# Brian's EV TOTALED!!!!!



## jlsawell (Apr 4, 2008)

Heartbreaking! Even my not-as-enthusiastic-as-me-but-still -very-supportive wife sends her condolences and regards.

Hope the insurance is enough to get you back on the road asap.


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## lottos (Jun 22, 2008)

jeez.. so sorry to hear that Brian. All the work, effort and love that went into the car.


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## Bowser330 (Jun 15, 2008)

WTF!

sorry to hear about this man....


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## O'Zeeke (Mar 9, 2008)

HOLY SH*T !!, sorry about this Brian, hope Santa Clause is extra good to you this year, just glad you wernt hurt. O'Zeeke


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## TheSGC (Nov 15, 2007)

Oh damn. That is a new definition of suckage. Hope your insurance covers it and maybe you should sue the bi!>@ for extra mulah for wrecking what looks like all your vehicles.


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## Voltswagen (Nov 13, 2008)

Brian
My deepest condolences. This is 4 more reasons why we need all vehicles to have 5 Digit Entry Codes. If someone is so drunk or drugged that they can't enter or remember 5 numbers in the correct sequence...........then they don't deserve to drive.


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## Qer (May 7, 2008)

First when I read it I thought you'd been in an accident. That would be horrible too of course, but possible to accept in a way (after all, accidents happens) but this is just...

I lack words.

DAMN!

I don't care if it's inhuman of me to say so, but it's not fair she got away without a scratch. She could've broken SOMETHING at least.

I feel for you. Really. All that time and effort just crushed like that because of one bloody moron.


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## PatricioIN (Jun 13, 2008)

pray she has insurance... if she does, you're good. They'll have to make it whole. Plus this absolutley falls into major personal negligence.. think her homeowner's insurance, her personal assets, her wages.. etc...

Sorry but I have zero sympathy for drunks.

get an attorney IMMEDIATELY


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## JRP3 (Mar 7, 2008)

That is insane!


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## ga2500ev (Apr 20, 2008)

Dude, I'm sorry to hear that heifer totalled out your fleet.

Make sure they put her under the jail, then sue her insurance company blind.

Sorry again.

ga2500ev


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## Harold in CR (Sep 8, 2008)

WOW

That's a heart breaker. Sorry to hear about it, Brian.


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## ZenDaddy (Jul 22, 2008)

PatricioIN said:


> pray she has insurance... if she does, you're good. They'll have to make it whole. Plus this absolutley falls into major personal negligence.. think her homeowner's insurance, her personal assets, her wages.. etc...
> 
> Sorry but I have zero sympathy for drunks.
> 
> get an attorney IMMEDIATELY


Amen - Ditto - Absolutely!

That is aweful Brian. Sorry.

Are the parts in the EV salvagable?


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## kp647 (Oct 21, 2008)

Hey now remember this the USA land of " cant be my fault"

I wouldnt be surprised if she tries to blame you for parking those cars there!


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## Technologic (Jul 20, 2008)

kp647 said:


> I wouldnt be surprised if she tries to blame you for parking those cars there!


Luckily the US legal system tends to side completely against all drunks, and even people that are below the limit that have been drinking. If she had insurance... they're about to get owned.

I'm quite sorry about the damage


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## david85 (Nov 12, 2007)

Unbelievable. I'm at a loss for words....


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

thanks fo all your support I have not gotten much sleep and was able to pry the fenders up on the Magnum so I move it out out of the way a bit,, We are going to try to get the cars off each other and get a closer look,,,, I will take more photos of the e-car when I get the Tahow off of it ( or out of it) the e car is holding the taho in the air right now, Again thanks all!!!

Brian


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## ClintK (Apr 27, 2008)

Sucks man, that really sucks.


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## ragee (May 25, 2008)

Holy Crap,

Man that really sucks. I can't believe that someone could be that out of control and behind a wheel. I am so sorry for you guys. I hope you can get as much salvage out of it as possible. 

R Agee


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## booksix (Aug 26, 2008)

Wow, I'm pissed for you! That is absolutely unacceptable. Sue hardcore...


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

here are a few more pics after I puller the Tahoe out of the e-car

Brian


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## Qer (May 7, 2008)

rctous said:


> here are a few more pics after I puller the Tahoe out of the e-car
> 
> Brian


Heart breaking. She must've driven fast too, not "just" being drunk.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

Qer said:


> Heart breaking. She must've driven fast too, not "just" being drunk.


police estimate 65-70 mph on impact in a 35 mph zone


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## TheSGC (Nov 15, 2007)

Are you going to salvage any EV parts, or just let the insurance pay for everything new?


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

TheSGC said:


> Are you going to salvage any EV parts, or just let the insurance pay for everything new?


I won't settle for any less than 15k for the car and KEEP IT! so yes I will salvage all the parts

we will see how that goes


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## Qer (May 7, 2008)

rctous said:


> police estimate 65-70 mph on impact in a 35 mph zone


Shit... Seriously crazy bitch. Unbelievable.


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## lumberjack_jeff (Dec 6, 2008)

Oh, man. Sorry to hear about that.

Eventually insurance will make it okay... for you. For the driver? Not so much.

One other thing, the fact that there was no fire in the EV is a testament to your building/engineering skill.


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## atzi (Jun 26, 2008)

Sorry
I think about something happening to my EV, having so many hours in it and all, but someone ramming all your cars, at your home, as you sleep at night?


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

atzi said:


> Sorry
> I think about something happening to my EV, having so many hours in it and all, but someone ramming all your cars, at your home, as you sleep at night?


Ya simply un=imaginable huh??

Brian


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## Bottomfeeder (Jun 13, 2008)

Perhaps you can take this horrible negative and turn it into a positive. I'm sure you've been pondering Li-Ions.

I'm sure the motor is usable, and the controller is at the manufacturer's.

Get a good lawyer, sue her for all of your damages (be sure to factor in your personal man hours!) and put the dough into a better EV. But above all, make her pay!

I sure hope everything works out for you.


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## order99 (Sep 8, 2008)

My worthless advice:

1) Soak her Insurance for everything you can get.

2) Buy back the EV if they total it, pull what you can, part out the rest and sell the rest for scrap. If you get good book on the other cars, buy them back and part/scrap as well. Depending on where you live you can make more money that way.

3) Pick up a replacement ICE and another Donor, curse roundly and grab a wrench.

4) Visit the imbecile in Jail and steal a lock of her hair. Fashion a doll of river clay and i'll send you the full notes when you're ready for your revenge-

-er, forget that last one...if you have any Karma issues the Rogue Zombies will drive your property values down...skip Step 4, the stench isn't worth it. 

4)REVISED-casually leak your plight to a local News source, there's a good chance of a 'human interest' followup story that will make this drunken fool look like some Hotel owner's brat...

Seriously though-my utmost sympathies. I hope your new EV is up and running before I even grab my first parts.


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## TheSGC (Nov 15, 2007)

rctous said:


> I won't settle for any less than 15k for the car and KEEP IT! so yes I will salvage all the parts
> 
> we will see how that goes


Have you had contact with the Enemy's Insurance Company yet? With this amount of damage it will probably be a fight, probably hand-to-hand combat.

And when you do start over again, hopefully it will be an even better EV with goodies I can't even dream of.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

Bottomfeeder said:


> Perhaps you can take this horrible negative and turn it into a positive. I'm sure you've been pondering Li-Ions.
> 
> I'm sure the motor is usable, and the controller is at the manufacturer's.
> 
> ...


Ya we are looking at all the angles but here in KS the law states that only personal property needs to be paid for, we can't sue for anything other than the damage. I will call a lawyer friend tomorrow and see what they advise,, it is hard to put a dollar amount on the Ecar but believe me I will put on a good one,, motor and most of the batteries looked OK I did see one leaking in the back so perhaps a couple bad ones not to sure yet. I am pretty sure all the chargers are going to be OK,, but what a pain in the ass as most of you can imagine,, I guess the easy thing to do would be to buy another Geo Storm ( automatic or manual) and retro it would be the fastest thing to do but it all depends on the money I guess I get from the insurance co. I am sure my agent will personally come by to look at this one as its pretty unusual for a person to lose 4 cars in one claim,,, I still feel like I am asleep and this is a dream(nightmare) and should be waking up any minute. Of course that is not the case.

Brian


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## rfengineers (Jun 2, 2008)

rctous said:


> Ya we are looking at all the angles but here in KS the law states that only personal property needs to be paid for, we can't sue for anything other than the damage. I will call a lawyer friend tomorrow and see what they advise,, it is hard to put a dollar amount on the Ecar but believe me I will put on a good one,, motor and most of the batteries looked OK I did see one leaking in the back so perhaps a couple bad ones not to sure yet. I am pretty sure all the chargers are going to be OK,, but what a pain in the ass as most of you can imagine,, I guess the easy thing to do would be to buy another Geo Storm ( automatic or manual) and retro it would be the fastest thing to do but it all depends on the money I guess I get from the insurance co. I am sure my agent will personally come by to look at this one as its pretty unusual for a person to lose 4 cars in one claim,,, I still feel like I am asleep and this is a dream(nightmare) and should be waking up any minute. Of course that is not the case.
> 
> Brian


Direct your attorney to the US DOE website at:
http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/vehicles/electric_availability.html

Point out this Government Agency quote:
"For a typical DC system conversion, the cost will be $6,000 to $10,000 for parts, including a motor ($1,000 to $2,000), controller ($1,000 to $2,000), adapter plate ($500 to $1,000), and batteries ($1,000 to $2,000), plus $3,500 to $8,000 for labor."

I'm sorry for your loss but remember, It's just stuff, it can be replaced.


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## jwdsail (Dec 7, 2008)

rctous said:


> Well this is what you get when you add booze to a fu^%##@$# BITCH at 2:30 in the AM.
> She barley missed our house and I had major dameage to all 4 cars that I own, yes the EV is totalled!!! The 07 Tahoe Totalled,, the 05 Magnum several grand, the 92 Mint condition Pick up several thousand,,, its now 4:30 and I am still in disbelief,,, all my cars all the work on the EV gone from a drunk driver,,,,, OH ya was she hurt you ask??? not a scratch. She was estimated to be doing 70 mph on impact in a 35 mph zone... I was so pissed the cops had to pull me away!!!!!!!
> 
> Merry Christmas
> ...


God.. 

No words. I'm glad no one in your home was injured.. 

jwd


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

TheSGC said:


> Have you had contact with the Enemy's Insurance Company yet? With this amount of damage it will probably be a fight, probably hand-to-hand combat.
> 
> And when you do start over again, hopefully it will be an even better EV with goodies I can't even dream of.


No we have called our insurance co and we will be intouch with them again early tomorow AM,, it has only been 20 hours so far,, we will see about the battle it is a pretty cut and dry case I would think, just negotiating the monies may take some time


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

rfengineers said:


> Direct your attorney to the US DOE website at:
> http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/vehicles/electric_availability.html
> 
> Point out this Government Agency quote:
> ...



Ya I have a # in mind and of course I will keep the car,, we will know more in the AM and will keep ya's all posted


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## madderscience (Jun 28, 2008)

OUCH. 

Its already been repeated, but glad you are OK. Looks like the tahoe got hit first; thats much better that they hit it than hitting the house with you and your family in it.

One thing that might be valuable in the future for a highly custom vehicle like an EV conversion would be stated value insurance. basically you agree ahead of time of the replacement value of your vehicle with your insurance company. Of course you would also need underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage in a situation like this.

yuck.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

madderscience said:


> OUCH.
> 
> Its already been repeated, but glad you are OK. Looks like the tahoe got hit first; thats much better that they hit it than hitting the house with you and your family in it.
> 
> ...


we did do all that with the insurance co, we hav it valued at 7K of course replacemnet will be much higher than that due to my labor,, when we were doing all that figuring I was assuming I would be in it at the time of the crash or the car being totaled and 7K would allow me to rebuild it,, now that it happened this way we will see whatthey come up with tomorrow (actually later today) yes we are glad none of us were hurt but if we at least broke a toe nail or something minor then we could at least sue her, but as it stands with property damage there is no suing for any more than the actuall damage,, Iam pretty confident it will turn out OK but will definately let ya all know what happens later on,, Still can't believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Still in a bit of shock I guess!!!! And we have full coverage on the car as well.

B


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## mrg (Dec 8, 2008)

Brian, Very sorry that you have to suffer through this. I know it makes you feel violated when something you've put so much energy in gets destroyed by someone else's ignorance. Just be glad you, or someone in your family wasn't getting in one of the cars to run somewhere.

Now for some advice. As hard as it may be, stop posting about it until you have the check in your hand. I've been involved in lawsuits and have had personal emails brought out in the proceedings, not to mention postings I made on a similar type discussion board. In my opinion ALL the dollar figures mentioned so far are low (even the government list), especially when you figure not just your labor, but how many hours of research, planning, construction, revisions etc.

Don't let them bully you because they will try. Allstate offered my sister $300 for her "old" chevy until I called them for her and explained that if that was the real value I'd buy every single "old" one owner 69 Camaro rs, in immaculate condition that they could find. We ended up with more than 30 times the initial offer, but it took more than a month. So, discuss it with your attorney, your agent (if it isn't the same company) and if you need advice from someone on here, contact them off the board.

We'll all be waiting anxiously for the updates, but keep dollar figures and any potentially damaging info to yourself for a minute. Best of luck, we're all rooting for ya!


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## Dan Frederiksen (Jul 26, 2007)

I'm sure it's disappointing to have your stuff messed up but try to remain human. you reap what you sow.violent sueing is one of the things that makes USA a bad country.the eyes of truth are always watching you


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## Alamo (Dec 14, 2008)

Brian, I'm sorry to here about your loss. 

I don't have enough knowledge about American laws, but shouldn't her car insurance cover all the damage she did except on her own car?

Everyone who drives while they are drunk are making me so mad. I just hope when they crash that only they die and no one else.


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## dtbaker (Jan 5, 2008)

absolutely unbelievable.... Its going to be an interest insurance case since your cars were all parked. You may come out best considering it 'property damage' and letting your homeowners insurance duke it out with her auto insurance, and go to court if need be...

lets hope you can buy your EV back for salvage cost and pull some useful bits out of it.... 

best wishes for speedy recovery.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

Lexus said:


> HOLY F***!
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry to hear about this mate and so close to Xmas ... I hope you plan on sueing the stupid B!tch!


their is no suing her heck we will be lucky to come out of this and break even. Still trying to file the claim, its rediculous.

brian


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## Thaniel (May 25, 2008)

Dan Frederiksen said:


> I'm sure it's disappointing to have your stuff messed up but try to remain human. you reap what you sow.violent sueing is one of the things that makes USA a bad country.


+1. 

Sounds like you're not going the revenge method so Good for you. Let the law put her in jail and do what you can to be conpensated by the insurance companies. Sounds like you are ahead with the Insured value thing. You can probably get the insured value for the car and buy back the car for a few hundred. With 7K and all the parts you should be able to get it back on the road with money to spare.

Yah it's all a headache but on the plus side the car didn't launch into the house and land on your bed. You don't happen to have a pick from far out from the scene. I still can't figure out how it all went down.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

Thaniel said:


> +1.
> 
> Sounds like you're not going the revenge method so Good for you. Let the law put her in jail and do what you can to be conpensated by the insurance companies. Sounds like you are ahead with the Insured value thing. You can probably get the insured value for the car and buy back the car for a few hundred. With 7K and all the parts you should be able to get it back on the road with money to spare.
> 
> Yah it's all a headache but on the plus side the car didn't launch into the house and land on your bed. You don't happen to have a pick from far out from the scene. I still can't figure out how it all went down.


I will go get a couple more pics and post them, the dodge magnum is put in the garage now and the other cars have been moved a bit


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

here is a pic from further away, you can see the tracks in the yard where she came through, notice 4 track,,,,,,,,,,,,she was going side ways also I took a pic of the side of the house where we sleep behind the big tree on the right and took another pic of the Prairie village sign to try to put it into prospective,, now do you see what happened? A car traveling at that speed had it hit the house ,,,,, well I would not be typing this right now thats for sure,

brian


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## frodus (Apr 12, 2008)

Damn, I'm sorry dude. That totally sucks.

I hope she pays dearly for it... jail time, no license ever again, and LOTS of very expensive bills.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

frodus said:


> Damn, I'm sorry dude. That totally sucks.
> 
> I hope she pays dearly for it... jail time, no license ever again, and LOTS of very expensive bills.



we can only hope so!


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## david85 (Nov 12, 2007)

Looking at those pictures it seem that your neighbor should be thanking you. If your cars were not there, she would have ended up in his house.

We had a similar situation like this last year down the street. Some younger guy had a tricked out mustang and got airborne on our street and lost control. He slid though some half dozen front yards before crashing into a garage. He was driving again the next week. I don't remember if he ever did get any punishment.


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## Bottomfeeder (Jun 13, 2008)

I agree on the advice with keeping potentially debatable numbers and things offline. I've seen lawyers scour forums before! Obviously, factual information isn't something you need to worry about. The pictures sure emphasize how drunk she really must have been. It's too bad for you that she missed those trees and/or the sign.

Glad you're still alive. What type of car are you going to use for your second EV? Now seems to be a great time to buy cars in my neck of the woods.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

david85 said:


> Looking at those pictures it seem that your neighbor should be thanking you. If your cars were not there, she would have ended up in his house.
> 
> We had a similar situation like this last year down the street. Some younger guy had a tricked out mustang and got airborne on our street and lost control. He slid though some half dozen front yards before crashing into a garage. He was driving again the next week. I don't remember if he ever did get any punishment.



ya the neighbor is thankful as it would have destroyed their house,, we thought of that as well.

Brian


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

Bottomfeeder said:


> I agree on the advice with keeping potentially debatable numbers and things offline. I've seen lawyers scour forums before! Obviously, factual information isn't something you need to worry about. The pictures sure emphasize how drunk she really must have been. It's too bad for you that she missed those trees and/or the sign.
> 
> Glad you're still alive. What type of car are you going to use for your second EV? Now seems to be a great time to buy cars in my neck of the woods.



almost cosidering another Storm,, i can get a automatic or manual it won't matter,, it would be a simple conversion and I really did like the car, I thought it was a perfect choice for many reasons. Depends on the "NEW" budget I suppose,, I am sure the expensive items are still ok but the snow is getting on the chargers batteries etc. it is really to cold here to do anything about it just yet,, a couple days I will deal with it more.

Brian


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

and yes I understand about being carful on what to post but for the most part it is prety much cut and dry ,,,, I GET SCREWED ,,, period

Brian


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## PatricioIN (Jun 13, 2008)

controller problems, controller problems, drunk problems.. DUDE! The Universe is telling you not to drive THIS ev.. you needed a different one.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

PatricioIN said:


> controller problems, controller problems, drunk problems.. DUDE! The Universe is telling you not to drive THIS ev.. you needed a different one.


DUDE have you not seen the pictures??????? Obviously I won't be driving this one!!!!!!!! LOLOLOLOLOLOL


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## ElectriCar (Jun 15, 2008)

rctous said:


> here is a pic from further away, you can see the tracks in the yard where she came through, notice 4 track,,,,,,,,,,,,she was going side ways also I took a pic of the side of the house where we sleep behind the big tree on the right and took another pic of the Prairie village sign to try to put it into prospective,, now do you see what happened? A car traveling at that speed had it hit the house ,,,,, well I would not be typing this right now thats for sure,
> 
> brian


Man Brian, so sorry to hear. I've thought about such an event happening after getting this thing rolling. I finally got mine going and its' in the paint shop now. 

Too bad those two Oak trees weren't a couple feet closer to the road. You'd likely have only scratched trees and a fatality in your yard if she weren't lucky. 

