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Anyone with knowledge of the July 8-14th horrific damage to my car which was being transported by Cardoso Trans, INC. and being repaired without my knowledge in a Worcester MA auto body shop probably on Park Ave please contact me to discuss. The drivers door was practically ripped off the hinges and subsquently repaired to disguise the severity of the accident probably when they were offloading from the trailer. Any help appreciated! Thanks in advance

Trying to KTF,

Alan Surgi

Hi Alan,
I hope Cardoso has insurance but It looks unlikely to me. They probably hope that you will settle for $100 cash to replace the window frame and not notice the other poorly repaired damage. How do you prove that the car didn't have pre-existing damage? What do they say happened?
Regards, David

David Seeland wrote:Hi Alan,
I hope Cardoso has insurance but It looks unlikely to me. They probably hope that you will settle for $100 cash to replace the window frame and not notice the other poorly repaired damage. How do you prove that the car didn't have pre-existing damage? What do they say happened?
Regards, David

Classic car transporter drivers are usually the world's toughest concours judges--I've seen some in action.

It should be up to Cardoso to prove the damage wasn't pre-existing. The big legal question is where Alan--or his insurance company--would have to file a lawsuit.

Alan,
Give me a call, I have a member in Worcester that may be able to help.

Transporters are the worst, I once watched guy ball up a Pre-A. You can read some real horror stories here:

https://unobtaniuminc.wordpress.com/201 ... -porsches/

Hopefully you have pics of the car before they picked it up, this will help prove the damage wasn't pre-existing. I'm fighting it out with Progressive right now about a car that was smashed, it isn't fun, the truck driver is saying they didn't do it, even though the driver yelled at me that the car hit him in the leg when he let go of it...

What was the name of the body shop? I'm originally from Worcester, and I have a good friend who's a body guy there. I can check to see if he knows anything.

-J

Thanks everyone for your assistance with this nightmare. The car is now at European Collectibles waiting for their supplemental estimate so proper repairs can be started. Fingers crossed that all goes smoothly for additional funds from Hagerty since their initial check to me was for only $8,400.

ARGH....

Alan

Update on repairs from transporter damage! European Collectibles have done a terrific job on repairing the original door and other damage from Cardoso Transport, Inc. on the home stretch now reassembling after a beautiful paint match and respray. Hagerty has been very good with several supplemental checks and I can't imagine anyone insuring their vintage car with anyone else.

KTF,

Alan

I cannot speak from experience about any company but Hagerty. They have my business and will continue to have my business after the experience I have had with them getting My 356 C hood repaired. Great company to deal with.

Hi Alan,
If you don't mind me asking, did Shane East do the body and paint work on your car?

Hagerty is the best, we like them so much we shared space with them at Hershey this year.

I would be at both ends of transporting a car, loading and unloading. Then there is the worry of road time.

Update! Thanks everyone for your sympathy and support over the past many months. In answer to the question of who painted the car it was European Collectibles in house guru Memo. I had a blast at the recent Road Kings Car Show in Burbank even though a '52 MGTC with a blown Daimler V-8 won the European class. Maybe if Rommel had a hemi midships I coud have won something! I should have gone to San Moreno perhaps, oh well a huge amount of interest in the old tub from spectators. All in all a very happy ending from a very bad incident.

KTF,

Alan

It looks great Alan, congratulations for finally having your car back. Nice rally gear, right down to the calculator.

There should be a thread just on auto transport horror stories.

I recently sold a 1952 bug, and the buyer "knew a guy" to get it transported cheaply. It ended up on one of those huge generic open transports, with the Hondas and Toyotas all parked at weird angles. When he got the car, the battery was dead, the battery cover was missing and the back seat had been set on fire. The carb and air cleaner had also been set on fire. The crankcase was so full of gas that it was pouring out of the tailpipe.