My Panel is Dead

[redbug64]

Awwww man.. this is my nightmaire. Hope your ok and hope the ranger driver wasnt wearing a seatbelt.... doosh... At least you have lots of good parts to put in your next bus! Again, sorry this happend to you.
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Jason Arms
Fairfax, Vermont

1954 Standard Beetle
1965 Firetruck Red Double Cab
1975 Porsche 911
1984 Rabbit L
1988 Scirocco 16v
Random Toyota daily drivers because winter.

[sventinker]

[oldskool7_11]

sorry about the bus and hope your not to messed up. while i wish idiot drivers like these no actual harm. i do believe they do not deserve to be on the roads and should lose their license.

[OTO X58]

Holy shit! That really sucks. This is the scary part about driving a vintage car daily. On one hand, they were meant to be driven. On the other hand, today's roads are ridiculous. I'm glad you walked away from it and weren't hurt any worse. But I'm very sorry that you lost your bus.


Did you have clear tail light lenses on your bus? Or are the pictures just weird?

[VolksFire]

My sincerest condolences for your loss. Despite the damage to the vehicle, the outcome couldve been much worse, you are lucky to have come out reasonably unscathed, albeit emotionally devastated.

I feel your pain and know what its like to total a bus. I was determined to get mine driving again and it runs flawlessly again, although the body resembles a parallelogram.

Your bus is not beyond repair, anything can happen, its just a matter of whether its practical or worth it to the owner. My bus meant the world to me, and still does. I wasnt bout to let it go that easy.

Best of luck to you and your bus. May the pain heal soon.

Best regards,
VolksFire
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Jahnai Pearson - VW Restoration Technician
Current ownership (always changing):
60 Double Door Panel
63 Double Cab
63 Single Cab
67 SO42 Westfalia
73 Thing
76 Kombi
79 Dasher Wagon
82 Quantum Coupe
96 Golf GL

[widehatch]

that sucks about your bus. i feel your pain. ive lost 2 buses in wrecks, 65 DD panel hit head on in 1997 and 67 kombi rear ended and pushed into van in front of me in 2000. look at it this way. at least the bus died while being driven and not rusting away in some field.
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Missouri Micros

[Robertjm]

Have to say I'm impressed with the shape the veicle is in. Granted, you averted some of the energy release by turning, but still he was flying along at near highway speed!!

And I'm with Volksfire. Unless the frame is totally mangled I would think you might be able to fix that with bodywork...a whole LOT of bodywork.

Did your insurance total it out, or are they allowing you to keep it if you want it?

You've lived through one of my biggest fears in life, getting hit in my vehicle. Glad to see you made it out alive.

Robert
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1967 VW Double Cab Pickup
2003 Mercedes ML-500
1995 Saab 900SE Turbo Convertible (Crossed over into Valhalla April 2014)
1972 VW Squareback (Autobahn in the Sky - July 1987)

[bus guy]

Sorry for your loss, glad you are OK. Hope you had insurance cover

[my65vert]

John, what ins company did the other guy have? Get right onto talking to them, show them replacement costs for your bus using this sight as example for comparable vehicles.

They will low ball you at first but tell them no and you are going to get a lawyer if they dont pay x amount replacement cost. We went through this a couple years ago with Erics bus, they will pay just stick to your guns.
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OGJHC
Kombisutra;
I'm starting to get little wafts of bus stink coming from the north. Something about the unique scent of drivers seat padding when it's glued together with mouse piss and shit that really gets me going... and I'm smelling it! Oh yeah! Time to start loading up the equipment.

[i_am_cool_fred]

wow, glad to hear you are ok after that. what exactly did you hit with the front??? another car or something else?

so sorry to see/hear the news. like someone else said, lots of parts for the next one.
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proud owner of a defunct 1979 sunroof kombi


Brian Denning, as seen on Gearz TV

[73sports]

November is the danger month for busses. Last year it was the Coram Rug Works, and the Monster 15, and now this. The good thing is that everyone from these busses is still here to tell the tale.
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I will never lie, but sometimes the truth changes.

Central Jersey VW Society

[KWZ]

Didn't Manny already do this? Seriously, this sucks and my thoughts are with you.
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'57 sunroof Standard
'63 15 window
'65 Westy SO44

[scottvw]

Sorry to hear of your accident. Glad to hear you are ok. That looks scary.

[Desijae]

Mike-The person who caused it is with USAA. They were supposed to contact me today but I heard nothing though my insurance comp did call and wanted the claims adjusters name so they could pursue this this second and let me know that being a vehicle like mine was involved that I should not worry at all as in getting a replacement (funds)ASAP after a clear bill of health. I asked about NADA stuff and again, was reassured that this is not a Toyota Camry we are dealing with, but a classic vehicle that cannot just be bought anywhere. I'll keep you folks up to date and Thank You very much for the support and I am soooo lucky to have turned that wheel when I did or else this could have just been a nightmare due to unimaginable physical injuries.
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64 Beetle 2387/My Street Ride
64' Panel Daily Driver/State explorer RIP 11.18.11
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=488872&highlight=panel+dead
63' Single Cab/Daily

[Old Paint]

It looks like he didnt even contact the bumper.......was it a jacked up truck??
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Greg

1961 Ragtop
1961 Single Cab (Old Paint)

[i_am_cool_fred]

wow, sounds like your agent is being extremly helpful with getting you reimbursed...wish my agent was like that.

[busmania]

I have been ingnoring this thread cause I thought it was another "my bus wont start and is dead" thread. Boy was I wrong. I finally opened the thread to find this. Im sorry for your loss. Glad you are ok. This is my biggest fear with driving these old buses. I try and drive very defensively but sometimes there is nothing you can do....like in this case. Glad your here talking about it though.

[Slow Steve]

Glad you're ok. Looks like you have some metal work ahead of you.
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BarryL wrote:
100 years from now when they have reverse atom regeneration attractor technology perfected and in a hand held back yard mechanic's price range, someone will dig up this thread and go, "What were those guys thinking? The whole thing was all there just waiting to be re-atomized. Funny how easily they cut them up back then."
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74 911
72 914
65 13w Deluxe
60 Ragtop

[jeremyrockjock]

Wow. I am sorry about your accident. I have been in the same boat twice since 2006 although not as bad as my bus is savable. However this adds to my increasing paranoia while driving my buses. Especially my deluxe with its tiny, dim lights. I will not hardly drive it at night and not in rainy weather.
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Why buy what you can build.
Step away from the fiberglass and no one gets hurt!!

[my65vert]

John, the guy that hit the PaddyWagen had USAA Ins also. They want to play hard ball, watch they are going to offer you 3k. The local USAA claims adjuster is a VW guy but that means nothing, he didnt do us any favors when he came out and looked at the bus. He talked a good game but his write up was pure shit in favor of the Ins company of course. It took a while before we came to a decent agreement.
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OGJHC
Kombisutra;
I'm starting to get little wafts of bus stink coming from the north. Something about the unique scent of drivers seat padding when it's glued together with mouse piss and shit that really gets me going... and I'm smelling it! Oh yeah! Time to start loading up the equipment.