thisismatt Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 When they tell you your truck is a piece of crap, tell them you'd like to see their [current piece of crap] running & driving in 40 years. 3 Quote Link to comment
josh817 Posted January 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 I'd much rather be modest and humble. :angel: I have some old receipts like machine work and stuff but not everything. My excel spreadsheet shows for the L20B, 5 speed, disk brakes, and general just pulled out of a farm field repairs, $2880. There is only one 521 in original condition, patina and all, in DFW on craigslist going for $8500 (the guy is gold digging hard) and it doesn't have a 2 liter, 5 speed, disk brakes, upgraded radiator, new starter, new wiring, and "new interior". I can see how Wayno and Flatcat describe this as a shitcoaster ride. It is rather difficult, especially without Datsun which get modified all the time, to get something comparable. I won't expect the adjusters research to be very thorough or knowledgeable. I may invite my father along so it doesn't look like I'm some young punk who will settle for $5 so I can take my nonexistent girl to the dollar theater; or actually, spend that $5 and buy Dad lunch for his good deed. Think McDonalds and a water, Dad. 1 Quote Link to comment
DanielC Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 A few ideas. Some random thoughts, really. Both insurance companies, yours, and the other person's are in business to make money, not give it out. As far as an insurance company is concerned, "totaled" simply means the cost of repairs exceeds the cost of the vehicle that was damaged. Easy to figure out what a newer car is worth, look at current sales, and Kelly blue book. For an older vehicle, not so easy. If the accident is ruled her fault, her insurance company is expected to pay for your vehicle to be repaired to the condition it was prior to the accident. If the vehicle is "totaled" it means they have to replace the vehicle with another vehicle, with "like kind and quality" Her insurance company is like I said, trying to give out as little money as possible. Their second interest is to get you to sign a check. Because their is probably some legalese verbiage on the check releasing the insurance company from further liability. You sign the check, they are done. 2 Quote Link to comment
laotsu Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 I have dealt with this exact situation, twice, the damage is not enough to total the truck, the company will pay you to go away. those taillights are almost as hard to find as the ones for a 610. Since the lenses a NLA the adjuster will go online and find a recent price on ebay or some shit and offer that. I took the money both times and trolled all the datsun parts places; Ebay, CL ratsuns "excellent" classies, and Row 52. I finally found a rotted out 521 on Ebay and got the guy to sell me just the lenses. Your other best hope is to setup a row 52 521 alert and find a guy local to the yard on here to go pull the lenses for you, I drove 500 miles to check a PnP the day agter the truck hit the yard and the lenses and glass were already gone. I have a set in storage, too bad I'm 300 miles from home. 1 Quote Link to comment
MicroMachinery Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 I see you were able to get a picture of your face whilst getting rear-ended to use as your avatar. From the looks of it, the offender wasn't gentle.. 3 Quote Link to comment
harlow426@mail.com Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Surest way to claim "actual real world" value of your truck is to use an independent certified appraiser. Ins comp cant argue or haggle numbers provided by cert appraiser. Try 2 find one who is an old car buff....ask around. 1 Quote Link to comment
Steve521 Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 So sorry to hear about your truck's unfortunate accident. I'm not sure which 521 tail lights I have but I have a good extra set I believe that I'd be willing to sell. I'll have to go look at them tomorrow to confirm. Not sure if he remembers but Daniel C. saw them once. Let me know if you still need some. They would just have to be shipped from Portland OR. Looks like I might be lucky enough to keep my truck possibly so if I don't sell them, I'll just keep them around for back ups. B) 1 Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 He needs these type, same as what is on your 521. So sorry to hear about your truck's unfortunate accident. I'm not sure which 521 tail lights I have but I have a good extra set I believe that I'd be willing to sell. I'll have to go look at them tomorrow to confirm. Not sure if he remembers but Daniel C. saw them once. Let me know if you still need some. They would just have to be shipped from Portland OR. Looks like I might be lucky enough to keep my truck possibly so if I don't sell them, I'll just keep them around for back ups. B) 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 No pun intended but that ugly bumper saved your ass! Quote Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 "EDIT: While we are discussing, I'm going to go ahead and collect some 521 sales from craigslist and ebay, along with the cost of the gear I have on mine, and then I'll give her a bath to make her slightly less ratty looking. Have all this shit printed off in case if they throw me the big one." Go to http://www.nadaguides.com/classic-cars and navigate through the maze until you find your year and make of vehicle. In your case it would probably be http://www.nadaguides.con/classic-cars/1971/521/ whatever else describes your truck. Good luck! This site is what dealers use to calculate trade-in, resale or insurance valuation before determining whether to buy, sell, or accept as a trade-in. 1 Quote Link to comment
tr8er Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 Surest way to claim "actual real world" value of your truck is to use an independent certified appraiser. Ins comp cant argue or haggle numbers provided by cert appraiser. Try 2 find one who is an old car buff....ask around. This is what I did with USAA. Appraiser came in at $12,000. Ins. Company quickly covered the $2500 for fender, hood, windshield, rubber and paint. (Tree limb fell on car). I had it appraised before the incident though. Not sure that mattered. 1 Quote Link to comment
Rocket Dog Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 Sent you a PM Josh about lenses. Seems like you have some good leads already, let me know if I can help. 1 Quote Link to comment
