Sad, Sad ending on my test drive

[GoodysGotaCuda]

Best of luck on this, I am very interested in how the process goes.


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['Cuda Hunter]

Not surprised State Farm will handle the issue.  They are the best insurance company out there.

Kinda surprised how they determine value on the car with copart though.  Interesting.

[cuda346pk]

Yeah I thought it kinda weird too. I was able to find it on copart.com. From home page click find vehicle, then on right I put in 70 - 74 Plymouth all models and it comes up. Sealed bid though.

[jimynick]

Not surprised State Farm will handle the issue.  They are the best insurance company out there.

Kinda surprised how they determine value on the car with copart though.  Interesting.

Maybe not Josh. We used to call them "Snake Farm" and it was for a reason. Besides that, the only function Copart is doing, is to provide a venue for prospective bidders to look at the car and make bids. The high bid will be, as mentioned, the salvage value the company uses as it reflects what the actual market value is on the widest basis. Based on the stated value of $40k and an appraisal for $32k, they need to see a bid of around $8k to break even and that doesn't include any applicable taxes- which should be included on top of the $40k in the final settlement. It'll be interesting to see where this goes, that's for sure. 

['Cuda Hunter]

I"m just speaking of my own experience's with state farm.   

It's very interesting using the copart way.  Makes sense.

[cuda346pk]

It is an interesting way that Copart does the valuation for Hagerty. It does make sense. However I was looking over the listing for mine and they use letter codes to give extra information, anyway they had an S, which their definition is "At the time the vehicle arrived at Copart's facility, Copart verified that the vehicle (1) started, and (2) ran at idle. There is no guarantee, representation, or warranty that the vehicle will (1) start or (2) run at idle at the time the vehicle is picked up at Copart's facility. It is the Member's sole  responsibility to ascertain, confirm, research, inspect, and/or investigate the vehicle prior to bidding on it."
Okay the car is in my driveway and never went to Copart's. I had to let the tow truck take it to their yard because it was leaking fuel and the fire department said I pretty much had to. A few days later I paid the bill and had it towed to my house. So if it's not at their facility how did they start it and let it idle? That seems slightly misleading to me. Now I am assuming the tow truck driver tried to start it at the yard. I disconnected the negative cable as soon as I got out cause I had just put 10 gallons in it and it was leaking from at least 3 holes. After it was dropped here I noticed the battery was hooked back up. I had to fill float bowls to get it to run.
Anyways the auction ends Monday at noon so hopefully I will hear something that afternoon.

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['Cuda Hunter]

Wow.  So Coparts uses what the tow truck company says.  gotta love all that.

How is the bidder supposed to check the vehicle with due diligence if it's at your house.  Weird. 
That definitely keeps the bids down low.  No one can see it.

That should be good for you right?  If it's a low bid you get to keep it for the parts.  Well worth it.

[jimynick]

Copart has been selling salvage cars without people's being able to actually see them for years and it's become an industry acceptable process. I, like you, don't like to buy a car without putting the old MkI eyeball on it and that may work to the owner's advantage, since the cognoscenti realize the complexity and subjectness to construction of these cars, and the price is set accordingly. Therefore, the bids may be low. We'll see! 

[cuda346pk]

Ok so I got the salvage value from Hagerty. Its a little higher than I hoped. I had decided if it was $5k or under I would keep it to sell myself. Before I say what the values is I am curious from everyone what they might consider buying it for (just for information right now). This is to help me decide if I am keeping it or letting it go. I am not interested in repairing it myself, I don't think. I would rather it not get parted out and go to a good home to be repaired if that is reasonable. That's just how us Mopar guys are I guess. You can see a list I made of needed parts from the wreck on page 2. Of course it is not complete but will give you a good idea. Then the next post has a list of pretty much all the parts I have bought and installed since I bought it 7 1/2 years ago. When I bought it, it was driving and painted so I started from a decent point. I also have the broadcast sheet, some early receipts, names of previous owners and all of my parts documentation. It is a #'s matching 340, 4spd, 8 3/4 'Cuda', originally Blue, that had manual drums, steering, seats, windows....2nd owner added the six pack off a local AAR back in the 80's, he also added center console, rallye dash and 3.92 gears. I converted to front discs with Dr Diffs viper kit, power steering with firm feel stage 3 box and fast ratio arms, added Vintage Air A/C, 1.06" FF torsion bars, 1 1/4" Hellwig Front Sway Bar. Much more - see list. I have gotten everything - gauges, lights, switches... working. Interior is good except now rear passenger door panel is broken, drivers seat has torn area from entry/exit and drivers seat back is all the way back now and I have not looked at it to see what broke. The first 3 pics below are since I have owned it, others are from the Sellers listing in 2011. I am supposed to let Hagerty know tomorrow what I have decided to do so I am welcome to any advice or opinions anyone may have.

