Something is busted about auto body industry

[zakthor]

A lady drove her Lexus into the side of my straight and rust free diesel 84 Land Cruiser, my rear wheel drove over her headlights at low speed.

My truck has moderate dents in both passenger doors and a small dent in the rocker. Everything is fine except I want the dents fixed.

Lady and her insurance have assumed full responsibility.

Her insurance estimates repair will cost $2500. They send me a list of 15 shops in the area they recommend. I call them all and none will even look at my car. It’s too old, not in system, etc. Basically they don’t do metal work?

I called a shop recommended by a Land Cruiser place, they estimated $12k, which is just stupid.

I found a few restorers, the first estimated $3500 but guy retired soon after. the second will only do it if I pay cash they won’t deal with her insurance.

I’m not picky about paint match I just want the metal fixed. How is this so difficult?

Is there more assistance I can ask of her insurance? I’m not trying to screw anyone, but looks like autobody in my area is only out to screw the insurance and I’m stuck in the middle.

[fanaudical]

Very few shops around here do real metal work. Everybody else just replaces panels. Nobody wants to paint just a portion of the vehicle if they can avoid it. I look at the changes in the auto body industry as an indicator that talent has been lost.

[jyl]

keep looking

a big branch fell on my W211 and dented the fender, A pillar, and door. my body shop fixed it so you can’t even tell, with out replacing panels, for $2000

[GH85Carrera]

One of my wife's friends hit a deer and caused minor damage to the front fender. The SUV was still driveable, and she wanted it fixed. She called most of the body shops and all were so busy she had to make an appointment for several months out just to get an estimate. When she finally went to the appointment it was the dealership's body shop and it took a few weeks for the job to be done.

Keep looking for a smaller locally owned body shop. Go talk to the owner, or manager and enplane the insurance situation.

All of them are backed up, and from what I hear is is a lack of employees willing to do body work.

[Arizona_928]

Insurance low balls the body shops…This causes a lot of corners to be cut.

Get it done at your shop. Pay the bill and give it to their adjuster to pay up.
I’ve sued progressive for a $1000 difference. They paid the money before the small claims case went far…

[john70t]

I can guess the door must be taken off, skin removed and flattened with english wheel, welded back on, primed and painted to match. A lot of grunt work. With the vehicle down for a while unless you drive around with plastic.

The other option is get a new/used door and have a friend help install.
I only saw front ones on fleabay, but you might find one via contacting the sellers.
There are online used parts .db like car-parts and hollanders.

[look 171]

I think it is across all industries along with the new trend of replacement rather then fix. I have a so call door hanger that's was sent to us by the door company we bought the doors from, 18 8' doors. Sales woman came out to measure. Fooked up everything assuming all jamb were the same width and height. Owner were forced to buy from them due to interior designer's suggestion (can we smell kick back?). Some areas of the walls were 8" thick. Newer home but built with the Spanich theme. I ask the door hanger to buy jamb materials and hang the doors that needed wider jamb. Nope. Lead time is more then 2 months for newer pre hung doors or jamb. I have to show him how to rehang them. People are just too lazy to learn how to do or build things. He refuse to cut the rabbet for the garage door out of 6/4 jamb material. Yet he charges 600 bucks per pre-hung door. I had to fire his ass and do it myself. Sadly, I only enjoyed hanging the first 3-4 doors. I had to pull my guys off my other job to finish it.

My dad can make you a ring or pendent with a torch and a couple pair of pliers and no casting. I see some of these so call master jewelry makers I had to shake my head in disbelieve. I understand its a lost art but we can't make too many things anymore. Pretty soon, if our food doesn't come in a can or a box, we wouldn't know how to cook and no one wants to work anymore. My metal fab guy is closing his shop in a few months. he has plenty or work and they keep coming but he can't find anyone to work. The ones that do and can leave for better opportunities and he pays them 45 per hour. Three of his guys left to work elsewhere at 60 bucks per hour with full med. benefits for the county two hours away repairing city vehicles in a newer community.

