Mike brings up a great point. Lots of guys THINK their homeowners will cover their butt if a non-drivable car is damaged, say in a fire. WRONGO!!! Like Mike, I have my projects covered for AGREED value. I even have a rider for COMPONENTS, e.g. enines, wheels/tires, etc. that aren't mounted on a car. While I don't recall the fee for this, it's pretty reasonable, and darn cheap if I had to collect. I want to emphasize another point. To protect yourself from getting short changed on a settlement, you must get a policy that is written for AGREED value, whatever the status of your toy car. That is an important term. Any other that sounds SIMILAR is NOT in your best interest. AGREED value means you and the insurance company agree on a value for your car (often requires an appraisal to justify your point of view). That means that if your car is a "total loss" you'll get paid the full amount agreed to. Let's say it's $20k, they calculate premiums based on that, you pay your premium. (Most "Collector Car Policies" will have mileage, and maybe some other restrictions in exchange for a moderate premium when compared to your daily driver). You have a wreck. That doesn't mean they'll cover repairs costing $20k, mainly because, even damaged, the car has some salvage value. Their TOTAL obligation to you is limited to the agreed amount of $20k, so if "someone" gives them a bid on your damaged car of $4k, then they will pay up to $16k in repairs. Now, you can "buy" your own salvage for the highest bid (they can't arbitrarily take your car away from you) and take the settlement check for the balance and do whatever you want with it. If you don't get an AGREED value policy, you and the insurance company may state a starting value, they'll base the premiums on that amount, and you go along fat, dumb, and happy. Then, the dreaded accident happens. That's when you find out, because the legalese in the policy, if you even read it, didn't get through to you that they will run a depreciation on the original value stated and then only be liable to you for that depreciated value. You need to make sure you cover your butt on this point with some very clear examination of the policy terms.

Now, Andy, you made some statements that are made by a lot of people, but are grossly wrong. I'm not trying to bust your chops here, just emphasizing a point that drives me nuts. I used to be in the collision repair business, and worked hard for my customers in trying to keep them from being influenced into doing things that were not in their best interest. No insurance company can FORCE you to take your car anywhere for repair that you don't want to. They may put some provisions, usually financial, in your policy to INDUCE you to go to their preferred shop, but they can't force you. You need to remember, the insurance policy is a contract. In that contract, each of you, the policy holder and the insurance issuer, agree to do certain things. This is why a prudent insurance buyer will shop around for terms, not just the lowest premium. It's just like everything else, the lowest cost is NOT always the best. But, insurance is a pain in the butt to shop for, and the policy language is very complex, so most people dose off and fall back on the one thing they understand. How much comes out of their pocket. Well, the other perspective is, what you may save on the premium, you could easily lose more if a settlement becomes necessary. It's another pay me now, pay me later thing.

Even though the insurance company can't force you to go to their preferred shop, they are very, very skilled at making people think they have the "power" to do that. That's what makes folks like you make the statements you did. They're so adept at it that, statistically, they are successful at "steering" repairs 83% of the time. They are VERY effective at using intimidation, and consumers are VERY effective at being weak because of fear. It's the thing that has made a mess of the medical universe, and collision repair looks like it will go the same way. Some day, consumers will give up completely, their rights to choose who will do their repairs through negligence. In the mean time, make the most of your freedom of choice.

You may still want to be familiar with the shops in your area that would do repair on a rod correctly, even if you think you want to fix the car yourself. In order to arrive at an accurate amount for the repair cost, the insurance company will have an appraiser/adjuster who works on their behalf, who will interact with a "repair professional" to determine the correct amount. As an amatuer in that dynamic, if you do the negotiating on your own behalf, you may underestimate the amount of repair and end up cheating yourself. On the other hand, if you try to go too strong, the insurance people may dig in their heals and refuse to settle with you until you become "reasonable". Each state has an insurance commisioner whose job it is is to make sure the insurance industry treats the consumer fairly. Often times, the insurance commissioner's office can be helpful if an insurace company is being unreasonable/arbitrary, and violating the terms of it's policy (contract). But for something where you look like the unreasonable party, they won't lift a finger to help you.