Best of luck with the insurance. One thing is it won't take you near as long to do it again if you get the same type car!


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## DVR (Apr 10, 2008)

Word fail Brian.

I'm just SO sorry man.
Peace & good luck


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## Voltswagen (Nov 13, 2008)

Brian
So sorry for your loss man. The first thing I would do would be to check with your insurance company to see if you can buy back the EV if they total it.
My son totalled his brand new 2003 Cavalier some years ago. I offered to buy it back from the insurance company and they refused to sell it to me.
We never even got to haggling over a price....they just flatly refused to sell it to me. Why? I can only speculate: There are things Insurance Companies do with totalled vehicles which they don't want us to know?
There are people employed by Insurance Companies who would be cut out of the deal? Whatever the reason you can bet it always comes down to Money.
Also make sure you get compensated for rental cars either thru your insurer or hers. Most companies provide 30 days coverage up to $30 per day. Check your policy.
Good Luck - Roy


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## Qer (May 7, 2008)

Voltswagen said:


> My son totalled his brand new 2003 Cavalier some years ago. I offered to buy it back from the insurance company and they refused to sell it to me.


Hm. That's a very good point which I will remember to ask the day I want to get an insurance for an EV; will I be able to buy it back if there's an accident?

I thank you for that.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

Voltswagen said:


> Brian
> So sorry for your loss man. The first thing I would do would be to check with your insurance company to see if you can buy back the EV if they total it.
> My son totalled his brand new 2003 Cavalier some years ago. I offered to buy it back from the insurance company and they refused to sell it to me.
> We never even got to haggling over a price....they just flatly refused to sell it to me. Why? I can only speculate: There are things Insurance Companies do with totalled vehicles which they don't want us to know?
> ...



we have a rental that is 100% on thier insurance we did not even break out a credit card, (thats good) of course we have 72 hours after the first offer to get it returned,, Ironically it is a nissan truck like the one that hit everything ( except this one is a SUV not truck) I have full intention to buy it back we will see where that all goes though


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

Qer said:


> Hm. That's a very good point which I will remember to ask the day I want to get an insurance for an EV; will I be able to buy it back if there's an accident?
> 
> I thank you for that.


probably is a good question

my 92 PU truck is blue booked at about 5500 bucks and I guess there is 4 K damage perhaps less,, hell they may total that as well but I will buy it back and fix it as well. It could go either way with them not to sure yet,,, the adjuster has yet to come out here so traffic is still moving slowly in fron of the house for the looky looos.

brian


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## PatricioIN (Jun 13, 2008)

rctous said:


> probably is a good question
> 
> my 92 PU truck is blue booked at about 5500 bucks and I guess there is 4 K damage perhaps less,, hell they may total that as well but I will buy it back and fix it as well. It could go either way with them not to sure yet,,, the adjuster has yet to come out here so traffic is still moving slowly in fron of the house for the looky looos.
> 
> brian


You should put up a sign in your front yard that reads:

"On Dec XX, at 2am, Nancy Smith of 124 Elm Rd, drove her vehicle in a drunken state into my parked cars. Had it not been for my vehicles in the drive, she would certainly have driven into my neighbors bedroom, killing them both. Please call Ms Smith at 555.555.xxxx and tell her how you feel about drunk drivers!"


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## ElectriCar (Jun 15, 2008)

PatricioIN said:


> You should put up a sign in your front yard that reads:
> 
> "On Dec XX, at 2am, Nancy Smith of 124 Elm Rd, drove her vehicle in a drunken state into my parked cars. Had it not been for my vehicles in the drive, she would certainly have driven into my neighbors bedroom, killing them both. Please call Ms Smith at 555.555.xxxx and tell her how you feel about drunk drivers!"


It ain't libel if it's the truth!


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## frodus (Apr 12, 2008)

PatricioIN said:


> You should put up a sign in your front yard that reads:
> 
> "On Dec XX, at 2am, Nancy Smith of 124 Elm Rd, drove her vehicle in a drunken state into my parked cars. Had it not been for my vehicles in the drive, she would certainly have driven into my neighbors bedroom, killing them both. Please call Ms Smith at 555.555.xxxx and tell her how you feel about drunk drivers!"


PatricioIN FTW!!!!! I love that idea!


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## mrg (Dec 8, 2008)

The reason they don't sell back totaled vehicles is not neccessarily that they get money for them, it is largely because of liability issues in the future. I spent about 15 years dealing with vehicle salvage and typically, the insurance company will have one auction company for the region and makes a deal that all total loss vehicles will be picked up by that lot and left for auction. It is clean and simple for them. It isn't the case with all providers or for all areas though.

You can make a case that since it is a custom built, one-off vehicle and cannot be readily replaced, that they either A.) Sell it back to you for 5-10% of the full value or B.) Pay a reputable conversion shop of your choice to completely retrofit your equipment to a donor vehicle suitable to you or C.) Just outright replace all the equipment at today's market price and pay for the same shop to build your new vehicle.

I would contact three shops that specialize in EV Builds, get estimates for reconstruction and have them on hand when they make their first offer. You built it once, you are not responsible for building it again, even though you may ultimately decide to once you have your settlement. But it is your option to choose to, not their's. They must make your vehicle whole without your involvement.

BTW, I also dig the sign in the yard treatment. If the Ins. Co. started giving you problems you could add them to the list as well..."...company X refuses to pay a fair price for the damage caused by Mrs. Smith's drunken escapades on lawn..."

As always, best wishes with this situation.


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## Bottomfeeder (Jun 13, 2008)

Asking people to call her might be harassment (not undue, of course). You don't need that headache, so I would leave off the phone number. But, it does sound like a great way to publicly shame the drunk. And it will help you blow off some steam.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

PatricioIN said:


> You should put up a sign in your front yard that reads:
> 
> "On Dec XX, at 2am, Nancy Smith of 124 Elm Rd, drove her vehicle in a drunken state into my parked cars. Had it not been for my vehicles in the drive, she would certainly have driven into my neighbors bedroom, killing them both. Please call Ms Smith at 555.555.xxxx and tell her how you feel about drunk drivers!"


believe me I have thought about it,, just drove by her house an hour ago it is in the opposite direction in which she was traveling????? She lives less than a mile away. I need no reason for her to sue me for something at this point,,, we got the police report today as well ,, I will post more on that when all this settles.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

mrg said:


> The reason they don't sell back totaled vehicles is not neccessarily that they get money for them, it is largely because of liability issues in the future. I spent about 15 years dealing with vehicle salvage and typically, the insurance company will have one auction company for the region and makes a deal that all total loss vehicles will be picked up by that lot and left for auction. It is clean and simple for them. It isn't the case with all providers or for all areas though.
> 
> You can make a case that since it is a custom built, one-off vehicle and cannot be readily replaced, that they either A.) Sell it back to you for 5-10% of the full value or B.) Pay a reputable conversion shop of your choice to completely retrofit your equipment to a donor vehicle suitable to you or C.) Just outright replace all the equipment at today's market price and pay for the same shop to build your new vehicle.
> 
> ...


