Just wrecked the 89 grand wag

[jlewis]

Everyone is ok but I was just wondering what experience you all had with insurance companies and with a g-wag. It has 120,000miles, new engine, rebuilt trans, several goodies underneath the hood and awesome original interior. I only have damage down the driver side body where it slide on its side. It still runs fine. Do you think the insurance company will total my way or pay for repairs? Please respond on this very stressful night. Thanks and Merry Christmas!

[jsinajeep]

That can be a toss up. With or without pictures. How bad is the damage.
And what kind of insurance are you carrying.

[Rayzor]

i dont know about here but in canada theres a buy back option
get a settlement less the buy back value
so you get to keep all your goodies and pick up another body

[jlewis]

No pics right now. It's in my garage. Just dented up driver side front to rear panels and door panels. Nothing structurally damaged.

[suzq044]

Glad you all are alright. Depends on what the insurance finds to be the cost of a replacement vehicle of that type and conditon most times.

[draglink]

HATE to read this, this morning! I have full coverage through Progressive and have my GW insured for $10K. I have never had a claim on the GW itself so I am not sure how it will pan out for you. The only totaled vehicle I have dealt with was my '86 F250 SuperCab 4x4. Guy hit me head on, his fault. I had to do some research to get the money that the truck was worth. Insurance company started about a third of the value. When we were done I had every cent of what I asked for.....don't take the first or second offer if totaled. Also if totaled you may be able to buy it back for pennies and fix it yourself.

Try to look at the bright side, as long as you have full coverage, you will probably get new body panels, wood grain and a paint job for the cost of your deductable

[mokurt]

Do you think the insurance company will total my way or pay for repairs?

Not a good Christmas present!
Unfortunately your ins. co. can only answer that.

[Tinkerjeep]

Considering they will want repair estimates from likely three sources and no body shp I' have talked to will touch a FSJ because they can't order replacement panels because no one makes them and hasnt for decades, They are likely to total it.

I don't carry any insurance on my driver except liability, because there are no sources for new body panels that a body shop will deal with and an insurance company will pay for.

[YJ-4BT]

Considering they will want repair estimates from likely three sources and no body shp I' have talked to will touch a FSJ because they can't order replacement panels because no one makes them and hasnt for decades, They are likely to total it.

I don't carry any insurance on my driver except liability, because there are no sources for new body panels that a body shop will deal with and an insurance company will pay for.

I have to agree with Tinker. I have a good friend that owns a body shop (or collision repair as they like to be called now) and he flat out told me that most facilities do not like taking jobs on cars older than 99-2000 because it generally relates to more time sourcing parts. New cars mean body panel replacement, less overall body finish work and a quick turnaround. It's just not lucrative to fix the old ones for them anymore.
I hope it works out for you and I'm glad that nobody was hurt! Merry Christmas!

[Tatsadasayago]

When it comes to insurance claims it pays to know your rights.
A guy backed into my 67 Charger and took out the entire 3 piece tail light assembly. Back in those days there were no reproductions and the going rate for all three lenses IF you could find them was around 1500.00.
I had the standard PL/PD at the time and both my insurance Co and his were going to total my car for 300.00.

I researched state insurance law and learned that I could demand full and proper repairs OR have my car replaced with another 'Like In Kind'.
When I told the other guy's agent I would settle for 2500 and keep my car, he laughed at me.
I told him to go ahead and find a tail light lens then.

A few days later he called and said he would be more than happy to settle for that amount.

In most states, the person (And their ins co) are required to return your vehicle to it's pre-accident condition if you demand it. Totaling a rig for a low amount is often the easy and cheap way out but you are not required to accept this...in most states.

You may have to find a resto/custom shop to have the repairs made but don't let the insurance companies try to tell you that you must use one of their 'preferred' shops.
If you know the law, know your rights and read every part of your insurance agreement/contract AND are assertive, you should be in good shape.

Good Luck!

[badaboom]

Insurance companies are always out to save money and make money

bill you, Not Pay Money out depends on company, coverage and state.
Good Luck and enjoy the ride


YJ-4BT
It relates to time and costs...

[YJ-4BT]

YJ-4BT
It relates to time and costs...

Thats what I was getting at. Most collision repairs places work off of volume... something older thats hard to find parts for takes up to much time and space that they could use for quick "bread & butter" jobs.

[Tinkerjeep]

Exactly^

I did have an incident shortly after my 4-door was finished. It was parked in my own driveway and actually the rear end was a good 12 feet or more from the curb. It was raining, some drunken A**hat came around the corner (I'm the second lot from the corner) sideways in his shortbox Dodge Cummins truck. He apparently accelerated then braked to end up skidding 60 feet before hitting my truck. I heard the rev-up from his uncorked cummins, a pause, a sickening pop-crunch, another rev and then idling and a knock on my door.

All told he caved in the right rear corner of my custom 5-foot-bed, tilted the bed on the frame dinging up the front left edge of the corner of the bed where it hit the rear left corner of the cab, broke the right taillight lens, bound the tailgate in the opening so it wouldn't open, shoved the rear end of my Jeep sideways 3-5 feet and possibly dinged my steing box since the steering column was locked.

After some drama and him driving off. I called the Sherriff and reported it. They found him, took his stateement and information. I then requested a copy of the accident report from the deputy, got the driver's insurance company's name and address as well as his, filled out my accident report including pictures I took at the scene establishing his 60 foot long scrub marks that "cleaned" the street and lead into my driveway. Then I filed a claim with his insurance company. They had me get three estimates, the highest being $6,000 (IIRC) the lowest around $1000, I think. I priced a bed, gave them an estimate on my work to modify it to be a 5-foot bed, explaining that I had built the Jeep, showed all kinds of pics of before, after, and build photos and we settled on a dollar amount for me to do the work myself.

The shops I talked to pretty much said they had no parts sources and would either have to remove the existing bed, straiten as much of the corner and rear quarter as possible, then bondo, and repaint the repaired bed, or allow me to procure the parts and at that time a good-used 1975-87 J-truck bed was going for $1000 alone, not to mention the fab work to shorten it to 5-feet long.

[goldhammer]

Being an '89 and the entire left side is damaged, it will be a write off based on value. Won't make any difference what goodies you have, unless you have riders for the added on stuff for coverage.

If you still want her, look at what they offer and dicker (fight for ever additional dollar you can get) from there and keep the rig for the salvage value and start shopping for parts/pieces with the check and go from there.

If you can do some of the work yourself, or have some buds that can, you might come out OK on it, but you will probably have some out of pocket going on by the end.

[fulsizjeep]

Very glad everyone is OK. I was saddened to read this but I am here to tell you it can be fixed. Some pictures may help with giving opinions. The details are in there somewhere. Good luck with getting a settlement you are happy with.

In 2010, we rolled off an Arizona trail in Krista's 77 Waggy and went over twice. Some minor injuries, all things considered. The body was totaled. Just liability insurance. We started out thinking we would pull the drive train and crush the rest. Some very thoughtful friends told us she could be rebuilt. With a lot of help from our friends, a 78 Waggy (new body) without title, $5000 and 2 years later we had a better Jeep than the original. Thinking back, I bought the original Jeep for Krista as a wedding gift in 2000 for $100...