mlnielsen Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Hi, new member here. Looking for advice on repairing some collision damage. Bought a 10k mileage 2007 GT500 a month ago and got hit last week. The guy ran the red light and clipped my passenger rear quarter and popped off my bumper cover. No witnesses, no injuries, just a bit shaken up. We both have insurance (I have State Farm), and the police are writing a report (don’t have it yet). Our insurance companies will duke it out and decide percentage of responsibility. KBB Blue Book is about $27k. I am wondering what I should be concerned about when selecting a body shop. Should I select a body shop that does collision work, or one that does higher end vehicles? Should I select a body shop that is familiar with working on Mustangs and Shelbys? Body work on a Mustang should be easier than a Porsche/BMW/Mercedes? I am worried that a collision shop may not provide sufficient quality and workmanship. My Shelby has already been hit now, I don’t want to lose any more value because of poor workmanship. I am worried that if the insurance company attributes 51% responsibility to me, they will only pay the minimum and I will be responsible for the balance. Shop A was recommended by a hot rod friend of mine. Shop A repainted my ’67 Mustang coupe about 25 years ago. Shop A is in the State Farm network of preferred body shops. Shop A provided an estimate of $7.5k, but could increase when with new discovery. Shop B was recommended by a friend. Shop B is in the State Farm network of preferred body shops. Shop B provided an estimate of $7.5k, but could increase when with new discovery. Shop C was recommended by Shop B, and works on high value vehicles (Porsche/BMW/Mercedes). Shop C is NOT in the State Farm network of preferred body shops, but works with all of them. State Farm will send an adjuster to generate an estimate. I have an appointment next week with Shop C for an estimate. The local Ford dealer provided an estimate of $12k. The dealer estimate is more detailed than Shop A or B. The dealer estimate may end up being the most accurate estimate. The local ford dealer will work to the State Farm rates. Does Shelby in Las Vegas do collision or body work? Thanks for your advice!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Secondo Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Hi, welcome to Team Shelby! Sorry to hear about your accident and damage to your car. If it was me, I'd either go shop C or the Ford Dealer. Leaning towards the dealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhr1961 Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 (edited) You said the guy ran the red light. If that is, in fact, what happened, then why do you think you will be assigned any kind of responsibility at all? If it is truly the other guys fault, you should then be able to take your car anywhere you want and make the other guy or his insurance company pay for it. I am not given to being litigious but if I were not at fault and since it is a Shelby (high value vehicle) I would be looking for the absolute best repair shop and also seeking some monetary compensation for “reduced value” because if you ever go to sell you are probably going to take quite a hit in the wallet. I am not saying lawyer up to the max and sue the guys pants off but the goal of insurance is “to make you whole again”, not make a hole in your wallet. Your insurance agent/company should be helping you get compensated for your loss. Edited March 5, 2017 by mhr1961 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheKurgan Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 If you're not wanting some custom work done, I'd take it to the dealer. Body shops just want you in and out as fast as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S8MS-01904 Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Go to the shop that will warranty all repairs for lifetime. That's parts and labor on anything related to the repair. I'm glad I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Hamilton Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Hi, new member here. Looking for advice on repairing some collision damage. ........................................ Thanks for your advice!!! 20170223_114303.jpg I had something similar happen 5 years ago on my then 2011 GT-500. I was sitting in the middle of an intersection waiting on the light to change to turn left (in my state you can enter into an intersection on green and then turn left to clear the intersection when the light turns red). This was on a multiple lane street and while I observed two vehicles coming to a stop, a third vehicle further back decided to gun it and whipped around into the third lane and blow through the red light. I never saw him and he ripped off the front bumper/cover and all the associated assemblies. Ended up being $27K to repair my one-year old car. No witnesses stuck around and the police just said it was two vehicle trying to occupy the same space at the same time type report and let the insurance companies fight it out. Ended up being both our insurance companies paid out and covered each of us (same major company). I had it towed to the Ford dealership where I purchased the car. I had a buddy who worked in the body shop and he wrote up any and everything possible, hence the $27K bill. I paid my deductible, and they did a terrific job. I was very hesitant at first and drove it cautiously for a couple of weeks until finally one day on a long straight empty road, I ran it up to nearly redline in 4th and it was smooth as glass. I used a Ford dealership and got all new Ford replacement parts. They did a great job and it was unnoticeable in look, ride, and feel. However it did diminish the value of the car through the Carfax report and I ended up selling it for wholesale value instead of something closer to retail. I recommend you use a reliable Ford dealership if you can. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobjshelbys Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 If you're not wanting some custom work done, I'd take it to the dealer. Body shops just want you in and out as fast as possible. Does the dealer do the work in house? All the dealers in our area in Colorado - the last time I needed body work - closed their body shops and farm the work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stngfever Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Ford dealer body shops are setup for the typical daily driver production shop mentality! No different then run of the mill body shops. Stay away from the preferred shops as they have an allegiance to the insurance company NOT you! Insurance companies want you to think the preferred shops are in your best interest when in fact they aren't. Be engaged and make it known to the shop and adjuster that your the body shop works for you not the insurance company. Based on the above info I'd be inclined to choose shop C, however, not enough info to decide. A lot of this comes down to whom do you think will be working for your best interests? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlnielsen Posted March 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 Hi, welcome to Team Shelby! Sorry to hear about your accident and damage to your car. If it was me, I'd either go shop C or the Ford Dealer. Leaning towards the dealer. Thanks Secondo, I have an appointment this Wednesday for an appointment at shop C. We'll see what they have to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlnielsen Posted March 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 You said the guy ran the red light. If that is, in fact, what happened, then why do you think you will be assigned any kind of responsibility at all? If it is truly the other guys fault, you should then be able to take your car anywhere you want and make the other guy or his insurance company pay for it. I am not given to being litigious but if I were not at fault and since it is a Shelby (high value vehicle) I would be looking for the absolute best repair shop and also seeking some monetary compensation for “reduced value” because if you ever go to sell you are probably going to take quite a hit in the wallet. I am not saying lawyer up to the max and sue the guys pants off but the goal of insurance is “to make you whole again”, not make a hole in your wallet. Your insurance agent/company should be helping you get compensated for your loss. Thanks mhr1961, That's some useful information, I'll be sure to dig my heels in and discuss with my insurance co. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlnielsen Posted March 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 If you're not wanting some custom work done, I'd take it to the dealer. Body shops just want you in and out as fast as possible. Thanks TheKurgan, That's what I'm worried about. I've never had my local Ford dealer do any body work on my cars, so I don't know the quality of their workmanship. I'll have to start asking around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlnielsen Posted March 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 Go to the shop that will warranty all repairs for lifetime. That's parts and labor on anything related to the repair. I'm glad I did. Thanks S8MS-01904, So far, all the shops I've been to give a lifetime warranty until the vehicle is sold... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlnielsen Posted March 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 I had something similar happen 5 years ago on my then 2011 GT-500. I was sitting in the middle of an intersection waiting on the light to change to turn left (in my state you can enter into an intersection on green and then turn left to clear the intersection when the light turns red). This was on a multiple lane street and while I observed two vehicles coming to a stop, a third vehicle further back decided to gun it and whipped around into the third lane and blow through the red light. I never saw him and he ripped off the front bumper/cover and all the associated assemblies. Ended up being $27K to repair my one-year old car. No witnesses stuck around and the police just said it was two vehicle trying to occupy the same space at the same time type report and let the insurance companies fight it out. Ended up being both our insurance companies paid out and covered each of us (same major company). I had it towed to the Ford dealership where I purchased the car. I had a buddy who worked in the body shop and he wrote up any and everything possible, hence the $27K bill. I paid my deductible, and they did a terrific job. I was very hesitant at first and drove it cautiously for a couple of weeks until finally one day on a long straight empty road, I ran it up to nearly redline in 4th and it was smooth as glass. I used a Ford dealership and got all new Ford replacement parts. They did a great job and it was unnoticeable in look, ride, and feel. However