Salvaging valuable parts from a broken vintage bike I've got a 1971 Motobecane Club frame which is now about 1cm shorter than it used to be due to an unplanned merging of the front of the bike with the hood of a car which was in the process of turning; What parts are valuable enough to keep and try to sell?




The (already-removed) brakes are Weinmann Symetric side-pulls with Kool-Stop salmon pads which are about halfway used-up (but for salmon pads that means probably at least 1/2 years of daily riding)
The rear lamp is a Soubitez from a similar era ('70s/early '80s) but the front lamp was irreparably damaged
The chainset is an aluminium "Motobecane"-branded model from the '80s and was bought as NOS only a few months before the crash
The front derailleur is a Sachs-Huret Jubilee (i.e. is from the early '80s) which was bought as NOS only a few months before the crash
The rear derailleur is a Huret Allvit which likely came with the bike (i.e. is from 1971) and has signs of heavy use but has no damage
Although it can't be seen here, the saddle is torn so it's probably worthless
Insurers make money by promising the customer coverage and then refusing to pay up 

You do not need to accept their statements and valuations as indisputable facts.   Instead - get your own valuations and find replacements that are the same brand, spec, and age.  

Answer Don't sell that bike - its evidence.  Take this to the next level and dispute the payout, described by yourself as a pittance.   Depending on your location, that may be a Small Claims tribunal or something similar.

Don't roll over because an insurer has done their damnest to not pay you your costs.

What you do with the payout is your business, buy a new bike or old bike or repair this bike, that's your choice later.