kimokalihi's 91 SS EJ20 Swap

[PhyrraM]

Kimo,

Check this page of my thread: http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic. ... &start=106

Is that is the same stalk as the one you got?

My car is a POST-facelift, but the stalk was from a PRE-facelift wagon. It was plug and play for me. HTH.

[kimokalihi]

It looks like that but its from an ls sedan. Don't know if it was pre or post. Forgot to look. Figured it didn't matter. Bummed that it doesn't work. Waste of time and money.

[kimokalihi]

Man, Nationwide really worked me over with the insurance. I thought they were screwing me pretty bad on a monthly basis but after their estimate and their "researched" value of my car and my $500 deductible they are giving me around $900 for the damages to my car and they totalled it and wanted to buy it from me for $1000 and call it even.

They said the car was only valued at $1,900 and told me the adjuster that did the estimate found $2,100 in damage to the vehicle that was there before the accident. The only thing I can think of is it was missing a moulding, the spoiler paint is chipped on both sides, some rock chipping and some scratches that didn't get sanded good enough before we painted the roof.

The guy was originally going to give me about $650 but he "worked with me" and gave me another $250. I'm blown away but then again it's an insurance company and these people are soulless assholes.

Side Note: NADA guide is not something anyone but your bank uses to estimate value of your vehicle. According to NADA my car is worth around $3,600 in average condition or in excellent condition $5,200. Even KBB is more like $2,500.

So I guess I get a new windshield and live with the rest of the dents all over my car. Swell. I'll be dropping comprehensive coverage then and also collision. No point in forking out tons of money for next to nothing.

[Dominator]

They totaled your car for the windshield and dents? I would have told them to F off! For real, now you'll have a reconstruct title? That's no bueno. I would tell them that you don't want to do that. Just pay out of pocket for the windshield and go that route.

[kimokalihi]

I don't want to pay for a windshield and I'll probably never sell the car. I'm not going to a cheap place to get my windshield done so it's going to probably cost me $350-400 for a windshield.

It's not hard to total a car they claim is only worth $1,900. I'm mad.

[Dominator]

Man, I'm really sorry. I'd be mad too.

[kimokalihi]

It's alright. I have a spare hood, spare fenders, spare headlights, spare corner lights, just need a spoiler. Those items weren't all damaged, just saying I have a bunch of spare parts. I should have that check in a few days and I'll see about getting my windshield replaced.

[Florin1]

Hey page 69! Uhhhhuhuhuh

[kimokalihi]

Ha. Lot of pages yo.

[sqc151]

to bad u dont have allstate, free glass coverage... for me anyways in NY.

[beatersubi]

You could take that check straight to the next insurance company that will value your car at what its actually worth and cover for as much.

[kimokalihi]

I don't understand.

[originalcyn]

Kimo, are you doing your own body work and paint? If not, do you have a shop that you recommend? I'm trying to find someone in the area that does decent work and doesn't charge a million millions.

[kimokalihi]

I don't do body work. I also can't afford to pay someone to do it for me so the car will stay as is except I'm getting the windshield replaced. Don't know any shops, sorry.

[originalcyn]

No worries. There's glass shop i like to use in Lynnwood, but that's a real drive for you.

[kimokalihi]

Yeah ill use a local one. Thanks though. Ivl already know a top quality glass place I'm going to call as soon as the check arrives.

[evolutionmovement]

With an old car like this, you have to have an agreed upon value by having an appraisal, which you'd have to pay for, or they won't give you dick. Being that the car still isn't worth much monetarily anyway, I wouldn't worry about the salvage/rebuild/whatever-they-call-it title. I guess Nationwide isn't on your side after all. Who'd have figured their (obnoxious) commercials would be bullshit? I'm not sure if MA still has that much higher insurance than other states anymore, but I'm always glad for the free glass as I tend to need a new windshield every 3-5 years.

[beatersubi]

I guess Nationwide isn't on your side after all. Who'd have figured their (obnoxious) commercials would be bullshit?

They're all a racket. Although, I've been fairly happy with Progressive.

[evolutionmovement]

I have Progressive, too. They were the cheapest and they have a good reputation for insuring weird things and home-built stuff that many insurers don't want to touch. I hate everyone's commercials, so the usual boycotting of a company for annoying ads didn't apply.

[Legacy777]

Yeah....stated value policy with an apprasal is the only way you can get anything close to the value of the car. I've got to really do that with mine....soon!

[kimokalihi]

I'm assuming the premium will go up with that though so its probably not even worth it.

[dafrompa]

I can't stand insurance companies. One of the biggest reason's is they don't go by any of the books that vaule your car that the deals normally go by they go by dealers in your aera that are selling that simlar car and that's the price you get.

[PhyrraM]

OK, not trying to be the downer to this party..but....

Why do most of us place the value higher then $1500-$2500? Any SS or TW advertized at $2500+ in our own classifieds sits for months, or never sell at all. If we can't produce sales evidence at a certain price in OUR world (that loves these cars), why would the insurance company pay more? Face it, the value of ANYTHING is only what you can get somebody ELSE to pay for it. The Car Lot tells us exactly what these cars are worth - and it's not what KKB, Edwards, or any other publications says.

If we want to keep these cars on the road, we have to be realistic in our expectations and descions.

Anyways...Keep up the good work Kimo. I'm sure the car will come out of this better than ever.



Sorry for trolling your thread, but I've seen many of these situations lately, including mine.

[kimokalihi]

Well personally I think my car in the condition it was in, not taking into acount any mods I've done to it is worth probably $3,000. I check craigslist several times a day and I see every ss that gets listed and the ones that are lower in price are because they're damaged, missing parts, needing a tranny or engine and they're usually automatic.

$1,900 is Low for this car in this condition. Imo. Plus the fact that they said there was $2,100 in damage and used that to say they were totalling the car and all that jazz really pissed me off.

[evolutionmovement]

But, you have to know what they sell for. I had a 260Z in great shape that everyone who saw it agreed was a good deal at my asking price of $2200, but none of those people were buying it. Finally sold after nearly a year for $500 out of frustration and because I had to get rid of it. The value is the transacted price. I personally value my car far more than it's worth, but I'd never expect a company or potential buyer to do the same (plus, asking 6 figures would be beyond ridiculous, but when new fairly useless POS exotics that sell for way over their asking prices routinely catch fire, a car that's extremely practical, easy to work on, takes a beating, doesn't catch fire, and is probably even more fun to drive should be worth at least as much as that).