it did diminish the value of the car through the Carfax report and I ended up selling it for wholesale value instead of something closer to retail. I recommend you use a reliable Ford dealership if you can. Good Luck. Thanks Bill, Wow, that sucks!!! Glad you got it back in shape. I have to find out more about my local Ford dealer. They have a bodyshop, but I've never used them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlnielsen Posted March 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 Does the dealer do the work in house? All the dealers in our area in Colorado - the last time I needed body work - closed their body shops and farm the work out. My local Ford has their own bodyshop. I have to research their workmanship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlnielsen Posted March 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 Ford dealer body shops are setup for the typical daily driver production shop mentality! No different then run of the mill body shops. Stay away from the preferred shops as they have an allegiance to the insurance company NOT you! Insurance companies want you to think the preferred shops are in your best interest when in fact they aren't. Be engaged and make it known to the shop and adjuster that your the body shop works for you not the insurance company. Based on the above info I'd be inclined to choose shop C, however, not enough info to decide. A lot of this comes down to whom do you think will be working for your best interests? Thanks stngfever, I agree. I've seen some very shoddy bodywork over the years. With State Farm, they only allow the bodyshops to use OEM parts. I'm worried about the workmanship of the shop I select. One of the best shops in town (shop B) referred me to shop C. I think they were worried about working on a high-value vehicle. Which is weird, because they work on European cars... Maybe they have too much work right now and are being polite, don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheKurgan Posted March 6, 2017 Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 Does the dealer do the work in house? All the dealers in our area in Colorado - the last time I needed body work - closed their body shops and farm the work out. I guess it depends then. The Ford dealers back where I'm from own the body shops as well. I mentioned custom parts because at the dealer you're not going to get custom work done. For instance last year when a giant piece of metal went flying out of the back of a dump truck and hit my hood, I took it to a custom body shop because I wanted a Tiger hood and stripes painted on the whole car. I even did alot of the prep work myself to save me some money. I just don't think a dealer owned body shop is going to allow that, however I believe they do better quality work. I'm not 100% satisfied with the paint work done my car by the custom body shop. Now I live in a different state so really there is no going back there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imatk Posted March 6, 2017 Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 (edited) One thing I've found with bodyshops over the years... and it applies to almost anything as well.. you get what you pay for. People will say, "Oh yeah "X" does great work but they're WAY too expensive!" Well the reason "X" does great work is because they take the time to do it correctly, which generally translates to more expensive. Check the internet, yelp is a great tool to read what other people have to say about a particular body shop and their services. Even if someone gave you a recommendation, check. It's very possible that after your repair there will be issues. So you don't want to go with someone with poor customer service. Looking at your damage, you may have an issue with the door gap/shut. If they don't repair it correctly you might get some wind noise because it's not sealing properly... not to mention leaks etc. Take your time, make sure you get the RIGHT shop. Good luck. Edited March 6, 2017 by Imatk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAI-Steven Posted March 6, 2017 Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 No Shelby American does not perform retail body shop repairs. One point I didn't see made is that some insurance companies offer a lifetime warranty on repairs if the repairs are made by a shop on the insurer's preferred body shop list. Something you might want to inquire about especially if you plan on keeping the car a long time. One other item to consider, new or used/aftermarket repair parts. Some insurance policies will have the option to use used parts for the repair especially when the car is 10 years old. You might want to inquire if you have the right to demand new oem parts and not used or aftermarket parts. Best of luck. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlnielsen Posted March 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2017 I received an estimate from Shop C to perform the repair, $6k. Like the other estimates, it's preliminary until they disassemble and inspect. If they find other damage (likely), they will provide the insurance company with an addendum. And, like the other estimates, it contains less parts than the Ford dealer estimate. There are a few more Ford dealers that advertise they do body work, I'll call them tomorrow. I am also leaning towards going to a Ford dealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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