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Mon Mar 10, 2003 8:05 pm

I have a 61 Kombi that was rear-ended. It has been declared a total loss but from what some people are telling me, it looks like it can be repaired. Pushed in about 6 inches. I live in Long Beach, Ca. I just want it back on the road. I don't want a perfect show bus, just a cool ride. It has all the trimmings...lowered spindles, type 3 tranny. This is the same bus that Steve (a.k.a. busfreak1@humbolt.com) sold. Please help me get this good bus back on the road where it belongs. Somebody, please help me...
Anthony

Mon Mar 10, 2003 8:21 pm

just mobb it like it is!!!!fuck it, any one laughs just kick their asses and keep on keepin on!!!

Mon Mar 10, 2003 9:40 pm

kombi58,
my bus has tin pushed into the rear tire on the passenger side. that side seems to have the most damage done, so it doen't drive. also, to get the thing back on the road, I have to go through inspection.
anthony

Mon Mar 10, 2003 11:35 pm

Sounds like major work.
Pictures would help.
Is there engine/transaxle/rear suspension damage? That will drive up the cost of repair considerably.

Mon Mar 10, 2003 11:51 pm

Go talk to Julio at Convertable World in Signal Hill. He does good quality work, he's reasonable in price, and he a cool guy.

Tue Mar 11, 2003 6:46 am

it's a total loss b/c you insurance co. doesn't feel like paying for it.
here's an "after" shot of one that got clobbered and fixed. the owner told me it "popped" right back into shape.http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/68403.jpg

Tue Mar 11, 2003 6:49 am

Yeah, good point about the insurance co.
What condition was the bus in prior to the accident, and how much did the insurance payout come to? You may be able to reassess the payout by using an independent insurance adjuster who specializes in collector cars.

Tue Mar 11, 2003 7:15 am

A couple of months ago my daughter got in an accident in our 'insured' Volvo. I went to the towing yard up in Los Angeles to check it out after the insurance adjuster "totaled" it because the body shop/wrecking yard said it would cost $4000 to repair it. I brought all my tools. While the owner of the yard asked me to go to the desk and pay to have it towed to a junkyard, I took a sledge hammer to various parts on the front end, pulled the radiator away from the fan, wired the hood down, started it up and drove away. $125 and 3 days later, I had the insurance adjuster reinspect the car and he reinstated the insurance. Car's doing it's job again for my daughter at college and I saved big bucks. My point is, don't let the words "totaled" mean anything to you. It's the insurance world's way of washing their hands, when all it takes is your 'hands' to put your bus back on the road.

Tue Mar 11, 2003 8:30 am

I've had a lot of experience with insurance companies. I Was driving a Model T owned by our family, when I was literaly forced off the road by a guy who just had to be an asshole. The state found him guilty of reckless endangerment, fined and jailed him.

His insurance company however said I was not liable because his car never toutched mine. The state ruled that a car dosent have to toutch another to be liable.

Now for the insurance company part. This car was an unrestored 1921 Model T Roadster - all origional - paint, upholstery, and everything. The insurance company, without looking at any type of proposal said it was totaled.

So I contacted some restoration companies back each, got a total for parts, and presented the insurance company with the following:

Printed ads from online as to the value of similar cars.

Printed reciept of parts needed to restore the car as close as possible to it's origional condition.

Printed reciept of my own personal time to do this (valued at $40 an hour for two weeks of work).

The total came to $8200. The insurance company came back and said NO - your car is not worth it - we want to take posesion of the car, total it, and give you what we think it's worth.

Of course I asked - what do you think it's worth?

Their answer - $8000. I said - FINE - I'll knock off two hundred. So I did, and they gave me a check for 8k.

Now - for the lesson.

Make certain you get a good valuation of your bus from online (there are old car price guids as well as hemmings and the samba).

Make certain you price out ALL the parts for repairs.

FOR GODS SAKE - dont let them "total the car" and give you a check. You CAN do this - then buy the car back from the junkyard - you may get it back for CHEAP - but you will have a bad title after that.

Check around - dont accept anything without thinking it though all the way. And if you need to - ask advice.

Ryan

Wed Mar 12, 2003 12:04 pm

Ryan,

No wreck yet but some good things to plan for and be prepared for in case. Good post.
Doug

Wed Mar 12, 2003 3:02 pm

It also depends on what kind of insurance coverage you had. The book value of an old bus is practically nil, thus the most minor of accidents would "total" it. Of course, if you have stated value coverage, then even if they total it, the insurance company has to pay you the amount the vehicle was insured to. Assuming you didn't have stated value coverage and the bus was restored and worth a lot, you could also legally pursue the guy who rear-ended you for any losses above what the insurance company agreed to pay. I'm no fan of most lawyers, but this might be a case where you should go in for a "free" consultation. Whatever happens, I do think you should get some expert advice from an independent bodyman or two and see if it can be brought back to life. Good luck!

Wed Mar 12, 2003 5:10 pm

receipts, receipts, receipts!!!!!! keep your receipts!!!! when i was blasted from the rear in my first vw automatically AAA offered me 1k after hasseling with them for about 3 hours i walked away with 2500 :) but if you have your receipts you can total that all up and PROVE to them the amounts..

nick