Nice story. I sold my 68 for 700.00 27 years ago with a blown engine. I still regret that, but it was the financing I needed that started me as a Marine Biologist at the time. I had probably 2000 into the car at the time, no job, and no place to keep it!
I had spent a lot of time restocking it from the lowrider it was when I bought it. The irony was two lowriders bought it from me!
Good points about the insurance companies! My mom's 69 Mustang was totaled by drunk drivers in a head on collision that came very close to killing her. The insurance company offered her 700.00 for the car in 1980. She was the original owner, car in mint shape with about 95,000 miles on it. She had uninsured motorist policy, which was good, because the drivers were illegal aliens, who after getting out of the hospital fled the country.
With uninsured motorest insurance at the time, my mom was appointed a lawyer by her insurance company to sue the same company for the real estimated value of the car, closer to 2000.00 at the time. So long of the short the insurance company sued itself to pay her the real value of the car. Strange world we live in. I always wanted to buy the plate off the wreck, it was ZOT 007 black with yellow lettering!