In August roughly 2 weeks before I was to leave for school I decided to do an engine pull and clean things up a bit. Installed my new Big Valve C heads painted my Intake and Headers, new air cleaner, sparkplugs and wires, ignition coil, radiator, Red Stainless radiator hoses (upper leaked and had to be quickly replaced) and front suspension (new bushings and such). I ended up going way over budget. Poor College kid here. This was engine pull number two since I bought her in 2010.

I brought the car to school with me. I live within 25 minutes of my University so I planned to have the car at school until late October when it got to uncomfortable to drive.
Here comes the unfortunate news. Not 2 minutes before I was about to leave the parking lot and bring my car home for the winter a girl in her big *** jeep backs out of her spot, turns too sharp and her tire catches my fender and bumper. I unfortunately also had to witness this right in front me. The sound and the sight of the car shifting was just devastating. The damage wasn't to bad but Im going to need to buy a new bumper and clean up the fender.

Just though I would update you fine people on my current situation as terrible as it may be but it could have been worse, so Im thankful for that.

 

Man, that engine looks beautiful, so does the rest of the car! Wish my '69 looked like that, I'm jealous. Sucks about the bumper, of course it was some stupid girl who wasn't paying attention driving something much too large. I actually know of a few people who've had similar things happen, always a young girl in a bigass SUV. Did you stop her and get her insurance info? Witness or not, the bumper is pulled away from the car, so its obvious that something caught and pulled it, and I don't think any insurance agent or police officer or whoever in the right mind wouldn't put her completely at fault and have her insurance pay for a new bumper.

 

Nice looking car. 69's were always my favorite, wish I did not sell mine. Bet that really sticks out in the school parking lot! Reminds me of when I was in college, I drove a 68 Impala. Really stuck out among all those appliances.

Sorry to see the damage that she caused, hope her insurance takes care of it.

 

Don't hope the insurance takes care of it. MAKE them. NOS parts, restoration shop, not body shop. They WILL try to screw you.

 

Luckily it was minor, and hopefully insurance will take care of it. Chalk up another one to sh.. (stuff) happens.

 

Hello all,
Thanks for the kind words of support haha. I just got an estimate and it came out to $895.00. The young woman lives right across the street from my university housing, so I will be giving her the estimate today. I offered her a cash deal of 500 cash at first just to be a nice guy but they doubted my pricing skills. I wanted to be able to just pay for a new bumper. We will see how this all pans out.

 

Rechromed good core or NOS will be more like a grand. Plus fender, and paint. Also check and make sure frame didn't get tweaked.

 

Was she blonde and texting or on her way to a frat party?

 

Nope haha Just someone who wasn't paying attention. The vehicle is just a bit to big for her I suppose.

 

Looks like if you take that bumper off the car and give it a couple off tugs in the opposite direction you might be able to straighten it? Just a suggestion for a poor college kid from a cheap old B*****d. The cute girl might show her appreciation.

 

Also, neck pain often shows up the next day.

 

First - nice work on the engine! Looks spectacular and probably runs like a banshee?

Second - Very sorry to see what happened. Good things are: you witnessed the accident and got the info you needed for a claim, and you can get parts for these cars. I'm a fan of having the OEM bumper straightened and re-chromed if needed. The eyebrow molding and wheel opening moldings can be straightened and re-polished because they're stainless.

I've mentioned before, and I'll say it again. The OAI hood you put on looks outstanding - it's how this car should have been marketed from day 1.

Stand your ground and get it fixed to your satisfaction.

 

Annnnnnnnnd.... if she's cute, maybe ummmmm

 

agreed insco will low ball you all the way....But I dont think its fair if you try to screw them either that only adds to all of us paying more and getting less it doesnt appear the OP was even in the car at the time!!!

I think the OP had the right mindset, just get your car corrected to where it was before no less.

I will also add straighten and good rechrome is better than aftermarket

you offer of $500 cash or the estimate of ~$900 both seem fair IMHO

 

Hey Allen.