we have a very busy street to so the advertising would be great,, I will probably do it with the insurance co if they do not come through.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

FYI Bitches blood alcohol level was .204

brian


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## TX_Dj (Jul 25, 2008)

Brian,

I hate to hear about the accident, and the lost hours on your labor of love. Hopefully via insurance and other means, you can recoup all that you're due.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

TX_Dj said:


> Brian,
> 
> I hate to hear about the accident, and the lost hours on your labor of love. Hopefully via insurance and other means, you can recoup all that you're due.



fingers crossed X

brian


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## Qer (May 7, 2008)

rctous said:


> FYI Bitches blood alcohol level was .204
> 
> brian



For a non US-guy, is that percent in the blood or what does that number stand for?


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## jlsawell (Apr 4, 2008)

Qer said:


> For a non US-guy, is that percent in the blood or what does that number stand for?


I'm guessing it's the same everywhere: a percentage.

So at 0.204 - 20.4% of her blood was alcohol.

Here in Aus the limit is 0.05 - 0.5% so does that make her 4 times over the limit? I'd say she was heading towards fatal alcohol poisoning.

We had a similar situation here in NSW a week ago: except this waste of carbon had her daughter in the car at the time...


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## ClintK (Apr 27, 2008)

jlsawell said:


> I'm guessing it's the same everywhere: a percentage.
> 
> So at 0.204 - 20.4% of her blood was alcohol.
> 
> ...


.204 is 0.204% of her blood was alcohol. According to wikipedia .4% is lethal to most humans.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

jlsawell said:


> I'm guessing it's the same everywhere: a percentage.
> 
> So at 0.204 - 20.4% of her blood was alcohol.
> 
> ...



yes that would equate to 4X the legal limit


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

ClintK said:


> .204 is 0.204% of her blood was alcohol. According to wikipedia .4% is lethal to most humans.


this is correct if your BAC (blood alcohol content) was 20% you would certainly be dead


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

jlsawell said:


> I'm guessing it's the same everywhere: a percentage.
> 
> So at 0.204 - 20.4% of her blood was alcohol.
> 
> ...


it would be .204% of her blood was full of alcohol


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## PKM (Dec 10, 2008)

rctous said:


> this is correct if your BAC (blood alcohol content) was 20% you would certainly be dead


Forget dead, you'd almost be _flammable_! That's about half the concentration of straight vodka...

+1 sorry for the loss, but again you can be glad it was just the cars not yourself. FWIW I really don't think the big sign idea is a good one, tempting as it must be. When all the legal wrangling is over with, though, I totally agree with the "casually drop story on local news media's doorstep" angle.
_
"Local resident suffered $X0,000 worth of property damage including the totaling of an irreplaceable hand-built electric car he built himself after drunken smash"_, etc.

I don't care if you can build another one, once your EV has a name it's irreplaceable


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## order99 (Sep 8, 2008)

A blood alcohol that high is often indicative of an habitual abuser,which is in turn often caused by chronic depression. A compassionate Judge will possibly order a short period of psychiatric observation as part of the driver's rehabilitation. If diagnosed with depression, she may be treated with one of several treatments-

-including one used in the more persistent cases, known as Electro-Convulsive Therapy, commonly called Electroshock.



Warm your hands over the fire of that possibility for awhile. You'll feel better.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

PKM said:


> Forget dead, you'd almost be _flammable_! That's about half the concentration of straight vodka...
> 
> +1 sorry for the loss, but again you can be glad it was just the cars not yourself. FWIW I really don't think the big sign idea is a good one, tempting as it must be. When all the legal wrangling is over with, though, I totally agree with the "casually drop story on local news media's doorstep" angle.
> _
> ...


been all week and still have yet to hear back from their insurance CO. nOT SURE WHY ITS TAKING SO LONG BUT OH WELL ( caps loc) it is taking a while for all this to sink in but it is starting too,, the EV is the only car that really really bothers me.. 210 miles and POOOF its gone,, I am looking forward to starting the next one but now i really need to finish the garage off, still mudding and sanding and haven't been much in the mood this week, did spend a couple hours out there last night but it just is all pretty wierd, hard to describe the feeling but sad and mad at the same time mainly sad,, spending time loooking at Craigs list for donors and there are sure a bubch of Honda Accords out there pretty cheap, but I will need to reverse my motor rotation ( seems pretty simple to do). The sign thing I am sure will not happen.

B


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

order99 said:


> A blood alcohol that high is often indicative of an habitual abuser,which is in turn often caused by chronic depression. A compassionate Judge will possibly order a short period of psychiatric observation as part of the driver's rehabilitation. If diagnosed with depression, she may be treated with one of several treatments-
> 
> -including one used in the more persistent cases, known as Electro-Convulsive Therapy, commonly called Electroshock.
> 
> ...


Electroshock I got some of that for her ,, I could save her some money.


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## mrg (Dec 8, 2008)

PKM said ..._"Local resident suffered $X0,000 worth of property damage including the totaling of an irreplaceable hand-built electric car he built himself after drunken smash"_, etc...."

Made me laugh a little because the way I read it, it sounds like _you built the car after getting drunk_.... maybe I'm just tired. Put in 16 hours today. In any case, just thinking of posting the sign feels better than actually doing it, more of a way to harmlessly vent your frustration.

Meanwhile, try not to get too bummed out. I have had prized vehicles totaled out before, and I had a house robbed while I was away. A friend of mine works as a victim's advocate and likens it (from a man's perspective) as similar to how a woman feels after being sexually assaulted. 

The insurance company adjusters are probably scratching their collective heads on this one and are not wuite sure how to handle it. At my shop, I found that the more custom a vehicle was the longer it took them to deal with it. Sometimes because they don't want to admit they don't know how to accurately appraise the damage....sometimes just dreading doing it because it isn't a simple "point and click" in their software program. That is why I suggested talking to a few shops and getting your own estimates while you are waiting. It will help you, emotionally and monetarily, if you are doing something proactive. Plus you'll have unbiased costs to back up your argument should they low ball you.


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## PatricioIN (Jun 13, 2008)

rctous said:


> been all week and still have yet to hear back from their insurance CO. nOT SURE WHY ITS TAKING SO LONG BUT OH WELL
> 
> B


Dude.. seriously.. hire an attorney immediately. They should have been contact with you that day! They're seeing how much of a pushover you will be. This is not acceptable. You won't have to sue them more than likely, but just having an attorney contact them will get them to wake up PRONTO.


