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boulderdrop
Samba Member
Joined: February 06, 2008
Posts: 481
Location: Seattle, WA
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 Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 1:08 pm Post subject: SEATTLE: Body Shop Recommendation |
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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
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== My Rides ==
1984 Westy, Bostig, 3rd:1.14, Locker-LSD, Newly Painted
1980 24' J-Boat
1979 Sears Freespirit Moped
1996 Chev S10 4x4 ZR2
2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid (Wife's)
== How I Pay the Bills ==
Windows FTP Server at http://www.bpftpserver.com (PM for a FREE one) |
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jimf909 
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7477
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 1:23 pm Post subject: Re: SEATTLE: Body Shop Recommendation |
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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.
_________________
- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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boulderdrop
Samba Member
Joined: February 06, 2008
Posts: 481
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 1:36 pm Post subject: Re: SEATTLE: Body Shop Recommendation |
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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.
_________________
== My Rides ==
1984 Westy, Bostig, 3rd:1.14, Locker-LSD, Newly Painted
1980 24' J-Boat
1979 Sears Freespirit Moped
1996 Chev S10 4x4 ZR2
2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid (Wife's)
== How I Pay the Bills ==
Windows FTP Server at http://www.bpftpserver.com (PM for a FREE one) |
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Stuartzickefoose
Samba Post Whore
Joined: February 07, 2008
Posts: 10350
Location: SoCal for now...
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| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 2:49 pm Post subject: Re: SEATTLE: Body Shop Recommendation |
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Also Peacevans in Seattle and WBL automotive (Shelby) in Arlington have great results.
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Stuart Zickefoose
2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDi 6 speed manual
206-841-7324
[email protected] |
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PDXWesty
Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2006
Posts: 6247
Location: Portland OR
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| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:11 pm Post subject: Re: SEATTLE: Body Shop Recommendation |
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Call Small Car in Tacoma and see who they would recommend. They do a lot of restorations.
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto |
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HBB
Samba Member
Joined: April 04, 2014
Posts: 156
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| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:07 pm Post subject: Re: SEATTLE: Body Shop Recommendation |
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| 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. |
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IdahoDoug
Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2010
Posts: 10251
Location: N. Idaho
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| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 6:49 pm Post subject: Re: SEATTLE: Body Shop Recommendation |
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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?
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader |
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jimf909
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7477
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 9:16 pm Post subject: Re: SEATTLE: Body Shop Recommendation |
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| 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/
_________________
- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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pbrown
Samba Member
Joined: July 15, 2008
Posts: 443
Location: Seattle, WA
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pnwkayaker
Samba Member
Joined: April 01, 2008
Posts: 920
Location: Sammamish, WA
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| Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2018 8:55 pm Post subject: Re: SEATTLE: Body Shop Recommendation |
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| 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.
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87 Syncro Westy EJ25 ("Tardis")
Seattle Meetup at Marymoor (link)
A collection of Simple Useful Mods (SUM) (link) |
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ALIKA T3
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2009
Posts: 6360
Location: Honolulu,Hawaii and France
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-Derek-
Samba Member
Joined: February 24, 2009
Posts: 41
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 11:17 am Post subject: Re: SEATTLE: Body Shop Recommendation |
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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
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'83 Vanagon
'72 914 |
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