Jump to content
TEAM SHELBY FORUM

Need advice I wish I didn't need...


Thor.

Recommended Posts

Yesterday, my daughter backed into my car, leaving several creases and a dent in the rear driver's side quarter panel. So it needs to be fixed. The question is what repair method makes the most sense? I can either get a standard repair job for about $1300 or get the whole panel replaced for about $2300. The rep kept pushing for the repair rather than for the replace. To get him to think a little deeper about it, I asked him if he was going to buy this car five years from now, would he rather the panel been repaired or replaced? He looked me in the eye and said "Neither - it's been wrecked". So I guess all I have now is a "wrecked" 2011 Shelby GT500. Anyways, back to the question - which fix makes more sense?

 

 

Update:

I do plan on paying for this out of my pocket - insurance company confirmed the impact to future premiums if I have them involved.

 

 

Update:

I am going to have the damage repaired instead of replacing the quarter panel. If the repair is not acceptable, I will then "risk" a replacement. If that isn't acceptable to me, then there will be a "restored" 2011 Shelby GT500 for sale. As am sure you all understand, it's not about the money, it's about the car.

 

 

Update:

I have added a picture of the damage - the car really is black with red stripes, the green is reflection from the grass! Note that one of the creases impacts the wheel well line greatly and that the red stripes are scuffed.

 

 

Thanks for all the feedback, I appreciate your collective points of view - it helped my decision process.

Damage.jpg

Damage.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yesterday, my daughter backed into my car, leaving several creases and a dent in the rear driver's side quarter panel. So it needs to be fixed. The question is what repair method makes the most sense? I can either get a standard repair job for about $1300 or get the whole panel replaced for about $2300. The rep kept pushing for the repair rather than for the replace. To get him to think a little deeper about it, I asked him if he was going to buy this car five years from now, would he rather the panel been repaired or replaced? He looked me in the eye and said "Neither - it's been wrecked". So I guess all I have now is a "wrecked" 2011 Shelby GT500. Anyways, back to the question - which fix makes more sense?

 

If it were me I'd replace it.

 

That quarterpanel is an extremely difficult piece to repair. My father worked at the stamping plant for Ford his entire life and he was amazed when he looked at the QP of my car and noted how perfectly it was stamped and how when you looked at it in the light and walked you couldn't find a flaw in how it was formed. No chance any body shop will duplicate that. Since it was in your driveway it shouldn't appear on any Carfax report and if you replace the panel I see no reason why you should tell anyone you're selling the car to you've replaced it.

 

Tack that one up to another cost of having kids, I'm scared to death my Wife is going to do that to mine one day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my opinion it would probably depend on exactly how bad the damage is, but I will say that replacing the entire panel is not always the best route to take. There is a lot involved in that replacement and if not done EXACTLY right will be far worse in the long run.

 

I would probably go with a very high quality shop and have the panel fixed rather than replaced. Talk to the shop owner/manager and explain that this is your baby and that you are somewhat anal when it come to your car. If you make that known up front you stand a much better chance of the owner/manager taking a personal interest in the quality of the repair.

 

There are a few on here who believe a wrecked car can never be fixed correctly, but I delt with the auto repair industry for a long time and I can tell you otherwise.

 

Just my $.02

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

either way,they'll have to paint it,and youll need a very good shop to match up.Me personally,id find a very good restoration shop that does their own paint.Theyll get it perfect--i wouldnt be surprised though for a reapir to match the higherprice,but itll be first class for sure

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some photo's of the damage would be nice :) seeing how it was in your driveway i really doubt that it's that bad unless she floored it :(

Some tips for both methods of repair. If damage is fixed ask them if they plan on painting the whole quarter panel or if they plan on pulling a blend. also you might want to look into having the side stripes on the side removed for painting and then replaced. it can be done with them on, but you really don't want to chance of the clear pealing later on.

If you get it replaced make sure they replace the whole quarter panel, when they get the piece it will be a whole side which includes all the way to the fender. Try to make it so they don't cut it. most shops will take short cuts because its not needed to replace the whole piece. once again it can be done and depending on the shop you may not be able to tell where they cut it. The best job would consist of them taking the rear bumper,deck-lid, door, fender, front and back glass out and replacing the whole quarter, that way all spot welds are covered up and all you have to worry about is, is how good is their painter and paint.

hopefully you understand what i mean when explaining how the new quarter piece comes.

as far as you having just a wrecked Shelby this is true now, as long as the insurance company is involved it will show up on record it was in an accident. people that have their insurance companies fix their rear bumper when someone puts the little licenses plate bolt nuggets on there car, that will also show up that it was in an accident. it sucks but that's how it works.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been restoring cars, rebuilding totals, and doing repair work for the last 20 years. To replace the panel means they will be drilling lots of holes into your car so they can seperate the spot welds that hold the panel on. They will have to remove lots of parts, redo the door jam and any other area that the panel wraps into or attaches too. If the area to repair is not huge then I would have it repaired by a collision repair shop as they are much better able to match paint than a restorer (restorers mostly paint the whole car ,not color match). If you repair the area they will not have to remove your interior and fill your car full of holes. Also remember that the less other people take apart on your car the less chance you have of parts not being installed correctly.

