[alfa] Rear-ended GTV6; what now?

[dlou <dlou@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,

I was rear-ended on the way back from lunch today.  Nobody was hurt,
but surveying the damage, it looks like my GTV6 might be totalled
due to frame damage.  The bumper is pushed into the rear, the passenger
side rear quarter panel is severely buckled, the B-pillar is scraping
the rear edge of the passenger door and I suspect it's crabbing
right as the steering wheel is a couple degrees to the left when
driving straight.

Anticipating that it might be totalled, I sense a fight brewing with
the insurance company over the value of the Alfa.  I recall some 
digesters successfully using something other than the Kelly Blue Book
to establish the value.  Any pointers on what to use in order to dispute
the blue book value?

Also, if it is totalled, should I pay the salvage fee and sell it myself
(possibly to APE)?  Or should I part it out?  Or should I just surrender
the car to State Farm?  The engine and interior are still in good shape.
If I do surrender it, I plan on taking out the stereo, spare tire,
jack, manual window winder, tool kit and owners manual.  Anything else
I should remember to remove?

-Dennis
Sunnyvale, CA
'85 GTV6 (a bit bent)



P.S. I'm already starting to form a short list of replacement candidates to
test drive: Audi S4, BMW 3, CTS-V, Neon SRT4, Focus SVT, G35, Lincoln LS V8,
RX8, Mini Cooper S, Evo 8, and WRX STi.  A little ecclectic, but it's
hard to choose something to follow up a GTV6.

P.P.S.  In case anyone wants to know the details.  I was stopped at a light
when I was rear-ended by a '96 Ford Explorer.  The Explorer appeared
to have suffered no damage.  She said she thought I was moving, but I wasn't
(the light had just turned green but I was still waiting for the cars 
in front of me to move).
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided