volvo850_nyc

Hey All -

I had recently moved to LA and purchased a 1985 Porsche 944 NA - 2 weeks into owning it, I was parked at valet, and someone in a Chevy 1500 with brush-guard rammed the back of my parked car from not paying attention.

I have gone through all the insurance as well as independent quotes from body shops. My body shop quoted me at $5600 to fix - insurance gave me $3k.

I wanted to see if anyone had any knowledge on whether I could potentially purchase the body panel that is damaged (the hatch is functional from inside button, solenoid/key hole is smashed in and doesn't work).

Does anyone know if this body panel is possible to swap out? Any other advice would be hugely appreciated.

Have been following this forum for a while and it is hands down the best around!

Thanks in advance!

snb13

Lot's of good advice in this recent thread:

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...1051466&page=5

Gage

Sorry, that's a shame. It is certainly fixable but will require careful cutting, welding and of course painting. A shop that focuses more on restoration than collision repair may be more willing to tackle such a job. I have a used tail panel here in the northeast in perfect condition if you are not able to source one locally. Good luck!

951and944S

Absolutely it's replaceable.

I could do this job for $1500 if you were in my neighborhood.

The part is spot welded to the 1/4 panel at the gapped body lines above the tail lights, below the lights at the 1/4 panel and along the bottom above the bumper.

Personally, I would drill the spot welds at the seam above the tail light then make a horizontal cut in the hidden part above the license plate.

Only you would ever know it was hit.

Take up Gage's offer for the piece cut from a donor car.....whether you do it yourself with some coaching or not, any body man will need it.

Easy fix.

Hardest part of the job would be matching that color..... but all you need to do is scuff the 1/4 panels with with 1000 grit to rough the clear, mask everything else.

About a foot worth of the 1/4 panel nearest your repair (the rear), wet sand that with 400 grit.

You spray your base over your primed repaired rear and fan the gun by pulling it away in distance a you paint base on the portion of the 1/4 panel that you sanded with 400 with gun aiming forward toward the door.

This will "blend" the color that you had mixed to spray the rear into your original paint on the 2 1/4s where any color variation from age etc will now be unnoticeable.

Clearcoat your repaired rear and entire 1/4 panels.

That's it.

You can do it.

It's humanly possible...., and you're a human....

T

volvo850_nyc

Thanks everyone for responding - Really appreciate it!

I'm hoping because the mechanism to open and close the hatch is still working that it's only that surface piece of metal that will need be replaced. Will take a closer look tonight when i get home.

Will let you know how it turns out!