DanielC Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 This is a thread I did in 2010 about rebuilding 521 taillights. http://community.ratsun.net/topic/18092-521-taillight-rebuilding/?hl=%2B521+%2Btaillights Save everything you can from the old taillights. If lenses are destroyed, maybe the wiring harness is good. The metal frame can be straightened. Other parts are interchangeable, and can be swapped side to side. Turn signal lamp holders can be used in reverse lamp locations, and the other way around, but of course you have to do some cutting and splicing of wires. 2 Quote Link to comment
josh817 Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Go to http://www.nadaguides.com/classic-cars and navigate through the maze until you find your year and make of vehicle. In your case it would probably be http://www.nadaguides.con/classic-cars/1971/521/ whatever else describes your truck. Good luck! This site is what dealers use to calculate trade-in, resale or insurance valuation before determining whether to buy, sell, or accept as a trade-in. I checked them out, unfortunately the link to the 71 521 didn't work (even with the corrected typo). I found this earlier though which was disheartening. This is a thread I did in 2010 about rebuilding 521 taillights. http://community.ratsun.net/topic/18092-521-taillight-rebuilding/?hl=%2B521+%2Btaillights Save everything you can from the old taillights. If lenses are destroyed, maybe the wiring harness is good. The metal frame can be straightened. Other parts are interchangeable, and can be swapped side to side. Turn signal lamp holders can be used in reverse lamp locations, and the other way around, but of course you have to do some cutting and splicing of wires. Excellent write up DanielC, thank you! I bent the lights back into shape as you can see in one picture. Wiring and bulbs still work, except for turn signals, those bulbs broke. The lens only had one recoverable piece. The housings have been smushed. So, I can't get the further damage out of my head. I'm sitting here saying they need to pay at least a little something towards the repair of all damaged parts from the accident but I don't want to risk having the truck get totalled. So far I need new lights, the tailgate is bent, and like I said before the bottom right corner of the quarter panel is bent. Upon further inspection of the tailgate I noted that the top right edge rubs on the quarter panel of the bed. I peaked in and I see the weld has been broken and bulged from the bed floor to the quarter panel. The bulge I don't care about but the tailgate rubbing is a problem. Think the bed quarter panel can just be pushed out by 1/8" to clear the tailgate or is this implying further damage to the chassis? Should I just shut up about it when I go to the adjust tomorrow? 1 Quote Link to comment
laotsu Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 you haven't met with an adjuster yet? 1 Quote Link to comment
josh817 Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Tomorrow afternoon was the soonest they could get. 1 Quote Link to comment
Steve521 Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 He needs these type, same as what is on your 521. Thanks Wayne. I went out to the garage to confirm that I still have my "extra set" and I do. I did only find one in the container they were in but I know the other one is in the garage somewhere. :-) Just let me know if you want them Josh. 1 Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Tomorrow afternoon was the soonest they could get. GL. Keep your calm. 2 Quote Link to comment
josh817 Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Thanks Wayne. I went out to the garage to confirm that I still have my "extra set" and I do. I did only find one in the container they were in but I know the other one is in the garage somewhere. :-) Just let me know if you want them Josh. Please PM me a price preferably before 2:30 central time so I have something other than $560 to tell the guy... I mean, if you want less than $560 that is... :poop: 1 Quote Link to comment
josh817 Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Quite anticlimatic... They had me go to a collision center where an employee just took pictures and VIN and will send his estimates to the insurance for an adjuster to look at. Luckily he was a Datsun dude so he knows 521's aren't falling from the sky here in Texas. Same deal as I was saying before, books only went back to 1981-ish he said "whenever they went to a 17 digit VIN". So, he didn't have a clue how to price it, so I gave him the print off of the New Datsun Parts tail lights and the ebay tailgate. I know he isn't part of the insurance company but he was under the same opinion I am, whatever it takes to resolve the situation, even if it means freakishly expensive lights. I've already concluded that by the time they get another 521, ship it to Texas, and then give me an allowance to compensate for the disk brakes, fresh 2 liter, 5 speed, radiator, carb, they will have far surpassed any $1000-$2000 claim they say the vehicle is worth. I'll up date you guys when I get a response from the insurance agent/adjuster. Thanks for the help! 2 Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Gettin' handled. Moving forward. 1 Quote Link to comment
Steve521 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Please PM me a price preferably before 2:30 central time so I have something other than $560 to tell the guy... I mean, if you want less than $560 that is... :poop: Sorry was at work all day. expect a PM soon tonight. 1 Quote Link to comment
josh817 Posted January 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Highly relevant:http://community.ratsun.net/topic/57093-truck-rear-ended-yesterday/ If anyone has the smaller lights with the metal bracket, let me know. Curious how they mount on a 521. Much cheaper too. Doubt my chassis is bent but I don't like that the bed has pinched the tailgate. I will investigate tomorrow. I already told the guy at the collision center. I'm having day dreams of that user on here that put a 521 body on a lifted 4x4 frame and used an I-beam as a bumper. :thumbup: Will stop more than a Juke. 2 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 The metal bracket for the early 521 and late 520 tail light are spot welded to the bottom of the bed. I have a set of the early 521 lights but I do not have the brackets. Quote Link to comment
Steve521 Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 sent you another PM Josh ... having trouble locating my other tail lamp assembly but can look harder on Saturday. 1 Quote Link to comment
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