Hey,

Last year, after approximately six weeks of ownership, my 1977 Leyland Panel Van was involved in a collision. The details I won't repeat but the link is http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic ... =expecting

This year I decided to sell the vehicle to fund my trip overseas. Three weeks ago the car was at my local mechanic (who my family has been going to for over six years and is a lovely, honest guy). It was getting a roadworthy as I'd agreed to sell it to a friend of mine. On the morning in which the roadworthy was due to be completed I received a phone call from him.

The conversation went something like this...

Mechanic: Hey Perrin how are you?
Perrin: Well. How is the car?
M: Ummm, its been better. I think it might be a write off.
P: What do you mean?
M: Well.... this morning I was in the yard sitting in the car and I received a phone call. I went inside to answer it and came back to find the car on the other side of the road?
P: You're joking? What happened?
M: Well, I think I must have forgotten to put the handbrake on. The car rolled out of the yard, down the driveway, across the street into a concrete wall. Sorry mate.

That was three weeks ago.

The car sustained damage to the rear door and the floor was bent in next to the rear left wheel. It had rammed into the corner of the wall. It has since been declared a write off and this morning I received a phone call from his insurance company. They're offering me cash plus I get to keep the wreck. I have no option to let them keep the wreck as the policy taken out by the mechanic does not give them that option, although the insurance rep offered to give me the number of a superior.

I'm curious to know if anyone has had any experience with a similar sort of issue. Is it worth pursuing or should I settle? How much are used engines/gearboxes worth etc? Its a 1098 which had a full rebuild 15000kms ago. The interior itself was completely redone as well.

Any comments/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

In the insurance assessor's opinon it's a write off, but it could well be economically repairable, so it maybe worth something to someone.

If you were to keep the wreck and sell in in parts, it could take a month or more and you'll always end up with some 'rubbish' that you'll need to deal with in some way.

You'd get at the very least $1 500 - $2 000 in parts for it, possibly a lot more - if your patient or lucky or both. It depends on how your thinking of selling the parts and presentation of them, for example, can the car be driven enough for a buyer to assess the engine / gearbox?

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A lot of answers depend on the amounts they are going to offer you and how much they "charge" for the wreck.

As an example my recent write off saw them offer me $5500 less $200 for the wreck. If you were offered an appropriate amount for the car and they only deducted a small amount like I had then you are well and truly in front. You get your money and have a complete (albeit bent) car that you could easily sell in one piece and still make money.

It is normal to not be given an option about taking the wreck or not, the only time the insurance company has a claim on the wreck is when you have the policy with tem, it is part of your contract.

Hope this helps.

Cheers
Steve

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1964 998cc Cooper
1971 Mini K x 2
1972 Clubman GT