96redLT4

Hey- you know those really cool back up collision avoidance systems on the new Infinity JX. Guess what? They don't work. That's right. A sad day for my previously perfect 997 C2S with the factory upgraded bearing and 23.5 K original miles. Just back from the yearly service yesterday with a clean report and waiting in front of my house for a detail. Wifey clipped it with the big Infinity. Initially the low oil warning came on and the car was hard to crank as if to say 'Oh sh*t I've been hit'. After a minute though it started right up-drives and handles/brakes perfectly, no issues except the body damage/scratches. Should I have the repair done by a Porsche dealer body shop which for me is a long way away, or is a good local bodyshop adequate? Any thoughts are appreciated. Looking positively, it could have been a person on the sidewalk, and a good opportunity now to get the clear sidemarkers!
Jim

myw

the damage not that bad, i believe you'll need to repalce the healight and fender. the bumper can be repainted from the looks of it.

edit - im pretty sure that no porsche dealership does the body work in house. the work normally gets outsourced by a trusted body shop.

swordsmn

At least you're not trading the wifey! :-)

TommyV44

If it were me I'd do my own investigation before I'd take it where Porsche suggests......find a good shop yourself.

Tom

DallasDave

I would now be in jail after murdering my wife! Regardless, good luck! What area are you in as someone here can certainly make a recommendation?

cvtbenhogan

Sorry to see this. The good news is a quality shop can fix it like new.

Yesterday got my car back from the shop (recommended by napelton porsche) for a scuffed and creased front bumper. The repair was perfect on a silver car. I'm very happy with this and not at all bothered by a repaired bumper.

Good luck with the fix.

cairo94507

Definitely look around for a shop that comes highly recommended. I would never hand my car over to a dealer for body work. They farm them out and you are left out of the loop.

Robocop305

Make sure that your wife's JX 35 360 radar option is turned on. My wife's JX rear collision detection works flawless! I would definitely find a a body shop that works with high end cars. Don't take it to the dealer, unless that's your last option. Good luck!

96redLT4

Great suggestions so far. Thanks everyone . I am in central coastal CA north of Santa Barbara. Any concerns for suspension or mechanical issues underlying the fender. I hope they can get the panel gaps back to stock.
J

96redLT4

It was on. I wonder if there is a 'blind spot' in the radar eg between the back and side. Fortunately it still works as I have to pay to fix this car as well!
J

Macster

Hit a mule deer at 50mph. New bumper cover, passenger fender, trunk lid, head light and some stuff behind/underneath/inside the plastic and metal panels. Panel gaps just fine thank you. Your car will be the same.

In your car's case I see a new bumper cover, headlight, fender, and paint to match.

One tricky part to the repair will be getting the headlight (its platform to which the headlight then mounts to) properly positioned in the new fender. Be sure you check very carefully the headlight fit of the new headlight in the new fender to that of the headlight in the other fender. They should be identical.

There should be no suspension issues or mechanical issues provided the repairs are done correctly. I doubt there was any damage to the suspension. There are some mechanical bits associated with the headlight but they are relatively easy to fix. The getting the new headlight platform set up right so the headlight fits in the fender as it must is as I mentioned above tricky. A tech told me it can take hours to get right.

When I got my Turbo back the headlight was not right and I sent the car back to the shop. It came back right the 2nd time.

96redLT4

Agreed as this seems to be the most banged up portion.
J

sandwedge

All I will say to this is that I took my dealer's advice once when I needed some bodywork and paint. Big mistake. The reason they recommend that particular shop has nothing to do with the quality of work they do but with the fact that it's owned by the same dude who owns the dealership. They took a small dent and scratch out of my front hood and then painted it. Looked like crap so they tried again and it looked even worse. Traded the car shortly thereafter and the dealer taking the trade said they didn't care.

Going forward I will leave the dealership out of any body work and paint work and do my own due diligence instead.

PHX 911

I think you'll need a new bumper cover. It looks like it's split a couple inches to the left of the headlight.
Good news is nothing structural here. Document the collision well, as you're doing, and a good repair won't dissuade a buyer.
Find out who fixes high end cars in your area, and take it there. No need for dealer involvement.
So you feel better, my wife took out a quarter panel, mirror, and door on my company car. It was the moment I knew I wasn't a wife beater...

96redLT4

Does anyone know once the fenders are off how easy it is to get the panel gaps correct?