His insurer has already accepted that he is at fault, but this morning a young repairer/assessor started talking "write-off" and if so, I'm pretty sure the insurer will offer some trifle as "market value'.

Write off!? That would be such a disappointment.

Some crappy NAs sell for as little a $3k and I think that was the 1st thought. Once they realise the car is $10-15k
I think it won't be a write-off. Fingers crossed - I don't really want to use a solicitor to fight some ridiculous valuation.
I presume I would need a solicitor...

If it's a write off be happy. 
 
You can then get a payout and elect to keep the car, then put some of the money back into it and a fresh spray then re-register it with the money.
 
Car will not be on the written off registry list as it is too old. :)

Hopefully that is the worst result.  I would prefer a phone call ""Your car is ready".
I still fear a haggle over market value.

Surely you'd have been notified by now if a write off.

Actually I would've expected a call either way by now.

"Assessor tomorrow at the latest"- but yes, not quick.

Back again, car in much better shape than pre-accidon, pardon my French.
Got a $10k pay out and spent $6k to fix with better paint than prev. The extra $4k paid for the new wheels with proper 45&40mm offsets (steering is lighter/better), a year's rego, boost gauge to go in the dash, sway bar reo plates, working aircon which it never had (yay!). So bang for buck, I recommend finding a blind driver and putting your car in the way.
  Back to the brakes.... just rebuilt the rear callipers and apparently I may be the only person in Oz to buy the $5 special tool which allows the brilliant handbrake mechanism to be reinstalled. Happy to lend it to anyone, but upon completion I can honestly say that I cannot detect any improvement in handbrake action. The only reason I chased after the handbrake was in case it contributed to my low pedal. So now, it is eliminated, but I still have the classic "master cylinder pump" pedal.
 After trying to source a rebuild kit for the m/c, without knowing the state of the cylinder, I've decided to upgrade the m/c
  I just read through this thread and lots of great suggestions have been offered except for the particular combination I have in mind.
 Overrriding is that I need to replace the M/c, but I've decided that early ABS systems are more dangerous than their benefit, especially if you know how to drive. So first, I want to remove the 1990 ABS system, not just turn it off or bypass, but I'd like to go from master direct to slaves and remove any possible air bubbles, sticky ABS valves, etc. In all the thread posts previously, people have changed m/c sizes but retained the old plumbing, abs or no abs, or also combined with larger disk calliper set-ups.
 I'm pretty sure I can find a thread that will help me remove the ABS unit and replace the piping, but after that I still need to select the best M/C and booster.
 All my callipers are stock 1990 and for road use will be adequate.
So has anyone replaced stock m/c + ABS with a non-ABS m/c plus piping ?
 
 
 
 

Forgot to ask.. does the ABS unit determine front/back braking power or is it determined by something else.
I think that the master / slave cyl diameters usually determine the ratio but maybe the ABS unit has a role ?

The ABS unit has no effect on brake bias. There is a proportioning valve that is fitted in the rear brake lines.