User 41221

Let me get this straight... you went out and got a $3000 estimate but don't know if the frame actually needs to be straightened yet? No flame towards the guy who gave you the estimate, but that sounds a little funny to me.

Raj is a good guy, and I would ceratinly trust his recommendation, so I am guessing I am just missing a detail or two that keep this from adding up in my head. Did the estimate include an estimate of frame time, or was that just for cosmetic work?

Regards,

adrial

Scott, the estimate includes time on the frame machine. Only 4 hours though...

How much time did your estimate include for just pulling the frame?

User 41221

12 hours on the rack, but he said he'd rather overcharge on the estimate, rather than under-bid it. He also said if he did it right on the frame, chances are, I wouldn't need any work done on the roof at all, whereas you have some definite creasing on yours that I don't think will go away without work. Given that, they may just do a quick jerk on yours and then go to work on the roof (thats not to say that it wouldn't be straight when done, just a different technique was needed in my particular case). Mine was going to get the full treatment on the frame in hopes to minimize the cosmetic work.

Just a guess on my part, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him spend a bit more time on the jig with yours than he may have thought. For what its worth, I worked in a body shop years ago, so I do know a little bit about the subject (altho I would not call myself an "expert" by any stretch of the imagination).

Regards,

adrial

If the frame is indeed bent, I want to see it dead straight when I take the car away from whatever bodyshop does the work...

Basically, I dont want anybody to be able to tell the car was involved in an accident.

But we'll see wensday, I'll talk to the guy some more about the details.

Clem

Yikes - just caught up with this thread.
Adrial & Yarin - glad to hear you guys are ok.
If you need a recommendation for body shop (seems like Raj has set you up already) please let me know (pm/email/etc).
I went through the same thing last year, and couldn't have been happier with the work done.

Jim

BTW - are Pocono 2 acceptances out yet? I haven't heard...

Wormhole

Adrial, did you have the roll bar in at the time of the crash? I'm real curious to know how much they stiffen the frame. Just from driving around so far, it feels a lot firmer.

adrial

I did have the roll bar in, I'm not sure I had the bolts in tight enough though. They were tight, just not sure if they were tight enough.

Geoffrey

Adrial,

You will want to find someone with a computerized measuring system. The one I've used is called a Shark, you attach probes to specific points on the car and then a beam is inserted underneath the car and ultrasound is used to measure the car. I fixed a totalled Audi A4 (the one you saw at Rick's during his open house) and I was able to pull the frame within 1mm of spec. The industry considers anything within 2mm to be within spec.

A frame machine works by driving the car up on a platform, then various clamps are attached to the car, the car is chained to the rack and hydraulic pressure is used to pull on the car. In looking at the pictures, if the roof is bent you are looking at a lot more than 4 hours of frame time.

An expert will almost always be able to tell there has been damaged because it is very difficult to hide creases in the sheet metal/frame/etc. The next DE you are at, look at most any factory GT3 Cup car and you'll see creases inside where it has been hit.

I wouldn't be afraid of driving or owning a car that has been properly fixed. My Audi I bought from an Insurance auction and has a salvage title, but yet it runs & drives perfect, and to an average person you can't tell it was fixed. 40k later.

You also might consider taking the insurance money and parting it out. Since it is an 'S' you might make out better.