Re: Salvaging damaged Gremlin, insurance company buy-backs..>:(

[Gremlingts@xxxx]

<< Suggestions. Should we let them take it as salvage, should we try to keep 
it
and fix it. 

I'm not sure which axle you're referring to, the front or rear?. at any 
rate, this is a unibody car, enough damage to it and it will be hard to get 
it right, no matter how much money you put into it. A full-framed car can 
handle hard hits and be repaired easier than stressed unibody famework. I'd 
say probably let the car go, if it's that bad. There are others out there, 
although it will take time and effort to find and get one. 

>>We don't have any final figures yet from the other guys
insurance company, they seem to be dragging their feet.

Gee, no surprise there! From most of my car Price guides, even a mint 
Gremlin, showroom low mileage only shows being worth $4,500. I doubt you'll 
get much for the car, really.

>>We will be surprised if they offer much over a thousand to total it, 

Sounds about right.

>>and no idea as to what they would want back of that to keep it.

Ok EXCUSE me while I inject a point. The Insurance company didn't buy 
your car originally, and they DON'T OWN IT NO MATTER WHAT!!!! You owe them 
NOTHING to "get your car back", you paid your money for them to insure it, 
and if you read your policy cover to cover, I'll bet you find there's no 
stipulation in there that " LEGALLY " they get your car if you total it and 
they pay you money. It's a way for THEM to recoup THEIR costs, and most 
people don't care if it's a new car, anyway...but for an older, more 
sentimental car, it's YOUR CAR, not THEIRS, so you don't OWE them anything 
for it,or to BUY IT BACK. One problem is, if you let them tow it somewhere, 
and store it, they got ya. It'll be hard to get it back. NEVER let them tow 
it to a place of their chosing, make them tow it to your residence. Again, 
most people, like yourselves, have no place or land, or driveway or garage to 
store a damaged vehicle, so it makes it harder in most cases. But it is YOUR 
car, and YOU have a right to get it back, even if they pay you for the damage 
to it. You're not selling it to them for their payoff, they're supposed to be 
paying YOU for the damage, which you paid money on their terms to do, and 
it's still YOUR CAR. Period. But you'd get a fight anyway, they'd drag their 
feet, refuse to pay for awhile, reduce the amount, etc. But insurance is a 
big fraud, a ripoff, in my opinion, so I'm biased. :) Anyway, if I was you, 
I'd try to get as many "good" parts off the car that you can ( grill, doors, 
hatch, etc ) that are getting harder to come by, and then scrap the car if 
the frame is bent in any way. Unless they're willing to spend the necessary 
dollars to do it, then it's probably not worth your time to do it, either. 
just my opinion...

Jerry Casper
Woodbridge, VA
owner, 7 Gremlins