Now I'm REALLY berkeleyed (RIP Samurai)

If you had full coverage and filed through your own company, you will have better luck getting it fixed the right way and letting them go after the other guy's insurance for the cost.

But if you're like me and file through their insurance, you are completely at their mercy. You must take it to their body shop, get it fixed at their prescribed rates, hunt down their customer service idiots who never return your calls, etc etc... It's generally a bad time and you won't be happy with the end result. My Saturn still pulls slightly left because they tried to align it instead of replacing a probably bent control arm, no matter how big of fit I threw...

Glad you're okay, that's most important. You might get lucky and they'll write it off, so you can buy it back and use the payout for a donor + upgrades.

maschinenbau wrote: But if you're like me and file through their insurance, you are completely at their mercy. You must take it to their body shop, get it fixed at their prescribed rates, hunt down their customer service idiots who never return your calls, etc etc... It's generally a bad time and you won't be happy with the end result. My Saturn still pulls slightly left because they tried to align it instead of replacing a probably bent control arm, no matter how big of fit I threw...

Yeah this is what I'm afraid of. It will most likely be written off though so at least I'll have options other than letting them half-ass it.

Don't get discouraged, this is when my hilux trophy project started to get good. Now you've got nothing to loose.

maschinenbau wrote: If you had full coverage and filed through your own company, you will have better luck getting it fixed the right way and letting them go after the other guy's insurance for the cost. But if you're like me and file through their insurance, you are completely at their mercy. You must take it to their body shop, get it fixed at their prescribed rates, hunt down their customer service idiots who never return your calls, etc etc... It's generally a bad time and you won't be happy with the end result. My Saturn still pulls slightly left because they tried to align it instead of replacing a probably bent control arm, no matter how big of fit I threw... Glad you're okay, that's most important. You might get lucky and they'll write it off, so you can buy it back and use the payout for a donor + upgrades.

Most of the above is utter bullE36 M3, just FYI...

Klayfish wrote:

maschinenbau wrote: If you had full coverage and filed through your own company, you will have better luck getting it fixed the right way and letting them go after the other guy's insurance for the cost. But if you're like me and file through their insurance, you are completely at their mercy. You must take it to their body shop, get it fixed at their prescribed rates, hunt down their customer service idiots who never return your calls, etc etc... It's generally a bad time and you won't be happy with the end result. My Saturn still pulls slightly left because they tried to align it instead of replacing a probably bent control arm, no matter how big of fit I threw... Glad you're okay, that's most important. You might get lucky and they'll write it off, so you can buy it back and use the payout for a donor + upgrades.

Most of the above is utter bullE36 M3, just FYI...

Yeah I'm not making this stuff up...this was my exact experience last year. Both my insurance and their insurance told me the same thing, that if I had full coverage I could have filed with my own company and taken it to the good shop in town that I know does great work. Instead it had to be their shady shop, where I ended up with steering that slightly pulls but alignment is technically "within spec", a trunk that whistles and doesn't seal but doesn't leak water so it's good, and good thick smatherin' of bondo on the rear quarter. Insurance and shop said they did everything they were required to do.

Collisions are no fun to deal with. Best of luck to you.

In reply to maschinenbau:

Federal law states that you have the right to choose any repair shop...

Javelin wrote: In reply to maschinenbau: Federal law states that you have the right to choose any repair shop...

Yes they said I could take it anywhere, but I would have to pay the difference out of pocket. I got quotes from both...difference was over $1000. Some choice I had there.

maschinenbau wrote:

Javelin wrote: In reply to maschinenbau: Federal law states that you have the right to choose any repair shop...

Yes they said I could take it anywhere, but I would have to pay the difference out of pocket. I got quotes from both...difference was over $1000. Some choice I had there.

You misunderstood. It simply cannot go that way, laws prohibit it.

Javelin wrote: In reply to maschinenbau: Federal law states that you have the right to choose any repair shop...

Again, that helps this situation only if the collision happened in the US. Which it didn't.

Javelin wrote: In reply to maschinenbau: Federal law states that you have the right to choose any repair shop...

Federal law means E36 M3 in Barbados.

Also even if this was here in the States any insurance company would take one look and write it off and give you book value for it unless you had some kind of agreed value and or listed all mods. I'd say he's screwed either way.

On another topic. I don't understand why people find swapping sides of the road or sides of the car difficult. I grew up in the UK driving RHD cars on the correct side of the road. I worked in the Auto industry so drove a lot of LHD cars in the UK. I also drove LHD and RHD cars in continental Europe. I then moved here and have driven both LHD and RHD cars here. Again no issue. The only problem I've ever had is returning to the UK and falling into the familiarity trap after being there a couple of days. Then I've made a couple of mistakes. It astounds me when I hear people, especially auto journalists who drive for a living have a hard time driving RHD manual trans cars especially.

Anyway. Best of luck to Gameboy getting this sorted.

