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body panels don't line up

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Old Sep 8, 2003 | 01:14 PM
  #1  
tylerdurden's Avatar
tylerdurden
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Default body panels don't line up

I bought a new track model off the showroom floor. A day after I got it home I noticed that the hood doesn't line up right. One side is a little higher than the other. Also the rear bumper is a little off as well as the gas cap. Should I be concerned that the car was hit previous to my purchase. Can the dealer sell a car was hit either on the lot or on the way from one dealer to another? Anyone notice similar problems with body panels? Thanks
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Old Sep 8, 2003 | 01:54 PM
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Have a body shop look at it and if hit show it to your salesman. They should make good by giving you another new car with all kinds of extras free to avoid legal trouble. In short, If they knew it had been hit and repaired and sold as new they are in BIG TROUBLE! Do not let much time pass!
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Old Sep 8, 2003 | 01:59 PM
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I would definitely take it back to the dealer and point out the imperfections and see what they have to say. How many miles were on it when you took it home?
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Old Sep 8, 2003 | 06:46 PM
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The car had 100 miles on it. Supposedly it was driven from a dealership in NJ to Long Island where I purchased it. A neighbor of mine owns a body shop and said that he couldn't tell if it was hit, but it definitely needs adjusting. I was waiting for my first oil change to bring it to their attention. That will be next week. I was wondering if anyone else had a similar experience. I love the car but when compared to the M3 I had before it, some of the workmanship seems a little shoddy.
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Old Sep 9, 2003 | 10:33 AM
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I noticed the same on mime, the gas cap only...looks kind off line from one side, but if you rubb with the palm of your hand seem to be fine...wierd. Also I notice on the trunk, the passanger side seems to be just a bit up, but if I check the driver side looks OK.
maybe I going blind or I am loosing it....
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Old Sep 9, 2003 | 10:57 AM
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I don't think it has been hit. My car has the same problem. The rear bumper doesn't line up right. When you look at it from the back the space between the trunck lid and the bumper is greater on the right. Also, my drivers door is a little off. If you do a search on body panels, you will see a lot of Z's have the rear bumper alignment problem.
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Old Sep 9, 2003 | 11:03 AM
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What's funny about this....we all live in NY !!!!!!!!
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Old Sep 9, 2003 | 06:13 PM
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Well I'm glad I'm not the only one. Hopefully a couple of easy adjustments will do the trick. Thanks all.
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Old Sep 9, 2003 | 06:14 PM
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tylerdurden check your pms
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Old Sep 9, 2003 | 06:16 PM
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wtf why did my post get deleted?

why do you care if it is slightly smaller? do you really have nothing better to do with your time?
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Old Sep 9, 2003 | 07:43 PM
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^^Dont listen to the troll wren57

tyler, THANK GOD you posted this. To answer your question, I think it's normal. The area above the door and rear quarter panel dont match on the drivers side of my car. The passenger side matches perfectly. I thought my car had been hit since my hood isnt aligned either.

Today while working, I saw a CS '04 pull up. I talked to the lady and examined her car. Guess what, her body panels didnt match up either (above door). And she had an '04.

Dont sweat it man! I was running around super paranoid for the first week I had my new Z.
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Old Sep 9, 2003 | 08:45 PM
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troll? hardly... onto the subject at hand; every car has body panel gaps, obviously. How noticeable do you think it is? I have washed my car probably 35 times in the last 4 months and have never noticed it. Stop being **** retentive about everything, its a car...
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Old Sep 10, 2003 | 07:42 PM
  #13  
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When you spend that kind of money for a car, as good a bargain as it is, you expect good workmanship. Maybe thats too much to ask these days. In two or three months I probably won't notice the imperfections but at the moment its buggin the s--- out of me.
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