First, thanks for the help from the list.
I have been able to locate a shop to do the repairs on my TR4A. And,
unbelievably, the insurance estimate looks like it will cover the repair
costs! I will probably let one more shop quote but, for the most part, I
have make up my mind. I just got a 'warm & fuzzy' feeling when I visited the
shop. It is a crowded and messy one man shop but I like the quality of work
that is being put out. In fact, he is working on a 100 pt TR2 restoration
for a CLT customer.
Thanks again to the list. I am not 'home-free' yet, but I am getting closer.
Regards,
Tom Winslow
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Winslow [mailto:tom_winslow@email.msn.com]
Sent: Saturday, December 12, 1998 9:34 PM
To: Triumph Mailing List
Subject: An idiot driver and your Triumph make for a disaster!
Importance: High
I guess it may happen to any of us sooner or later. Some idiot hits your
prize Triumph.
Today my TR4A was damaged (in GA) and now I have the nightmarish task of
dealing with some idiots insurance company and trying to be made whole
again.
We needed to take our GMC Motorhome to Buford GA last night for some needed
Preventative Maintenance. We used a U-Haul Transport to take the TR with us
so that we could drive it back home to NC today. About 10AM we stopped at a
Cracker Barrel Restaurant for a late breakfast. Ahead of us, as we entered
the parking lot, was a woman driving a Chevy Corsica. Without warning she
put the car in reverse and backed up at a high rate of speed WITHOUT LOOKING
BACKWARD! Laying on the horn and grabbing for reverse did not help us escape
a car careening backwards. She was going for a damned parking place!
The noticeable damage is to the bumper, bumper brackets, right headlight,
grille, there is a wider separation between the hood and right fender, the
lower panel below thee bumper, and more. I see a rip in the metal where the
right fender joins the body to the left of the right headlight.
Now, I guess that I had better start to line up several descent shops (for
estimates) that have the capability to bring the TR back to the condition
that it was in when we started our trip this morning. I am really worried
about the paint. This TR has one of the best paint jobs that I have ever
seen and I probably could not replicate it (and the insurance company would
not try without a fight).
The Triumph Mailing List is a vast body of knowledge. I am asking for
suggestions from anyone who has been involved in a similar experience. I
expect that the idiots insurance company will want to 'beat to fit, grind
smooth, paint to match' in the least costly manner possible. This car is a
'ground up restored prize winner' that I plan to be buried in and I will
never be satisfied until it is completely back to normal.
What about central North Carolina shops capable of doing the job?
Web Page: http://www.iredell.com/triumph.html
Help.
tw
--
Thomas P. Winslow
1966 TR4A IRS - CTC57665L (Wounded)
189 Hicks Creek Road, Troutman, NC 28166
h704-528-5868 * f704-528-5868 * p704-878-1157
E-Mail: winslow@vnet.net * tom_winslow@msn.com
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