Body work guys, how bad is this???

Joined
Oct 6, 2020
Messages
492
Well, last ride before I put the car way, I took the wife out to dinner. I was going to....the bear had a difference of opinion.

Headlight(self leveling), fender, fender liner, under body tray, bumper, driver's side door, hood. Needless to say, it's going to need the plastics behind the bumper.

I really love this car, don't want it totalled. What do you guys estimate the damage to be???

FYI, the bear is fine. Walked away. Waiting with the officer for a tow, bear walked back the other way giving us a dirty look, like "did you really hit me with that silver pos?"
 

Attachments

  • 20221211_150200.jpg
    20221211_150200.jpg
    168.5 KB · Views: 344
If you want it back in pristine condition like it never happened, it'll be a few bucks, though not enough to total it. Insurance adjusters have some discretion in deciding what gets totaled and what not, so let the insurance deal with it, it wasn't your fault.
 
Need at least two pics of the passenger side. 1st one roughly the same angle, 2nd the fender-door gap. I'm not a body guy, people in my town don't look before turning left.
 
What exactly made the car undrivable?
Looks like the fender liner is bent in close to the tire.

OP, ugh, sorry to see this.

Best bet IMO is to see if you can find a good used fender with good OE paint, from a totaled rear ended car. May be easier said than done though.

I don’t know that it’s doable, but I have to wonder if a good PDR guy could remove the door card, maybe some of the underhood stuff along the fender, and push and pull the various items to some degree of straightness. The fender may be too far gone though…
 
Sweet car! My friend has an S6 (y). Looks like just a little damage to the front area of the fender. JHZR2 got it spot on.

I'd even be tempted to remove the fender myself, and gently pound it out with a rubber mallet. Hard to tell the actual damage via pic though.
 
Depending on location 6-8000.00 as long as it isn't CA and assuming there isn't too much behind the bumper damaged.

Hard to tell about the door, there is no skin available so if it isn't repairable you can move that number to 8-10,000.00.

Probably best when asking for estimate to include better pictures and more than one, but that's what i got based on the one picture.
 
It looks like the fender is about $150 out the door. The headlight brackets if needed $100 and the headlight $150-$350. It's a 2014 therefore there are a lot of good aftermarket parts available. You could fix that for under $1500.00 easily if you shop around. The ebay fender looks like it's the same color as your car. If you gave the car to a body shop without doing any foot work yourself $5500.00. Do it yourself less than $1500.00.
 

Attachments

  • 62IB3qHsRwqz3DUqw%OaZQ.jpg
    62IB3qHsRwqz3DUqw%OaZQ.jpg
    104.7 KB · Views: 23
  • kCqzTLVHS4S9TSrr4XTzhw.jpg
    kCqzTLVHS4S9TSrr4XTzhw.jpg
    158.7 KB · Views: 23
  • H8yT%gieRAC0abRGTltmMw.jpg
    H8yT%gieRAC0abRGTltmMw.jpg
    152.1 KB · Views: 18
  • 5RVyHSunQ0el5E5HTP1H1A.jpg
    5RVyHSunQ0el5E5HTP1H1A.jpg
    103 KB · Views: 23
Exactly, but if I say that, some folks here go off, saying no legit place could fix that under $5000.
True. I would take the parts off, replace them with new or a used part, and the only thing I would pay someone to do would be the refinish. If a person was really good at searching out parts you could locate a fender already painted the correct color. Body shops do not like small jobs because there's not much money in them. I am not a body man but my brother owns a shop and I am a self appointed expert in bodywork hahaha. :) I have seen cars with the same damage declared a total loss by insurance companies. It's all about CREATIVE REPAIRING!
 
I like the DIY answers, BUT if it's OYH then start asking around. You might be surprised by a highly someone who mentions a recommended dude, who does truly, really good work in his shop on X acres. And only takes cash or barter. We used to have a place way way in back of us.........did my oldest daughter's (twice) better than new.

Start by asking knowledgeable parts counter guys at the local non-chain auto parts places

Most of the chain body shops charge $$$$$ and the work - there is always something wrong. But they do take credit cards!
 
That would be my guess, but possibly even more.

As an aside, about two months ago I was two cars behind one that hit what I'd guess was a teenaged bear. A solid frontal impact at 50 mph. It did serious damage to the anonymous sedan, including popping the airbags. The woman driver was okay.

But what still haunts me to this day was seeing that bear laying on the side off the road rolling and writhing in agonizing pain. It was a HORRIBLE thing to witness. Had I had my .357 Uberti lever gun I think I would have unloaded that thing on it and put it out of its misery. Still makes me sick seeing the agony that bear was in.

Scott
 
Last edited:
Exactly, but if I say that, some folks here go off, saying no legit place could fix that under $5000.
Where I used to live there were lots of small shops, or even guys that did stuff "on the side". As long as it was small enough the shop they worked at wasn't interested, the shop didn't care.

Where I live now there are only big shops and no one will look at body work for under $5K.

Depends on where you live.

I agree - DIY. If you can't DIY - maybe ask around at wherever you actually get your service work done - if they don't do body themselves - they likely know "a guy"

Or take the money and run, buy some tools. Remove and Replace body parts is fairly easy, if your patient.
 
Well, last ride before I put the car way, I took the wife out to dinner. I was going to....the bear had a difference of opinion.

Headlight(self leveling), fender, fender liner, under body tray, bumper, driver's side door, hood. Needless to say, it's going to need the plastics behind the bumper.

I really love this car, don't want it totalled. What do you guys estimate the damage to be???

FYI, the bear is fine. Walked away. Waiting with the officer for a tow, bear walked back the other way giving us a dirty look, like "did you really hit me with that silver pos?"
I read the original post again. Can I ask why you needed a tow? After reading this you must have damaged the radiator? The damage pictured looks like it should be road worthy.
 
Need at least two pics of the passenger side. 1st one roughly the same angle, 2nd the fender-door gap. I'm not a body guy, people in my town don't look before turning left.
This. If front clip is pushed to the right there may be a frame pull needed.
 
If using Ins cost parameters I don't see under $7500. Interested to hear the answer. Glad you didn't get injured and cool beans the arrogant bear with an attitude made it as well.
 
Back
Top