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Cashing in on CUSTOM    by Eric Skogman

Alan Lewenthal, director of operations at Marquis Auto Restorations in Philadelphia, also has seen his share of accidental damage to antique, classic and custom vehicles. Recently, the owner of a 1957 Thunderbird, which was restored about 10 years ago, was backing it out of the garage, but neglected to close the driver's side door. The door was peeled off the car and the front left fender was torn.

"The damage was extensive," Lewenthal says. "It was like a can opener." All of these collector cars had been admired by many at shows and elsewhere, but in a blink became damaged goods. Such is the case for some of the more than six million registered antique, classic and custom vehicles in the United States.

Marquis Auto Restorations specialize in doing restorations, but also see a number of those cars in need of body repairs after they've been restored. Typically, the vehicles that arrive to be repaired haven't been in a collision. More often, the damage is the result of happenstance such as the folding chair shifting in the trunk or neglecting to close the driver's door when backing out of the garage.

"We will pay the amount necessary to repair or replace the property, whichever is less, provided you actually repair or replace the property with kind and quality without regard to depreciation or betterment," said Hagerty Insurance Company CEO McKeel Hagerty.

Hagerty insures about 500,000 collector cars. About 6,000 body damage claims were filed in 2006. When parts aren't readily available, Hagerty says it will pay for fabrication of the parts. "In the event parts are not available and repair is not an option, we would pay for fabricated parts and we would pay the cost to replace that part with one of like, kind and quality," he says. "To use an obscure example, let's say a windshield out of a one-of-a-kind rare Ferrari from 1959 had to be replaced. It might cost $20,000. Then that is what we would pay."