[Porsche-O-Phile]

Don't take it. You'll need to do a lot of research into comps which of course may be difficult given the unique nature of the car, but start someplace. Find vehicles of similar year and condition with as many similar modifications as you can. Get ACTUAL sale prices, not just asking prices if you can. This is really your only leverage against the ins. co.

Remember they are not your friend. They are - and will - trying to rip you off and pad their bottom line. They will hope that you need a settlement and a check right away and use that as leverage to low-ball you into taking a crummy agreed-upon number. If you have another car and aren't desperate for a check right away, make sure they're aware of that and that you're willing to take months to get the fair value if that's what it takes.

If most of the drivetrain pieces are intact and undamaged as a result of the accident, mightn't you be able to get those back and transplant them onto another car or sell independently? If so, you could make that a negotiating point and insist that you get the carcass back untouched and you'll handle parting it out. If they tell you it has to go to an approved salvage outfit or some such B.S. don't believe it. They most certainly can sell it to you or anyone else they want to once they have the title to it - that is if you have the space, tools, time and will to get it back and part it out.

Don't ever talk to the other insurance company's representative. You don't have to be rude but just say that you can't discuss it with them or comment on it with them - you're handling it all through your own company.

The whole car insurance industry is a crock of schyte. The whole thing is based on the notion of supposedly making one "whole" but the value of your frustration, time, etc. amounts to absolutely $0 when all is said and done. I wish I had good news for you but the chances are you're in for an uphill long slog - I went through something similar after my 951 was totaled a few years ago. Scumbag ins. co. tried to claim I'd agreed to a stated value of about $2k which I had not. I challenged them to present me with a document that I'd signed saying I agreed to that knowing they didn't have it. Finally after a couple of weeks of bickering about that they started to play ball and I ended up with an offer that was a bit more fair and which enabled me to buy my Targa - and I got the RS America seats and a few other valuable goodies back out of my 951 too.

I've had to unfortunately deal with several insurance company claims over the years for everything from a car fire (the 951) to vandalism to a blatant hit-and-run on my car to "plain vanilla" accidents - both when I was the person at fault and the person not-at-fault. In every single case the insurance companies tried to dick me over initially and I had to dig my heels in, put in a lot of extra hours and work into fighting it and eventually get something at least somewhat fair. I feel for you. It sucks to go through, especially when it's no fault of your own and you're a victim who's then being spat upon by someone who you pay good money to. I'll stop here so I don't write a book about it, but suffice to say the best way forward is to do your homework, accept the fact that these guys will not just write you a check for what you think the car is worth but that you CAN make a case to prove it or provide other options that enable you to walk away without feeling like you've just been sodomized quite so much (such as the "get it back and part it out" option I mentioned - there are certainly others - everything is negotiable).

For a car of any value I would strongly recommend a stated-value policy in the future. My modded (2.8) 944 is handled this way. My other 944 is nice but is more or less stock and I'm okay with the thought of losing it for $3k-$4k if I'm ever so unfortunate as to get rear-ended by somebody. It's just a sad reality that we all need to live with - the system is set up to discourage that which we all love to do so much, which is to value, cherish and take good care of our cars. There is a reason so many cars out there are plain, boring, uninspired, Trabant-like appliances. From a strictly financial standpoint that's what makes the most sense, but we all are in this hobby because it doesn't make sense and it's an activity driven by passion rather than wonkish bean-counter logic.

I wish you well with your fight and hope it doesn't drag on too long, but don't rush to an agreement if you don't need to - any leverage the ins. co. has against you that you can take away (patience, for example) is beneficial. Ordinarily they hold all the cards and they most certainly know it and try to exploit it. The best thing you can do is try to take their unfair advantages away and hope they'll play ball to avoid dragging it out forever (they don't want unresolved claims sitting around either).

Best of luck.