why isn't your insurance company pursuing damages on your behalf? that's one of their jobs. which state are you located in as your recovery rights may vary?

 

With insurance it's all about comps, especially on a classic car.

You find comps for sale that match your combination, that means modern EFI engine and overdrive transmission (don't mention TPI & 700r4 because your comps will end up being LS & 4L60E)

You must emphasize the upgrades because they will find "survivor" type comps with old school running gear; what you had looks like a survivor type car but your upgrades increase the value and will improve the comps you can find.

Secondly, also negotiate the cost of your salvage; you can make some back on that end and your car will be relatively easy to fix; 65's have a full frame so it's pretty easy to put it on a frame rack to square the frame and find a donor cab section and join it to your bed.

Sorry about your trials, I love 65's so I see lots of potential in what you have left but I also know it can seem overwhelming if you haven't done this stuff before; good luck!

 

i have not bothered my insurance company with this issue yet. and wont if i can get it done myself.

 

In this situation you may be better off having your insurance go to bat for you. The other guy's insurance is going to do everything they can to screw you and you pay your insurance premium specifically for these circumstances.

 

What about your insurance? Do you carry collision insurance on the car with a stated value of the vehicle?
Do you have "collector car" insurance on the vehicle?

 

no just liability and under and uninsured coverage. i will give them another 2 days and then on Monday i will let my insurance know.

What about your insurance? Do you carry collision insurance on the car with a stated value of the vehicle?
Do you have "collector car" insurance on the vehicle?

 

Sorry to say, I doubt if your insurance company will help you because you do not have collision. There is no reason for them to be involved with anything regarding the vehicle.
I would ask the other insurance company to explain how they are coming up with the value.
They probably really don't care about any modifications that have been done. Vehicles just have a basic book value.

 

Sorry to say, I doubt if your insurance company will help you because you do not have collision. There is no reason for them to be involved with anything regarding the vehicle.
I would ask the other insurance company to explain how they are coming up with the value.
They probably really don't care about any modifications that have been done. Vehicles just have a basic book value.

Have to agree, sounds like you are underinsured for this sort of event and are more or less at the mercy of the other guys insurance.

 

I don't see anywhere where it mentions who is at fault, or who had the right of way?

 

1965 Chevrolet Truck Ratings, Pricing, Reviews and Awards | J.D. Power

Get 1965 Chevrolet Truck retail prices, deals and trade-in values. Compare trims, specs and see J.D. Power overall ratings.

www.nadaguides.com

See if this helps

 

The other insurance company will just use the VIN# and run it through whatever estimating tool they use and come up with a value.
Also do you have a police report that indicates in their estimation who's fault it is?
My guess is that it was probably the other person's fault, that is why the insurance is offering you money.

 

If the other driver is at fault, according to the citation, then your insurance company should reimburse you, then they go after the other drivers company for damages. Which usually doesn't take long since lawyers cost big bucks and a judge will agree with the citation and comps, so the other company will lose more, so they'll pay. They'll also cover the hospital bills, ambulance, fire dept, towing etc.

 

It all depends on the insurance coverage you paid for. Comp and collision they will go to bat for you but you will need to show them why you are asking for the price given by showing comps for a similar vehicle. If you only have collision then you are on your own. Small claims court will not cover the loss so you need a lawyer. Sorry but I don't see any other way.

 

If it's the other drivers fault, it's his collision that pays, it's only the victims pip that gets used. Collision covers the other driver, comp covers you. Since the other drivers insurance has already tried bribing with a partial payout, that's tantamount to admission of guilt, insurance companies do not like spending money. So unless they are willing to settle for your comp prices etc, I'd get your insurance company in the loop, cuz they do like to make money.

 

Your insurance company won't spend any resources fighting for you if you had no coverage on your own car beyond the minimum, that won't hurt you in the settlement as long as you are willing to do the work gathering the comps.

Get online, find a few clean 65"s in your State that have been LS swapped and print out the sale ads, put that together with a statement explaining that you had upgraded your 65 to a modern engine and overdrive transmission as well and these cars are in comparable overall condition and located within a reasonable distance to your address.

That is the process, if they cannot find cheaper comps that also match your rides upgrades and overall condition they will offer you an amount that falls within the comp range that you presented.

That's the process, those willing to do that leg work get a reasonable settlement but the at fault company won't do that for you and neither will your own company; its just paper pushing and they want it off their desk as bad as you want it settled for a fair amount.

A few hours work and an insistent attitude will net you thousands more dollars, I have always considered it well worth the time.

