After 6 months of daily driving I did the first damage to my C2 yesterday - scraped/dented the driver's side rocker panel .....driving through a %&$#ing Burger King drive thru. I noticed afterwards that one of the curbstones stuck out from the natural radius of the turn which is why I scaped it.

Since it is low down and not that noticeable from most angles/in most light, I was thinking of just leaving it (my car is a daily driver after all)...but looking at it again today it really bothers me. I've attached a few picks of the damage, plus a "whole car" shot to see it in context.

What do you guys think? Anyone have any sense of what this would take to fix/approx cost?

Thanks for your input,

Nigel

 

I would get it fixed. Down there under the tape even if the job isn't a pefect match you will not know. Shouldn't bee too expensive my guess less than $1,000.

 

Oh man, Nige, that's a bummer. I'm dreading my first ding.

Get it fixed or it'll bug you every time you look at it. I shed tears today for you......

 

That would drive me crazy.

I had a shopping cart dent. The shop insisted on painting the entire rear panel. Total cost was $496 and the dent was about the size of quarter.

The comprehensive part of your auto policy will cover it. I have $250 deductible.

Good luck with it.

 

Thanks for the replies. Yes...before I posted I had pretty much convinced myself I need to get it fixed. It's actually less agonising knowing that something is over the edge where it needs to be fixed (in spite of the $$$s) versus when you have a more minor blemish where you're on the fence whether to fix or not(!)

 

Go back to the BK and put your car near the curb stone and take a photo. Talk to the manager and perhaps their insurance will cover it instead of yours. Sounds like you were clearly not at fault and if they kept up with the maintenance of their place, you would never had scratched your car. That's why everyone has insurance...

 

Hi,
Do not worry. I banged my wheels into a curb late one night. I had
the scratch ground off when I got new tires and it is not too noticable.
These are the things that happen to a daily driven car. Go
fast and have fun.
Paul

 

RonCt might be on to something. If you are right that the curb stuck out into the natural turning radius - or more simply - if the BK drive-through is poorly designed, I think you might have a claim against them. There is a clear set of architectural standards for parking lots, drive through lines and other places where cars go, that deal with everything from approach angles to the height (and visibility) of obstacles. If the BK was laid out in violation of these standards, I'd think they should have to pay up.

Maybe they'd just cut a deal with you if you complain to the manager. On the other hand, if this is really a $1000 problem, it's probably not worth getting a lawyer involved.

 

Perfect excuse for some techart sideskirts...

 

this note might make you feel better (makes me sick) I fell asleep at the wheel driving home one year ago this past Oct. $12,100.00 damage . My autobody shop did a near perfect job,they took the whole car apart and painted it . I got the car back in April .Two weeks later I was parked in a handicap spot, (I have a handicap plate that I put on my mirror) But I forgot to put it there this time . When I came back ,someone had keyed my car .Got that fixed 1month or so later my wife took it to a car wash( i have no idea why) and ruined my rear wheel . no dents but it scraped the paint off the rim. . I think this note should make you feel a little better . Things can always be worse.. remember it's a car, if your healthy , thats much more important. PS. there are a few more things that happened to my 2005 997cab. but this story was getting too long . have fun!!!

 

Hi,
I am surprise that a car wash place would let a car like this
go thru it's machine. The guys running the car
wash must be nuts. I did not know that the rear tires
could fit in the car wash tracks.
Paul

 

Does anyone with experience in bodywork know roughly what work would be needed to fix this damage. Originally I though the rocker panel would be detachable part, but it looks like it is part of the body of the car (same panel extends to rear wheel arch etc). Would they have to take the whole side of the car apart or be able to fix/paint it in situ? Any guesses?

 

ABSOLUTLY!!!!!This would PI$$ me off beyond all and would take BK to the "Broiler" for having a drive through hazard!

 

I had a somewhat similar incident, I drove up to my cottage one weekend and I was playing 'sandbox' with my big front-end loader. I went to leave and I backed my Jaguar XKR into a nice pointy rock. Put a deep gash in the rear bumper, but it was like you. It was far down and somewhat visible so I bit the bullet and fixed the bumper when it was convenient.

 

I removed some of the clear bra on the very lower rt side on the wooden steps in our garage the other day.. scraped the front lower lip clear bra the first day I drove the car north and pulled up to curb in a Conn. rest stop.. neither seemed to scrape paint, only bra. material.. Hard to judge overhangs...