[cuda346pk]

Wow.  So Coparts uses what the tow truck company says.  gotta love all that.

How is the bidder supposed to check the vehicle with due diligence if it's at your house.  Weird. 
That definitely keeps the bids down low.  No one can see it.

That should be good for you right?  If it's a low bid you get to keep it for the parts.  Well worth it.

No I don't think Coparts talked to the tow company. Car went to Wrecking yard on Saturday night and came home the following Thursday. The more I thought about it the tow truck driver probably tried to start it to see if he could get it off the flatbed as the right rr wheel is rubbing the front of the wheel well so it wont roll easily. Yeah the fact they had no info on it helped keep it lower than I think it would have - #'s matching, 340, 4 speed plus all the upgrades on it.

['Cuda Hunter]

What effect did the accident have on the drivers door?  I can see the rear passengers quarter is smashed and somehow pushing the rear window down.  Looks like it pushed into the door but can't tell if it just popped the door open or if it pushed the door into the front pillar.   

from the doors forward is good and undamaged correct?

Floor will likely have some issues since the rear rails have been squished into the rear part of the floor.  I think I can see some damage due to the rear seat pushing forward a foot or so. 

When the rear end was pushed forward did it break anything on the driveline? 

[cuda346pk]

What effect did the accident have on the drivers door?  I can see the rear passengers quarter is smashed and somehow pushing the rear window down.  Looks like it pushed into the door but can't tell if it just popped the door open or if it pushed the door into the front pillar.   

from the doors forward is good and undamaged correct?

Floor will likely have some issues since the rear rails have been squished into the rear part of the floor.  I think I can see some damage due to the rear seat pushing forward a foot or so. 

When the rear end was pushed forward did it break anything on the driveline?

Drivers door is pushed forward so it just goes over the front fender enough to stop door from opening, maybe 1/4" overlap or so, also after I tried to open , it closes leaving small gap at rear of door. Passenger door will open, it has pushed enough to close the gap to fender so it just tore stripe when opened. I believe the roof actually pushed upwards from the quarters crushing causing the gap at the windows.

All is good from the doors forward. The air cleaner barely hit the underside of the hood causing 2 small bumps in the paint, there is very little clearance cause of the 6 pack and the fan broke the radiator shroud.
I listed a full floor pan on the parts list I did because I am sure the back of the rear floor pan got pushed in because the trunk pan and the pans under the rear seat did.
As far as driveline it broke the passengers leaf spring and pushed that side of the rear end forward. It did not leak any trans fluid the night of the wreck however it did leak a little, very little, after it got here but as the yoke is slid all the way forward it could be just a seal. I did start it and put it in reverse to move it a little and it did fine except for the tire into the 1/4 panel.
As soon as I read your post I went out and took a few more pics of the door gaps and all but as it was just getting dark they aren't the best. The next to last one is the front gap on passengers door.

[cuda346pk]

Well in looking at eBay current and completed I am not seeing it being easy to get close to $10k for it. I know I could part it out and get more than that but I don't know if I want to invest the time. Part of the idea of keeping it is getting a little more out of it than letting them take it, but mainly it is having a little control maybe on what ends up happening to it. I don't want to see another one off the road. Yes this one could help a few others get back on the road but being this is #'s matching is it worth it to split it up or use a slant six donor car or? I don't know what to do, my wife says Im having a hard time letting go and I am but not just in the sense that it was my car with my blood sweat and tears but I feel a sense of responsibility to try and keep it on the road. Am I being crazy?

[cuda346pk]

I have created a public album on my facebook to share more and larger pics of the car.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2457540660957005&type=3
Also figured out a way to show the spreadsheet of parts I have replaced.

[70chall440]

Nice, good list.