Shannon's insurance have the policy that if the car is a write off then you get to keep the wreck.

This is part of their classic car insurance and the car needs to be more than 30 yrs old (I think)...

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

they will insure anything now. The head job of their company gave us a spiel at the MCC meeting.

i think most insurance companies will give you salvage rights, but they don't normally include that in the policy like shannons do. I found them to be reasonably priced for insurance on my cooper s, but very expensive for my ford.

NRMA in NSW have a legal advice line, presumably RACQ might as well. If you are a member, maybe you should ring them with the other parties insurance details and ask them. Failing that, take it up with your insurance company.

It may be worth kicking up a bit of a stick and insisting on a cash settlement and salvage rights (keeping the wreck) as you want to re-shell it anyway. Having said that; from the photo's it does look emminently repairable as it is - I wouldn't write it off personally. Portapower to pull the back out, the front's nothing.

But do get advice and stand up for your rights - insurance companies will usually "try it on" and see if they can get away with something first. If you stand your ground and say no, they have to re-assess. Remember, you are not at fault.

If they write it off, don't take the first payout offer they make (unless it's reeeallly good). Often they will start low and give you a bit more if you whinge. Find some adds for expensive clean Clubmans and keep them as evidence of the car's value.

You never know, you might actually have a good assessor. They do exist.

EDIT: My van is Ford French Blue, and that VW colour does look very similar.

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

see the two $10,000+ ebay clubmans from a bit ago....

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thanks for your advice everyone. I have 3rd party insurance with shannons, so basically i'm not involving them at all. the woman's insurance is the one i will be dealing with here. hopefully they'll just gimme some money. i went through all of the receipts i still have, dug out like $14k worth i guess that's the price you pay for doing a car yourself for the first time !! still it proves that i have a reason for wanting to hang on to it. got a panel beater friend who said he'd drop round to give me his opinion/quote as well, somethign else to show the insurance guy

supercharged 850: "10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife" is not very ironic, regardless of what alanis says it would be ironic if you had 10,000 spoons and all you needed was a knife, and the next day you need a spoon and all you can find is that one stupid knife !

....only to find that the spoons cut better anyway

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Since you have third party with them and it was clearly the other driver's fault Shannons will probably go into bat for you! THEIR idea of your car's value is likely to be taken more seriously by her insurers than yours.

Same thing happened to me years ago and the NRMA handled it all.

Give Shannons a call and see what they say. It can't hurt!

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

Konfused Pete,

Eggzacery the same fekin thing happened to me which prompted my rebuild. That happened in about mid 99. Car is still not 'complete'.

I got screwed big. The "Loss Adjuster" came out to value the car. Valued it at (say) $3,000 before the accident then (say) $1,500 after the accident. They gave me $1500 and I got to keep the car. Can't remember the exact figures but I know I got screwed big time.

Get Shannons to tell 'person at faults' insurer car was worth X amount before accident and it's only worth minimal amount now(Mini wreckers value). Say you will be keeping the car, they should give you a check for value of car prior to accident and you need to pay them for what the value of the car after the accident is.

Sorry to spoil all the misery, but i actually had a good result from an insurance company. NRMA insured my 87 toyota MR2, and we put in a claim after being caught in the big sydney hailstorm 4 years ago. It was insured for about $12000, they assessed $4500 damage, but because some of it was over old repairs not done properly, they did not want to fix it. They gave me the money, canceled the insurance, and i had it fixed for $5000 to better than when i started. Went back to NRMA who reinsured it for $15000 on the same premiums as before the whole thing started. go figure

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the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates