bad situation. The salvage yard says if I don't want it, the
tires, engine and computer are spoken for. What do I want to do? I talk it
up with my people. I call, I buy. No see, but I'm pretty sure its a good
deal.
Vacation is coming up in 3 weeks. It's a long 3 weeks. I arrive at the
junk yard, err salvage yard. The van looks good, runs good, I'm pretty
excited. Boy is it dirity. I guess when the PO dropped a coke it stayed
on the floor. I can fix that. Salvage operator says to put fifty miles on
it and come back, he'll let me have a stall all day to do whatever, and I
can pluck any part I need gratis. Wonderful guy.
Fifty miles later and the only thing I really see is that high oil pressure
unit is bad. Supposed to be a "oil level" sensor kinda a warning. I
ground it to kill the alarm, since everything else checks ok. I set the
toe on the tires, half a round out. I measure the frame, nothins bent.
The crash damage is a energy absorbing beam and some twisted sheet metal,
and both front crash bars are pushed in 3". A new door and some light body
work to the rear sliding door and wheel opening. I look and look at my new
find. I'm satisfied. It runs great. everyone thinks so. It drives
mahvelous. I tweak and twiddle with a few things, change the oil and etc.
So off I head to Houston Tx for week or so with my dad to fix it. More
later.
Mark Keller
Nameless 91' Carat WLE
