Just gotta love how the insurance company avoids responsibilty to their policy holders!

 

If the water level only got to the bottom of the gauges, then they should be alright. The only electrical would be anyhting below that, like neutral switch, and others in the console. Starter probably would have been ok, had you driven it enough to get hot enough to get rid of the water. Probably the tranny input shaft and throwout bearing assembly are stuck, just use good penetrant and free up.
I would jack it up and try and turn over the engine with a large screwdriver tooth by tooth on the flywheel. You should have little trouble getting the tranny in neutral.
Try a new starter and just hotwire a battery directly to it and use a screwdriver to short the solenoid terminals to start. The hei should be fine since water didn't reach it. Just hotwire to the battery terminal on the cap.
The wiring harnesses should be fine after cleanup. The pos battery cable is copper clad aluminum, they weren't the best to start with, so I would replace that with welding cable and the other 3 grounds.
You are not looking at a lot of money in parts, just a lot of labor. Most parts just need to be disassembled and cleaned, lubed and reinstalled.
Some parts will fail sooner because of the flooding, but it's not that big a deal. CRC makes a good spray contact cleaner and also contact protector.
You'll still be money ahead vs replacing it with another. You won't get much for it anyway because of all the hype people have about flood
cars.
If you need more info let me know.

 

Thanks Noonie,
I think with what you have suggested and everyone else here I am going to keep the car. Just go connection by connection and motor by motor and dry and clean. I got the car four years ago after waiting for 40 years to get it. So I don't mind the time to fix it. Will let you know my progress.
Thanks everyone
Putts

 

Yikes! Sorry to hear that you will see no relief from insurance of any kind. Hopefully you get a few bucks out of the class action suit.

Take it all one day at a time. Some meticulous cleaning, appropriate lubrication where needed, and a lot of patience and you will be all right.


Fresh water vs. Salt water is a very good thing. However, fresh water from a river, dam break, or wash out is full of dirt. Don't force anything to move, turn, or run. If you can take it apart do it, then clean and lubricate it. If you can't take it apart, try to flood it with penetrating oil, let the oil sit for awhile (usually the longer the better), then see if you can make it work. Once free, lubricate with the right lubricant.

There is some great advice on this forum from some really knowledgeable folks. Keep asking questions when anything stumps you.

Looking forward to hearing about your successes in bringing it back to life.

Dave, Round Rock, TX

 

check with your local authorities, perhaps there is some federal and local relief you could apply for..

that being said, really if you read your insurance policy and all the fine print you will see that you are not really covered for anything. they only pay on goodwill and good faith. they have teams and teams of lawyers on retainer that advise them on what and what not to pay out.

you have to be persistant, go thru the appeal process, join any class action suits that you can.. do your research. these companies rely on the uninformed customer for alot of their bottom line.

insurance is like medical, necessary but totally out of control. they have America by the ***** and nothing can be done..

 

Due to Katrina I have enveloped myself in a frame off to correct all the issues. Pretty much with water it will have made way into everything. How long did the car sit before you got to all the fluids? My personal experience has been the longer thing have sat before I could get to them the worse they were. My diff was rusted and pitted on the gears, the engine was also rusted and needed to be rebuild. I have not even opened the trans, but figuring that will be a rebuild as well. All the wiring and connections will be dirty and not conducting like they should. You also need to check the gas tank for any holes and water intrusion.

 

Hi Puttsee
Sorry to hear about your predicament.My Wife and I were in Duncan last August.We were visting friends who live there as well,it really is a beautiful place you live in.
I know that your loss of property is no laughing matter and dealing with insurance companies certainly don't make it any better ,but here in Australia some years ago we had a movie released called "The Man that Sued God". It starred Billy Connolly,who sued God in a court of law after his boat sank from an Act of God.
If you can find this movie I hope it will give you a laugh in what sounds like are tough times for yourself and your Family.
Hope all goes well.