 

As much as hate to say, I'd hire an attorney at this point. Since you don't have collision coverage, even though it's obviously not your fault as to the collision itself as they are looking to pay you, your insurer has no skin in the game and aren't obligated to do much of anything on your behalf. The damage looks pretty extensive and from a new car perspective, it would be a total by insurance standards. As you are dealing with an insurer, the other guy's, that unlikely deals with classics, they are just looking at your El no differently than they would someone's 2010 Cobalt. Fighting with insurance companies is not for the faint of heart and I do believe you need some help with this one. You can try to do what RET423 said to do but ultimately, it may not net you the settlement you rightfully deserve. One major point to all collision damage on any vehicle is that there will nearly always be unseen damage hiding and not discovered until the layers start being removed. Thus why most initial estimates go up sharply after work begins. Keep this in mind no matter which way you go on pursuing this. After the dust settles, I'd take this experience as a lesson learned and go with a classic car insurer and get full coverage. When we drive our classics on public roads, we take the same risks as everyone else but we have different priorities and conventional insurers generally have no clue on that we have a different set of monetary values than daily drivers. That and they are always looking to pay out as little as possible by any means possible when their client is at fault.

 

No insurance company would try to fix that car, it is totalled by their standards so establishing the fair market value of the car is the only criteria that matters in the settlement; whoever buys the salvage is the only one that will be concerned with additional damage, that's the risk inherent in buying salvage vehicles.

Comps are how fair market value is determined in the insurance industry, trying to use an attorney for that legwork will cost more than the difference between what they are offering now and what the fair market value actually is; anyone with an internet connection and a printer can can gather comps.

I am not saying that they won't try to screw you, I am just saying that they haven't tried to screw you yet. At this point they are just operating like every insurance company operates, if you engage the process correctly and they refuse to honor that process; that is the point where they are trying to screw you and it might be beneficial to get an attorney involved.

But usually they respect the process, if your comps are solid and they cannot find cheaper comps that also are solid comparisons then they will pay you more.

 

No insurance company would try to fix that car, it is totalled by their standards so establishing the fair market value of the car is the only criteria that matters in the settlement; whoever buys the salvage is the only one that will be concerned with additional damage, that's the risk inherent in buying salvage vehicles.

Comps are how fair market value is determined in the insurance industry, trying to use an attorney for that legwork will cost more than the difference between what they are offering now and what the fair market value actually is; anyone with an internet connection and a printer can can gather comps.

I am not saying that they won't try to screw you, I am just saying that they haven't tried to screw you yet. At this point they are just operating like every insurance company operates, if you engage the process correctly and they refuse to honor that process; that is the point where they are trying to screw you and it might be beneficial to get an attorney involved.

But usually they respect the process, if your comps are solid and they cannot find cheaper comps that also are solid comparisons then they will pay you more.

don't forget that there are different comps out there, just like you have Bluebook/Blackbook/KBB/Edmunds, etc, evaluating used car prices

@rushgator maybe able to throw in some advice here

 

Comps are comparable cars for sale sale right now, that's why the specific features matter to getting a settlement if the vehicle is a total loss; the only scenario where an opinion site would be used would be if no comps exist in the market to use as a basis.

That won't be the case with an EFI/Overdrive modified 65 El Camino in very good shape; there are literally hundreds that meet that description available at any given time for sale.

They offered under 15k, I would bet there is not a single 65 El Camino in great shape with an EFI/Overdrive upgraded powertrain and disc brakes for sale at that price anywhere in the United States right now; the insurance company won't find any actual comps to challenge the ones you find as long as you are diligent to not ignore the average and just try to use the exceptions.

 

Hagerty has a lot of data on classic values from insurance policies and auction results. Now wether an adjuster from another company chooses to accept that data is unknown. Anyhow, Hagerty publishes a price guide 3x per year. Here's a report on a '65 El Camino. Take into account that this does not consider the value of modifications from stock. I hope this helps.

 

Hagerty has a lot of data on classic values from insurance policies and auction results. Now whether an adjuster from another company chooses to accept that data is unknown. Anyhow, Hagerty publishes a price guide 3x per year. Here's a report on a '65 El Camino. Take into account that this does not consider the value of modifications from stock. I hope this helps.

I'd advise anyone using mods to change the value of their car to use caution. Not all mods will increase the value of any vehicle as much as some believe. I'm a Harley guy and a lot of bikers have found out this much to their dismay. They have sunk a bunch of $$ into a bike, which is easy to do and very common, and found out that it isn't worth all that much more from factory stock down the road. This also holds true to cars & trucks. I've seen it happen. A restomod may be exactly how you want it to your tastes and budget but to a buyer, he/she may be looking at changing things after they buy it and take that into consideration so they will not pay as much as someone who likes it just as it is. That's also very common. For an insurance valuation where you set the value, do what you feel. But at sale time, be realistic especially in this volatile marketplace.

 

You can have a total loss appraisal done on the car. It can be determined what condition the car was in prior to the accident and what the value was. Auto Appraisal Group or AAG can do that appraisal for you. You can use that appraisal to take to the insurance co or hand it over to an attorney. With your injuries, you should receive a substantial settlement.

 

Comps are comparable cars for sale sale right now, that's why the specific features matter to getting a settlement if the vehicle is a total loss; the only scenario where an opinion site would be used would be if no comps exist in the market to use as a basis.