Thanks for the compliments on the engine. Put a lot of work into it in a short period of time. A lot of late nights in the garage. I haven't gotten her totally tuned yet, still have to tweak the timing and air/fuel ratio but she's go quite the pep. I went from J heads to C heads with Roller Rockers, hardened seats, bronze silicon valves, Mondello Push Rods and probably some of the most heavy duty springs ive seen.

I might just try and get the bumper rechromed. I had the rear one rechromed 3 years ago and it came out wonderfully.

Im in love with the hood too. I get a lot of looks and questions about it. Occasionally I get the purest who isn't a fan and gives me **** but hey its my car and I love driving. Im not trying to make a clone, Ive still got my Cutlass S badges on it, I think it looks better in some aspects.

Im thinking about painting it soon but its such a huge decision. Im a fan of my current scheme and might just redo that but I also like maybe a silver or grey with dark blue or black stripes. Or perhaps along the lines of Viking blue. So many options but I want something unique like I have currently.

 

Alex,
I think the color combo you have now looks just fine! I also like silver as you already know but if the body isn't perfect some colors will show any imperfections as soon as the paint is laid down. White hides a lot - I know - because I had a white 98 I had to do some body work on. If it had been black?? I'd have been screwed because I wasn't all that proficient with laying down paint at the time.

Take your time thinking about the colors and $$$. If you have photoshop you could experiment to your hearts delight until you found the perfect combo!

One thing about getting the bumpers done - you already know they fit properly so having them straightened will pretty much be a slam dunk for fitment.

Don't worry about the purists comments on the hood. I think they're just envious.

 

Finally getting somewhere with getting the young lady who hit my car to pay up. We are on thanksgiving break so she is now home in Connecticut. I got a call from her today but it wasn't her it was an attorney who is a friend of the family. They don't agree(rather don't understand) with the 982 dollar estimate for body work, new bumper (repop) and labor. They are asking us to go to another shop to get another estimate. Does anyone know where I can look for an original bumper rather than a reproduction? If they are making us jump through hoops im getting an original bumper instead of a reproduction piece of junk out of this. Please help everyone. oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh and they are trying to insinuate that I "helped" cause the damage because I directed her off of my car. Bullshit

 

Seriously, they got an attorney for a $982 estimate. Can you not file a claim with their insurance company.

 

Get the second estimate from a GM dealership and insist on new original parts as well as a guaranteed paint match. Then they'll like the first estimate just fine.

 

These people are loaded too. I really don't understand. We were going to go through the insurance today if she didn't get back to us. She is home for Thanksgiving and has been putting this off for almost a month. I was expecting her when I answered the phone but it was the attorney. I tried to be a nice person but apparently that kind of stuff doesn't pass anymore. She did damage, be responsible and pay for it. Its simple

 

What an absolute piece of garbage. I hate people like that. She's probably a spoiled brat who gets whatever she wants (including that big jeep that ripped your bumper off) and thinks she shouldn't have to own up and pay. Pathetic. Someone people just have no respect for others.

 

Eric is right in that you should be working with her insurance company. When you get there tell her ins company that you don't know whether or not you'll need a rental car while your's is being repaired, they'll get the picture quick and be nice. Good luck.

 

Yeah, if she hit your car while it was parked in front of witnesses, and admitted it, there's really nothing more to say. The insurance company will try to low ball you, but won't be able to if you keep on them.

Remember the words, "New YorK State Insurance Commissioner."
There are laws in NY about what they are required to do.

- Eric

 

$982 is a bargain for her. Say you want a cashiers check immediately or you file the claim, it will end up costing her more in the long run when her rates go up.

Similar thing happened a few years ago when a teenage boy hit my wifes car and caused minor damage. Gave them a chance to work things out between us but ended up filing the claim when the father got beligerent over multiple estimates and cost. Kid was at fault and our car was going to get fixed either way, their choice.