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## rfengineers (Jun 2, 2008)

mrg said:


> ... That is why I suggested talking to a few shops and getting your own estimates while you are waiting. It will help you, emotionally and monetarily, if you are doing something proactive. Plus you'll have unbiased costs to back up your argument should they low ball you.


I would be glad to provide you with a written quote from Southern Electric Cars. You should talk to several shops around the country. It is not unusual for someone to order an EV conversion from a shop thousands of miles from where they live. You should also factor into the equation the loss of use of your EV during the time it will take to get another one converted.


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## mwne2nks (Nov 3, 2008)

Dude, I am so sorry for your loss. I think I know where you live, cuz I went to high school right up the street. My aunt and uncle live behind you a few blocks. How long have you lived there?


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## TX_Dj (Jul 25, 2008)

Brian,

Are any of the components salvageable? I would imagine many are. Also, did you get any more pics of the car, such as the battery packs and such? It would be interesting to have those photos when people come in talking trash about the "dangers" of having a car full of batteries in an accident.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

kctv 5 was just here doing an interview about the cars,, Fox 4 will be here in an hour or so both will air tonight and I will video it and post as soon as I can.

brian

her mug shot and name will be posted for all to see as it is public record,, I gave them no info about her at all


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

TX_Dj said:


> Brian,
> 
> Are any of the components salvageable? I would imagine many are. Also, did you get any more pics of the car, such as the battery packs and such? It would be interesting to have those photos when people come in talking trash about the "dangers" of having a car full of batteries in an accident.



yes it looks like 7 mabey 8 batteries will be OK the motor is probably ok chargers are questionable ashe ripped out the extension cord and it got ripped in half (220 VAC) and it was plugged in as well at the time. Ya nothing shorted or any thing all in all the electrical componemts I installed survived well. I will send pics of it later as I start the dissaassebly


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

mwne2nks said:


> Dude, I am so sorry for your loss. I think I know where you live, cuz I went to high school right up the street. My aunt and uncle live behind you a few blocks. How long have you lived there?


been here about 8 years


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

rfengineers said:


> I would be glad to provide you with a written quote from Southern Electric Cars. You should talk to several shops around the country. It is not unusual for someone to order an EV conversion from a shop thousands of miles from where they live. You should also factor into the equation the loss of use of your EV during the time it will take to get another one converted.


Thanks I sent you some info,,, your the best!!!!

Brian


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

for any locals fox 4 story will air at 6:00 pm

B


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

Here is the news video from 2 different news channels

Brian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYj-5Z_gS4g


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## ww321q (Mar 28, 2008)

Wow ! I really don't know what to say . I know if that happened to me I probably wouldn't be able to build another car . I hope every thing works out but I know how that goes too . sorry J.W.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

ww321q said:


> Wow ! I really don't know what to say . I know if that happened to me I probably wouldn't be able to build another car . I hope every thing works out but I know how that goes too . sorry J.W.


we will see pretty soon

Brian


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## TheSGC (Nov 15, 2007)

I have to admit, that is one creepy looking b!tch. 

Still nothing from the insurance company? Maybe you should get your wrecks towed to the insurance company's front lobby.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

TheSGC said:


> I have to admit, that is one creepy looking b!tch.
> 
> Still nothing from the insurance company? Maybe you should get your wrecks towed to the insurance company's front lobby.


Ya attractive drunk mug shot.That would be funny and they are right here in Overland park ( basically the same neighborhood), they were due out here today but she said they have been extremely busy blah blah blah,, it is time to get them out of here though I am sick of lookin at em!

B


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## Qer (May 7, 2008)

rctous said:


> Here is the news video from 2 different news channels
> 
> Brian
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYj-5Z_gS4g


Wow, I wouldn't have been that relaxed and natural in front of a whole camera team. Good show.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

the adjuster was just here we will know more later today (aparently) he will come back with offers,,,, He took pics of the documents I had showing the costs of the e-car and he got on the phone to discuss it with a manager as well. Tahoe totalled looks like they want to total the white truck as well,, I will certainly buy t hat one back and I also told him I would like to keep the e-car a couple days to strip it then they can have it,, but we will see. Keep ya all posted as the day moves on

B


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

adjuster was here and three cars are OK for the #'s we received, Magnum already picked up and at the dealer,, got check for 92 PU truck ,, will repair myself,, good # for the 07 Tahoe,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,but the e-car has moved to the upper managers etc, for evaluation,, so no number yet there. fingers still crossed I suspect a battle brewing. Will keep everyone updated as I find out myself.

Brian


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## ElectriCar (Jun 15, 2008)

If they try to hose you, show them this forum and tell them lots of EVers here are intently awaiting their decision and it's not too late to change their minds. If they insist on screwing you you'll just have to tell the EV world who they are and what they did to you. 

Who knows, some here may consider them for coverage next time they're in the market for insurance if they do you right. I know I would. I've been with State Farm since the 70's but they've tried to stiff me a couple of times and they are replacable.

They've been fair to date it seems so they'll likely be fair with the EV as well. I too have to provide documentation to SF for my truck as I told them up front I don't want just "insurance" on my 91 S10. Should it get popped I want my investment back!


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## Johny (Jul 21, 2008)

My heart goes out to you Brian.
I normally would let the legal side alone but this time I agree with lots of posts that you should really get into her for the time you have lost as well. This is damage to personal property on a big scale and should be able to be presented to the legal system.
I lost a car (just one, not like yours) to a drunk driver in my early days and they got away with just paying my legal fees in the end because I ran out of puff in pursuing them.
It's good that your family still get to have a Christmas with no one injured - have a good one in spite of the drunk.


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## esoneson (Sep 1, 2008)

Brian,
Considering your time as money, think about this. With the Detroit meltdown a lot of info has come forward. Compensation for a auto worker on an assembly line averages $78/hr (UAW). Japanese auto manufacturers compensate an average of $48/hr. Multiply the number of hours you put into your EV by either of these numbers and then make up your mind if you need compensation for your time. It's a big chunk of change.

Good luck.

Eric


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

Johny said:


> My heart goes out to you Brian.
> I normally would let the legal side alone but this time I agree with lots of posts that you should really get into her for the time you have lost as well. This is damage to personal property on a big scale and should be able to be presented to the legal system.
> I lost a car (just one, not like yours) to a drunk driver in my early days and they got away with just paying my legal fees in the end because I ran out of puff in pursuing them.
> It's good that your family still get to have a Christmas with no one injured - have a good one in spite of the drunk.


believe me I am going after my time as well they did not contact me today about the e-car so I am sure they are still trying to figure it all out,, but all is settled but the e-car and I must say the amount for the yard , garage and driveway went very very well. I will post #'s for you all as soon as the e-car gets settled,, Dodge Magnum went to the shop yesturday and the Tahoe will finally be picked up tomorrow,, been an eye sore I tell ya.

