I'm a dumbass... please help me assess damages

[zc06_kisstherain]

sad to hear OP

1. go with insurance
2. pay it with your own after shopping around.

either way, damaged area is not cheap to fix it.
new paint and new bumper and new tail lights (upgrade to aftermarket)

[whtchocla7e]

Thanks all. I went in to two decent shops (based on my limited knowledge) today after work. Both "Toyota certified" for what's that worth.

Got one rough quote on the spot - $2500. The second guy will get back to me tomorrow but he was a little bit more optimistic. I told him with I could live a scratched bumper, it's got character.

[imom]

Originally Posted by dehydratedH2O

oh god... just... no. at least personally, I'd rather have my car fully fixed than have it be a rolling pile of bondo and tack welds.

I wonder if you have ever seen or done body repair work. This is the sheet metal that's goes from the back of the car to the front of the car. Subaru designed it so it's not a replaceable panel. On other cars, there are sections that are replaceable such as a Z4. On this car, the fender, I can understand wanting a new body panel, but please tell me on how you would fix this car then since it's not replaceable?

You might say...oh buy a new section and weld it in...well that section will have to be sanded down and then used body filler "bondo" then primer and then painted. Tack weld is the same thing...the body shop weld on a tack and pulls the metal out and then they shape it best they can and then the smooth out the surface with body filler "bondo" and then primer and painted. I'm skipping some process, but it's not just leave a big dent and then fill the cavity with bondo.

Even if you get a new bumper... as I said before, how does the body shop paint match the driver side when the passenger side has been repaired? The new sprayed bumper whether you get is from Subaru or the paint shop paints the bumper I hope you know that from batch to batch the paint varies. I've ordered paint from manufacturers before and it's a shade or two difference batch to batch. The body shop generally blends by overspraying onto the other panel when the work is large enough such as replacing a bumper. I've mentioned this before but you seem to miss this point as well. So please go and do some research again before saying these things... A true bondo free is for older cars where they can move metal around is thick enough to spread around.

So since you disagree with this...I ask you how would you fix the car? Please list the steps.

BTW, a small cracked bumper fix will look better most times than a brand new bumper as I said before...small crack you are blending a small area as long as the body shop uses correct adhesive, it'll be stronger than the original plastic. When new bumper you are paint matching/blending the trunk and both sides of the car to the bumper.

[imom]

Originally Posted by whtchocla7e

Thanks all. I went in to two decent shops (based on my limited knowledge) today after work. Both "Toyota certified" for what's that worth.

Got one rough quote on the spot - $2500. The second guy will get back to me tomorrow but he was a little bit more optimistic. I told him with I could live a scratched bumper, it's got character.

I had a front bumper, one side skirt, and rear bumper resprayed on a previous car for $800. Front bumper co worker tagged, side skirt was from parked and and someone swiped it, and back bumper was the dealer. This was high end luxury body shop. All damage was superficial at best or clear coat rub, but the point is that it's a lot more work then your rear bumper...it's the same area of prep work and hence the extra $600 to $700 in labor for pulling the dent and shaping. It's not my money, so I don't have to worry about it...the question is after you pay $2500 will you be happy...for that much they are throwing you a new bumper and then have to match the lava orange color...just not the color that has to match but the clear has to match as well. Luckily it's a newer car so they don't have to deal with oxidation and new paint match.

Oh, I quoted two places recommended by Yelp...one was more than twice the price and he said it wouldn't blend well with the color I had... so would be good to quote several high end shops that will do a good job...nothing wrong to pay for good work...but you have to do your homework.

[Sitha@ft86club]

dude no offence if you didnt get this fixed yet your fucked. i was looking at about 8.4k in damages. and i had very similar. but i also had structeral damages, if you want i can post my link to my car. i get it back tomorrow i hopes.

[whtchocla7e]

Originally Posted by Sitha@ft86club

dude no offence if you didnt get this fixed yet your fucked.

Not sure what you mean. I didn't get my car fixed yet because I'm weighing my options. I think it's reasonable to spend a few days making a decision?