Sad time wer live in and its only going to get worst.

[Evans, Marv]

I won't even take my car to a shop in the U.S. I'd take it down to TJ to a shop with good recommencations. A shop manager there, where i was having work done a long time ago said, "In the US they replace it. Here we fix it." Since you're in WA, maybe there is a chance things might be better across the boarder in Canada. No clue, but mayube a possibility.

[Zeke]

Not very good pictures, but I can say no one in the bodyshop business has an English wheel. That part would be cut off and a new one installed.

It's surprising what PDR guy can do. I think more work should be done by those guys even if paint work is required. But PDR guys and bodyshops are kinda at odds.

The long and short is the other insurance company has to fix your car. If they can't find a shop w/o you running all over, then sue them in SCC. Every state an ins co does business in has a person of service. By the time you ask for their name the game might change.

[3rd_gear_Ted]

All the low rider folks in SoCal take their old metal cars to Tijuana MX. to get fixed and painted.
Those guys down there are true old school artisans and they have Lead you can't get in the states.

[Bill Douglas]

I think instead of it being your problem it should be the lady's insurance company's problem. They can find a place to fix it or maybe even buy you a ew one

[908/930]

I would worry that if the repair quote gets too high they will try to write it off. What a pain. Possibly try to hunt down a rust free door, from another country if req.

[pmax]

Originally Posted by Zeke

The long and shot is the other insurance company has to fix your car.

[rfuerst911sc]

I agree with Milt , get a hold of some PDR guys . Good ones can perform magic .

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by pmax

Yes exactly. In CA, here we have the right to take our cars to our shop of choice. It is a law. There the estimators and adjusters hammer it out, in a manner of speaking.

I'm settling a claim as of right now.

[Arizona_928]

Your insurance co will cover the claim… then litigate to get their money back from the other company…

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Arizona_928

Your insurance co will cover the claim… then litigate to get their money back from the other company…

True until the cost of said litigation exceeds the claim. My old truck was totalled while parked in a private lot. Car jumped the curb and ran across the lot hitting 3 cars. Her insurance never paid from what I was told. I got paid off and bought the truck back. I negotiated with MY ins co, not hers.

[pmax]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Yes exactly.

...

Originally Posted by zakthor

... estimated $12k...

[sduser]

Rust free and Land Cruiser don't often go together. You are more than likely going to have to go to a hot rod/ custom shop to get the repairs done properly. I ran a shop like this for a couple of years and in So Cal, and we always had an 80's Land Rover in. Once you find a shop willing to do the work, submit a written quote to the insurance company and they will review. The insurance companies, and their staff, do not really care how much the repairs cost, just that they have the required information to substantiate any payments made.

If they have trouble finding parts, I was able to source good parts out of Utah. I will try to find the name of the yard. It is a 40 year old car and parts are a pain in the ass to get, especially compared to new cars, so production shops are not going to be interested.

Litigation is a waste of time and the only ones that get paid are the lawyers. Find out what the adjuster needs to get you paid and try to work with them. I realize it is not your fault and should not require you to jump through a series of flaming hoops, but going straight to guns means you claim goes to the back burner and will take forever.

If you go through your insurance, see if they will waive the deductible. If they do not, pay it and have them include it in their subrogation claim to the negligent party's carrier.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by john70t

I can guess the door must be taken off, skin removed and flattened with english wheel, welded back on, primed and painted to match. A lot of grunt work. With the vehicle down for a while unless you drive around with plastic.

The other option is get a new/used door and have a friend help install.

Yes, sort of.
With a crease like that in the thin metal they use now - I don't know of a body man who would fix that door. It would take all the work John listed above at the $100/hr rate of a skilled tech who can do it (metal work isn't grunt work - it's an art). At $3500 you would be getting off easy. At a dealer installing a new door I'm not surprised they would charge $12k. A used door is the only way you are going to get that fixed.