As for how the panel looks when finished that is what makes the difference between a true professional and someone who won't be in business long; do you homework and aak to see their shop and some of their repair jobs!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been restoring cars, rebuilding totals, and doing repair work for the last 20 years. To replace the panel means they will be drilling lots of holes into your car so they can seperate the spot welds that hold the panel on. They will have to remove lots of parts, redo the door jam and any other area that the panel wraps into or attaches too. If the area to repair is not huge then I would have it repaired by a collision repair shop as they are much better able to match paint than a restorer (restorers mostly paint the whole car ,not color match). If you repair the area they will not have to remove your interior and fill your car full of holes. Also remember that the less other people take apart on your car the less chance you have of parts not being installed correctly.

As for how the panel looks when finished that is what makes the difference between a true professional and someone who won't be in business long; do you homework and aak to see their shop and some of their repair jobs!

 

Well said!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been restoring cars, rebuilding totals, and doing repair work for the last 20 years. To replace the panel means they will be drilling lots of holes into your car so they can seperate the spot welds that hold the panel on. They will have to remove lots of parts, redo the door jam and any other area that the panel wraps into or attaches too. If the area to repair is not huge then I would have it repaired by a collision repair shop as they are much better able to match paint than a restorer (restorers mostly paint the whole car ,not color match). If you repair the area they will not have to remove your interior and fill your car full of holes. Also remember that the less other people take apart on your car the less chance you have of parts not being installed correctly.

As for how the panel looks when finished that is what makes the difference between a true professional and someone who won't be in business long; do you homework and aak to see their shop and some of their repair jobs!

 

 

Couldn't agree more!! There is no way I would have the entire quarter pannel replaced for jus a "couple of creases". A good collision repair shop will do fine. Just check them out first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you can afford it you should pay for it out of your pocket. That way it wont show up on car fax that you were in an accident. Just something for you to look into, for down the road. Just curious to what the estimate price to fix was? If it goes through insurance, I'm going to guess around $1000 for an insurance job, and about $350-500 for out of pocket.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to hear about the accident, Thor. I think I'd just get it repaired rather than replaced (without seeing how bad it is or isn't). As others have mentioned...that quarter panel isn't easy to replace, nothing like replacing a front clip or a rear bumper, etc.

 

There are fantastic body/paint people out there that can do wonders...you just have to ask around as much as possible...even though it might be hard to wait to get it repaired, the extra effort you put into finding the "right" person will be worth it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my opinion it would probably depend on exactly how bad the damage is, but I will say that replacing the entire panel is not always the best route to take. There is a lot involved in that replacement and if not done EXACTLY right will be far worse in the long run.

I agree with Sportscars!

 

Some photo's of the damage would be nice :) seeing how it was in your driveway i really doubt that it's that bad unless she floored it :(

Some tips for both methods of repair. If damage is fixed ask them if they plan on painting the whole quarter panel or if they plan on pulling a blend.

No offense Left and I'm not bragging but, from my house to the bottom of my driveway is 100 Ft. A car could be totaled if the vehicle was to freewheel all the way.

Also no matter what, I think there will be a blend somewhere whether it's a replace or a repair, unless they repaint the roof and both rear quarters.

 

There was a post several months where someones SGT was rearended and one of the comments covered this scenario where the pros and cons were laid out. Basically it stated if you replace the quarter it won't be as solid as new due to all the swiss cheese that was posted above.

 

Left also made a good point stating....If you can afford it you should pay for it out of your pocket. That way it wont show up on car fax that you were in an accident. Just something for you to look into, for down the road. Just curious to what the estimate price to fix was? If it goes through insurance, I'm going to guess around $1000 for an insurance job, and about $350-500 for out of pocket.

 

Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry about that. I do have a question for some of you though, so I can bank it in my memory if I ever need it. If he trades this car in, will he get less on the trade if accident shows on history. I'm thinking no. If he sells it himself down the road, yes, some potential buyers will simply move on. But, if he trades and there is no impact on trade value then I'd simply get it patched.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

People make such a big deal over every little thing when car is new but then after a couple of years they revert to their old self and start neglecting the car and it looks like crap.

 

 

 

Speak for yourself, I sure as hell don't.

 

OP, good luck with your car and hope it gets fixed perfectly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry about that. I do have a question for some of you though, so I can bank it in my memory if I ever need it. If he trades this car in, will he get less on the trade if accident shows on history. I'm thinking no. If he sells it himself down the road, yes, some potential buyers will simply move on. But, if he trades and there is no impact on trade value then I'd simply get it patched.

