NerdElectric

Ok, I'm sure it can be fixed, I'm just wondering if it can be fixed PROPERLY.

So my 2008 350Z, which I bought less than 2 months ago and was in MINT condition got hit yesterday. Long story short it was parked in a parking lot, a lady was putting things in the trunk of her Jaguar when her kid knocked the shifter and it rolled back into my car. The lady was hit by her car and has a broken leg, but will otherwise be fine. My car was slid sideways about 1.5 feet.

So the damage is on the driver's door and the rear driver's quarter panel. What I'm concerned about is that the rear quarter panel looks to be an integral part of the car, and I don't see how it can be replaced. There is no way that they can fix the existing quarter panel back to mint condition, and I won't except anything other than mint condition and no body filler.

So do any of you who know body work know if this can be properly fixed back into mint condition, and if so how is it done? I'm really just looking for piece of mind that she can be put back to how she was. Thanks.





And this is how she used to look:

ksmoore

iTrader: (1)

Nope.... that car is totaled, j/k..

Yeah it can be fixed properly, and if you want to do without body filler, any shop will replace the quarter panel and door fully.

But a good shop uses high grade body filler and a dent puller. Its all how much you want to spend and how much time you have for your car to be down.

NerdElectric

Out of curiosity, how would they replace the quarter panel? Looking along the door and hatch it looks like it is a non-removable part of the car.

I'm sure that some body shops can work wonders with dent pullers and high grade filler, but it is also my understanding that neither of those can get a panel back EXACTLY how it was from the factory. For me this is the first nice car that I've ever had, and only my third car ever. I spent years saving for it and over 6 months searching for one that I actually wanted to buy. I bought this one because it was seriously in showroom condition. Seeing how I went to that much effort to get a perfect car less than 2 months ago I don't know that I could accept body filler on it. I don't want anyone (myself included) to be able to tell that body work was ever done on it.

As far as money and time, the lady's insurance should pay for it, she has Allstate, and the blue book value of the car is $23k, so there can be a lot of work done before they call it totaled. This is also my weekend car. I have a 95 Camry for my daily that I can use while the Z is in the shop. Unfortunately this will cut into the prime driving months of the year as I will never let this car see snow. But I would rather have the car in original factory MINT condition than get an extra week or 2 to drive it.

Also, does anyone know what the best auto body shop in Pittsburgh PA that will use OEM Nissan parts is?

SparkleCityHop

iTrader: (30)

Sadly, her insurance will pay for a reasonable repair job and your car will end up with a Carfax report against it. You can get a lawyer involved and drag the whole thing out, but there are standard types of repairs that insurance is going to cover/provide.

Your car will never be exactly the same as it was, but yes, a good body shop can repair the dent and have your car looking good again.

Nlower2

When you talk to her insurance adjuster, mention diminished vehicle value. My wife's 2007 4 runner was hit by another driver in a parking lot, the drivers insurance paid for the damage as the other driver was at fault. Long story short, when she went to trade it in they pulled the car fax. Because it showed an accident with 5k in damage the dealership flat out told us that they couldn't give us full trade in value for the vehicle. I feel that is true, if my Z had shown a wreck on the car fax when I bought it I probably would have looked for a different one or would have expected to get a deal on it.

JCITY

iTrader: (2)

Man,I really feel for you.I'd "bleed" the same way.For some reason(fate),my experience
with MANY cars I've owned shows the first "90 days curse".Don't know if its just getting used to a new/different vehicle or what.But it seems this 90 day period is when you have to be careful.I had a 1970 Karmann Ghia convert.A PERFECT pan off restoration.
FLAWLESS in everyway.After I had it less than 2 weeks,I took it in to get the tires trued&balanced.Since VW' have no frame,much car needs to be done lifting the car.
The guy working on it lifted it with the standard side lifts.Put nice dents in the driver's side pan that were visable from a distance.
Could not be fixed unless the body was removed or dent filled in.
I know how you feel...I just got used to it..after awhile.
Your car can be fixed.A good body shop can repair it.You will not be able to tell the difference.May look better!If indeed Allstate will only cover a "standard" repair,it may be worth it to you to see what the difference will be and pay it yourself for the perfection you seek.
At any rate,no matter HOW they fix it,in your crazy mind you are gonna think its
"not right"!
That just how it is.

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

In very simple terms, the quarterpanel is welded in. In some cases, the body seams from the door jamb, rocker panel and hatch area are ground down and the QP removed and replaced. The replacement QP is then welded back in place. I say "some cases", because this type of repair is reserved for damage far worse than what your Z has suffered. It's extremely expensive in therms of parts and effort. I doubt any insurance company will authorize that kind of repair for the damage depicted.

NerdElectric

Thanks for all of the input. I know that I'm going overboard, but I tend to over think things and this feels like a very tramatic situation for me (I know, first world problems).

For the reasonable repair thing with the insurance company, I will be arguing that the car was in mint showroom condition and that was the primary reason that the vehicle was purchased. The vehicle was also purchased so recently that it would be unreasonable to expect it to be in anything other than showroom condition. So a reasonable repair would include anything necessary to restore it to the exact condition it was in when purchased.

Trust me, I won't forget to mention diminished value and potential market base. I probably wouldn't have bought it, and definitely not at full price if this showed up on the vehicle history report. I'm not sure how to actually squeeze this money out of the insurance company though.

