What's the best way to repair this?

[bitwrx]

Hi all,

I'm after some advice regarding a repair to my 306. Though not strictly a classic (yet ), there appear to be some really knowledgeable guys in this part of the forum, and I'm after their advice.

The damage was caused by a truck of some sort putting its front wheelnuts through the O/S rear quarter of the car. Damage to tyre, rim, bumper, quarter panel and sill trim.





Armed with an insurance payout, I now need to get the gouge in the arch repaired. I've been to a few bodyshops and got guesstimate quotes from £250 - £500. General approach seems to be:

• stick sill trim back on with mastic.
• remove rubbing strip, pull dent out, weld up hole
• mask off rear window and door/boot apertures
• prep and paint bumper and rear quarter (without removing bumper)

I expect these quotes and the proposed approach are influenced by what the panelbeater thinks the owner of a 13 year old car is willing to pay. My Rallye is awesome, and I like it very much. Despite the hole in the body (and concomitant Cat C write-off), I think it's one of the nicer ones out there. I'd like to keep it as good as I can.

I got £1400 out of the ins co. With this budget, what would be the best way of repairing it?

I'd like to be able to go to a bodyshop and say 'please quote for x, y and z', knowing that it would be the best way of doing it, rather than go to a body shop and say 'how would you repair this'.

Alternatively, recommendations for a good old fashioned panel beater (pref within an hour or two of Bristol) would also be gratefully received.

The reason I've put it in this part of the forum is that it strikes me that this kind of repair is more akin to something a restorer of classic cars would do, rather than an insurance bodyshop type repair. Over to you.

Thanks in advance.

[davepoth]

PM Sent.

-edit-

The best way to fix it would be with a new full quarter panel, if they're still available. A "hammer and filler" job would be what you would do for a classic car in most cases since the panels are not usually still in production.

Edited by davepoth on Monday 2nd December 16:16

[GringoG60]

davepoth said:

PM Sent.

-edit-

The best way to fix it would be with a new full quarter panel, if they're still available. A "hammer and filler" job would be what you would do for a classic car in most cases since the panels are not usually still in production.

Edited by davepoth on Monday 2nd December 16:16

I'm sorry but that isn't really descent advice you are giving there. You categorically do not repair that with a whole quarter panel. The panel needs straightening with a dolly and hammer back as close to possible as its original shape, the hole welding up/plating and then a skim of filler. You don't start cutting quarter panels off cars for minimal damage like that would break all the factory seals and invite the quarter to rust on the weld lines in the future. Doughnut!

[davepoth]

GringoG60 said:

I'm sorry but that isn't really descent advice you are giving there. You categorically do not repair that with a whole quarter panel. The panel needs straightening with a dolly and hammer back as close to possible as its original shape, the hole welding up/plating and then a skim of filler. You don't start cutting quarter panels off cars for minimal damage like that would break all the factory seals and invite the quarter to rust on the weld lines in the future. Doughnut!

I needed speech marks around the "best" there.

Take it to one of those insurance places and they will suggest removing the quarter for that, I imagine.

[bitwrx]

davepoth said:

GringoG60 said:

I'm sorry but that isn't really descent advice you are giving there. You categorically do not repair that with a whole quarter panel. The panel needs straightening with a dolly and hammer back as close to possible as its original shape, the hole welding up/plating and then a skim of filler. You don't start cutting quarter panels off cars for minimal damage like that would break all the factory seals and invite the quarter to rust on the weld lines in the future. Doughnut!

I needed speech marks around the "best" there.

Take it to one of those insurance places and they will suggest removing the quarter for that, I imagine.

They did - hence it was written off by the underwriter.

PM'd back Dave.

Thing that struck me was that to a man, all the people I've spoken to would leave the bumper on to do this repair. Are they just cutting corners, or is this the best way to do this?

[StoatInACoat]

bitwrx said:

davepoth said:

GringoG60 said:

I'm sorry but that isn't really descent advice you are giving there. You categorically do not repair that with a whole quarter panel. The panel needs straightening with a dolly and hammer back as close to possible as its original shape, the hole welding up/plating and then a skim of filler. You don't start cutting quarter panels off cars for minimal damage like that would break all the factory seals and invite the quarter to rust on the weld lines in the future. Doughnut!

I needed speech marks around the "best" there.

Take it to one of those insurance places and they will suggest removing the quarter for that, I imagine.

They did - hence it was written off by the underwriter.

PM'd back Dave.

Thing that struck me was that to a man, all the people I've spoken to would leave the bumper on to do this repair. Are they just cutting corners, or is this the best way to do this?

Possibly to make it easier to blend the repair? Presume they will not paint the whole rear bumper and instead blend it in the middle as the paint may be slightly different shades o/s and n/s.

[sim16v]

GringoG60 said:

I'm sorry but that isn't really descent advice you are giving there. You categorically do not repair that with a whole quarter panel. The panel needs straightening with a dolly and hammer back as close to possible as its original shape, the hole welding up/plating and then a skim of filler. You don't start cutting quarter panels off cars for minimal damage like that would break all the factory seals and invite the quarter to rust on the weld lines in the future. Doughnut!

Exactly, you do not want to start cutting panels out.

No matter how well treated, that would rust horrifically in a few years time.

A proper panel beater would get that back, with a small weld where the split is.

If you want the bumper taking off, take it off first

[bitwrx]

StoatInACoat said:

bitwrx said:

davepoth said:

GringoG60 said:

I'm sorry but that isn't really descent advice you are giving there. You categorically do not repair that with a whole quarter panel. The panel needs straightening with a dolly and hammer back as close to possible as its original shape, the hole welding up/plating and then a skim of filler. You don't start cutting quarter panels off cars for minimal damage like that would break all the factory seals and invite the quarter to rust on the weld lines in the future. Doughnut!

I needed speech marks around the "best" there.

Take it to one of those insurance places and they will suggest removing the quarter for that, I imagine.

They did - hence it was written off by the underwriter.

PM'd back Dave.

Thing that struck me was that to a man, all the people I've spoken to would leave the bumper on to do this repair. Are they just cutting corners, or is this the best way to do this?

Possibly to make it easier to blend the repair? Presume they will not paint the whole rear bumper and instead blend it in the middle as the paint may be slightly different shades o/s and n/s.

Yeh colour match will be a bh on this.

They said they'd paint the whole bumper. I'd have thought it'd be better to take the bumper off, if only so they didn't have to mask off the rear end. Even if they didn't paint the whole thing, they would lacquer it all. Surely easier to do off the car ?

It's only 4 nuts, two screws, and two plastic clips to take it off :shrug:

[StoatInACoat]

Dunno If I was doing it myself I'd take the bumper off. As you say it only takes five minutes and is probably quicker than masking up the exhaust etc.