If the insurance company makes you a very small offer for the truck find out if you can get it back (as 52Carl said). If the answer is "no, we salvage total loss autos" don't be surprised. Some insurance companies have deals with third parties to do this because it saves them time and money and they're obviously not set up to hold and deal in broken autos. There is more money in recycled metal than ever before and there are companies doing this on a large scale.
But please understand you can refuse their offer and ask them to reconsider. Plead your case as convincingly as possible. If you do this, move up the line of management until you find somebody who has the authority to make you happy or at least happier. Arbitration is a possibility if your policy has the proper clause, and most insurance companies will want to work with you to avoid that. It basically means you both hire appraisers to look at the situation and these third party appraisers will get together and decide what happens.
Fantastic information Jon. I have only ever dealt with an accident with new current production vehicles so I wasnt worried about appraisals or even if it went to scrap. These old trucks however are getting a lot harder to find in any kind of restorable condition. I'd hate to lose this one to red tape.
Spartan