But holy crap, $8.4k is a lot of dough. Hope you get it sorted. Post the link if you get a chance.

[Whitigir]

Originally Posted by whtchocla7e

Thanks all. I went in to two decent shops (based on my limited knowledge) today after work. Both "Toyota certified" for what's that worth.

Got one rough quote on the spot - $2500. The second guy will get back to me tomorrow but he was a little bit more optimistic. I told him with I could live a scratched bumper, it's got character.

Glad that i got you right at the spot eh ? Good luck fixing it. Now i look closer, the big dent that you got in the quarter panel is something serious...other places may charge you more. Keep us posted

[Sitha@ft86club]

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50600


The damage is way worst on my car.

[dehydratedH2O]

Originally Posted by imom

I wonder if you have ever seen or done body repair work.

Actually, yes. A family friend owns a body shop and I watched them do most of the repairs to a car I had that had very similar (but more extensive) damage to this one.

Originally Posted by imom

This is the sheet metal that's goes from the back of the car to the front of the car. Subaru designed it so it's not a replaceable panel. On other cars, there are sections that are replaceable such as a Z4. On this car, the fender, I can understand wanting a new body panel, but please tell me on how you would fix this car then since it's not replaceable?

Most new cars are designed this way. Body shops know this and have better processes to repair it than "fill the hole with bondo and paint it."

Originally Posted by imom

You might say...oh buy a new section and weld it in...well that section will have to be sanded down and then used body filler "bondo" then primer and then painted. Tack weld is the same thing...the body shop weld on a tack and pulls the metal out and then they shape it best they can and then the smooth out the surface with body filler "bondo" and then primer and painted. I'm skipping some process, but it's not just leave a big dent and then fill the cavity with bondo.

That's exactly what I'm saying. Buy a new piece and weld it properly, braze it, file and sand it -- no body filler needed. Or pull it and roll it if it's accessible enough. Again, (very little to) no filler. What I gathered you were saying is "pull it a bit, then fill golf-ball sized holes with bondo." If that wasn't what you were implying, than I was just wrong.

Originally Posted by imom

Even if you get a new bumper... as I said before, how does the body shop paint match the driver side when the passenger side has been repaired? The new sprayed bumper whether you get is from Subaru or the paint shop paints the bumper I hope you know that from batch to batch the paint varies. I've ordered paint from manufacturers before and it's a shade or two difference batch to batch. The body shop generally blends by overspraying onto the other panel when the work is large enough such as replacing a bumper. I've mentioned this before but you seem to miss this point as well. So please go and do some research again before saying these things... A true bondo free is for older cars where they can move metal around is thick enough to spread around.

An experienced painter can blend side-to-side over a bumper with no issues. I've seen it done many times before. It simply requires more time, effort, and money. But it's the right way to do a fix.

Originally Posted by imom

So since you disagree with this...I ask you how would you fix the car? Please list the steps.

Replace bumper, cut+weld new quarter panel or pull it if possible. Make sure to do solid welding/brazing so no filler is required. Get a proper painter to blend it all. This is a solid $2000-4000 job, depending on area, shop, and experience.

[imom]

H20, think we are talking same thing from different angles. No I wasn't referring to hack jobs of golf ball sized bondo... it was pulling the metal out and shaping it back with tack weld and shaping the metal and small pits filling in with bondo. Even if they cut in a new panel, I'm not sure if they weld the entire area or just tack weld the entire panel and then adhesive fill...many different techniques can be done.

Buying a panel to cut in will be more expensive but less labor than "pulling out the dent" and filling it to an even surface...not globbing bondo to fill the cavity. That will be a $2K+ job if they are buying new bumper and new panels from the dealer just because of the parts and then labor. The last issue I have is that once it's done, the driver side will have overspray blending. On the paint meter it'll show work has been done and seeing paint work done on both sides of the car indicates major accident even if it wasn't. I see pros and cons of both and stated both... but happy it's not my problem to have.