FOR SALE: 1948 MG TC

More information on the listing page.

I was five or six years old in 1951. My father’s friend took us to London for the Great Exhibition. I don’t remember the Exhibition but I do remember my father complaining because I couldn’t handle all the walking. On our way back to Sheffield, I think it must have been a Sunday, we needed oil for the engine. The garage we found was closed and we had to steal the bottle of oil from the rack on the forecourt. I don’t know why but I don’t think we made an effort to leave money for it.

When I was around ten, my parents started working for my Uncle and Aunt on the weekends in their pub. My Uncle had a weakness for cars, the first one was a Standard Vanguard, then there was an Armstrong Siddley Saphire, and for a short period an old Rolls-Royce that he never took me in. Even better than my Uncle’s cars was that of his friend, the scrap merchant. He had a 1954 Buick, I have never forgotten the fascia of the car, it was so garish compared to British ones. After that his friend had a Bentley Continental, 120 MPH top speed, which became my “wish for” car after I get my E Type Roadster and my Aston Martin DB5.

The first car I drove was a Ford Anglia van, (circa 1960) 3 speed, no comfort features. It was a big deal for me because my employer required all staff to be licensed drivers. My father never drove, my brothers learnt in the compulsory armed forces service.

In Canada my first car was a 1958 Ford Fairlane, it cost $250.00 in 1966 at a dealer on the Danforth when the Danforth was full of dealers. It was a “Lemon” of lemons. Canadian Tire were the big beneficiary of that car for the next year until I bought a 1964 Plymouth Valiant Signet 100. The insurance cost was insane in Montreal and the dealer forgot to mention that the insurance policy was to cover the car and not my liability. What we learn when we are young!!

LIPSTICK ON A PIG
Avoiding Life’s Lemons

Lipstick on a Pig features excerpts from the vast library of Maurice Bramhall’s experiences.

FOR SALE: 1940 Chevrolet Special Deluxe convertible

More information on the listing page.

What To Do when your car is written off in an accident/theft and you are not sure the insurance company is being fair in their compensation offer:

For most of us, this set of circumstances is a once in a lifetime event so we feel at sea amongst the whirlwind of events. The insurance company knows all the rules, you are very new at it.

When the insurance company makes their offer, ask them to send you the report that explains how they came to the amount. This report is normally prepared for the insurance company by JD Power or AutoDatasource.

Read this report, it contains a lot of detail:

The description of your car/truck, all its options and its trim level.
It describes its condition, previous damage etc., and the mileage.
It lists comparable vehicles to yours in your geographic area.
It calculates asking prices, less a negotiating discount (normally 5%).
It calculates a positive or negative factor for the mileage showing on your vehicle.

Questions to ask yourself:

Is the vehicle that the insurance company is describing a correct version of your car?
Do they have the correct trim level, and the correct options?
Is their description of your car appropriate?
If they indicate that there was previous accident damage, is that appropriate?
Did the insurance company compare your vehicle to ones that have a similar amount of mileage? It’s not uncommon for the insurance company to use comparables that have much higher mileage.
If you believe they have used inappropriate comparables, there may be a phone number that you can call to check with the dealer that was advertising the vehicle, by calling them you may be able to clarify the situation.
If your vehicle is under 5 years old and you purchased it new, are they comparing your vehicle to ones being sold by a franchise dealer?
Is the type of transmission (manual or automatic) a factor in the market value of your car?
Did you purchase an extended warranty from the dealer or from a warranty specialty company when you purchased your car? Have you claimed a credit for the outstanding balance of the warranty remaining? Some franchise dealers do not offer this possibility, but it is worth asking. Some dealers offer credits in this regard if you purchased another vehicle from them.

Many people who contact us in regards to an insurance claim dispute misunderstand the process that is mandated by law. Once the insurance company makes you an offer, unless the amount is egregiously inappropriate, or they have made a factual error, the ball is now in your court to give them a second opinion on your behalf from a company like ours.

If a settlement cannot be accomplished after submitting a second opinion report, the next stage is to submit the two competing opinions to an umpire. The umpire is chosen from individuals submitted by you (the owner) and those preferred by the insurance company. We normally advise you on names of umpires prepared to undertake the case which will depend on if they have a conflict of interest.

LIPSTICK ON A PIG
Avoiding Life’s Lemons

Lipstick on a Pig features excerpts from the vast library of Maurice Bramhall’s experiences.

I got a phone call from a prospective client this week looking for a pre-purchase inspection on a 1968 Mustang Fastback being sold by a dealer. One interesting aspect was that the caller was a lady and her husband was in the background.

To get the ground rules clear on what they wanted, I asked them all the questions that I would ask if I was the prospective buyer. Was the price realistic for the model and year? Was there a Marti report? Was there any history of previous ownership and restoration? Does the car have its original power train? What was it that they wanted from me in the way of a pre-purchase inspection?

I always explain that we do no mechanical inspection of the vehicle of any type. Mechanical components are normally cheap to repair, but poor body work is very expensive to restore and can undermine the integrity of the vehicle. This questionnaire that I normally go through with every person who wants a pre-purchase inspection usually narrows down their field of concern, and is also likely to take them back to the drawing board if they don’t have a clear idea of the vehicle that they want to buy.

A pre-purchase inspection is a great investment when the outlay on the vehicle is many thousands of dollars and the buyer needs a set of clear eyes to give them a professional perspective on it.

LIPSTICK ON A PIG
Avoiding Life’s Lemons

Lipstick on a Pig features excerpts from the vast library of Maurice Bramhall’s experiences.