I feel sick

[BillyRay]

I've had the Shelby for just over a year. Not a scratch on the car. I rarely leave the car unattended and worry like hell when I do. Ask my wife! So today I'm getting gas when I hear an ugly noise and feel the car shift. A woman in a POS van parked beside the station backs into the right front fender and also damages the hood with the spare tire carrier. The DFB says I didn't see your car. I said did you even look, thats what mirrors are for after all! The cop says private property can't assign blame. He was almost as upset as I was. At least she had insurance, a rare event in New Mexico. I located the best repair shop I could find. They are an upscale shop doing Mercedes, Porsche, etc. they were very reassuring so I believe I'll get the best repair possible. The paint won't be as good as factory,and if they replace the fender there will be trace marks on the fender bolts and so on. It will never be what it was. I can't begin to describe how depressed I am!!! Nothing like this has ever happened before. I still can't believe it.

 

Bro...When you have a DFB in a POS you could be SOL.... Good luck

[2FST4U]

Couple of points for you to consider. First, make sure you are dealing directly with HER insurance company. Do not have your insurance pay the claim and try to recoupe the loss unless you cannot get the claim paid. You have much more clout with the other insurance company than you think. And you do not need this to become and accident claim on YOUR insurance.

 

Second, once repairs are well underway and being paid by the other person's insurance but BEFORE you sign off the checks agreeing to the total claim value, Ask to be compensated for depreciated value of the car. Once repaired, even if done correctly, the car has lower value than if not wrecked at all and you are entitled to be reimbursed for that loss in addition to the repairs. I had a similar accident with a nearly new 98 Cobra and was rear ended. Farmers's finally paid all repair costs to fix it RIGHT and then cut a check to me for $2500 in depreciated value reimbursement. This was in 1999.

 

Good luck in getting this settled to your satisfaction. We are with you along the way.

Well I guess I'll call my ins. co. tomorrow. I want to have my guns loaded before the other ins. adjuster shows up. Bottom line I had a perfect undamaged Shelby with 3000 miles. What I want is a new car. Take mine away and cut me a check to purchase an 08, including addendum. I'm not that concerned with the reduced value I just don't want a wrecked car. Tomorrow the adjuster for my insurance is coming to take a look.

[Black Sunshine]

I'd have been tempted to hose her dumb ass down with some of the 93 octane you were pumping and set her ablaze.

.

.

.

I joke of course.

[rpretzel]

I'd have been tempted to hose her dumb ass down with some of the 93 octane you were pumping and set her ablaze.

.

.

.

I joke of course.

 

[HSURB]

I'd have been tempted to hose her dumb ass down with some of the 93 octane you were pumping and set her ablaze.

.

.

.

I joke of course.

 

 

That's what I wanted to say, but couldn't bring myself to say it.

 

Black Sunshine - you the man.

 

HSURB

[jcthorne]

Well I guess I'll call my ins. co. tomorrow. I want to have my guns loaded before the other ins. adjuster shows up. Bottom line I had a perfect undamaged Shelby with 3000 miles. What I want is a new car. Take mine away and cut me a check to purchase an 08, including addendum. I'm not that concerned with the reduced value I just don't want a wrecked car. Tomorrow the adjuster for my insurance is coming to take a look.

 

Once you make the claim on YOUR insurance YOU will be paying for this in higher rates for years to come. DO NOT make a claim through YOUR insurance unless you cannot collect from HERS. Why should this cost you anything? Now or in the future. You have much more influance with HER insurance on how the claim is handled than you do with yours because you are the injured party due to her neglegence. Your insurance is just obligated to pay a claim, not to satisfy you that you have been made whole.

 

Good luck in dealing with the insurance companies. Especially if you are trying to get a car with minimal damage totaled. Its not going to happen. But for your sake, I wish you luck in trying.

[2FST4U]

I'd have been tempted to hose her dumb ass down with some of the 93 octane you were pumping and set her ablaze.

.

.

.

I joke of course.

