[Spridgets] midget accident update

[Bud Osbourne]

Yeah, life was much simpler back in '79.  Now, when they total your car,
and you want to keep the carcass, they offer it up for bids.  You have
the opportunity to match the high bid, if you want to keep it.
Of course, you can retain physical possession of the car, and refuse to
surrender it to the insurance company.  However, they will simply deduct
the amount of the high bid from your settlement check.
Personally, if I were in that position (wrecked Spridget), I'd have the
car towed from the wreck site to my home garage, and make the insurance
company send their adjuster out to look at it.  That way, at least the
insurance company isn't holding ALL of the cards.  If the car is towed
to a body shop (and it will invariably be one that does a lot of
insurance claim repairs), you are really at the mercy of the insurance
company.
I had a situation like that, with my ex-wife's Midget, years ago.  She
stuffed the car pretty good, and allowed the insurance company to take
possession of it.  They moved it to one of "their" collision shops and
were going to just sit on the thing until they wore her down on the
settlement amount.  She called me and asked me what she should do (I was
always her "go-to guy" when she got in a bind).  I just took my trailer
down there, one Sunday morning, and loaded the thing on & took it out to
our farm for safe keeping.  The body shop wasn't too pleased (they
thought that, since it couldn't be driven or flat-towed, no one would
try to move it), but, since she had the title in her possession, and
they didn't know who had picked it up, they couldn't do anything about
it except complain......
Anyhow, two new fenders, a bonnet and a valence later, it was as good as
new (frame was not damaged).  I had her dictate terms to the insurance
company, stating that she would keep the car, and have it repaired
herself.  They could either total it, or pay the repair bill, if it was
less (it was, but they "totaled" it, anyway).  She totaled the car two
more times, before she finally sold it and moved back to Minnesota.
I think the car is still in the Pittsburgh area (Sewickley).  It's a
Teal Blue '74.
Bud Osbourne 

-----Original Message-----
From: spridgets-bounces+abcoz=hky.com at autox.team.net
[mailto:spridgets-bounces+abcoz=hky.com at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of
Robert Duquette
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 10:02 AM
To: spridgets at autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] midget accident update

I didn't have to bid on my 'B back in '79.  I had first right of
refusal.  I 
don't remember the details of the conversation, but I do remember saying

something to the effect of "hey, it's MY car until we settle and I'm not

letting it go".

Titles have changed a lot over that time frame.  I do have a US RWA in
my 
garage with a 'salvage' title.  I was told that it might have to go
through 
a "special" safety check, in addition to the regular one, if I ever
wanted 
to put it on the road again.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/robertduquette/replacement_engine/replacement_e
ngine.htm
( the words are the vendors )