abikepeddler
Active member
I don't even know where to start with this post... I'm just gutted. I attended the Radwood 2 car event in Aneheim this past Saturday and then returned home at 6pm and stored the car in my fathers empty garage. 8 1/2 hours later, at 2:30am, the garage, along with 5 of my vehicles were incinerated in the fire. http://www.cbs8.com/story/36982701/man-caretaker-rescued-from-del-mar-house-fire
THANK GOD my father and his caretaker had only minor injuries and in the long view, that is all that matters. The garage was a detached affair so the main residence has only minor smoke damage and should be inhabitable in the next week or so.
I however am not fine. I am inconsolable. Devastated. Besides VR-4 #1607 (located in the middle garage) being destroyed, I lost a 375hp mid-engine RWD Austin Mini, and my 1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL. This last car was the same car I came home from the hospital 50 years ago when I was brought into this world and to celebrate it's 50 years in our family I gave it a gift earlier this year when Petrolicious did a story on the car and it's connection to our family. https://petrolicious.com/articles/this-mercedes-benz-230sl-has-been-family-owned-for-50-years
The reason I am telling you all about this is two fold... 1) You VR-4 loving dorks are the only one's that can understand my pain. My friends and family have been great but they do not understand what it is like to bring a car back from the dead or to maintain and improve a vehicle. The only people that can understand are TRUE "car people" and anyone that even knows was a GVR4 is are certified car people. This is really the only place to share the ceaseless pain I feel as well as to thank all of you for all your recent help in getting #1607 to the level that it could be displayed at a car event like Radwood. Without all of your assistance that would have never happened. The car had but 311 miles on it since the work was completed prior to the fires consummation. And that brings me to the second reason I am posting this...
In preparation of fighting the insurance company (Geico) over the vehicles value I wanted the opinion of all you experts on GVR-4 values. With this data I can then at least argue the "real" street value of the vehicle rather then have the insurance company tell me that "Kelly Blue Book" values the vehicle at $_ _ _ _ when we all know that the real street value for a clean, well kept VR4 can be well north of KBB.
So here is the low down on the car at the time of the fire. (Pardon if my tears ruin your keyboard..)
1991 Galant VR-4 #1607
Color: Belize Green
Mileage: 222,880
Condition: 8.5 out of 10 (90% original paint, original engine and trans)
Just completed a 8 month tear down of drivetrain and suspension including the following...
Replaced cracked trans bell housing
New brake rotors/pads
New outer tie rod ends
New CV joint boots front and rear
New Centerforce clutch
New clutch slave cyl
New stainless braided clutch slave hydro line
New strut hats
New fuel filter
New fuel filler hose from cap to fuel tank
New engine oil and filter
New Trans oil
New Transfer case oil
New Diff oil
New headlights
New front grill
New front turn signal lens
New windshield washer nozzles
New LED interior, door and trunk bulbs
New H&R blue srings
New TE37 replica wheels and tires
New 7 speaker touchscreen stereo with Navigation and backup camera
There is more but you get the idea.
So I am looking for opinions on real street value. Here are some pictures.
THANK GOD my father and his caretaker had only minor injuries and in the long view, that is all that matters. The garage was a detached affair so the main residence has only minor smoke damage and should be inhabitable in the next week or so.
I however am not fine. I am inconsolable. Devastated. Besides VR-4 #1607 (located in the middle garage) being destroyed, I lost a 375hp mid-engine RWD Austin Mini, and my 1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL. This last car was the same car I came home from the hospital 50 years ago when I was brought into this world and to celebrate it's 50 years in our family I gave it a gift earlier this year when Petrolicious did a story on the car and it's connection to our family. https://petrolicious.com/articles/this-mercedes-benz-230sl-has-been-family-owned-for-50-years
The reason I am telling you all about this is two fold... 1) You VR-4 loving dorks are the only one's that can understand my pain. My friends and family have been great but they do not understand what it is like to bring a car back from the dead or to maintain and improve a vehicle. The only people that can understand are TRUE "car people" and anyone that even knows was a GVR4 is are certified car people. This is really the only place to share the ceaseless pain I feel as well as to thank all of you for all your recent help in getting #1607 to the level that it could be displayed at a car event like Radwood. Without all of your assistance that would have never happened. The car had but 311 miles on it since the work was completed prior to the fires consummation. And that brings me to the second reason I am posting this...
In preparation of fighting the insurance company (Geico) over the vehicles value I wanted the opinion of all you experts on GVR-4 values. With this data I can then at least argue the "real" street value of the vehicle rather then have the insurance company tell me that "Kelly Blue Book" values the vehicle at $_ _ _ _ when we all know that the real street value for a clean, well kept VR4 can be well north of KBB.
So here is the low down on the car at the time of the fire. (Pardon if my tears ruin your keyboard..)
1991 Galant VR-4 #1607
Color: Belize Green
Mileage: 222,880
Condition: 8.5 out of 10 (90% original paint, original engine and trans)
Just completed a 8 month tear down of drivetrain and suspension including the following...
Replaced cracked trans bell housing
New brake rotors/pads
New outer tie rod ends
New CV joint boots front and rear
New Centerforce clutch
New clutch slave cyl
New stainless braided clutch slave hydro line
New strut hats
New fuel filter
New fuel filler hose from cap to fuel tank
New engine oil and filter
New Trans oil
New Transfer case oil
New Diff oil
New headlights
New front grill
New front turn signal lens
New windshield washer nozzles
New LED interior, door and trunk bulbs
New H&R blue srings
New TE37 replica wheels and tires
New 7 speaker touchscreen stereo with Navigation and backup camera
There is more but you get the idea.
So I am looking for opinions on real street value. Here are some pictures.