Brian


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

well they made the first offer today for the e-car and I refused it. Have an appointment with the lawyer on monday,,, offer was not awful but unacceptabe,, will keep ya posted on how it pans out......

Brian


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## mustangman66 (Dec 30, 2008)

Dude, see if you can get the insurance company to pay you for the labor time that went into the car. at $10 and hour... that would be pretty hefty


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

mustangman66 said:


> Dude, see if you can get the insurance company to pay you for the labor time that went into the car. at $10 and hour... that would be pretty hefty


we will see 10 bucks is pretty on the low side though I have about 200 hours in the car


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## PatricioIN (Jun 13, 2008)

rctous said:


> we will see 10 bucks is pretty on the low side though I have about 200 hours in the car


even neighborhood mechanics charge $50-$60/hr for labor.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

PatricioIN said:


> even neighborhood mechanics charge $50-$60/hr for labor.


exactly!!!!

Brian


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

woops I messed up


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

just got off the phone with someone else at the insurance company,, they finally want to see some documentation,, DUHHHHH, all they had before was a picture of my replacement costs and my labor(that was printed on an excell form) ,, now they have 2 replacement quotes from professionals in the industry and the total value for replacement is about 5K higher than what is on the excell form I have..... We will see at least we are moving forward.

Brian


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## Wirecutter (Jul 26, 2007)

Brian -
Repeating what's been said: I'm sorry about your loss. It's bad to lose any vehicle, but so much worse to lose something with so much effort invested in it. 

I'd like to point out some items from the positive column.

1. You're taking this all a lot better than I would. I think I'd be a raving maniac over this.

2. You and your family were physically uninjured. (Not only can loved ones not be replaced - they're a hell of a lot more expensive to repair if repair is even possible. With enough money and parts, just about any vehicle can be restored to "like new", even if it means you're basically manufacturing a new car. Not so with humans.)

3. You're either a good engineer, very lucky, or both. There were no "secondary" fires or explosions with your EV. Bravo to you.


Lemme get this right - not only was this skank probably too drunk to stand, she was speeding _away_ from home in said state at 2:30 in the am??? I'm sorry, but trying to explain that one to a judge sounds like it could be very funny!  _"Were you going out for more booze? Run out of smokes? Just wanted to 'get some air'? What?"_

Stupidity truly knows no bounds. Again, I'm glad you and your family are okay.

-Mark


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

Wirecutter said:


> Brian -
> Repeating what's been said: I'm sorry about your loss. It's bad to lose any vehicle, but so much worse to lose something with so much effort invested in it.
> 
> I'd like to point out some items from the positive column.
> ...


not real sure why she left her house or where she was going does't really matter thogh she never made it there,, small detour through my place ( literely),, I did cram the e-car into the garage this week end to get it out from the front of the house.. it has become an eye sore,, now as soon as we reslove the price issue with the insurance co I will get rid of it once and for all. ( after I strip it that is)


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## brent.massey (Jul 23, 2008)

Any news from the insurance co Brian?


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## dpringle (Jun 17, 2008)

Brian,

I am so sorry to hear about this. I was on 'communication blackout' during most of the month of December due to (mostly) getting ready for the holidays and having out of town guests. 

I will try to give you a call today to say hi and check on you. 

Hang in there.

Dave


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

brent.massey said:


> Any news from the insurance co Brian?


yes I am posting some farwell pics of the car as it will be picked up tomorrow

we settled and I will discuss that a bit further after the check hits the bank,, we just settled today. let me say it is OK,, but also let me warn any of you this,,,, anything you post any where will be found by them!! Guaranteed! I am sure the adjuster enjoyed reading this forum.

brian


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

here are my farwell pics,, the car is being picked up tomorrow (finally)


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

I cannot even tell you how hard it was for me to take everything out of the car,,, (emotionally that is) the actual removal of everything took about 2 hours 1% of the time it took to build the car... it was a sad day,,, but in the market for a donor yeee hawwww

also glad to see my adaptor / coupler held up perfectly I always thought it was the weakest link but it looks perfect.

brian


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## TheSGC (Nov 15, 2007)

rctous said:


> I cannot even tell you how hard it was for me to take everything out of the car,,, (emotionally that is) the actual removal of everything took about 2 hours 1% of the time it took to build the car... it was a sad day,,, but in the market for a donor yeee hawwww
> 
> also glad to see my adaptor / coupler held up perfectly I always thought it was the weakest link but it looks perfect.
> 
> brian


Well, knowing your weakest link can go through hell is always good info. Now I can't wait for your next thread on EV2. With any luck, it will take you only 10% of the time EV1 took!


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

TheSGC said:


> Well, knowing your weakest link can go through hell is always good info. Now I can't wait for your next thread on EV2. With any luck, it will take you only 10% of the time EV1 took!


I do try to work hard and fast but I think 20 hours is pretty optimistic but hey I will try LOL

Brian


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## Bottomfeeder (Jun 13, 2008)

Reverend Gadget did a conversion in less than 30 hours straight, at a car show no-less. The hard part is figuring out all of the locations for things and fabricating. If you get the same car, you'll be done in a week, I'm sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-K5izA4qHU


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

ya not sure what kind of hurry I will be in this time ,, I may do a cool car instead of a practical car,,, not sure yet. When the right car comes I will start a new thread on it. Now when the car gets out of the garage the truck comes in for its new door , fender then paint,,, then the e-car so now is the time to find it. This is probably the worst part of it all as well.

Brian


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

its gone for ever

another last sad moment

Brian


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## dpringle (Jun 17, 2008)

Dude, I felt my heart drop to see those photos. I can't imagine how you felt. 

Hang in there.


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## david85 (Nov 12, 2007)

rctous said:


> its gone for ever
> 
> another last sad moment
> 
> Brian


What about the parts in it? Is the settlement resovled?


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## RKM (Jun 9, 2008)

Brian,

Sorry for your loss. At least it was limited to steel and effort... no one was hurt.

Hopefully you will or have been adequately compensated. The silver lining may be that the next conversion will be better than the first!

Take care.

Rob


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

david85 said:


> What about the parts in it? Is the settlement resovled?


no parts in the car at all,, will post settlement as soon as check arrives

Brian


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

RKM said:


> Brian,
> 
> Sorry for your loss. At least it was limited to steel and effort... no one was hurt.
> 
> ...



