ceiling crumbling onto car
07-09-2016 | 01:36 PM
#31
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 241
Likes: 6
From: Denver
Yeah Pelican makes it look simple to removing the rear housings. Then you can sit on the couch with the blow dryer rather than have your neighbors giving you strange looks in the garage 
07-09-2016 | 01:40 PM
#32
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 241
Likes: 6
From: Denver
Ouch! This totally sucks. First things first, I would notify your insurance company to let them know what the shop did. And then meet with the shop owner that buffed the car. If they deny it, you're may have a tough battle proving it was done by them. This is why when I take my car to be serviced, I take pictures of the inside and outside. I write the odometer reading down. I also have LoJack on the car if someone tried to take it for an unauthorized joy ride, get stolen or something. Last time I took my car to a paint shop, I did a walk around with the manager/estimator and then did the same when I picked it up. I made the mistake before on my BMW. Had a group put tires on the car and when I got home, I noticed damage. Hard to prove once you drive off. I hope you resolve this problem. It's obvious someone buff the wheels with an abrasive pad. Those BBS wheels will have to be repainted. The taillight is a pretty straight forward fix. Regardless, I wish you all the best!
If I don't get wheels refinished, will that do any damage to them or is this simply cosmetic? Using search function, it looks like $150-$200 per wheel...so not high on my list of things to do unless there's a good reason for it.
07-09-2016 | 03:55 PM
#33
Nordschleife Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,913
Likes: 20
Just did this and boy are the taillight housings a thing of beauty. Two flathead screws to remove them, pops right out. Girlfriend asked where I was going with hairdryer, but job was done in minutes. Everything snapped right back together. Couldn't see where the seal was cracked so wasn't able to correct the problem, just treat symptoms.
Not surprised the shop denied it. The days of a stand up shop that admits their mistakes and stand up customers that don't blame them for things they didn't do are long gone
It looks like one of the spots got down to the metal so you might want to touch that up with a primer or clear sealer. Even if you don't the worst I'd expect is some surface rust. So really they just look bad, but that's it.