There was a time when I would have been taken to jail! I've learned to restrain myself over the years. I was actually suprised at how well I behaved after screaming at the top of my lungs I can't believe what you did to my car!!!!! She wouldn't get out of the van . Probably a wise choice.

[Shelby Pony Boy]

Yo 2fast,

 

Bummer dude. There's been plenty of good advise here especially the one about depreciation I was unaware of that one. But remember even if you get your insurance company to talk to hers nothing gets done until you make the approval. Instruct your agent on what you want to acheive. That's what we pay them for and if its not to your liking the ask to be intouch with your agents supervisor or distric manager...Now we're talking. Be patient until everything is to your satisfaction.

My condolences on your baby, I can't imagine how you feel. I suppose the bright side is no one was injured and she had insurance on her vehicle.

 

Take care

Pony Boy

[BadCat]

I'd have been tempted to hose her dumb ass down with some of the 93 octane you were pumping and set her ablaze.

.

.

.

I joke of course.

 

 

..why do none of us believe you?

[03reptile]

Well I guess I'll call my ins. co. tomorrow. I want to have my guns loaded before the other ins. adjuster shows up. Bottom line I had a perfect undamaged Shelby with 3000 miles. What I want is a new car. Take mine away and cut me a check to purchase an 08, including addendum. I'm not that concerned with the reduced value I just don't want a wrecked car. Tomorrow the adjuster for my insurance is coming to take a look.

 

2FST4U:

 

I had a similiar situation occur with my pristine 03 Terminator two years ago. Rear ended by a space cadet. Cost 10K to repair same. Take JCTHORNE's advise!! Do not put the claim through your insurance company. I too dealt with Farmer's Ins., who covered the idiot who hit me. I also pushed for a compensation check for depreciated value. I went to two SVT dealers and obtained written statements from them, stating the car would depreciate approximately $4 to $5K because of the accident. I presented this to Farmers and they agreed to pay me $3,500.00 in compensation for the loss of value. I had asked for 5K but that was as far as they would go, w/o attorneys becoming involved. When I sold my 03 to get the GT500, this compensation was well worth it, because I had to take less for the car due to the previous accident, even though no structural frame damage occurred and the repair was beautiful. JCTHORNE is right on target about the depreciated value. Push hard for that compensation check! Don't be too unrealistic about demanding a new car. I am 100% sure neither your Insurance company or Farmers would even entertain any idea of replacing the vehicle. Thats a little unreasonable, and would cause you much stress in the long run, with a disappointing outcome. Hope this advise helps you.

[regalt87]

I got a question sort of off topic but, has anyone else noticed that the rubber molding on the lowest most part of the windshield is not straight across but has a funny hump upwards on the driver side? Is this normal or did my molding get out of wack, it looks funny now that I noticed it?

Cops said no fault? got a tape from the survalance camera?

 

Keep track of the miles? and your not out of line to ask the body shop for referances on some of these high end cars they do. Go there for a week or two and look at work in progress and see the finished product before taking your car there.

 

As much as I love to drive my car there are times I hate to drive it because of this, almost takes the fun out of it when you have to worry about it so much. Good luck.

[2FST4U]

Cops said no fault? got a tape from the survalance camera?

 

Keep track of the miles? and your not out of line to ask the body shop for referances on some of these high end cars they do. Go there for a week or two and look at work in progress and see the finished product before taking your car there.

 

As much as I love to drive my car there are times I hate to drive it because of this, almost takes the fun out of it when you have to worry about it so much. Good luck.

The cop said he wasn't allowed to determine fault because it was on private property. He still made a report and the woman admitted to him that she just didn't look . My adjuster was cool and reccomended some more shops to check out. I'm not going to commit until I have a good look around all of them. I will tell them they have no reason to drive the car and I have noted the mileage. Her ins.co. left a message today for me to contact them. They may send an adjuster of their own to look at the car. When I call them tomorrow I'm going to discuss diminished value. I am so careful with the Shelby. I still can't believe what happened!

[Joe G]

 

The whole situation makes me sick.