 

This extremely well off family got an attorney over $982 because they think Im trying to rip them off. They don't know or understand a damn thing about automobiles. The lawyer is now asking around our area to see if the body shop we brought it to is reputable and they may be looking for another shop for us to take it to. If they find another shop Im telling the owner that I want NOS parts and no reproduction parts.

 

It's more than likely they are just trying to scam you completely and not pay anything. I would tell them if they are not willing to cover the damage you will have to get a lawyer even though you do not want to and they will have to cover your lawyer fees as well as the damage when you win. Not sure if you have small claims court but serving them with a summons via small claims may make them decide to pay the bill rather than go through the inconvenience.
I hope you had witnesses.

We all have to pick our battles and if this one is worth it to you, you will prevail! Good luck!

 

Alex, I'm sure you know this but...
1. They hit you while you were parked. A police officer would have no issues writing a citation to the hitting driver.
2. This is exactly why people are required to carry insurance policies.
3. No one (even the hitting driver) wants to be wrong. In this case the hitting driver is being overstepped by the parents even after admitting fault.
4. You have the right to choose where your car is repaired. The hitting driver cannot specify where they want it fixed.
5. This will drag on forever unless you let them know you're going to sue for damages and punitive suffering if it drags out any further.
6. Don't be afraid of some of the aftermarket bumpers. I have a Tamraz rear bumper on my car and it's outstanding quality for finish and fit. An OEM that needs straigtening and re-chrome will fit just as well, but cost likely 2x as much. Be willing to compromise a bit in this area.

As always - wishing you the best to get this resolved.

 

We are aware that we can get the car fixed where we please but in order to have the strongest chance of getting enough money to fix the damage, 2 Estimates will prove more convincing. They are also trying to get me on the fact that I "guided her verbally off of my car". I told her don't turn the wheel, that is all. If she didn't transplant her jeep to my car, I wouldn't have had to. This site is extremely scrutinizing of the after market bumpers, perhaps ill look into them. I also told the attorney when she remarked "oh youre getting a new bumper", it will cost 600+ to have the bumper straightened and rechromed, but of course, hearing "new", they assume im trying to rip them off. The lawyer has till tomorrow to get back to us whether she finds, the shop, reputable or if she wants us to go else where. Hopefully if we go elsewhere the estimate is over a grand. Not that I want more money, I just want them to realize how much damage they actually did. She also chipped/cracked, the plastic grille component under the headlight bezel. Thanks Allan

 

You obviously have the car insured for some value as a classic car. Might be worth telling the dirtbag lawyer that classic cars are valued more highly than cheap DD's of the 90's and such. I agree that getting more than one quote is the best way to go, but then what happens if you find a shop that will fix it for even less but use lots of body filler and cheap chroming for the repair? This is a dicey 2 sided sword. I really hope the girl who did the damage ponies up to her responsibility.

The fact that you guided her 'off' the car? That's total BS even from a legal position. She was already parked in the side of your car and the damage was done. It would have needed repairing at that point anyway so I consider that argument moot.

 

That's not obvious at all, Allan.

Considering that he's a college student and the car was parked on campus, it actually seems extremely unlikely.

Antique auto policies generally require that you have another non-antique car, and that the antique car be garaged.

- Eric

 

That would really suck unless the insurance company had a recent appraised valuation of the car to work with.

 

I've been chewing on this over the course of the day today, and there's just something about it that really gets my goat. I'm also a poor college student, although I imagine I'm a little bit farther along. I'm about 6 months away from finishing my law degree, so this pisses me off on two levels. First, what a joke that they're trying to nickel and dime you over $1000. Second, I think the lawyer has given his client some bad advice, and it sure doesn't make lawyers in general look good (not that we need any help making people think we're all jerks).

