Advice needed: Cab damaged in garage accident

My 68A was damaged by my mechanic a few years back while putting the car on a two post lift. The shop’s insurance paid. I went to my original painter for the repair and repaint. If you can go to the original painter, there is little room for disagreement with the insurance company, because the guy/shop that did the original job, knows the quality of the original work and effort to redo it. It was as painless as I could ever hope for.
 
$20,000 has long been the least they write. State Farm is the worst. This is not your problem. Tell their adjuster he/she can come and look but you are calling a restoration shop to come and tow it to their place, and S/F is on the hook for the total costs. Don't even "open the door".

Alert your insurance company, and tell them if there are any costs they do not cover you want them to handle it and SUBROGATE. They likely will pick up the telephone to S/F and S/F will get the message real quick. If your company has to pay they will start to lean on S/F.

S/F has a reputation....
 
I am very sorry to hear about this accident. I have been restoring a 68C since 2015. It is one of the most difficult body styles to restore. There are many potential problem areas because the subframe is wood and there are many shims used in the assembly. Many of these issues will not be apparent in a casual inspection. Look out for the following: broken subframe attachments, door fit, operation of the convertible top and its effect on door fit, fit of the rumble seat lid, fit of the rear fenders to the body and running boards, fit of the hood to the cowl. Be sure to keep an eye on the repair process. Good luck with it, Ed
 
All,

I just want to say a very heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time to respond, and to Tom Moniz of the Cabriolet Club for answering my questions. This car is so special to me because of its backstory. It is the thing that brought me closer to my father than I ever thought we would be. He was a fantastic man and a wonderful father, but after I hit a certain age , our puzzle pieces just wouldn't quite fit. This car changed that for us and as we grew together in our knowledge of the car, we grew very close to each other. He died suddenly and unexpectedly in 2016, and this car became my tangible memory of him. It may sound odd, but some days, particularly on tough days, I might just sit in the car and "talk to my dad", work out a problem, or just tell "him" about it, which is what we'd do while packing bearings or adjusting brakes.

I'm an attorney and I deal with car accidents, though it isn't my area of expertise. Nonetheless, when this happened it felt different. My first thought was, "I should ask dad". This community has come together and been that answer for me. I don't mean to be so melodramatic, but this car just really does mean that much to me. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I hope to have very positive updates in the not too distant future.
 
Not actually seeing photos of collision damage makes it impossible to advise much. As was mentioned, the Cabriolets were special cars with the body manufactured by Briggs. The deck lid is likely same or similar as to the coupes & roadsters but they can be difficult to find in original condition. The rest of the basic body is all different. The panel below the deck lid is different. The sub frame is wood as was mentioned. I hope that rear structure is intact. If the deck lid took a hit and was displaced by much then the structure for the rear quarters and possibly the rear quarter skins may be damaged. This is where a lot of the expense may be since there aren't reproductions of some of this stuff. the rear fenders may be same as the coupe, roadster, and pickup. The original sheet metal would be expensive to straighten out but it could be done by a good metal man. It's important to find a shop that can adequately repair what's not easily replaced. The front frame horns like to bend and pucker in a hard collision so they should be well inspected for damage. The front and rear bumper and supports are likely same as other similar model A applications and they can be found. Condition might require some replating of straightened or replacement parts.

It could get pretty expensive at modern day shop rates and resource parts aren't getting any cheaper either. Be prepared to wait in line since a lot of the better shops may have a waiting list unless the OP is an experienced DIY guy.
 
Glad that you feel supported by this forum. There's a lot of great people on here!

Just curious - have you inspected the drivetrain for damage? I've heard of a few instances where transmissions, differentials, and even engine blocks getting damaged/split because of an impact.
 
Shaefer, so how is the process of getting your car, and garage repairs going now that it has been a few days? Your garage able to be secured now?
 
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