Alex Bebb

yup, I killed my bird. quite common when you rear-end a Cadillac doing 30mph. me and the other driver are fine and so is the cadi, but my car Isn't. it was my first car and I had it just over 1 year. I had done so much to it, it legitimately broke my heart when I destroyed it, new rims, new paint, full decal set, new transmission, and more if you include the larger engine the previous owner put in it. it was in no way "average" condition. but that's the way the cookie crumbles. hopefully from the 3+ sights I've checked its valued around 5k

so now its all how much the insurance company wants to give me for it (because its going to be totaled) and what I decide to replace it with. I love the gen 3's but i dont think my parents will go for it. but then again it was an 83, so a 92 would be a heck of a lot newer and still the same body style (also cheap down here, 2-3k) but gen 4's are even cheaper, 15-2500

~RIP~

t-top havoc

iTrader: (3)

Sorry to hear about that! Glad everyone is ok!!

mula-lenta

Ditto, but man, is it not in your means to repair it?

Alex Bebb

well it all depends on: is it totaled, how much they give me for it, buyback price, and if the damage is only to the front end. it there is any major frame damage/ engine damage then I'll probably let it go. but hopefully they will give me enough money to where I can keep it and buy a car (something cheap, 4 wheels, and an engine) so i can get to work and back. because i freaking loved it and i would hate to lose it just because the insurance company skipped me on its value.

Beater79TA

Unless you have receipts to document the value of the components and the desire to negotiate the value with the insurance company, expect to get next to nothing for the vehicle as a total. It's 31 years old and in the absence of documentation to show value, old cars just aren't worth that much in terms of insurance value.

mr305

iTrader: (1)

:'(
</3

jazzdadss

Those pics are painful to look at.

90camaro355rs

For future knowledge, after you have your car repainted, change stuff, call your insurance company, have them come out a and give you an appraised value of your car, I had my 72 nova done that way, now it can make your insurance payments go up, in the event I total my nova I get the appraised value of the car. Well worth the money if you have a lot of money in it, do keep all receipts for proof.

Truly sorry to hear about you car, loosing you favorite car does suck!

1991sleeper

iTrader: (-3)

I got 3400$ for my blue 89 camaro rs .. but it had fresh paint job and that was with me keeping the CaR ... they were only gonna give another 5-600 if they kept car .. I didn't have yo give any receipts or nothing .. they took a lot of pictures of the options it came with and stuff like that ... when they do the estimst point out EVERYTHING that may add value to the car like disc brake option CD player even if its aftermarket ... get in there n clean it up good .. everything that still looks good on it is gonna add value ... anything that looks like it was crappy before the damage happened is gonna hurt the value ....
Also like I said ...I kept the car and and parted it out so after the insurance $ and the part out $ I put almost 6k in my pocket and I only had 2800 in it

Alex Bebb

dang, that's quite interesting, i thought the buyback price would be a lot more then that. and my price estimate is pretty close then. i looked it up a couple different places and they said average condition was about 5k. but id be thrilled with 3400 and being able to keep it. i already found a 91 TA GTA jet black with T-tops for 2k. so ****, this may turn out better then i thought.

Beater79TA

IF there was nothing special about the car, you don't have receipts, and you can't point to things on the wreck as adding value, I would be surprised if they give you more than $2500. With those, you could get more. Wait and see what they say and be prepared to argue why it is worth more.

Alex Bebb

well like i said and pointed out to the guy, it had 10 year newer engine. a freshly rebuilt transmission, 4.11 rear end, 7month old paint, full vinyl decals, $400 firebird 20slot rims, new stereo and speakers. but yea, insurance is weird. they will always pay as little as possible even though you by law have to have insurance. that's one reason they love to total everything they see

Alex Bebb

well. after 2 MONTHS of bullsheet fighting with the insurance company to get more then $700 for the car (when there own computer listed the minimum value at $2500)
I squeezed a whopping $1700 from them. and bought me a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am: 305 crate motor with documented 10k miles on it, 3 speed automatic
(guy said it was a 202 transmission, a variant of the 302 automatic) with 11k miles on it, 15k miles on the limited slip diff, freshly redone interior, original dark red paint,
unconverted AC but still in working order, the iconic 20slot rims. and a very faded firebird on the hood. all for $1900.

so im back in business to do cruises and car shows. and i also have a nice reserve of parts because I kept my '83.

