So you think it's just a bumper job, huh?
 

Whats up everyone,
I thought this would help some Listers, A lot of people are left stranded looking for a trustworthy body shop to take their precious cars. I wanted to post this thread to show the damage that can be caused from a simple rear end impact.

A customer came in for "Just a bumper Job" (his words) with some minor damage to his rear bumper on his BRAND NEW 2013 Porsche 911 :bawling:

Let's take a look at this bumper job.
Here is what pulled up...
(Damage to the Right of License Plate)
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12392263.jpg

This is going to be easy right?...

Step one is to remove the bumper and check for additional damage...
This is what we found.
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12392399.jpg
Impact bar has been smashed in like a Pepsi can...
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12392765.jpg
So we further remove the bar and heat shields etc...
after proper stripping we realized the frame had damage... :yikes:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12392562.jpg
This being an aluminum frame Porsche requires replacement, which requires removal of engine... Let the fun begin...
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12392577.jpg
Once the engine was removed we further inspected the frame and found some of the welds were beginning to separate.
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12392583.jpg
Once the insurance company came out to see the additional surprises they approved and we continued to remove and replace the frame
We put the car on our Frame machine made by CAR BENCH (which is the same frame machines that Porsche Prototypes their cars with) this ensures that the car is aligned to factory specs down to the Millimeter (we also have Celette Benches)!
With the car on Jigs and the old frame out of the way we installed the new frame. (hard to see because the frame comes black)
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12392678.jpg
Here you can see the Betamate seeping thru(ultra high strength glue) That bonds the frame.
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12392718.jpg
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12392731.jpg
Now that the frame is back in place we had the motor put back in
Time for reassembly!!
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12392990.jpg
Yes... we started it like this. Yes it was loud as FCUK!
Out with the old and In with the new!
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12392955.jpg
All the new parts on the way in.
Once reassembled and tightened up, we send it to Porsche to have them clear all the codes, Align the wheels, and quality check. (Porsche dealer must do this to not void warranty) Once the car is back in our hands we send it thru our wash/detail department
Walked in on her in the shower...
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12393224.jpg
And now look at that rear end!!!!!
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12393291.jpg
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12393293.jpg
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...0/12393300.jpg

A whole lot of work for "Just a bumper Job"

So Wherever you are located here's some tips to get a proper repair on your Porsche 991 or whatever you drive.

Check YELP wherever you are.
Make sure the shop is actually doing the work that is on the estimate :read:
Have good insurance (IF YOU WANT OEM PARTS, READ YOUR CONTRACT!!):read:

And for you lucky Listers that happen to be in Southern California - Los Angeles.
If ever you are in a situation where you need some body work feel free to contact me



We take pride in our yelp reviews (see them for yourself)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/collision-co...nt-los-angeles

http://www.collisionbodyshop.com/

We are a Porsche Approved Collision Center (one of only a few in the country), as well as "Mercedes Certified" "Audi Approved" and "BMW trained." So basically very Renn-friendly.

Feel Free to call or email me with any questions regarding repairs or if you need an estimate in Los Angeles.

Sam
Office: 310.280.6000
Cell: 310.745.9373 (Call/text)
sam@collisionbodyshop.com

interesting to see how much of the iceberg is below the surface! Thanks for posting

wow this should definitely show concern on "minor" fender benders. You never know what can happen under the surface. Thanks for sharing

Washing the car with a spray nozzle? Yikes! Loved everything else about your post though.

VERY cool!!! thanks for taking the time to share.

Interesting to see the new car get a cut-n-shut. It would be useful to see more photos and details on how the rear sub-frame is attached, how it all gets jigged and tested. I assume this didn't change any of the chassis measurements at all, just the rear. This would be a car approved for new warranty and CPO afterwards. Presumably you checked the tub all the way to the back of the headlights for further transferred stress. Given those stamp welds were sheered, it must have been a pretty hefty thump at very low speed (no airbags.)

Wtf. Those welding coming apart doesnt give a lot of confidence given that it appears to be a low impact hit.
Good job on the repairs

The new 991's are "no-pull" meaning under NO circumstances do they get frame pulls. It's all aluminum which is much stronger than steel so it'll take a hit, but then when it gives, it'll have to be replaced. so to answer your question, we did jig the whole car and no movement anywhere (but still had to replace the rear frame rails and xmember as a single part). Being a Porsche Approved shop means the warranty is totally unaffected. But CPO and future trade-in values will be affected. That's not a reflection of the repairs, rather a reflection of the incident itself.

I'm gonna guess it wasn't that low speed of a hit, rather low on height and managed to push the exhaust up into the xmember. And that upward trajectory is what caused the inner part to stress. I'm gonna correct myself here - those are not welds coming apart. They are 2 panels riveted together. Being Aluminum sheet, we were able to repair that by cold straightening. If it wouldn't have come out by hand - it would have basically totaled the car.


Thanks for all the comments.

That's for sharing. Care to share which insurance company's are easiest to work with in these situations?

Nice post, thank you. If I ever need a body shop, I hope to be in your area. That type of craftsmanship is hard to find.

Wow. Very interesting. Hopefully I never have to use your facility, but it's good to see the work you do is so thorough.

Could you share what the approximate cost of a repair like that was? Even if it is just a range. Kinda curious/nosy.

Nice job, never would know that the hidden damage was that large! what was the ballpark figure for repair? parts vs labor? Did the adjuster look like this:grr:?? I bet you looked at him and:bigbye:

Wow. Great work. Thanks for sharing.

What was the total cost to the insurance company? How long for the repairs, start to finish? Thanks.

Sam:

This story is REALLY scary!

Kind of like reading about guys who have just scratched the engine case on their BMW K1600GT/L. $25k-30k motorbikes and the insurance has totaled them.

Secondly, my curiousity is about how you guys get your training to just jump in (seemingly) and pull body parts, drop an engine and replace a frame on a new car.....??

what the heck is wrong with using a spray nozzle to wash a car? dealer lots use pressure washers and a shockingly low volume of clean rags. after watching a new car pulled apart a wash up would be the least of my concerns.. I for one will pull my policy and read up on replacement parts. Sound like porsche standards to maintain warranties would work in our favor.