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Car bodywork repairs

I don’t know where the OP is, but I reckon every corner of the land has some body repair places in less than salubrious units on an old industrial estate somewhere. Ask around, you can find some real gems operating on cheap units.
 
JensenHealey said:
I don’t know where the OP is, but I reckon every corner of the land has some body repair places in less than salubrious units on an old industrial estate somewhere. Ask around, you can find some real gems operating on cheap units.
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Thanks again for all the comments.

The trouble with claiming on the insurance is that, given the cost of the repairs and the value of the car, they're likely to write it off. So I end up with around £3.5k, no car, and a claim which increases my premiums. With the secondhand car market as it is at the moment, £3.5k not's likely to go very far.

Anyway, I've spent an hour or so vigourously rubbing, and this is the result:



I'm rather pleased. Still a bit to do, but it's looking much better, plus I've just sourced a front foglight including the trims for £60. If it's an easy clip in fit, I'm done.

Fingers crossed.
 
Looks good, I'd be tempted to find a paintless dent removal guy/girl and see what they can do with that front wing, even just asking how good can you make it look for £50 sort of thing.
 
I recently had my car written off, bought it back for 1/8 of the write off value, bought some secondhand body panels and some paint, got a local bodyshop to put it all back together and ended up with £3k in my bank account and the car. 3rd party liability, though. And I have an amazing local mechanic to point me at the right people.
 
Well there you go

I may have overpriced it at £500

You'll be able to find a local dent puller to sort that for a few quid now you've done most of the work!

and you now realise the total bloody rip off prices your local jokers were quoting!

Don't necessarily name and shame them here but DO do it (SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS) in your local community. These scum deserve to be stuffed! They're creating a market out of insurance fraud. Your car is written off and it re-appears as a CAT N for them having invested £200! Big profits for them!
 
Tony Lockhart said:
And nobody has asked how the poor ferry is… shame on you all!
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It seems to be ok. Phew !



(Photo sent by DFDS. The ramp up comes from the bottom right-hand corner. You have drive round the back and turn another 90°to get into the parking laners. When there are cars in the spaces to the left of the yellow line, it's pretty tight without being distracted by three crew members waving at you ! Still, the others managed it ! Hey ho ! I must be getting old ! Annoying though, after a trouble-free 3 000 mile loop through Germany and the French Alps.)
 
colasblue said:
Well there you go

I may have overpriced it at £500

You'll be able to find a local dent puller to sort that for a few quid now you've done most of the work!

and you now realise the total bloody rip off prices your local jokers were quoting!

Don't necessarily name and shame them here but DO do it (SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS) in your local community. These scum deserve to be stuffed! They're creating a market out of insurance fraud. Your car is written off and it re-appears as a CAT N for them having invested £200! Big profits for them!
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Or for you if you buy it back.

Insurance repairs have to use original manufacturer parts and are astronomical compared to scrap parts and a local bodyshop.
 
I spend too much time on those Newhaven/Dieppe boats (there is a fleet of 2 virtually identical on the run). Not the poshest but a decent service. Mrs and I call that area where the accident happened "the cage". We hate it. It's worth putting a roof box on to prevent being sent up there as it can take up to 45 minutes just to get off the boat after waiting for everyone else to depart. And, with Dieppe not having an "English" border, you still have to wait an age to get through passport control on the English side before setting off for home. Crap, tbh. And they have some proper arses manning those booths, it would seem.

Still, respect for the improvement in paint job. If you are in Sussex I know a good mobile dent guy.
 
foxwelljsly said:
I recently had my car written off, bought it back for 1/8 of the write off value, bought some secondhand body panels and some paint, got a local bodyshop to put it all back together and ended up with £3k in my bank account and the car. 3rd party liability, though. And I have an amazing local mechanic to point me at the right people.
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I did the same a few years ago with an old Megane.
 
foxwelljsly said:
Or for you if you buy it back.

Insurance repairs have to use original manufacturer parts and are astronomical compared to scrap parts and a local bodyshop.
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They can use pattern parts on older cars. One of the well known alternatives are "Veng" who make pattern parts for the aftermarket. Insurers will use these to save money on an older car in order to save it from being written off. I'm not surprised at the £2I quote, that's not out of the way for a proper as new repair. I've just been quoted £650 for a front wing with peeling lacquer and a rear wing that has a small dent and a scrape. No new metal needed, no parts, just pull it back, fill and paint.
 
Mind you, definitely worth shopping around if you do need a shop. Two posh, highly respected ones near me quoted for an annoying little dent on mine. It’s difficult to match (MB Diamond white) and scares paint guys who will usually want to blend into surrounding panels. Anyway the two quotes were £500 and £1000. Obvs can’t say for sure they would have been identical, but it makes you think what thought processes go through the mind when it’s mainly time.
 
The OP's quote is the one for the insurance company, that's why premiums are as high. We've a guy our work has just started to use who does the £500 repairs and they are first class on damages very similar to this one (near Nottingham). If you like the car keep looking for a real repairer not the insurance job type. It's actually quite easy to claim off the insurance, buy back the write off and make a profit after the repair, however I bet they get it all back on the increased premiums, and a protected ncd doesn't stop the underlying premium going up.
 
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