TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Jul 10, 2018 1:08 pm

My beautifully restored 1984 Westy was smashed by someone, while it was parked. I have collector's insurance on the vehicle with an appraisal of value with docs... but SafeCo, the other person's insurance, doesn't seem to understand repairing these types of vehicles.. and the estimate that I received from their adjuster was contracted out to an individual that doesn't do repairs and they had (ridiculously) low rates for repairs. $4k.. my guess is closer to $8k

I have called all over the area, and haven't found anyone that still does body work on Vanagons: Peace Vans (not doing it anymore), Bailey's Restoration (not taking on insurance claims), Eion (only mech), Bernie's Custom Paint & Collision Repair (no longer in biz).... but maybe there's more that I don't know about.

Higher Res

Tue Jul 10, 2018 1:23 pm

I’ve heard several folks mention Zoltan in Lynnwood(?) as helpful with Vanagon bodywork but I’ve never talked to him. dsdunbar posted having rust repaired by Zoltan who may have farmed out the paint.

Consider calling NW Insurance in West Seattle. They insure Vanagons with Safeco at appraised value and like vans (one agent as an EV, etc.). They may know a path forward with Safeco.

https://northwest-insurance-group.business.site/

There are a couple shots in the dark.

Tue Jul 10, 2018 1:36 pm

RE: Zoltan

I believe he sold his shop a couple years ago, saw it on Craigslist for a while. I used him for my original body and paint.. not so sure I would again. I don't believe seam rust was adequately taken care of and he farmed out the body work (paint/bondo) to someone else.

RE: NW Insurance

Thanks. I'll give them a call.

Tue Jul 10, 2018 2:49 pm

Also Peacevans in Seattle and WBL automotive (Shelby) in Arlington have great results.

Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:11 pm

Call Small Car in Tacoma and see who they would recommend. They do a lot of restorations.

Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:07 pm

Stuartzickefoose wrote: Also Peacevans in Seattle and WBL automotive (Shelby) in Arlington have great results.

Unfortunately Peace Vans has a little blurb up on their website now saying their are booked for body/paint work through the rest of the year. Still probably worth giving them a call to see if something has opened up.

Tue Jul 10, 2018 6:49 pm

Wait - if you have insurance on your van, why do you feel you can be held hostage to another driver's insurance? Isn't your insurance company supposed to pay for your covered vehicle and then go fight his company to be reimbursed?

Tue Jul 10, 2018 9:16 pm

IdahoDoug wrote: Wait - if you have insurance on your van, why do you feel you can be held hostage to another driver's insurance? Isn't your insurance company supposed to pay for your covered vehicle and then go fight his company to be reimbursed?

Hmmm, the only time another driver hit me (she fell asleep on the West Seattle bridge and veered into my lane going the same direction and hit the rear quarter my GTI) I dealt with her insurance. I’m not sure how it’s supposed to work though. I guess if I wasn’t satisfied with the suggested solution I would have called my insurance company. I also guess that fixing an appliance like an ordinary car is not like fixing a Vanagon.

Here’s hoping the OP finds a shop.

OP, one other suggestion is to call John Kinkl at Auto Ideas in Port Orchard. He’s done appraisals for me and says he knows his way around the insurance biz. Maybe he did your appraisal? I guess you could call the folks who did your appraisal.

http://www.autoideas.net/

Tue Jul 10, 2018 10:51 pm

Try North Westy. Maybe they can help.

http://www.north-westy.com/body-and-paint/

Thu Jul 12, 2018 8:55 pm

IdahoDoug wrote: Wait - if you have insurance on your van, why do you feel you can be held hostage to another driver's insurance? Isn't your insurance company supposed to pay for your covered vehicle and then go fight his company to be reimbursed?

Once I crashed with a PACE bus in Seattle (not with my van fortunately) - the bus driver had made a totally illegal maneuver, tried to go across I5 highway entry to reach an already passed exit, and got in front of my car that was entering the highway (I barely stopped and steered, and hit him sideways). Police was called in, examined the crash and gave the bus driver a ticket (neither him nor his supervisor argued against it, it was pretty obvious).

When I reported the crash to my insurance company, they tried that I call and reach an agreement with the PACE bus insurance company for repairs and such (even though I told them that the bus driver got the ticket) - it was obvious they wanted to wash themselves out of the problem.

I have full insurance, so I pushed back on them and essentially told them the same thing that Doug says. I paid $500 deductible, my insurance paid for all the repairs and then they went for the PACE insurance company to get their money back. It took a couple of months, but eventually I got my $500 back.

In all truthfulness, if even in a situation when Im fully covered, the other driver has been found under fault, etc. the insurance company doesn't want to work their side of the bargain/contract, what are they for? I'm still puzzled about it.

Thu Jul 12, 2018 9:48 pm

I follow Apex Collision Services on FB after I saw them cutting the whole front end of a Vanagon to reweld a new piece. Really impressive work, they must know their stuff!!

Fri Jul 13, 2018 11:17 am

Eurotech Bodywerkes in Kirkland. They repainted my 914, came out beautiful! They've also done body work on my wife's Jetta. I know of 3 co-workers who have taken their cars there (2 were for accident repair, the other was a classic BMW) - all spoke highly of their work.

-Derek