1986 T/A

I demand pictures!

Alex Bebb

pics

1986 T/A

Not to bad! Ive been busy lately but would like to organize another meet soon! Hopefuly you can come out lol.

Alex Bebb

well my brand new trans am is no more. burnt to the ****ing ground less then a quarter mile from my house

1986 T/A

Dear God man. Hope you escaped with no injuries. Any idea what caused the fire?

Alex Bebb

some but all my ideas i have reasons on why they couldn't have been it. all i can think of is it was an old car and the guy i bought it from knew something was wrong with it and when i thought i had fixed it it wasnt it.

90camaro355rs

Man that royally sucks! Hope your ok!

1986 T/A

Damn that sucks man. My dad got screwed over the same back when he was a kid with his 68 Lemans. Pretty much still newish and clean, but the jackass before him put a kind of epoxy on the gas tank and didn't tell him. Had to do something with the carb, gave it gas and the engine ignited while Megadeth played in the background in the school parking lot.

Javier87z28

iTrader: (1)

Wow man that sucks hope all is well bud.

red rock

iTrader: (2)

That's just sad. I have been thinking about keeping a fire extinguisher in my car just in case, now maybe i will. Wonder how much the insurance co. is going to beat you on this one again?

1986 T/A

Im thinking about putting a extinguisher in mine as well, scared the carb will light one day.

Alex Bebb

well. for anyone who wanted to see it (i don't know who would want to because ive been on an emotional roller coaster for the last 12 hours) but heres what it looks like. its only 200 yards from my house

Joe Tag

iTrader: (4)

Insane.

90camaro355rs

truly Tuff to look at!

mula-lenta

WOW (and not in a good way). To think that I came on here to congratulate you and say good things about your new acquisition (was going to comment on that interior).

But DANG. Im glad your not hurt (or hope you escaped with no injury). This is really a scary pic to see your cars life end like that. Not much of a gossip, but I would sure the heck would like to know what caused that mess. Could potentially help someone prevent this happening to their own car.

Alex Bebb

when i bought it it had the problem of "vapor lock" well bought it knowing i could fix it and my first guess was its not vapor lock just the idiot never had any gas in it because the fuel gauge didnt work. and to prove that when i bought it i was driving home, a 6 mile ordeal. it ran out of gas on the 5th mile. so filled it up and let it sit so the fuel pump could re prime and it started right up and i took it home. next day i was at the gas station and it took 11 gallons (i put 5 in when it ran out) and that makes a 16gal fuel tank

well it ran fine for the next day but wedensday it wouldn't go faster then 40. well i work at auto zone so i asked around and they were like youve got a clogged fuel filter. so i bought a new one drove home and replaced it. and yes, it was very clogged. so i changed it put it back together and i rinsed off the engine to get off the spilt gass, and let it sit for an hour to evap. then my friend cam over said nice car lets go for a ride. so i close up the hood and away we go. 200yards from my house smoke pours into the cabin and out from under the hood. i pull over get out open the hood and its on fire. i dump an entire fire extinguisher on it and we survey the damage. and after about 5min me and him walk home to tell my mom and all that and before we get the 200 yards back home we turn around and its re ignited. and we run back to the car with another extinguisher and by then it was too late, fire from the windows and tires are popping.

i talked it over with my dad and i think it was the fuel lines were weak to begin with, and when i put in the new filter in the pressure that was going through them was too much for the lines to handle and they burst.

beths91camaro

iTrader: (35)

Oh, man that sucks on both accounts.

