Idiot of the week (any San Jose Autobody recs?)
10-19-2006, 04:09 PM
#1
Idiot of the week (any San Jose Autobody recs?)
So I am at my co-lo facility today (its a giant building with lots of servers) that has a gigantic parking lot, 400 spaces and only ever has 15 to 20 cars in it.
I park in my 2004.5 with no dings or dents and only one tiny chip by the front tire that I hand washed this morning in my normal spot there, second row and 12 spaces from the wherever the furthest car from the door is. I mean seriously, I have never had anyone park even close to me in the last 5 years I have been going there.
Today the security guard comes into my cage and says "You have the new white 350Z don't you"? Me, wondering why he is asking says "ah, yeah". "One of the contractors with the battery company hit it with his van". Me, standing there with my jaw on the ground says "the white Z in the middle of nowhere"? "Yeah, I'll go get you the incident report".
I follow him out, hand scan, wait for the door, hand scan, wait for the door, walk, hand scan, wait for the door. As soon as the front door opens I can see the scratch on the back corner of the bumper. As I get closer, I breath a sigh of relief, its only the bumper and not steel. Keep in mind, my Z is still out in the middle of nowhere, there was no rush on spots forcing this guy to park way out there. Idiot!
But still, I am so mad I could spit.
I never saw the guy, the security guard gave me all his information but get this, the report says he was driving a full size Chevy van, HOW THE HELL DO YOU CLIP SOMEONE IN A FREAKING FULL SIZE VAN! YOUR PRACTICALLY SITTING ON THE FRONT BUMPER! IDIOT!!!
<Skip to here for the question>
Anyway, looks like something is going to need to be done. The bumper has a crease in it and looks pushed in at the fender line (I'll take some pics when the sun goes down a bit and the shadows can be seen). Probably a new bumper is in order but who should I take it to. I imagine I will need three estimates, I have a PPW and color matching is critical to me. Since I'll have someone mixing up paint, I also need a wing painted and installed (on my dime).
From the Unofficial Shop Directory I found
B-Line Body Shop Incorporated
161 Patterson St
San Jose, CA 95112
4082794500
and
DHT Collision in San Jose
408-288-8856
Ask for Tommy
(no address and not showing up in google)
Tommy Autobody is out as per Bubble
Where else should I try?
Chris
I park in my 2004.5 with no dings or dents and only one tiny chip by the front tire that I hand washed this morning in my normal spot there, second row and 12 spaces from the wherever the furthest car from the door is. I mean seriously, I have never had anyone park even close to me in the last 5 years I have been going there.
Today the security guard comes into my cage and says "You have the new white 350Z don't you"? Me, wondering why he is asking says "ah, yeah". "One of the contractors with the battery company hit it with his van". Me, standing there with my jaw on the ground says "the white Z in the middle of nowhere"? "Yeah, I'll go get you the incident report".
I follow him out, hand scan, wait for the door, hand scan, wait for the door, walk, hand scan, wait for the door. As soon as the front door opens I can see the scratch on the back corner of the bumper. As I get closer, I breath a sigh of relief, its only the bumper and not steel. Keep in mind, my Z is still out in the middle of nowhere, there was no rush on spots forcing this guy to park way out there. Idiot!
But still, I am so mad I could spit.
I never saw the guy, the security guard gave me all his information but get this, the report says he was driving a full size Chevy van, HOW THE HELL DO YOU CLIP SOMEONE IN A FREAKING FULL SIZE VAN! YOUR PRACTICALLY SITTING ON THE FRONT BUMPER! IDIOT!!!
<Skip to here for the question>
Anyway, looks like something is going to need to be done. The bumper has a crease in it and looks pushed in at the fender line (I'll take some pics when the sun goes down a bit and the shadows can be seen). Probably a new bumper is in order but who should I take it to. I imagine I will need three estimates, I have a PPW and color matching is critical to me. Since I'll have someone mixing up paint, I also need a wing painted and installed (on my dime).
From the Unofficial Shop Directory I found
B-Line Body Shop Incorporated
161 Patterson St
San Jose, CA 95112
4082794500
and
DHT Collision in San Jose
408-288-8856
Ask for Tommy
(no address and not showing up in google)
Tommy Autobody is out as per Bubble
Where else should I try?
Chris
Last edited by HyperSprite; 10-19-2006 at 04:13 PM.
10-19-2006, 06:08 PM
#2
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Chris, sorry bud. You probably don't remember me, but I talked to you for a bit about your car at the last Starbuck's mini meet. You were showing me your car computer and stuff 
Anyway, I feel your pain. I just discovered that someone had hit me driver side rear quarter panel with their bumper ever so softly... left a little crease/dent. Not as bad as yours, but it still pisses me off that I have to pay $$ out of my own pocket to get it fixed. Good luck!
Anyway, I feel your pain. I just discovered that someone had hit me driver side rear quarter panel with their bumper ever so softly... left a little crease/dent. Not as bad as yours, but it still pisses me off that I have to pay $$ out of my own pocket to get it fixed. Good luck!
10-20-2006, 01:48 PM
#5
Yeah, it was Equinix, if you've seen their parking lot, you know what I mean.
So far things are going as well as can be expected, I talked to a representative at the company where the guy works and they got me in touch with their insurance company. I have since been contacted by "my assigned representative" and he gave me some options.
One was going with their "preferred" shop, it's Golden West Auto Body in Sunnyvale http://www.goldenwestcollisioncenter...CWeb/index.htm
As it was described, if I go with them; basically I leave all the management up to the two companies while I drive a rental and then pick up my good as new Z when its done. I don't necessarily trust this system because, frankly, I don't think I am a trusting guy but the insurance company says they guarantee my satisfaction before its considered completed.