Ya the second one is usually easier but this one was pretty cool though, and really I do not think I would change anything on it,, been hitting Craigs list and there are several candidates out there still debating to go "cool" or pratical. More than likely practical will win ,, but till I get the new car ya can never be sure.

brian


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## oddpowers (Dec 9, 2008)

Hi brian, I have been closely reading your thread, but havent posted any thing till now. 
Let me first say, that was a great build, and sorry for your loss!!! 



Now let me coment on this:


rctous said:


> still debating to go "cool" or pratical.


I vote "cool" car. An electric car is cool, but a hot rod electric car is even better. How about a 90's camero or mustang that would be neat.


Anyway, I hope everything has worked out in your favor. Good luck on your next build!!!


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

oddpowers said:


> Hi brian, I have been closely reading your thread, but havent posted any thing till now.
> Let me first say, that was a great build, and sorry for your loss!!!
> 
> 
> ...


 I am leaning towards cool but it depends on what I find I guess,, getting antzy and want to get started!!


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

OK I guess I can now post details on the settlement on the ev car

First of all I think it turned out fair, many of you will think wow thats awesome but I learned a few things. The first offer was 11,900 and 2500 to buy back the car, I was not interested so we went to the table again. I sent here a quote from a very reputable ev conversion company, not counting the car and power assisted brakes the quote was for 19,00 and change, by the time it was shipped both ways and all the additions were added that I had on the car it would have been 23,00 and change. The worksheet I came up with parts labor etc came to 19,600 That is what I wanted, take off the 2500 buy back and the settlement would have been 17,100,,,, BUTI had the car on a local EV trader web site listed for 11,500.00 THEY FOUND THAT AD. Even though it had expired they still found it,, I was speachless on the phone as I never expected the question form them,, I said I was feeling out the market,, they did not care. Talked about this with 2 different lawyers and I screwed myself totally, so when we finally came up with the # we got to buy the car back for 1000.00 and we just got a check in the mail for 11,812.00. Yes I am satisfied but it could have been better had I not ran that ad so live and learn. Happy not totally, satisfied yes, as we all know I had 6000 worth of stuff in the car that is in great shape and I got it al back so in essence I got about 18,000 for the car,, Thats it. I knew you all wanted to know the outcome,, let me know your thoughts!

Brian


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## Voltswagen (Nov 13, 2008)

Well I'm not surprized. Insurance companies are in the "Don't Pay" business. Thats how they make their money. And toward that end they are very resourceful. 
Sorry you couldn't have gotten more Brian but I think with the money and parts you can build another vehicle.
Roy


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## esoneson (Sep 1, 2008)

I guess that we should all periodically run ads with an asking price of 10K more than it's worth. This would have helped in your case (20/20 hind sight). Then, who knows, maybe we could hit a windfall with someone who falls in love with the vehicle. 

Glad you are satisfied and are actively moving ahead. Me...I'm still saving and planning.

Eric


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## judebert (Apr 16, 2008)

Well, that stinks. After all, what happens if I put it up for auction and the bidding only goes to 1K? 

Ah, well. At least it sounds like you'll have enough to start anew. Lots of lost time and effort, but that's it.


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

judebert said:


> Well, that stinks. After all, what happens if I put it up for auction and the bidding only goes to 1K?
> 
> Ah, well. At least it sounds like you'll have enough to start anew. Lots of lost time and effort, but that's it.


Ya I know but its time to move on and finally I have

brian


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## Bottomfeeder (Jun 13, 2008)

I came across a similar issue before. Lawyers were trolling these internet forums about a counter culture event trying to establish something about the participants. There had been an accidental death and the mother was suing. What bothered me about it, was how different anonymous people on internet forums act compared to the real life people that attend the event. The lawyers were assuming that the people were one and the same. Anyway, it taught me a lesson about internet forums. A cheap lesson too, because I wasn't involved anyway.


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## Wirecutter (Jul 26, 2007)

rctous said:


> Ya I know but its time to move on and finally I have
> brian


 That's the spirit. Glad to hear it's over and done, sorry for your loss, and thanks for posting the details for our possible future benefit.

-Mark


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

Wirecutter said:


> That's the spirit. Glad to hear it's over and done, sorry for your loss, and thanks for posting the details for our possible future benefit.
> 
> -Mark


I only hope it doesn't set a negative pressident for us all?

brian


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## PatricioIN (Jun 13, 2008)

I have a slightly different take. You're pretty lucky to have been compensated so much for your labor, since insurance companies don't often allow that (unless you are a professional in the field of making EV's). And frankly, you were able to take pretty much ALL the EV components out of the car and use again. So basically, they paid you 11k for a Geo Storm. I would be quite happy if it were me in that situation. Just my opinion. You'll end up with a free EV. Yes, your labor is worth something, but you'd have done it anyway.. On the other hand, I totally agree that we should all list our vehicles for sale at a "I hope someone is willing to pay this" price for precedent!! Frankly, you can't go buy an electric four seat car capable of highway speeds for 12k....

Overall, you're right.. happy abouty the settlement? nah.. but ok with it?.. sure.


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## Wirecutter (Jul 26, 2007)

rctous said:


> I only hope it doesn't set a negative pressident for us all?
> 
> brian


Naw, think positive. We're learning here... Besides, there are plenty of stories of people that go up against an insurance company and get hosed. You've at least proven the value of trying to hold your ground, doing your research, and getting help from your friends. 

I'll keep an eye out for build thread #2.

-Mark


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

Wirecutter said:


> Naw, think positive. We're learning here... Besides, there are plenty of stories of people that go up against an insurance company and get hosed. You've at least proven the value of trying to hold your ground, doing your research, and getting help from your friends.
> 
> I'll keep an eye out for build thread #2.
> 
> -Mark


dude build thread #2 is almost finished already,, here is the link

http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/brians-ev-conversion-2-saturn-project-26520.html


Brian


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## rctous (Jun 18, 2008)

PatricioIN said:


> I have a slightly different take. You're pretty lucky to have been compensated so much for your labor, since insurance companies don't often allow that (unless you are a professional in the field of making EV's). And frankly, you were able to take pretty much ALL the EV components out of the car and use again. So basically, they paid you 11k for a Geo Storm. I would be quite happy if it were me in that situation. Just my opinion. You'll end up with a free EV. Yes, your labor is worth something, but you'd have done it anyway.. On the other hand, I totally agree that we should all list our vehicles for sale at a "I hope someone is willing to pay this" price for precedent!! Frankly, you can't go buy an electric four seat car capable of highway speeds for 12k....
> 
> Overall, you're right.. happy abouty the settlement? nah.. but ok with it?.. sure.


big difference here between cost to build and replacement cost and value of the vehicle,, Had they not found the ad I guarantee you I would have gotten 19,600 at minimum,, that would be the cost to replace the vehicle,, I am not complaining it OK but just OK.

Brian


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