All;
-I'll probably stir up another s***-storm on this emotional &
subjective topic, but here goes. I have 2 points to make.
1)To be objective about our TIGERS is often a difficult task, but the
one subject I'll ALWAYS be objective about is $$.
We would all like to think that our "pride & joy" is worth a
high-dollar figure, which gets reflected in the asking/for-sale price
of not only TIGERS, but all specialty cars. To over simplify, &
pre-Mktng. classes in Grad. school, I always remembered the old adage
that something is only "worth" what the buyer was willing to pay.
2) I recently had my car appraised by a specialty car appraiser for
insurance reasons, as this was the only way my PARTICULAR insurance
carrier would give me "full-boat" insurance on our recently-purchased
'66 TIGER. This includes fire, theft, collision, uninsured drivers,
etc. (So anyone doesn't think I have a "bad" insurance co..I have FULL
coverage on 4 cars from the '66 TIGER to a '95 Jeep Cherokee for about
$1,200.00/yr).
Getting the car appraised cost $250.00 and also required 2 sets of
photos...one for my broker & the other for the main office back East.
I was pleasantly surprised that the delta between the appraised value
& what I paid was quite good.
MY POINT: doing my insurance on our Tiger this way completely avoids
the any future settlement problems AFTER THE FACT if something happens
to the car. This negates the proverbial p***ing contest over a
fuzzy set of snapshots with the adjuster after the fact.Secondly, I
now have a "hard-copy" document for negotiating purposes if & when I
ever want to sell the car.
MY POINT: when buying a car, ask for a recent appraisal sheet.
Remember that your insurance will only pay the lowest-grade value on a
TIGER per the Kelley Blue Book if you buy one and you lose it. I think
it's about $2,200. Sadly,think of the hours and dollars invested in a
Tiger restoration project, only to get the bare minimum on later
settlement. For my money, I'd have my car appraised semi-annually if
my project took quite awhile.
Phil LeBrun
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