That won't be the case with an EFI/Overdrive modified 65 El Camino in very good shape; there are literally hundreds that meet that description available at any given time for sale.

They offered under 15k, I would bet there is not a single 65 El Camino in great shape with an EFI/Overdrive upgraded powertrain and disc brakes for sale at that price anywhere in the United States right now; the insurance company won't find any actual comps to challenge the ones you find as long as you are diligent to not ignore the average and just try to use the exceptions.

ok thanks all the replies .i have sent the adjuster e-mail asking him to refigure my claim."
please find comparable vehicles which include modern fuel injection engine and overdrive automatic trans and disc brakes.

these are the main comps my car has."
btw the other guy got citation for failure to yield ROW.
he was still accelerating when his frontend hit my door, i could hear his engine racing.

 

Wow
That sucks I would start by asking so u have an appraisal for the car?? Or do u have any receipts for what you did or replaced it’s easy to say what we feel our cars are worth but it situations like this when crunch time comes if you had an appraisal for at least what you feel the valuation is you may have a shot, I would not settle and ask insurance company to find you one like yours they won’t? Maybe you can reach a deal if you can show something of
What you have done to car then buy it back and part it out,glad your sons ok tobad cars not
Goodluck

 

Be difficult to find an attorney to take a Collision only case, they'll want to play up the Bodily Injury claim... have they settled that with you yet?

 

i turned in $10,400 in receipts most body and paint 5,400 just this last year. they have not taken any of that into account yet. they are playing a waiting game. they have really been trying to get my car away from me . title procurement. i told them to quit that, i want to keep my salvage. just after i turned in my receipts they sent another TLS offer exactly same as before the receipts. so at that point i got a injury atty. involved. before that point i offered to settle without injury claim or to have them combine both claims to equal enough for me to replace my property loss and i got "crickets"
i have not taken a rent car, no storage charges have been incurred, they have not even paid my tow bill. and yes atty do not want to do property loss without me paying for it up front.
they did offer $1,000 for injury right away, i turned it down and said i would wait and see how the property damage turned out.

3 adjusters so far have handled this so far, i do not know why they keep changing them. there communication is very poor. i will not say what company it is but there initials are just like my country's initials with an extra A at the end. and you have to work or have worked for the armed services to be insured by them.

 

I have an idea why they have had several adjusters look at it. They want to be able to say that several qualified people looked at it and came to the same conclusion. Covering their ass. While I hate to see you have to do it, I'm glad you secured an attorney which I believe you need at this point as I mentioned earlier. Also, as you are now represented by counsel, they cannot contact you directly. They have to do everything through your attorney which is good for you. If they contact you directly, just tell them they have to contact your lawyer and cut them off. You did the right thing turning down the offers so far. Once you agree to anything, they will make you sign releases and you have no legal recourse after. I know exactly which company you are dealing with and while I have no experience with them in any way, it wouldn't surprise me if any other company treated you the same. They try to wear people like you down but stick to your guns. The entire situation sucks but hopefully a lesson is learned about coverage on your vehicles.

 

i would have had classic car coverage except i can not keep the car in the garage, a requirement i have seen every time i have checked. another classic occupies that spot.

 

above is old list of vehicles used to calculate loss
i just got word they are going to re calculate using the comps i turned in
efi engine/overdrive cars. much higher values
it will take up to 48 hours this new guy said. i must say he communicates much better and faster than the others that were handling this matter new values will be 23,000 40,000 54,000
i should get a higher average out of that. i will let you know how it turns out.

 

I have added my El Camino into my "ShowCase" available to members on this site.
Blue Thunder | El Camino Central Forum

It has information about the truck that many of you who have helped me, could answer questions should I not be here to sell it.
I thank you in advance for assisting those who follow me.

I changed insurance on it this month. The new insurance Company/Agent asked that I send it as it helps them appraise it for stated value policy.
They also asked for some selected current images to show "todays condition".
They received it and found no reason to question my value.

One advantage is that I can keep the "ShowCase" updated and add links to threads on upgrades.

 

WOW ! No Stated value collector car insurance ? I wouldn't own a collector car w/o it .

 

Don't you mean agreed value?

 

well they did a lot better this time. looks like we will settle in a day or 2 still have to find out if they will add some for my receipts , and how much they want for the salvage. this was a daily driver not a show car.

 

i signed the title over, just in case anyone wants to bid on the salvage.
i decided not to keep because insurance wanted 3500 for salvage, just too much i am thinking.
i am not going to bid on it . i will just build something else.
IAA insurance auto auctions stock # 32763844
it is still in my driveway , but they will pick it up soon.
it has a good 1990 350TPI engine and 700R4 trans.
soon you can find it at

16602 E Hardy Rd, Houston, TX 77032
website iaai . com
+12814431300
i just hope they do not crush it.