Ouch, my poor Z28

[njsteve]

What I would do is pay to have an expert in these cars (i.e. people from some of the shops linked to this website) fly down there and do the estimates. That would be the best evidence for the repair cost. That is one of the costs that your insurance company may foot the bill for.

[Smokey]

The adjuster was doing his job. His job is to make it as smooth as possible and as cheap as possible. You got alot of great advice from Kim and Steve.

Take the 36k minus the buyback amount, give the car to your son and let him build it and have fun with it. Sure it won't be a Chev Vettfest Unrestored Gold Spinner car or a non hit virgin, but a very nice start for Jr who will love it with the same heart and love it as much as you have. He won't care about NOS Harrision stickers and the high end nickle and dime 998 point details pieces. Things that we forgot is that we became classic car snobs and want original born with everything with GM paint, and not a great restored muscle car unless if its a COPO, BM, Yenko or 1 of 29 cars.

I went through this same thing with a 63 409 car that was un-restored with its born with paint 3 year ago. I still kick myself about it so learn from our mistakes.

[Kurt S]

I agree with Kim. If the car is totalled, they pay you and you get to keep it. The title never needs to leave your possession. I just did this a few months ago.
The exception (at least in MI) is that if it's new than 8 years old, then it does get a salvage title.

[RichSchmidt]

[ QUOTE ]
FYI,

Original 70-73 Camaro Right Fenders are different than 74-77 and any NOS replacement. Early fenders dont have the oblong indent inside (under the hood line). IF your car had born with fenders, I would want a good used early type, same as fender to be used for repair

Original NOS R/S urethane nose pieces are very rare and hard to find. If yours needs replacing finding new might not be an option. Find good used one, but dont use the repop.

Subframes were stamped with mfg date and plant location. Using a different frame will have different date ???

Even after car is repaired I would go after insurance company for "diminished value" IF car can not be returned to exact same as condition.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can you elaborate on the difference.I have a set of NOS fenders for my 73,that were purchased from a dealer in 1986 and never painted.I tried to sell them on Ebay and couldnt get a $200 reserve for them.They were never painted,just hung on the car.They now have a few small low spots on them from my fat gut leaning over them.My car doesnt need NOS.If this guy needs them and they are correct,I would gladly sell them for even and buy some goodmarks and some of the other parts I need.Explain to me the difference.

[BARN FIND]

[ QUOTE ]
FYI,

Original 70-73 Camaro Right Fenders are different than 74-77 and any NOS replacement. Early fenders dont have the oblong indent inside (under the hood line). IF your car had born with fenders, I would want a good used early type, same as fender to be used for repair

Original NOS R/S urethane nose pieces are very rare and hard to find. If yours needs replacing finding new might not be an option. Find good used one, but dont use the repop.

Subframes were stamped with mfg date and plant location. Using a different frame will have different date ???

Even after car is repaired I would go after insurance company for "diminished value" IF car can not be returned to exact same as condition.

[/ QUOTE ]

The two original right fenders I have for my 74 have a actual hole where there indentation is on the repro fender, so it is not really technically right for 74+ either I don't think. Correct me if I am wrong, I am just going by what I have, not by any research.

[TimG]

The other carrier has accepted full liability for the damages after two weeks. I’m pushing them to total the car as I just don’t want the aggravation and time outlay of overseeing a repair on this car, I don’t think they want an adjuster taking their time to oversee the rebuild of this car either. I would imagine it will take months to get this Z back on the road and I don’t know if I’d want it after the hit it took.
At least we’re moving forward.

[Hotrodpaul]

If the other carrier accepts full liability they will want to get out of this as cheaply as possible. I hope they will not try and Lowball the repair or total estimate. To have a shop repair the car to as before condition with NOS parts could be 25-30K. Unhit, rustfree Fenders, Front End, and Hood could be near impossible to find, and this is an RS to boot! Anyway, I wish you the best of luck! Makes me scared to drive my Camaro's with all the bozo's out there not paying attention on their cell phones and such.

Paul

[RichSchmidt]

One way to fix the fenders would be to buy the correct early fenders in very rusty shape,and cut the skins off them,and reskin them with skins from a repop or later NOS fender.Sure would be paying upward of a grand for each perfect original.The donor early fender can be a totally rusty junker as long as it isnt bent.This is pretty much the only option you have when restoring second gen trans ams with NOS fenders.

[CamarosRus]

Original 70-72 Camaro (I dont know actual 73 changeover date) fenders dont have the oblong indent shown below.
Easy fix would be to weld flat metal into oblong area and skim coast/finish

Note drivers fender on 70 Camaro has square flange where washer bottle hangs.

Note: Orange car in picture is Jack Seymours VINTAGE Certified 22K mile Unrestored (Cleaned NOT fluffed) Survivor