Could use a little support...

[dkn1997]

Just got the call, the upped their offer significantly and I accepted. I will have enough money to fix the car so all is well. More specifics when the check clears. 

[mikepmcs]

Glad it all worked out.   Way to hang in there and exercise your right as a customer to get what is coming to you.  Too bad it's a little like buying a car from a dealer, but now you know and can help others by informing them.

[dkn1997]

I suppose it depends on the company or on the individual you deal with, but this process was not nearly as nasty as I thought reading what a lot of members had to say before I went through it.   it was difficult and confusing, but they were not tough at all.  In this case all I had to do was open my mouth.  not much real "fight" to it.  I guess they count on the fact that most people don't really know how it actually works and that things are negotiable. It's not like calling the phone company or electric company where it pretty much is what it is.  It's all so negotiable and if I were ruthless, I probably could have really taken advantage and got over on them.  That's not my way and while I definitely got more than I thought, it was a fair deal.  I may have some money left over at the end, but not a bunch. 

[hemi-hampton]

Congratulations LEON.

[Ghoste]

Glad to hear it worked out for you.  Imagine all the people every single day who have no emotional attachment to their car or understanding of how they are being worked over, it adds up to a tremendous amount of money stuffed right in the insurance company coffers.

[tan top]

thats good to hear..it worked out ok  

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

So you are getting the payment solely from MetLife, the other guy's ins co?  Is Amer Collectors chipping in any?  The car is not "totaled" correct?

[dkn1997]

metlife is paying 100%.  they are totalling the car too.  even though they determined that it needs @12K in repairs and they ended up valuing it at 18+.  My thinking is that they  decided to total it. and for some reason (buerocracy, procedure, whatever) even when the repairs didn't exceed 80% of the value, they decided to keep it totalled.  it's like as soon as they said the word "total loss" they lacked the ability to take it back.  I am now sure that they relied ONLY on the adjusters opinion when the decided to total it.  Then when it was handed off to the total loss rep, she actually did her homework and looked up the NADA and ebay like I suggested.  So this guys smart ass attitude cost his employer thousands.

and before anyone kills me for accepting a totaled vehicle, remember it's not yours, it's mine and it does not bother me.  anyone shopping for a car like this should be smart enough to know that the word "totalled' means nothing.  these cars contain so many expensive parts that anything more than backing into a mailbox usually totals them.  even if it wasn't totaled, I would show a full history of the car to anyone if I were to sell it.  I have nothing to hide and this is not a rare/valuable car.  it's grandma's 318 charger with nice paint and a big motor.  allowing them to total it has gotten me a lot more money than if I would have just gotten cost of repairs.  I may even have enough to repaint the entire car, thus making it way better than before with NO money out of pocket.  When I had the car done 8 years ago, the guy shot a decent coat of pain, but did not block the car and didn't use a fisheye killer or the surface was contaminated.  this car looked incredible from 3 feet away, but up real close, you could see the flaws.  you can be sure that it will be blocked this time and it will be a mirror.

[Ghoste]

You don't owe any of us anything.  You made the right choice IMO.

[dkn1997]

.......the guy shot a decent coat of pain,......

I just saw what I wrote....freudian slip?  pain is what I felt when I picked the car up 8 yrs ago. 

[Big Lebowski]

  Well you got some $$$ and new sheet metal is available, so how's the rebuild going

[dkn1997]

just in the teardown phase.  it has to go on the frame machine and then when that's done, we can determine what front end stuff got f'd up.  he has to repair under the battery tray, then hang the sheetmetal.

I want to enlarge the core support for a 26" rad but I can't find those pieces that you swap out anywhere. I have seen them before, but now not so much.

[Daytona R/T SE]

I want to enlarge the core support for a 26" rad but I can't find those pieces that you swap out anywhere. I have seen them before, but now not so much.

BEA has them.  I think

http://www.beaparts.com/

[dkn1997]

looks like for 70-74 E bod, or 71-74 B bod.  no biggie.  I may just cut mine. 

[Daytona R/T SE]

looks like for 70-74 E bod, or 71-74 B bod.  no biggie.  I may just cut mine. 

Well, I was close.

[Tilar]

Glad you got it all straightened out and will get your car fixed right.

and before anyone kills me for accepting a totaled vehicle, remember it's not yours, it's mine and it does not bother me.

That's your business, not ours...  but how is your insurance company going to feel about insuring a totaled and repaired car? I've never tried to insure one that had been totaled and repaired, but that is something you might need to take into consideration. Will they only give you liability insurance or will they continue to give full coverage?

[firefighter3931]

Excellent news Kevin ! 

Doing a little homework definately paid off for you and the Charger. 



Ron

[dkn1997]

I just put the check in the bank.  They valued the car at 18,700.00.  They did have a salvage bid of 2K+, so I ended up with 16,300.00.  That's definately enough to get it repaired and probably enough to get the entire car repainted.  The rest of the car has a few issues, but it's been down to metal once in the last 8 yrs, so no need for blasting, etc..

At the end of the day, after the runaround and stress,  Metlife was fair to me.  I'm not saying it was a pleasure dealing with them, but i did get fair treatment.   I know I wouldn't go around bashing them if it came up.  I hope that this thread has convinced someone out there to take care of the insurance properly who may have let it slip like I did.

   

[Steve P.]

Glad to hear it's working out for ya buddy..  Now git er' done...   

[68charger383]

Glad you got it all straightened out and will get your car fixed right.

and before anyone kills me for accepting a totaled vehicle, remember it's not yours, it's mine and it does not bother me.

That's your business, not ours...  but how is your insurance company going to feel about insuring a totaled and repaired car? I've never tried to insure one that had been totaled and repaired, but that is something you might need to take into consideration. Will they only give you liability insurance or will they continue to give full coverage?

Shouldn't be a problem since it is an "agreed value" usually you tell them what you want the value to be set at and they price accordingly.

[dkn1997]

I want to get started, but the body shop is not making me happy.  I cannot get the owner to give me an estimate on how much he wants to fix the car.  he keeps saying "I gotta take a look at it and go over the whole thing" and "I got hung up over the weekend, etc...."  He came recommended, but If I cannot get a firm price from him in a week, I'm paying him whatever I owe for disassembling the front end, storage, and getting the car back home or to another shop.

[Ghoste]

Then again, the reason he is so busy probably has a lot to do with why he came recommended.  Give him a chance bro.

[dkn1997]

I hear you...and I admit that with all of the stories floating around about bad bodyshops, I get a little nervous.

[Charger-Bodie]

Glad to hear that you've got the monetary portion of it out of the way, anyway....Best of luck to you.

[The70RT]

Good deal  I'm glad that maybe you will get a little pocket money after your car is all done. I lost more in metlife stock in the last year than your claim was  . If hind site was 20/20 I could have cashed in and had my car done by now.