83ZZZ28

DANG Alex, what a heart breaker x2. Im glad your ok, and you wern't sitting in the car when it reignited.
I know it's a bad time to ask, but do you still have your '83 around and parting it out ? What part of the Valley are you in.

Rod
83ZZZ28

Alex Bebb

i was in it when it started the first time but not the second time.

and yes i do have both of my destroyed firebirds still :P and I'm down in Gilbert

1986 T/A

At least they live up to the name "FIREbird"

mula-lenta

I tried not to laugh, but I did

89' firehawk

iTrader: (6)

Damn!!! That really sucks!!! seems like 3rd gens and you dont mix well.. j/k.. good that you were able to walk away from it.. that's what counts!!

83ZZZ28

Too bad this didn't happen around Christmas ....

We could all sing... " Chestnuts roasting on an open FIREbird "

Sorry... I'm just a sick puppy.


83ZZZ28

1986 T/A

Hey Alex! Looky what i found in tucson! http://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/4550647950.html

Phenom-1

I don't wanna add insult to injury since I love these cars too but This reminds me of the scene in the movie "Planes Trains and Automobiles" with Steve Martin and John Candy R.I.P.... Where the Mustang ignites and burns up too...

If I was rich as in Millionaire rich... I'd ****ing have that toasted T/A fixed immediately and then give it back to you like new bro even if it cost 100 grand


But for 4 grand You can have KITT! http://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/4502242481.html

Alex Bebb

why thanks guys :P would it surprise you that state farm still hasnt paid me for the trans am? yup, burned a month and a half ago and still no check. my first firebird took 3 months for me to force 1700 out of them. and this should be no different. god i hate state farm so much. average value of my 83 was $3200, after 3 months i get $1700. average value of 82 trans am $8700. they offered me $3200 for it. (origional paint, crate 305, freshly reupholstered interior) and this is from their own websight that they told me all insurance companies use to value cars. they have no idea the importance of a vehicle or their real value. and thats why im not fighting them over the price. because then id be getting a check for 4000 in august.

but with the 3200 there givein me i can get this http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/cto/4538299572.html

Phenom-1

Or this '87 that overheats for $500 http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/4517903367.html


Or this straight '89 5.0 TPI hardtop auto in good condition for $3,000
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/4491048755.html

Alex Bebb

what about this one, its a steal at 3k. and only has a slight engine knock
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/4539540498.html

(sarcasm alert, i love when people think a ruined engine doesn't affect the price at all)

Phenom-1

He's selling you the really good body condition Lol

83ZZZ28

Alex... What a FREAKIN NIGHTMARE.

What about TV stations that have a consumer advocate, that could light a fire under the 'Good Neighbors'(lol) of Snake Farm ?

Rod

83ZZZ28

Oops ...

Phenom-1

You should go with Allstate... 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance


And the end of the day they're all Crooks giving you a fake smile while screwing you over in the beginning and in the end.

Alex Bebb

3TV does. but there up in phoenix which is 5 times closer to me then tuscon :P

Alex Bebb

yup, figured that out a long time ago. became all the more real when i called them on the 20th and they said they had the price sorted out and i was like "great, ill take it send the check to my agent" so i wait a week calling my agent every 2 days to see if it arrived yet and by the next friday i call state farm and go whats the hold up and the lady who answered says "im sorry but how did you know we had the offer ready, i have no record of us offering it to you yet"

83ZZZ28

Sorry, for some dump reason I was thinking you were in Tucson. Hey, look on the positive side, with a mistake like I just made, maybe I can qualify to work at Snake Farm.

Rod

83ZZZ28

Alex Bebb

LOL

Phenom-1

Allsnake is better sounds like some kind of lube. ALLSNAKE.

1986 T/A

Lol, I saw the red and silver one. But mines still nicer! And only at 56,000 miles since yesterday lol. Promise to buy a firebird though and not a camaro lol.