Auto body repair

[ChadTower]

Don't have a pic handy, I can get that tonight.

This is a 2005 Elantra hatchback.

My wife backed into a car wash control box that was roughly 3 feet off the ground.  Not all that hard. 

She broke the driver's taillight housing, just barely.  The housing is broken but the lights are all intact and working.  Didn't actually push it in, only the shell is broken.

Then it dragged up the quarterpanel, across the gas cap door.  There is a drag mark the entire length of the quarterpanel, about half an inch deep.  Doesn't look like the panel is deformed outside of that, not pushed in at all.  Just a deep scrape.

My deductible is $500... and this could definitely be one of those on the high end of "not worth claiming" because of the surcharge and loss of good driver bonus and it costing more in increased payments than we actually get after deductible to fix it.

The real question I have is, assuming that the sheet metal isn't actually pierced, does this sound like a simple bondo/sand/paint job and replace the tail light housing?  Or is there something I'm not seeing.  Again, I can get a pic tonight, but for now assume my desc is accurate and it's all superficial.

[Stingray]

The real question I have is, assuming that the sheet metal isn't actually pierced, does this sound like a simple bondo/sand/paint job and replace the tail light housing?

That's the way it sounds to me. You might want to price that tail lamp before you decide on wheter to involve insurance. Some of those things are outrageously expensive.

-S

[ChadTower]

A bit of Googling turns up that it's about $125-140 retail.  I bet I could snag one off Ebay much cheaper if I'm patient.

My biggest challenge with doing it myself is going to be paint.  Definitely the paint.

[shardian]

A bit of Googling turns up that it's about $125-140 retail.  I bet I could snag one off Ebay much cheaper if I'm patient.

My biggest challenge with doing it myself is going to be paint.  Definitely the paint.

You can always do all the body work, and then take it into a paint shop to have them spray it.

[ChadTower]

Yep, I figure that's probably the only way the paint will come out looking good.  I don't have an indoor area that big to spray in.

How much would I reasonably expect to pay for a local repaint like that?

[boykster]

I'm in the same spot....lemme know how it works out for you Chad, I'm getting an estimate this afternoon.

Was leaving a party saturday night and had to back out of their very long dark driveway, I was looking like a hawk at the driver's side mirror but was erring a bit to much on the drivers side, and ended up scraping the pass side.  Just dented, about 4' long (both doors) and broke the passenger mirror.  I can get a primed OEM replacement mirror for about $140 online and am hoping the shop will be able to do a fill/repaint.  No clue how much it's going to cost.  My dedutible is $250 so I'm definately going to file a claim though.

Oh, and it's on a 2000 Lexus RX300 -> not expecting the estimate to be "cheap"  

[ChadTower]

I spoke at length with my insurance agent before I posted.  He basically advised me that unless it is nearly 1500, but not over, not to bother.  Between the $500 deductible, the surcharge from the "at fault accident" points going onto her driving record, and the loss of "good driver" credits from having a positive record, we'd end up paying $600 in extra insurance over the next 4 years.  That's on top of the $500 deductible, so unless it's about $1400, we come out way behind here no matter what.  Over $1500 it becomes a major at fault accident and the surcharges are much higher.

[boykster]

Frankly, IMHO the damage on my car is minor enough that I'd be tempted to leave it as is after getting a properly painted replacement mirror, but my wife is pretty adamant that we get it fixed.  The SUV is 6 years old, and i'm tempted to just trade it in and get a new one instead of fixing this.  I also need 4 new tires (so another $1000) etc.

 

[ChadTower]

I hear that.  I would be tempted to leave mine as is too (99 Civic).  Hers is a 2005, though, with 12k miles on it and not a scratch until this happened.

[boykster]

Yeah, that sux.  Being so new and unscathed makes it worse.  The real pisser in my case is that we were talking about what to do with this car just a few days before the incident, and we pretty much decided to keep it because it was in such good condition WITH NO DENTS OR PAINT DAMAGE.