I told them "I want to take it to X body shop". Insurance said "X rates are too high, you will end up paying the difference vs our book rates". I went to X body shop. X body guy said "Yes, that insurance company will only pay us this low rate and they will send you a bill for the difference. I recommend just going with their Y shop, unless you want to pay out of pocket." Went to Y shop. They agreed to the insurance company's rate. After work was done, I pointed out the issues I had, but they said everything was done properly and there was nothing I could do without a lawyer. Berk it, it's just a daily driver, not worth stressing about.

Maybe Indiana laws are different from what you're used to? Maybe I was just persuaded very well? I thought it seemed odd, but I didn't want to take a $1,000 chance so I went with Y shop. There are only a few shops in my small town, and everyone knows X is the best and Y does E36 M3 work.

In reply to Adrian_Thompson:

Because 50% of the people can't drive on a good day, in their own country. Expecting them to deal with a change to the other side of the road is laughable.

Got some news, the driver of the CR-V has officially admitted fault so that should help to speed things up. The body shop doing an estimate for the Samurai said that everything should be fixable including pulling the frame straight, but the biggest problem will be working around the body rust. It might need a new body because of how rusty it is. I mentioned the option of changing the frame and they think it's a good idea.

Oh and I went to the doctor yesterday and found out I have some muscle injury in my chest, nothing big, got some anti-inflammatory pills for it.

With the sponsorship deal, could you maybe cite loss of business from the accident to get closer to covering your true value? Not sure if it works that way there of course.

It wouldn't get me much. It's a pretty informal arrangement that gets me free tires and tire service, which works out to about $500 per year at normal wear rates.

Next offroad rally is in late June and then there's a break until September, so hopefully it'll only be out for one event.

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

Javelin wrote: In reply to maschinenbau: Federal law states that you have the right to choose any repair shop...

Federal law means E36 M3 in Barbados. Also even if this was here in the States any insurance company would take one look and write it off and give you book value for it unless you had some kind of agreed value and or listed all mods. I'd say he's screwed either way. On another topic. I don't understand why people find swapping sides of the road or sides of the car difficult. I grew up in the UK driving RHD cars on the correct side of the road. I worked in the Auto industry so drove a lot of LHD cars in the UK. I also drove LHD and RHD cars in continental Europe. I then moved here and have driven both LHD and RHD cars here. Again no issue. The only problem I've ever had is returning to the UK and falling into the familiarity trap after being there a couple of days. Then I've made a couple of mistakes. It astounds me when I hear people, especially auto journalists who drive for a living have a hard time driving RHD manual trans cars especially. Anyway. Best of luck to Gameboy getting this sorted.

My left hand is absolutely useless. I have never attempted it but I'm fairly confident that I could not shift with my left hand. I'm the farthest thing from ambidextrous that you could possibly be while still having both hands.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: On another topic. I don't understand why people find swapping sides of the road or sides of the car difficult.

I've never had a problem driving right hand drive cars but I've driven over a million miles on the right hand side of the road and, while I've never done it, I suspect that it would be difficult for me to overcome habits that I've developed over the decades and miles.

In reply to Nick (Bo) Comstock:

I can't do much with my left hand either, and it took no time at all to pick up shifting left handed. What was hard was knowing where the passenger front corner of the car was without paying continual attention.

I tried a Leyland cab over a customer of ours had a few times. My biggest problem was that my left hand wanted to run through the gears backwards from 5th.

Driving rhd cars isn't so bad once you get used to it, at first it feels about like brushing your teeth with the other hand but eventually it's just like any other manual car. My problem was always stepping into a running car, seems they put the gas pedal in the spot my foot always goes and I bounce the motor off the limiter as I'm getting in.

A bit more news, scored a freshly restored frame for the Samurai at a decent price.

The shop came back with an estimate of $3250 in total to fix the Samurai, about what I expected. Last time I had it valued was many years ago when it was less rusty and much closer to stock, IIRC it was $4k or $5k. So if it gets totalled I'd be left in the negative. Sent a list of mods to the insurance company in an attempt to embiggen the value.

Up here, they are usually willing to adjust values, if you have receipts for the parts. I've gotten increases for trailer hitches, signage, very new tires, and other add on items. It wasn't a lot, probably a feel good increase for PR, as much as anything. It certainly never hurts to ask.

Well this thread's about to live up to its name. I've got the official estimate from the body shop, the wreck is being taken to the dealership for a valuation, and all signs are that the Samurai's going to be written off. After I buy back the wreckage, I'd be lucky if insurance covers half the repair cost. That can be brought down a lot, some of the parts prices in the estimate are ridiculous, like a radiator support for more than the frame costs. I can probably get one from a "backyard junkyard" for fiddy bucks.

On the health side of things, earlier this week I was referred to a physiotherapist over the persistent soreness in my shoulders and chest. Shoulders are almost better now, chest is still a bit sore.

^^ If you offered some board members a place to crash I'm sure you could entice a couple pairs of hands to your tropical island for a week to swap the shell & all the good bits onto the new frame. Just saying. :P Hell, I'd be down.