I'm disgusted with myself and need some advice.
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Burning Brakes
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Hit a guard rail yesterday and messed up the drivers side of the car. Everything is fine and works, just some dents and paint pealing off the front quarter and the rear has a deep gouge in it. Before the accident the car was perfect, not one door ding. I don't think the door took any damage other than a broken mirror.
Thank god i changed from geico to state farm insurance. Would i be better off selling the car as is and keeping the insurance money, or should i have it fixed then, sell it? I don't want to keep the car anymore. Any ideas what it would cost to fix? Thanks.
Thank god i changed from geico to state farm insurance. Would i be better off selling the car as is and keeping the insurance money, or should i have it fixed then, sell it? I don't want to keep the car anymore. Any ideas what it would cost to fix? Thanks.
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For the front, find a used fender the same color as the car is now, so that any future chips, etc. will not reveal a different color. Try someone like George B., who has a ton of parts cars. Don't let State Farm or body shop try to fix the mangled fender - they NEVER get it right, and there are enough spare good fenders out there.
Same with mirror - get one the original color.
For the gouge in the rear (and all of the body work), take it to a Porsche dealer with a good reputation. Explain to them how particular you are and that's why you brought it there, and they should be able to push most of it out with minimal filler. Porsche dealerships give a lifetime guarantee for their work as long as you bring it back once a year for inspection. If the paint "tightens down" after a few years and shows sanding scratches, shadow of the repair, etc., they will fix it under the guarantee.
Do a good, thorough detail on it inside and out before taking it to the shop so that they know you are serious.
Don't give up on the car because of that.
Remember, the very nicest classic cars in the world are restored, not preserved. Poop happens. But it's just a car.
Same with mirror - get one the original color.
For the gouge in the rear (and all of the body work), take it to a Porsche dealer with a good reputation. Explain to them how particular you are and that's why you brought it there, and they should be able to push most of it out with minimal filler. Porsche dealerships give a lifetime guarantee for their work as long as you bring it back once a year for inspection. If the paint "tightens down" after a few years and shows sanding scratches, shadow of the repair, etc., they will fix it under the guarantee.
Do a good, thorough detail on it inside and out before taking it to the shop so that they know you are serious.
Don't give up on the car because of that.
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I once asked George B about a fender, and he said he couldn't ship them to me. Can't remember the reason, I think it was something about the possibility of getting damaged in shipment.
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I guess I'm lucky - whatever the drive is - 5-8 hours from Ohio, would be doable and worth it to me!
I would definitely fret about shipping a fender, too, come to think of it. I had two mint fenders from an 84 and my father managed to put a small indentation in one of them with his careless handling just putting them on a shelf in the garage!
Maybe someone on here will come through for jyoon with a good fender that is not too far away.
Cheers,
I would definitely fret about shipping a fender, too, come to think of it. I had two mint fenders from an 84 and my father managed to put a small indentation in one of them with his careless handling just putting them on a shelf in the garage!
Maybe someone on here will come through for jyoon with a good fender that is not too far away.
Cheers,
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I'll post a pic later this evening. I don't know any good body shops in the area and have no clue what this should cost. I took a better look this morning. The hit began right after the side marker light and that lens is cracked. there is a slight gouge in that plastic, but i don't think it needs replaced. it scratched the door, but not too bad. then it hit the rear pretty good. Even though it is just a couple panels, it seems like it could be very expensive to fix. i assume you cannot buy new body panels anymore? well, thanks for all the input.
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Shipping fenders is a PITA, I tried to do it with a Saab I was parting out...I couldn't find anyone to ship with that wasn't going to cost me more than the fender was worth. Fenders are such a goofy size.
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When my car got hit last year, the shop I took it to quoted around $400 for a new fender. The total estimate including partial paint was around $2200. And this was just for a small dent in the front fender. I took the insurance money from the other driver and elected not to fix it.
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well here are some pics. the door is damaged where the mirror slapped back and hit it. went to the insurance guy today, he said i could take it wherever i wanted and have it fixed after their appraiser looks at it. it's hard to tell the depth in the pics, but it's fairly significant. i think the front fender needs replaced and the rear can be pulled and bondoed. not sure what needs to be done with the door.