Also have a look at this :

Is Your Car Really Insured? a review of classic-car insurance

( partial copy / paste below. )
Bob W., a reader in Woodland Hills, California, wrote that he had called his classic car insurance company and asked if he would be covered if:

(1) He took an antique vehicle to a local restaurant for dinner.
(2) He drove to a local grocery store for a loaf of bread.
(3) Living in Los Angeles, he took a trip up the coast to San Francisco, staying in motels/hotels along the way.

He was told that he would not be covered in any of the above cases; which made me realize that I, too, use my antique cars for considerably more than just car shows and parades, and I wondered, “Am I covered?”

Sounds good, them pushing a higher value brings in more $ with higher rates. This is why an insurers " book value " isn't likely to be realistic.

Then I guess my all original 1971 Corvette LS5(454) 4 speed Convertible/Hardtop, factory AC with 55,000 miles is only worth a book value of what? $1,200? I've driven the car less than 50 miles over the past 20 years.
To be honest, I don't even need to insure the car since I no longer drive it.

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1993 190E 2.3
2001 SLK230
1971 LS5 (454) Corvette Convertible

I just looked up my 97 SL320 , I paid 6 K ( 124,000 miles then , 133,000 now ) at the end of 2011.

Hagerty shows values holding steady for the past 3 years ( it requires a log in for 5 years or older ) My car is a strong 3 condition , I doubt it would bring the $ 9 K they value it at, probably more like $ 6 K today. I've seen nicer, lower mile V8 cars languish on craigslist for years at around 9 K . In any event, it is criminal that such good cars that cost ~ 85 K new have a real value so low.

https://www.hagerty.com/apps/valuationtools/1997-Mercedes~Benz-SL320

Current Values

#1 Concours $20,000
Condition #1 vehicles are the best in the world. The visual image is of the best vehicle, in the right colors, driving onto the lawn at the finest concours. Perfectly clean, the vehicle has been groomed down to the tire treads. Painted and chromed surfaces are mirror-like. Dust and dirt are banned, and materials used are correct and superbly fitted. The one word description for #1 vehicles is "concours."
#2 Excellent $14,100
#3 Good $9,000
#4 Fair $5,800

The SL's have always been one of my favorite cars, they have a nice style that seems to last forever. You bought smart and won't lose any money, unlike my 2001 SLK230 I purchased new in 2000. I can't believe how low the market value is now. Haven't driven it since February.

I looked up the value of my '71 Corvette on the Hagerty site. Pretty high values for a car that cost less than $6K new. But the reality is, it will only sell for what a buyer will spend. I should have sold it many years ago, but for some strange reason I kept it.

https://www.hagerty.com/apps/valuationtools/1971-Chevrolet-Corvette?id=84764

Have to add for A/C, Power steering, Hardtop, and Tilt telescopic steering wheel.

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1993 190E 2.3
2001 SLK230
1971 LS5 (454) Corvette Convertible

x2, professional estimate, genuine parts only no aftermarket, and then use that + police report to take the uninsured cockroach to small claims court. whether you fix it yourself or have the shop do it is none of her business. unless your time is worthless, she owes you for parts plus labor at the market rate.

uninsured does not mean no obligation to pay. it means they are assuming *personal* liability to pay for damages. if the woman doesn't pay, that's what the courts are for. small claims court is very easy and convenient to use. the judge rules against her and she still doesn't pay up, they garnish her wages.

don't let this slide.

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1998 E300 turbodiesel

America's Rights and Freedoms Are Not The Enemy!

Miss uninsured probably doesn't have a job. Time is money, it takes time to go to court, convince a judge you've been screwed over and obtain judgement. That's why our insurance policies have an uninsured motorist provision. File on that and let YOUR insurance carrier go after HER. Before I ever filed a court action, I'd check with my insurance company FIRST. If you've been paid an insurance payment for damages, the courts may rule that you are trying to double dip. Judges don't like that, no they don't.

After all, last I checked, you are paying your insurance carrier sizeable premium checks EVERY MONTH, RIGHT? Let 'em work for their money, time to order pizza and watch a good movie rather than worrying about some loser that doesn't have two nickels to rub together.

Correct; the owner has the right to perform the repairs himself. That said, when it comes time to sell or trade it in, the Q & A will go like this:

Prospective buyer: I see from CARFAX the car has been in an accident. Who performed the repairs???

Owner: I did.

Prospective buyer: What, exactly is your background in the field of auto body and repair? Have you completed a course of professional training from a trade school in auto body and paint?

Owner. No.

Prospective Buyer: I believe I am going to continue to look at other cars. Thank you for showing me the car. Have a nice day!!

In the world of retail, we then push a button on the cash register that reads "No Sale".

It's difficult to say without removing the lights, body cladding and rear bumper.

Most likely you'll have to remove them to pull the panel backwards, pound on the panel under the tail light (if you can, from the trunk, with the limited space) and sort out the kink where the tail light, bumper and rear fender meet.

Hardest part is trying to make it look like nothing happened with as little cost as possible.

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg

Thanks, if you do get a SL, the electronic injected SL320 is a stellar value with 97 being optimum because it has the electronic shift 722.6 auto trans. The cars are vastly overlooked because everyone think they _need_ a V8. .

I tend to buy cars that I drive without the intent to sell them. ( at least not in one piece or to someone other than the scrap metal yard ) What a car is " worth " to someone else means little to me.

I'd tend to think many don't know that the SLK exists and is a small convertible so marketing would be the key ( RE on the dealers lot when a person looking for a small car happens upon it. )


The Corvette has a strong following, lots of sales to back up value. For as many years as you have owned it, I'd keep it until I really needed the $. ( you can always sell but it would be difficult to buy back ) The "I've owned this car for 42 years" adds to the value. The car has lots of good options. This might be a case where the insurance valuation is actually too low.

https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm

In 1971 that 6 K would be $ 36.436.67 in 2017

To the OP - please let us know how it ends. My gut feel is that you will get exactly zero dollars from the other party. Been to that movie. Hope your ending is different.

I appreciate everyone offering advice, but allow me to reiterate with some facts about my hesitation with the insurance company:
418,000 miles on the car
27 years old
Extreme cosmetic upgrades/modifications (the car hardly even looks like a 190E to the average person)
but still runs great.
Hegarty tends to be on the high side of car values, insurance companies will always want to look on the low side, ie. KBB.

You guys get the picture now?

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1990 190E 3.0L

Don't get too discouraged. When my wife's 1982 240D was totaled, she had it towed home and backed into the garage. Our insurance adjuster came to our house to inspect the damage....yep, it was a total loss. The first thing he noticed was the paint and asked my wife who painted the car? She explained to him that her husband (me) had just painted the whole car with acrylic lacquer. So he increased the value of the loss and sent us a check. I was disappointed in losing the car, but I did feel better about the appreciation of my paint job. I scanned the below photo from a picture I had taken after I painted the car.

Good luck!

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1993 190E 2.3
2001 SLK230
1971 LS5 (454) Corvette Convertible

So an update....my car is now in the shop being repaired. I was really nervous, but my insurance company has been great. Once they got the incident report they pretty much handled the claim with no hesitation. So now I'm in a rental until my car is finished.

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1990 190E 3.0L

Great news...hope it turns out nice.

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1993 190E 2.3
2001 SLK230
1971 LS5 (454) Corvette Convertible