I have some bad news. I was driving my Z today and some idiot in an Acura RSX changed lanes without looking and slammed into my driver's side door and front fender. No one was hurt, but needless to say, I am very upset - especially seeing as how I have less then 2k miles on it. In a matter of minutes, I went from a flawless Z to a banged up one...

In any event, I am looking for a top-notch body shop in the DC/VA Metro area. To do the job right, the driver's side door and front fender will need to be completely replaced. I need someone who can restore the Z to showroom quality. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Pictures of the damage to follow shortly...

ZMan

 

Zman- I'm sorry to hear that buddy. It must have been a bad day on the road for Zs, mine was hit today too ...stopped at a light no less. My damage is much less than yours but definitely visible. There are two dents and the paint is rubbed off where the screws on the idiot's license plate dug into the back of my car. I could use a reputable body shop in the same region that you're looking. Let me know what information you find out.

 

Mr. Spoiler
Manassas, Virginia
Ask for : Dan

Fixed my bumper, showroom condition now, very inexpensive also. Only took 1 day.

If you both go to him and both of you say I referred you, you might get a decent discount. Also, offer cash and he'll give you a bigger discount if you ask (Don't tell him I said that, lol)

 

Ricky,

Thanks for the info. If you don't mine my asking, what did you have fixed on your bumper. The damage on my Z is to the rear bumper, two dents with a little bit of paint removed. I called my Nissan dealer to inquire about the damage and they told me depending on the size of the dents, the whole bumper might need to be replaced because it's made of plastic. I really don't think this minor damage warrants a new bumper, but hey, the guy who hit me with have to deal with that.

 

Thanks for the info. I wish my damage was to the bumper rather than the door/fender area. That would give me an excuse to buy a NISMO or Veilside kit. Anyway, the damage to my door/ fender will be more difficult to repair and have the Z come out looking like it just left the showroom. Does this Mr. Spoiler due high quality work? What sort of shop does he have? Does he specialize in painting/body work? Thanks!!

 

UPDATE: I got a few estimates this morning. One from T&J in Arlington, one from Bimmer's on Four Mile Run, and one from Brown's Arlington Nissan. The estimates, however, only include using a dent puller and repainting. All shops said that "I would never be able to tell it was fixed." HA! I don't believe that for a second. Anytime you use a dent puller and repaint a body panel you can tell very easily that the car had work done to it. Especially since most body shops will just tape off the panel and spray. This is a totally unacceptable fix as far as I'm concerned. Particularly for a car that only has 1600 miles on it. Anything short of a new door and from corner panel is not going to look right!

Am I right or am I just being a freak about this?

ZMan