Oops!

And it sux because it was totally my fault....no excuses.  It was dark and it is a tight driveway, but I wasn't drunk, distracted, etc.  Just messed up

 

[ChadTower]

Does temperature affect bondo?  It's getting awfully cold awfully quick in MA these days.

[Stingray]

Does temperature affect bondo?  It's getting awfully cold awfully quick in MA these days.

It will really slow the setting time. Also it doesn't adhere well to very cold metal. Or so I'm told. I've never used it outside a heated garage.

-S

[boykster]

Well, the estimate I got was for $3000-3500.   

I just spoke with a rep from my insurance company, and it makes sense for me to file the claim.  The cost increase on the policy (over 3 years) will be ~$1400 so even then it's only 50% of the total cost of repairing the damage. 

Here's my $3000 mistake

[J_K_M_A_N]

You would think on a nice car like that it would have mirrors that can fold in and out. If my car didn't have those, my wife would have taken off my mirror about 6 months ago. She was backing it out of the garage (which she doesn't usually take my car) and she hit the mirror on the garage but all it did (thankfully) was flip the whole mirror out. At that point I was glad they do that. Good luck on yours.

J_K_M_A_N

[ChadTower]

I'd get 2 or 3 more estimates on that.  A whole new set of doors wouldn't be $3000.

[boykster]

New door skins from lexus -> $800 ea
New pass mirror from lexus -> $575

labor, dent removal on fenders, paint

 

I'm sure a shop could do it for less by not replacing the doors and just removing the dents, bondo,and paint but if I'm going to go the insurance route, I may as well have them do it this way....

[ChadTower]

Turns out used tail lights from an 05 hatchback are really hard to locate.   

Possible sources:

http://car-part.com/
http://www.allhyundaiisuzuparts.com/         $100 in stock, $14 shipping

Or, $180.47 for a new one. 

[NightGod]

Check out junkyards-you'd be amazed what $50 can get you at most of them.

[ChadTower]

I did call around... the general consensus was "you're not going to find parts for a 2005 here".

[nostrebor]

Before you commit to repairing the damage and having a shop shoot it, you better find someone willing to do it. Many bodymen will not shoot over other folks work. They just don't like the risk involved of having a problem/incompatibility and the owner blames them when its the work beneath that's at fault. I personally would not suggest that you do the work if you've never done body work before. It is challenging to do well, and you have to meet a wife's standards, not just your own.

[ChadTower]

Good advice. 

As for my wife's standards, with what this will cost us for no damn reason, she'll accept however it turns out and like it.  Dammit.   

[DrewKaree]

You would think on a nice car like that it would have mirrors that can fold in and out. If my car didn't have those, my wife would have taken off my mirror about 6 months ago.

My truck has those.  It still hasn't stopped the passenger's mirror from getting broken twice, and the driver's side once.  It's simply a measure that might stop you from doing major damage.

[boykster]

You would think on a nice car like that it would have mirrors that can fold in and out. If my car didn't have those, my wife would have taken off my mirror about 6 months ago.

My truck has those.  It still hasn't stopped the passenger's mirror from getting broken twice, and the driver's side once.  It's simply a measure that might stop you from doing major damage.

This car has em too...but where it hit was too close for the folding to save the damage. 

 

Car goes in next week for repair (been out of town on business)

[danny_galaga]

i'd agreed with nostrebor, if you arent a panel beater by trade it's gonna look crap. if you do a good job, it will look like crap in a year or so when the bondo starts to crack and the paint falls off. if you do a bad job it will look like crap straight away!

[J_K_M_A_N]

You would think on a nice car like that it would have mirrors that can fold in and out. If my car didn't have those, my wife would have taken off my mirror about 6 months ago.

My truck has those.  It still hasn't stopped the passenger's mirror from getting broken twice, and the driver's side once.  It's simply a measure that might stop you from doing major damage.

I guess I got lucky then. The wife just folded it out. No damage done. Thankfully.

J_K_M_A_N