I can't give you any legal advice, but I want to say a few things here. I'm curious as to what type of law the lawyer practices - I'd guess they don't know the first thing about car accidents. The fact that the car would get out of the shop for under $1000 should make them think it's cheap. My dad was tapped in the back of his 2011 Camaro and it cost $800 to fix.

You need to remember that you really have all the power in this situation. The last thing they should want is to have a claim reported. You could call the insurance company up and report a claim at any time. Maybe they need to be reminded that you are literally doing THEM a favor by going outside of insurance. If it's not worth it to them to save the claim on her record for $1000, then fine, just go through insurance.

If I was in your shoes, I'd be tempted to sue just to spite this attorney, and make them come to court and waste time (which they attorney is probably compensated for at a rate of at least $100/hr. perhaps several times that). Even if you were trying to extort $200-300 from them, I'd think it was still worth paying to avoid having an insurance claim on the record. This is why I think the attorney is giving them bad advice. From their perspective it shouldn't really matter that much what the actual cost of the repair is; the deal is $1000 for not having a claim.

In my experience from having an accident in my '69 442 many years ago, the insurance company I dealt with was difficult on my treatment for back pain, but paid to fix the car no questions asked. They didn't like dealing with a collector car, because it's so tough to assign values from the insurance company's perspective. I just don't think they'd have a ton of room to fight with you on the costs of a repair. Straightening and repainting the fender is obviously the cheapest option for that, and if the aftermarket bumper is of acceptable quality and cheaper than straightening and rechroming the original, I don't see what they could say about that. To put things in perspective a bit, a headlight for my daily driver lists at over $800 for OEM. Even the most minor things can go over $1000 pretty easily these days.

I think you'd be justified in asking for a rental car, too. I've never had an issue getting a rental through insurance in any of the three accidents I've been in.

 

Man this sounds like a similar situation I went through about 10 years ago.A kid rear-ended me. He begged me not to go through insurance because he wasgoing to lose it from speeding tickets. I agreed to work with him and it bit mein the A**. He pulled a diapering act on me and I had to track him down and gothrough his insurance. Moral of the story is don’t be the nice guy just gothrough insurance otherwise you will get screwed. Best of luck!

 

Yeah. It's okay to be a nice guy if the appropriate amount of cash is forthcoming, but at this point, I think it is safe to say that it is not.
In general, when you stop talking to the person involved, and start talking to his lawyer, and the lawyer starts making counter-accusations, the conversation is over.

Just call your insurance agent with the appropriate documentation and set the wheels in motion.

- Eric

 

I'm so sorry if this comes across wrong. I know you meant to say 'disappearing' act, but the word you used is so suggestive of what kind of 'crap' gets pulled on a lot of people. Maybe 'diapering' is the right word after all....it's suggestive of the mentality of some of these peeps and the content of the diaper may well represent their ignorance...

 

LOL My mistake, damn autocorrect on my new phone. These touch screens are so "touchy"!

 

I would go with the original bumper and have them re chrome it. It is just like a nos part if done right.

I would find the most expensive shop that does good work and get a second estimate.
Having body work done and bumper re chroming is not cheep any more, quality work costs.

 

UPDATE: Hello all, After more than two months I have finally received 892 Dollars for the damage done to my Cutlass. After the young lady claiming it was in the mail twice before we were finally contacted by her father (who actually seemed like a decent guy and sent a nice note with the check) who straightened everything out. Future advice, don't let your teenage daughter try to handle legal affairs.

Now I need some advice and my future purchases. I have my bumper picked out and it is a pretty decent price. Now I was thinking of purchasing new headlight housings because she cracked one, new headlight bezels and perhaps a new grille. I was thinking about buying the 442/hurst grille they make because Ive always loved it. Any ideas where I should purchase or any completely different ideas?

 

Hey, congrats on getting that behind you. I'd get what ever you think will make your car what you want it to be. Just make sure you have your body work covered first.

 

Hey thanks, the damage to the fender is more just rubber scuffs that need to be buffed out. The rest is just the bumper damage.