 

BTW - I HAVE made a woman who hit me cry before! I was at a red light when she hit me in the rear. After pulling over I got out and was ready to just talk to her when I noticed she was STILL on her cell phone. I told her to get off of it and give me her insurance info. She gave me the "one minute" finger.... wrong move! Soon all manner of words were coming out of my mouth. During her next 5 minutes of crying she said, "you didn't have to be so mean! I was on the phone with my daughter." She locked herself in her car and wouldn't come out until the cops showed up. I told them what happened, and that the cell was STILL in her ear when she got out and the two cops said, "98% of the accidents with women have been like that in the last few years."

 

 

Best of luck getting your car back soon, and better than ever!

[2FST4U]

I'm thinking about pulling off the old fender and taking it to a shop with the new fender and have them paint it. I can install myself with more care than anyone else. If I can get some cash for diminished value I think I'll look at a KR hood. Does anyone know where I can locate one? Thanks.

[regalt87]

I'm thinking about pulling off the old fender and taking it to a shop with the new fender and have them paint it. I can install myself with more care than anyone else. If I can get some cash for diminished value I think I'll look at a KR hood. Does anyone know where I can locate one? Thanks.

Unless your in the body repair business I would recommend you let the experienced repair shop do what they do. Many situations require complicated blending techniques that extend into undamaged parts in order to asure a good paint match. I would never panel paint a new fender and install it expecting it to match with out blending into the door and hood. In your situation, if they replace the hood, they need to blend the other side of your good fender to asure a good match to your new hood also. I know you want this repaired ASAP but take a couple of weeks to talk to some shops and see some before repairs, work in progress and completed jobs. Also feel free to ask some questions. Making sure the shop owner, foreman and repair tech clearly understand your expectations is fully with in your rights, they work for YOU.

[LSR]

Bummer 2FST4U

 

I am sick just reading your post.

[2FST4U]

Unless your in the body repair business I would recommend you let the experienced repair shop do what they do. Many situations require complicated blending techniques that extend into undamaged parts in order to asure a good paint match. I would never panel paint a new fender and install it expecting it to match with out blending into the door and hood. In your situation, if they replace the hood, they need to blend the other side of your good fender to asure a good match to your new hood also. I know you want this repaired ASAP but take a couple of weeks to talk to some shops and see some before repairs, work in progress and completed jobs. Also feel free to ask some questions. Making sure the shop owner, foreman and repair tech clearly understand your expectations is fully with in your rights, they work for YOU.

I'm going to discuss all my concerns and options with the shops under consideration. I discussed blending with my adjuster and I understand how this could be a problem. I hate having a new fender, much less blended paint on the door and hood. I was hoping with the new paint systems that as long as they had the original fender they should be able to match. I was going to mention that time or money weren't the object just a quality result. But whatever is necessary for the best possible result. More things to consider. Your input is appreciated. This site has great people and I knew I'd get lots of perspectives with things I hadn't even considered!

[regalt87]

Some non metalic solid colors can sometimes come close to matching. The fact that it is new with probably no fade as most of our cars stay out of the sun helps quite a bit. There are several factors that come into play when blending. Who mixed the paint? did they get too much white or brown etc... even a factory mix with out the proper amounts of coats along with it sprayed over an improper base color, or the wrong gun pressure, and or the way the metal flakes lay down and also the quality and type of materials etc... I hate to be too negitive and discourage you too much, but the results you get may vary well be influenced by factors out of our control such as nature and physics. These elements along with the human one come into play with every paint job and the sucess of the finished product will be determined by how well the technician adjusts to compensate for them. I have done some really nice high quality paint jobs over the years and to this day I still don't feel like I am as good as I should be and there is still more I need to learn. All I can say is thank God for clear coats, 2500 grit sand papper and buffers!!

 

Just a thought, find out where they buy there paint materials (some shops mix there own ) and go ask them who they recommend. Make sure that they will be using quality materials. Once the estimate is written, ask the shop owner if the Amount written is going to be enough for them to do the type of job you want. Good luck.

