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#1607 Destroyed in Structure Fire Yesterday - Need Valuation Advice

iceman69510

Turn Right Racing
Staff member
Joined
Mar 5, 2001
Messages
10,964
Location
Michigan
So sad to hear this, and one of my personal fears. I have one car in my garage that is not even insured, and it is probably the most valuable currently.

Search on here for user DR1665. His name is Brian, and he was working at one point on getting sellers to post info on what cars sold for. He did not get a huge amount of cooperation, people being skittish sometimes about revealing any financial information. There should be a thread about values, though likely a bit old given what has happened in the market values of cars the last couple years.

I know you put a lot of money into the car since you bought it, so the purchase price does not reflect the real value at the time of the incident, but use the BaT info as a starting point.

Your name suggests you are a bike "seller" not a rider, so get pedaling! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

Drew84

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 16, 2010
Messages
240
Location
Peabody, Ma
Hi Eric,

I flew all the way to Socal from Boston to check out Radwood2. I'm friendly with the organizers. I was so pumped to see a Galant VR4 and I wanted to talk to you during the day.

I'm so saddened to hear this news. I'm relived no one is hurt, but I totally understand the sentimental value that vehicles have.
 

4Grim

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
2,514
Location
Orlando FL
First off...I am happy to hear that your dad and his caretaker are alright, that ultimately is the more important. I can only imagine the pain seeing the cars that have a deep sentimental value to you and the family in ruins after that fire. For most people ...they are just material things that can easily be replaced, but like you said "car people" and true "enthusiasts" will truly understand that its more than the "material" aspect of it. They represent history, they represent dreams and goals achieved, they represent hard work, ...they represent a part/piece of you in "material" form.

Yes...they can be replaced by another "material" piece but will never replace what they represented. I only hope the insurance process goes well for you and hopefully move on and maybe you have the motivation to save another Galant VR4. #1607 was a beautiful Galant...you did a spectacular job of saving it, another Galant deserves your touch to save it.

#brohug
 

GVR4ZUM

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 8, 2002
Messages
1,455
Location
SoCal, USA
Quoting abikepeddler:
Quoting GVR4ZUM:
Hi Eric,
I just saw your post, I'm sooo sorry to hear this, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif. I'm glad though that nobody got seriously hurt. I made it to Radwood2 saw your car and stayed by it for a bit hoping to see you.





Sorry I missed you at Radwood but once I heard there was a Renault R5 Turbo 2 at the event I pretty much had to just be near it the rest of the day. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif That fat, little, angry chipmunk just makes me freaky...

Thanks for the pic of the car. That is the last one of the car before the fire that I have.



Same here, I kept going back to these two.
I hope it will all work out for you Eric.




 

abikepeddler

Active member
Joined
Aug 11, 2016
Messages
34
Location
San Diego, CA
I really, REALLY appreciate everyone's support. I do not really know any of you personally but it's so odd how I'd rather pour my heart out to a bunch of strangers about this loss then my own family or friends. As I said prior, it is simply a matter of you are a bunch of true car kooks like me and only you can possibly understand. Only you all understand that the bell housing on these cars has a "special" bolt that is so important. Or how to solve a bouncing idle or sticky door handles. If it wasn't for this forum I'd have never had that sense of accomplishment of making #1607 such a reliable DD for my son. So thank you.

Ironically, a few weeks ago, I was planning on posting a story on these forums about my first GVR4, #1337 but on November 19th I was diagnosed with something called Sick Sinus Syndrome which is a heart condition where my heart suddenly stops receiving electrical signal and stops. So on Nov 20th, just, what.. 16 days ago?... wow... I had surgery to install a Pacemaker. 50 years old, healthy, own a bicycle retailer and ride road and mountain bikes all the time and I get a freaking Pacemaker! Bad F'ing luck. So anyways I never got to memorialize #1337. I say memorialize because I sold the car in 2001, with 9800 miles on it (yes, 10 years old with 10K on the odo) for $15,000 to a guy named Andy. So I stayed in touch with Andy over the following 15 years... "Andy, how is the Galant doing?". "Andy, if you ever sell it, please give me a call" I'd bug the sh*t out of him as I never should have sold it in the first place. Well Andy let the car deteriorate to the point where it not longer ran and he did not drive it. So in Aug of 2016 Andy tells me he took the car to a mechanic to try and get it going again. Tragically the shop caught fire and #1337 was incinerated along with a number of other customer cars.

