We hear again and again of the robustness of these vehicles. They
have an absolutely minimal crush-zone and are designed basically to
use the other vehicle as a crush-zone instead. Good for the VW
occupants, not so good for those in the other vehicle! My Nissan
Skyline was built like that too. What did you hit, and what was the
damage to it?

>If it's been towed away, you may never be able to get any of your
>accessories or stuff back.

Tow companies here usually steal the stereo...

>The tow yard will not let  you near it unless you pay the towing and
>storage fees, which will be astronomical.

That is criminal. In NZ you'd have full access to the vehicle, and
towage fee would be unlikely to be over $50NZ within some kilometers
outside the city boundary.

>If an insurance claim is being filed for damages, they will not let
>you keep possession of the vehicle until the damage is assessed and
>the claim is settled.

Here an assessro can visit your hone to check up the damage... or you
can take it into a body-shop and it can be assessed there.

>If they are totaling it, you will not be able
>to part it out unless you buy it back (for salvage value -- I've
>never done this so I don't know how that's determined -- probably
like everything else it is negotiable to some extent).

I think the insurance company has to give the owner first option
before the car goes up for auction.

You could have the body straightness checked. The thing to watch,
however, is that vehicles which have had a heavy impact begin to rust
at the seams, as the filler and paint crack as the seams flex.

I hope you come out of this all right!
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut
� Opinions stated are mine, not those of Otago University
"There is water at the bottom of the ocean"  - Talking Heads