Don't go the "totaled" route this time, you might need it later!  Get
the adjuster to work with you, show him a lower estimate.  Accept used
parts or repair the damage in place (sounds like he included a new rear
quarter panel clip) and see if he can't get below the market value and
fix it for you.

Ken Hunter wrote:
>
> A girl in a 78 Camaro clipped me while she was backing out of her driveway.
> She was going to hit me square on the sliding door but with the tremendous
> acceleration of the diesel <g> I got away with only damage to the rt rear;
> side marker and tailight OK, tailgate still opens. Total damaged area is back
> of the seam on the quarter panel with a 2" slice through the sheetmetal where
> her spoiler got me. All in all not a big deal. I got an estimate from one of
> the better body shops in town for $850 including tax and went into Farmers
> drive in  claim service in Albuquerque expecting them to offer maybe $500 or
> so and line me up with one of their "preferred shops". However their
> adjuster, after about 10 minutes on his computuer, gives me a figure of
> $1760!!! and says my 82 Westy is slightly over their break point for
> totalling the vehicle!! At this point I'm wondering what my "buy-back" amount
> will be. Since I only paid $1500 for the vehicle (but sank another 2k into
> it) I think I could live with a salvage title.
>
> Ken Hunter
> 82 Westy 1.9D
> 84 Jetta 1.5D

--
Stuart MacMillan
Seattle

'84 Vanagon Westfalia w/2.1
'65 MGB (Daily driver since 1969)
'74 MGB GT (Restoring sloooowly)

Assisting on Restoration (and spending OPM):
'72 MGB GT (Daughter's)
'64 MGB (Son's)

Stripped and gone but their parts live on:
'68 MGB, '73 MGB, '67 MGB GT