The labor to R&R the nose is not bad. As Wayne said there is no such thing as a one piece nose in the crash books. You bought all the panels and bonding strips and built it yourself. So a one piece nose should not be a problem at approx. 36 hours. The paint time is way of base.

 

Please check PM. Thanks

 

If you learn anything that could be of use for someone else, it'd be great if you could post it when your negotiations are done.

 

Absolutely. Bill

 

 

Got it!

Thanks again,

Bill

 

Hi bill,
I am am appraiser and I work for an insurance company..
#1 Does your car have a 1 piece frt end?
#2 I fit does than a 1 piece ecklers frt end is what your entitled to.
#3 If you have orignal fiberglass with bonding strips there is no way I would accept an a/m 1 piece frt end
#4 why is getting an agreed price to repair your car between the shop and your insurer your problem
#5 36 hours is fair labour hours to r&r frt end
#6 12 hours to refinish frt end is fair plus time to blend time for the doors in the finish is a b/c c/c.
#7 wet sand and polish will likley be required

EVERYTHYING IS DEPENDENT ON THE QUALITY OF YOUR CAR

BOTTOM LINE....Let shop & your insurer saw off the price...at the end the vehicle must pre restored to its pre accident condition.

I live in Canada but we have the same cars up here.
good luck
Nic

 

I agree with most that you have to say, but I have a couple of bones to pick with you though. You seem to be a reasonable adjuster. Some are not, and some dont have a clue what it takes to do a Corvette.

#4 You of all people should know the answer to that question. We as shops have to deal with this all of the time. The fact is, as an insurance company, HE IS , your customer, not the shop. The shop is in the middle. You tell the shop what he can charge per hour, you control the system, you ultimately have the power. If the shop needs more per hour, he has to squeeze the customer. Remember he is your customer.

#6 I will hire you to paint for me. On insurance figures, you will starve. Remember P pages? Y`all never seem to do that. Those numbers are based on new parts already basically ready to paint, on new vehicles, with no damage, and no old paint on them. It will take you 12 hours to get repro panels ready to paint, much less paint them, and then you are going to nickle and dime me to death on adjacent panel deductions and such nonsense.

Other than that, you seem to be a reasonable guy.

 

And you also seem to be a reasonable guy, but I also have a bone to pick with you...
. Please refer to my comment that "EVERYTHING IS DEPENDENT ON THE QUALITY OF YOUR CAR" Before you go on with your comments about starving. I have seen vettes, as I am sure you have I wouldn't even change the cartridge on my roller so I could match the quality of the paint on them. Cut me some slack on your comments I really don't know if you are working on a "silk purse or the sow's ear"

It is so nice to deal with competent people no matter which side of the fence you are standing on be it on the insurance side or in the shop. I have spent 18 of my 33 years in this industry in the shop. And there are definently people out there who should be arrested for impersonating an appraiser...just got no clue.
There should be an automatic 10% premium on labour rate just to deal with corvette owners...they can be pretty bazaar at times.
Just gotta carry on PLAYING the game.
Pretty tough making a living on Corvette Restoration.
Best regards

 

Like I said in my first sentence. I agree with most that you have to say. That includes the Quality statement. Your responsibility is to put it back the way it was, no more. As a shop owner, I work for the customer. I have to please him ultimately. Agreed, some of them can be totally in left field, and again I am caught in the middle. Unfortunately I have to do that within your budgetary and proceedural constraints. Not many times can I squeeze the customer to get anything extra, so I bite the bullet and get the job done.

You, sorry when I say you I mean the insurance companies, have to admit, you have shops by the b@11s. When insurance companies do prevailing rate surveys, they come around and tell what they will pay and then go back and report that as the prevailing rate. This sets an artificially low rate. For example go to a Chevy dealer and ask at their service dept. what the labor rate is, Insurance companies have no control there, and you are going to find it is at least 1/3 more than it is at the same dealership`s body shop. Now does that sound reasonable considering that a service dept. needs far less expensive equipment, and most techs are basically parts changers? The body shop, on the other hand, needs paint booths, frame machines, alignment racks etc. and the tech is a sculpturer and an artist. He has to satisfy the most demanding customers eye. He gets much less pay?

I am sure that you are a great adjuster and you seem to know your business. I am sure that we would get along fine if we had to work together.

 

The damaged frontend is original. Both the appraiser and bodyshop recommended total replacement so I ordered the Sermersheim PM panels w/bonding strips that is jig assembled into one piece (gill panels came unattached for ease of alignment).

The bodyshop generally does not do insurance jobs...they do corvette restorations. They charge the customer for labor and materials. The customer pays up-to-date after each 40 hours of labor. For me, the bodyshop is willing to do an insurance job but does not agree with labor hours listed on the appraisal. The bodyshop thought the Mitchell manual would provide a more accurate estimate of labor (and it's documented). Essentially, the bodyshop wants to meet with the appraiser and revise the labor. Why is it my problem? Because I want to use this particular bodyshop and they are doing me a favor by accepting the insurance appraisal for a "turnkey price". If I can't get them to agree, then I pay out of pocket to this body shop for the difference or go looking for another bodyshop. Make sense? By-the-way, the appraiser listed my car a "show quality". It's not but who am I to argue?

 

AGREED...Its funny the shops in Canada particularly in the Toronto area have the same issues. Like I said its nice to deal with competent people PERIOD!!!
Maybe you can helpt me...Question???????
Got a bad right knee....I havea 66 with PG trans & PB...would love to be able to lower the height of the brake pedal....any suggestions???
thanks
nic

 

AGREED...Its funny the shops in Canada particularly in the Toronto area have the same issues. Like I said its nice to deal with competent people PERIOD!!!
Maybe you can helpt me...Question???????
Got a bad right knee....I havea 66 with PG trans & PB...would love to be able to lower the height of the brake pedal....any suggestions???
thanks
nic

 

Hi,
Well its a good thing the appraiser has graded your vehicle as "show" quality. There you go he has essentially admitted that there is a premium to be paid to conduct this repair. I don't no how different it is in your neck of the woods but I come up against situations like this from time to time. Its your choice where the vehicle is repaired a least thats how it works in Canada. If the shop is being reasonable and the appraiser has some idea of what he is doing...they should be able to "SAW IT OFF" and do the deal.
my $0.02
Nic

 

Thanks.

 

I guess you could shorten up on the plunger some to lower the pedal. The PB cars are much lower already than the standard cars. But carefull, you need enough travel, and there is a limit to how far you can go.

 

I have never seen a PG car with standard brakes. I know on the c3 the brake bedal on an auto car is lower wonder if that set up would work?
what do you think??

 

The shark cars have a different mounting than the midyears. Never tried to adapt them to a midyear.

 

I would suggest you brake with your left foot. It seems more natural for me when I drive an automatic with a high brake pedal. Smoother too.



Got a bad right knee....I havea 66 with PG trans & PB...would love to be able to lower the height of the brake pedal....any suggestions???
thanks
nic[/QUOTE]

 

i am 6' 3" 250#...not enough room to be comfortable