I'll have to see what body shops say about filler versus panel. If I will be able to find any body filler with a magnet, then it is not an acceptable repair for me (see 2 paragraphs up). I will also be expecting that the paint will match the rest of the car PERFECTLY and if I notice any paint fading that is separate from the rest of the car in the next 5 years at minimum that it will be repainted free of cost.

Speaking of which, would it be reasonable to expect them to use Nissan OEM paint, or is that not possible when matching colors exactly?

I know that I have a very high set of standards and list of demands for this, but I'm going to fight as hard as I can for every last part of it. I know that the insurance company will try to shaft me right out of the gate (that's their job after all), so I need to go on the offensive as soon as possible.

Remind me next time I buy a car to just leave it in the garage for the first 90 days.

ImWeeZzel

iTrader: (27)

I kind wish she would've f'ed up your wheels so you could upgrade from those chrome ones, either way I don't think its totaled

NerdElectric

Again with the hate for the chrome, haha.

But I didn't think it would be totaled, I'm just afraid that it won't be repaired back to 100% mint condition.

mdost03

I would take a lot of current pictures so if you do ever decide to sell it and someone asks about the accident, you can let them know exactly what happened and proof of the damage. The damage on the car isn't that bad, but again if Carfax shows there was an accident, people automatically assume the worst.

Hellix

iTrader: (6)

Definitely not totaled, i had very similar damage to my rear quarter a while back. They managed to pop out all the damage and it was about 2200 bucks, if they had to put on a whole new quarter it would have been about 3500.

FairladyBlue

you'll get over it. materialism fades..

RMichael

That repair will be unnoticeable. It's cosmetic. You'll be fine. The chrome on the other hand....

Jennifer 2

Diminished value is a real and verifiable concept. Getting insurance companies to compensate for it depends on which state you reside in. Some states such as Georgia have specific legislation that compels insurance companies to pay DV claims. In some other states the courts have sided with DV claimants, but in the majority of states (and especially your state Pennsylvania) the courts have set presidents by rejecting such claims. Your situation is further complicated because Allstate refuses to recognize (or pay) any form of DV. Allstate leads the industry in lobbying against recognizing the notion that DV exists. If you have uninsured motorist coverage, you will have a better chance of collecting through it.

I have followed a few of these cases through the courts here in BC. These pertained to current model year high end cars. In each case the damage was severe and even though the cars were correctly repaired to manufactures standards, the owners were claiming a loss of market value. The plaintiffs came well prepared with documents from professional auto appraisers demonstrating the reduced market value of the vehicle. The judge stated he would only make an award for an actual out pocket loss, but not for a potential loss. In effect the owner would have to had sold the car and demonstrate to the court the loss.

The logic is as follows: if you have a new 2013 Z any accident repair will erode its present value. However, if you keep the car for the next decade or two and put a lot of miles on it, that little fender bender will not have much effect on the price you get for it.

F34RL355

i think u need to remove the wheels aswell to put it back to mint

NerdElectric

But this is more than materialism, it is how much and how hard I worked to get this. I've been driving a granny car (Camry) for 7.5 years since high school. It's really hard to have such a bland and boring car and at the same time be a car person and have all of your friends be car people with nicer, more fun cars. I kept telling myself to just keep the Camry for now cause it's cheap, work my *** off, and eventually I can get a really nice car and not have to take out a bunch of debt to do it. So I pinched my pennies and worked my *** off, then I finally had enough money and spent 6 months searching all over for a decent car, finally find one and bought it, and it immediately gets messed up. So to me at least this feels like a lot more than materialism. Or maybe I'm just crazy, I don't know.

Well while I'm registered in PA, the incident happened just over the border in Ohio, does that change anything? And even if they won't pay for it, I'm still going to argue as hard as I can for it. A person would have to be either completely insane or technically retarded to honestly think that diminished value is not a real thing.

But those are the original wheels to the car. I still don't understand the hatred for anything chrome around here.

And I have tried searching all over the internet for reviews and recommendations for body shops, and I can't find much of anything. I don't get it, Pittsburgh is a major city, how can I not find massive amounts of reviews about body shops around here? I did get a friend to recommend this place to me:
http://www.varacalliautobody.com/Contact.htm
I tried e-mailing them and calling twice, but I haven't heard back from them yet to setup a time for an estimate.

easternriderkid

sure it can be fixed just have faith and think happy thoughts. and maybe some pixie dust lol

NerdElectric

I forgot to add that I spoke with my insurance company today (Erie insurance) and they requested the police report but haven't spoken with the lady's insurance company yet. But they did warn me that because a small kid (age unknown) knocked the shifter and appearently there is a law that kids under 7 can't be held at fault for anything (complete B.S.) they might try to deny liability. So if that happens (it better not) then I have to pay my $1000 deductible and then Erie sues Allstate and the lady.

Now I'm starting to get really nervous.

Do you have any pixie dust for sale?

SparkleCityHop

iTrader: (30)

That's why you never tell an insurance company anything more than specific answers/facts to their questions. When they asked what happened, I would have said, "I don't know what happened, all I felt was something hit my car pretty hard, and I got out and there was a woman that was hurt."

Them claiming to you that the kid pulled the lever, etc… is not facts that you're sure of, so I would let them tell their side of the story. You never know if people have their own agendas, etc. so it's best to stick to the facts that you personally can verify.

Especially when dealing with the police and insurance companies, the less information you give them, the better. The insurance company's employees are there to gather information and try to find some way, any way to get out of paying, or to limit their liability.