 

 

If he lets the insurance company set in and pay for the repair it will show on car fax. some dealerships wont even touch them on trade because car fax shows it was in a wreck(or they will take it for a lot less than its worth). Now if he sold it himself he would want to have the pictures to show it was just minor damage and people would still try to get the price down. So like i said before if you can afford it, pay for it yourself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If he lets the insurance company set in and pay for the repair it will show on car fax. some dealerships wont even touch them on trade because car fax shows it was in a wreck(or they will take it for a lot less than its worth). Now if he sold it himself he would want to have the pictures to show it was just minor damage and people would still try to get the price down. So like i said before if you can afford it, pay for it yourself.

 

+1 on that.I know when i buy a used car,which are usually low mileage, 2-3 year old cars,i dont even look at ones that have a "wreck" on the car fax--itll easy affect you when you sell by at least a 1000 because it sets up doubts in the buyers mind about the car.If you could get it done for under 1000 yourself id do it that way + you dont get an accident on your dauhters driving record for insirance purposes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some photo's of the damage would be nice :) seeing how it was in your driveway i really doubt that it's that bad unless she floored it :(

 

 

 

I have attached a picture of the damage to my original post.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have attached a picture of the damage to my original post.

 

 

I've been following your thread, on this type of car, whomever buys it is going to give it a real close going over. I would fix this out of my pocket and have them blend in the paint and put new stripes on and just drive it, the damage from the picture does not look that bad.

 

There are shops that can do extremely good work, you have a lot invested in the car and I wouldn't sell it and take a blood bath.

 

GG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been following your thread, on this type of car, whomever buys it is going to give it a real close going over. I would fix this out of my pocket and have them blend in the paint and put new stripes on and just drive it, the damage from the picture does not look that bad.

 

There are shops that can do extremely good work, you have a lot invested in the car and I wouldn't sell it and take a blood bath.

 

GG

 

 

Sound advice GG On all fronts ; and also those that mentioned the insurance rate increase and the incident showing on the car fax if you are looking to trade it in.

 

Scotty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

either way,they'll have to paint it,and youll need a very good shop to match up.Me personally,id find a very good restoration shop that does their own paint.Theyll get it perfect--i wouldnt be surprised though for a reapir to match the higherprice,but itll be first class for sure

 

 

Another vote for Torch10's comment. Repair- don't replace...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sure I'll be blasted for this, but I've seen a couple threads now that have mentioned doing everything possible to avoid something being reported on CarFax. I understand the urge and the reasoning, but the point behind Carfax is to protect the buyer from a seller who misrepresents the cars condition. I'm not suggesting that anyone here would purposely mislead a potential buyer, but someone somewhere has and will do so again. In this particular case, I agree that the damage is realitively minor and personally would not discurage me as a buyer, but where does someone draw the line? Sure a dealer may avoid a car with a negative carfax report, but we can choose to not do business with that dealer. There are plenty of buyers and dealers that live in the real world and understand that not every accident reported on a carfax means that the damage has severly degraded the safety or value of a car.

 

Accidents happen, my suggestion it be honest and straight forward about it. Personnally, after hearing it suggested that paying out of pocket to avoid carfax tells me that carfax is pointless, particularly with highend cars where the previous or current owner more then likely has the means to keep a car off of carfax.

 

Having said all that, Thor I agree with your move to repair and I don't fault you for paying out of pocket (not that my opinion matters). Good luck with repairs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Accidents happen, my suggestion it be honest and straight forward about it. Personnally, after hearing it suggested that paying out of pocket to avoid carfax tells me that carfax is pointless, particularly with highend cars where the previous or current owner more then likely has the means to keep a car off of carfax.

 

Having said all that, Thor I agree with your move to repair and I don't fault you for paying out of pocket (not that my opinion matters). Good luck with repairs.

 

 

Just keep the pictures and repair receipts so you can show the lack of "wreck" if you ever go to sell the car. CarFax has a purpose in that it helps one identitfy the cheap insurance company, low bid, cosmetically repaired, should have been totaled type car. Unfortunately it seems everyone simply assumes that is the case with any reported incident.

 

With a CarFax "problem" it might be harder to sell on E-Bay or otherwise sight unseen, but I don't think any enthusiast that intends to actually use the car would have a major problem if the repair is done right. I could also see why a dealer who would want to resell it that way might avoid the car. But after seeing the picture, your dealer is a jerk for essentially saying the car is totaled.

 

I agree with the consensus. Find a good body shop and have the panel repaired, enjoy the car and worry about resale later. Frankly, the whole mod game (stupid previous owner tricks) and race/hard use would be the red flags I'd worry about more if I was purchasing a used GT500 than the minor dent on your car after a good repair. A 2011 replacement engine is only $20999.00. Supercharged 5.4L 2011 SVT Mustang Engine

(yeah, I know the block only is $2499.00)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...
...