Purchased #1337 brand new (special order) from Carlsbad Mitsubishi in Carlsbad CA. Had 8 miles on the odo when it arrived... I FORCED my then 64 year old father to buy it as he kept buying Honda Accords and I wanted to spice up his life. He LOVED the Galant but was retired and only drove it on short trips. I purchased the car from him a few years later with around 5,000 miles on it, added some 16' Konig Tuner wheels (lol) and H&R lowering springs. Everything else was still stock. Also, I know a lot of you are younger then me so you may not have this perspective but a 1991 Galant VR-4 was about as technologically advanced thing as you could buy. Only the 3000GT VR-4 and the Porsche Carrera 4 (and 959) were more complicated. The soft leather and the fantastic build quality of the Galant VR-4 when new was really something different. It smelled amazing.

So the really ironic thing about this story is that this past weekend, just hours before the fire claimed #1607, I took a picture of it in the exact location where I took a picture of #1337 some 20 years ago. (Look how much that palm tree has grown!) While the background has changed quite a bit over the years it is really weird to see both cars in the same spot and both lost due to fire. I'm probably going to take the hint and stay away from damaging any more of these unique cars...




 
Last edited:

highrpm666

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 19, 2014
Messages
124
Location
Morrison, Co
Oh man. I'm so sorry to hear this. Glad everyone is ok. This really was a beautiful car and I'm glad I was able to see it in person last summer. The pictures make me sick to my stomach. I wouldn't know what to do if this was my car. So sad /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bawling.gif
 

strokin4dr

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2005
Messages
2,770
Location
Savannah, GA
Really cool to have the pics of both cars in the same place 20 years apart.
Once you get everything straight, I hope you reconsider and pick up another one. You did a great job with both cars. Can't blame yourself for the loss of either one.
 

thompstone

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 11, 2003
Messages
400
Location
Minnesota
I don't post here very often anymore since the loss of #1653. I saw the pictures on Jalopnik and instantly I knew it was a GVR4. The other cars as well, I know it sucks immensely. This is not going to help but in the end of the days, it is just stuff, I had a fire myself lost almost everything and came to discover that my family was the important part. Still though it sucks, hard, they were some beautiful machines. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 

4orced4door

Moderator
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
Messages
9,846
Location
Raleigh, NC
Just saw this on Jalopnik, instantly recognized the burned shell as a Galant. So sorry to hear about this, especially after reading the Petrolicious story about the 230SL, and about your long-time history with VR4s. Crazy that the one that you used to own recently burned, too.

I'm glad you weren't physically hurt, but know it must be tough to lose such sentimental possessions. Don't let the insurance fight bring you down too much -- there comes a point where arguing over a few thousand bucks isn't worth the mental anguish IMO.
 

idreamidrive

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Messages
430
Location
Murray, KY
So sorry this happened. Glad the people are okay. I hope to never get rid of my gvr4, as all my kids were brought home in the hospital in it.
I hope you do find another one and get the insurance to pay actual price. I know you loved the first one you let go, as every time we went surfing in Del Mar you would comment on my gvr4.
 

socalgvr4

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Messages
294
Location
Hillsboro Oregon, USA
My sincerest condolences to you and your family. I just heard today : click

After owning easily 6 of these cars (And from your post the huge amount of love you showed for this car) I am truly sorry. However, it appears you and your family are safe, and I truly hope all works out.

Akash
 

KiNgMaRtY

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2008
Messages
835
Location
Corona, CA
Oh no. So sorry for your loss! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bawling.gif
 

jreece3556

Active member
Joined
Dec 24, 2017
Messages
25
Location
Dawsonville, GA
I'm so sorry to hear this. Also, I'm not sure if you know, but the guys at Radwood are trying to get in touch with you about the car. I saw it on Instagram.
 

JamesFoster

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 14, 2008
Messages
583
Location
ALL
Sad to see, bummer. Looked like a 12-14k car to me considering condition/rarity.
 
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