First of all, my condolences. I went through a similar scenario
a couple of years back and although my car was not as damaged as
yours sounds to be, I despaired of making it roadworthy again.
Secondly, I am glad you seem to be OK (other than seriously bummed).
That's a blessing.
The good news is that Spitfires are infinitely repairable. You
didn't say what year it was. Some things to think about - is
the damage body only or does it include the frame? Is there any
mechanical damage (like the front suspension)? How much work
can you do yourself? Are you willing to drive distances for
good used parts (cheaper than the insurance company can get 'em)?
The insurance company is not obligated to fix if the damages equal
some percentage of the book value (around 80 %). In most states,
they HAVE to total it in that case to prevent severely damaged cars
from being put back on the road. But they will almost always sell
it back to you. It's a hassle to get a totalled car re-titled, but
it can be done. I don't know how it works in MN.
It is unlikely that they will accept list member's opinions of the
cars worth, but you MUST be informed. You will need to work with
them with lots of patience. What worked for me was being a "likeable pest."
Too annoying and the guy might screw you just to get revenge.
Too laid back and you'll get ignored.
My car was initially totalled, but I got the adjuster to re-write
the estimate based on my doing some of the labor ($0 labor charge)
and me getting the parts at a reduced price. Then the car didn't
need to be totalled. I did have to sign a release not to come back
for more $$$ later. Not the most satisfactory solution, but it
did work out in the end.
Take a few days to get in a better frame of mind and then decide
what you want to do. I know that this list will give you a ton
of support.
Best of luck to you!
Greg Rowe
78 Spitfire
>From: hill <hill@mninter.net>
>Reply-To: hill <hill@mninter.net>
>To: "spitfires@autox.team.net" <spitfires@autox.team.net>
>Subject: Spit hit...now what?
>Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 19:37:08 -0500
>
>Hey all:
>
>Out for a drive this evening, my spit got t-boned
<snipped>
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