[2FST4U]

Some non metalic solid colors can sometimes come close to matching. The fact that it is new with probably no fade as most of our cars stay out of the sun helps quite a bit. There are several factors that come into play when blending. Who mixed the paint? did they get too much white or brown etc... even a factory mix with out the proper amounts of coats along with it sprayed over an improper base color, or the wrong gun pressure, and or the way the metal flakes lay down and also the quality and type of materials etc... I hate to be too negitive and discourage you too much, but the results you get may vary well be influenced by factors out of our control such as nature and physics. These elements along with the human one come into play with every paint job and the sucess of the finished product will be determined by how well the technician adjusts to compensate for them. I have done some really nice high quality paint jobs over the years and to this day I still don't feel like I am as good as I should be and there is still more I need to learn. All I can say is thank God for clear coats, 2500 grit sand papper and buffers!!

 

Just a thought, find out where they buy there paint materials (some shops mix there own ) and go ask them who they recommend. Make sure that they will be using quality materials. Once the estimate is written, ask the shop owner if the Amount written is going to be enough for them to do the type of job you want. Good luck.

Thanks again regalt87 your input is always appreciated. This whole thing has me stressed to the max. I want the car to look as close to original as possible and I know I only have one shot!

[regalt87]

Any time. good luck.

[2FST4U]

Hey regalt, Found an awesome body shop. These guys are as particular as I am. The painter has 30 years experience. I saw some of their work and talked to some of their customers. The paint blend is a necessity as you said. I talked to the other ins. co about diminished value , shouldnt be a problem. I found a 68 ram air hood shipped for a grand. They are made to order and it's supposed to be a bolt on with very little blocking. I have a guy who can cut me new stripes and install since the factory stripes wont work. I ordered the trunk Shelby lettering to go in front of the scoop like the KR hood. The company is the racecarfactory .com I talked with the owner, Don. I highly reccomend this company!

[Grabber]

Hey regalt, Found an awesome body shop. These guys are as particular as I am. The painter has 30 years experience. I saw some of their work and talked to some of their customers. The paint blend is a necessity as you said. I talked to the other ins. co about diminished value , shouldnt be a problem. I found a 68 ram air hood shipped for a grand. They are made to order and it's supposed to be a bolt on with very little blocking. I have a guy who can cut me new stripes and install since the factory stripes wont work. I ordered the trunk Shelby lettering to go in front of the scoop like the KR hood. The company is the racecarfactory .com I talked with the owner, Don. I highly reccomend this company!

Now your talkin. When you get your baby back...she will have a different look to her. Perfect time for that mod. Good for you! :happy feet:

[kstrong]

Hey regalt, Found an awesome body shop. These guys are as particular as I am. The painter has 30 years experience. I saw some of their work and talked to some of their customers. The paint blend is a necessity as you said. I talked to the other ins. co about diminished value , shouldnt be a problem. I found a 68 ram air hood shipped for a grand. They are made to order and it's supposed to be a bolt on with very little blocking. I have a guy who can cut me new stripes and install since the factory stripes wont work. I ordered the trunk Shelby lettering to go in front of the scoop like the KR hood. The company is the racecarfactory .com I talked with the owner, Don. I highly reccomend this company!

I like you attitude. Turn the negative into a positive. Forget for a moment how you got there. Cover your A$$ and move on.

Must be time for Mods. :happy feet:

Didn't you say the tune was knocked out?

Is it time? :happy feet:

[regalt87]

Sounds like you found a good shop. There are a few shops out there that are capable of doing really good work. They don't always do it. But in this case you made your expectations clear and it's a high dollar car so I would think you in good shape. We want pics of the hood when it's finished. That is a really nice looking hood, wish it was cheaper.

[jcthorne]

Does Race Car Factory have a new KR hood? last one I saw from them was VERY different from the KR.

[2FST4U]

Does Race Car Factory have a new KR hood? last one I saw from them was VERY different from the KR.

The hood looks similar but I don't think it's a copy. The photos I've seen make it hard to tell. It's the best I could find and it looks like it will be a while before a KR or SS hood is available. She goes in the shop first week of Oct. I'll post pics .