My other option is, have an adjuster come out and take pictures, go to my preferred shop and have them do an estimate, then submit it for approval. If all goes well, they will send me a check for the work and I can submit my rental car receipts for reimbursement and they dust off their hands and are done with me. If for any reason I am not satisfied with the work performed by my body shop, it's my problem.
Any thoughts?
Really, my ideal solution would to get a factory painted bumper delivered to my house and I install it in the comfort of my own garage and even though that is probably the cheapest and easiest solution, I am not sure how to pull it off. Can I order a pre-painted bumper that is sure to match?
Chris
So far things are going as well as can be expected, I talked to a representative at the company where the guy works and they got me in touch with their insurance company. I have since been contacted by "my assigned representative" and he gave me some options.
One was going with their "preferred" shop, it's Golden West Auto Body in Sunnyvale http://www.goldenwestcollisioncenter...CWeb/index.htm
As it was described, if I go with them; basically I leave all the management up to the two companies while I drive a rental and then pick up my good as new Z when its done. I don't necessarily trust this system because, frankly, I don't think I am a trusting guy but the insurance company says they guarantee my satisfaction before its considered completed.
My other option is, have an adjuster come out and take pictures, go to my preferred shop and have them do an estimate, then submit it for approval. If all goes well, they will send me a check for the work and I can submit my rental car receipts for reimbursement and they dust off their hands and are done with me. If for any reason I am not satisfied with the work performed by my body shop, it's my problem.
Any thoughts?
Really, my ideal solution would to get a factory painted bumper delivered to my house and I install it in the comfort of my own garage and even though that is probably the cheapest and easiest solution, I am not sure how to pull it off. Can I order a pre-painted bumper that is sure to match?
Chris
10-20-2006, 10:53 PM
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88 autobody/Hong Auto body.
its my dads shop and he's resprayed my car about 3 times. color match is perfect. if you want Pm me and ill give you some more info.
here is a sample of his work...
its my dads shop and he's resprayed my car about 3 times. color match is perfect. if you want Pm me and ill give you some more info.
here is a sample of his work...
10-21-2006, 12:16 PM
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Chris,
Wow, so am I correct in saying that none of this is coming out of your pocket even though you can't prove that the guy that hit you was affiliated with Equinix? If so, that's a first to me; I've always thought you were responsible for your own car even if it's on their property.
Not sure how hard it is to match PPW. I know if I ordered a pre-painted bumper for my DB Z, chances are it *won't* match perfectly. Which is why body shops "blend in" the paint from the next panel on your car -- so it'll match more.
My advice would be to try and do a search on maybe the M3, S2K, Benz forums for "Golden West Auto Body" and see what people have to say about them. If you can't find any feedback on them, I would go to your own picked shop and not take any chances. Good luck!
Wow, so am I correct in saying that none of this is coming out of your pocket even though you can't prove that the guy that hit you was affiliated with Equinix? If so, that's a first to me; I've always thought you were responsible for your own car even if it's on their property.
Not sure how hard it is to match PPW. I know if I ordered a pre-painted bumper for my DB Z, chances are it *won't* match perfectly. Which is why body shops "blend in" the paint from the next panel on your car -- so it'll match more.
My advice would be to try and do a search on maybe the M3, S2K, Benz forums for "Golden West Auto Body" and see what people have to say about them. If you can't find any feedback on them, I would go to your own picked shop and not take any chances. Good luck!
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10-21-2006, 12:54 PM
#8
tresfifdeeZ not to bring you down or anything but your colors in those pics don't look all that close.
highside107 All of this is going through the insurance of the guy who hit me, not Equinix, I just happened to be in their parking lot and they took a report.
As far as matching goes, even from the factory the PPW and DBs don't match exactly. And when I painted my back strut bar it took me three tries to get the color just right. It seems the more pearl you put on the darker and more golden the color gets. PPW base is actually a bluish white before the pearl.
I am not too keen on the blending to the next panel idea unless there is no other way to get it right. Frankly, even the factory paint is not perfect in the respect, that is why I figured they may paint the plastic parts separately from the metal and thus there might be some supply of pre-painted parts. Like they do with the mud guards and rear spoilers.
Yesterday I buffed off the paint transfer and other than the creases, an hairline paint crack and missing pearl/clear, it does not look all that bad.
I am going to go visit Golden West on Monday, check out their shop and see if I like the folks there. If I don't get the warm fuzzies, than I am calling out the adjuster and shopping the job.
Chris
highside107 All of this is going through the insurance of the guy who hit me, not Equinix, I just happened to be in their parking lot and they took a report.
As far as matching goes, even from the factory the PPW and DBs don't match exactly. And when I painted my back strut bar it took me three tries to get the color just right. It seems the more pearl you put on the darker and more golden the color gets. PPW base is actually a bluish white before the pearl.
I am not too keen on the blending to the next panel idea unless there is no other way to get it right. Frankly, even the factory paint is not perfect in the respect, that is why I figured they may paint the plastic parts separately from the metal and thus there might be some supply of pre-painted parts. Like they do with the mud guards and rear spoilers.
Yesterday I buffed off the paint transfer and other than the creases, an hairline paint crack and missing pearl/clear, it does not look all that bad.
I am going to go visit Golden West on Monday, check out their shop and see if I like the folks there. If I don't get the warm fuzzies, than I am calling out the adjuster and shopping the job.
Chris
Last edited by HyperSprite; 10-21-2006 at 12:56 PM.
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