Russian BMW Body Repair

[camrydriver111]

It's amazing what they fix in other countries.

The work is impressive but I would not want to be in a crash in this thing.

Is this type of repair legal or common in the US or Canada? Obviously this level of damage would be written off, but what about straightening the front frame rails?

 

[dishdude]

In third world countries labor is cheap but luxury good are nearly unobtainable.

 

[antonmnster]

In college I detailed cars from a shop that rebuilt cars. Some were cut right behind the seats and stitched back together again. Their bread and butter was to pull the frames back after a front hit, replace the coolers, and slap a bunch of paint on. I got to scrape the overspray off the windows, trim, and correct the paint flaws.

They never drove right.

 

[Leo99]

 

[SirTanon]

In Soviet Russia, crashed car repair you

 

[PandaBear]

This is why many cars in America are just shipped out of the country right after an accident. It is not worth fixing here when it is cheap to fix like that elsewhere.

Nobody will re-prototype a car like that.

 

[Andrew1972]

No thanks the safety is compromised after major accident.

 

[123Saab]

I would think you really cant re-establish a crush zone to factory spec after an accident.

 

[Trav]

I would drive that car and feel perfectly safe in it. Crashworthiness IMHO is not compromised the way this was repaired as opposed to a simple and possibly dangerous half clip.
Look at the body lines, the car was done right and the man has real skills most body men don't posses. The fact it is in Russia is irrelevant.
Yes repairs like this are legal and done all the time even in the USA, I have seen MB re-certify cars repaired in this fashion for roadworthy certificates in Germany (ABE) after rigid inspection by engineers.

 

[demarpaint]

His work is outstanding.

 

[WobblyElvis]

Safety Glasses ? We don't need no stinkin safety glasses

 

[Eddie]

26 days X 8 hours a day = 208 work hours X $125/Hr = $26,000 labor + parts? That would be approx US cost to do the same job IF you could locate a body man that capable. Ed

 

[marine65]

Back in the 60's in New Jersey there was a guy I knew that was a wholesaler.
He had a car rebuild complex that had;

Mechanical shop
Complete interior rebuild shop
Paint and body shop.
He would do repairs and cosmetics on used cars before he wholesaled them.
But he also bought a lot of wrecked cars and rebuilt them.
I saw a few that were covered in blood inside.

And he had a guy he called the Doctor,never used his name.
The Doctor would reset the the odometers.

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted By: Trav
I would drive that car and feel perfectly safe in it. Crashworthiness IMHO is not compromised the way this was repaired as opposed to a simple and possibly dangerous half clip.
Look at the body lines, the car was done right and the man has real skills most body men don't posses. The fact it is in Russia is irrelevant.
Yes repairs like this are legal and done all the time even in the USA, I have seen MB re-certify cars repaired in this fashion for roadworthy certificates in Germany (ABE) after rigid inspection by engineers.

I concur.

I recall reading an article stating the MB sedan that Princess Diana died in, was a previous wreck that
was stolen by a prisoner and taken on a high speed joy ride before being rolled several times.

"The previous accident allegedly occurred two years before the death of Diana when a prisoner out on remand stole the vehicle and took it on a joyride in the countryside near Paris...The Mercedes rolled over several times during that crash".
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05...uilt-according/

If it's good enough for Princess Diana, it's good enough for me!

 

[funflyer]

Regardless of whether you'd drive in that car or not after the repair, you have to admit that guy is an artist when it comes to collision repair. A friend, who painted my GTO, does collision repair and I watched him repair a generation 3 CHP Mustang once that was as badly wrecked as this BMW. Every few days I'd stop by his shop after work to see the progress and was amazed by what he accomplished. The most amazing part was when finished, and parked right next to another CHP Mustang, the fit of all the new panels was so much better compared to the factory original car.

 

[beanoil]

That's a fine job. Obviously a talented craftsman with a soul for restoring something back to original.
We are a disposable society here, and discard many things that could be brought back because of an attitude that it would cost more to repair than replace, forgetting that most modern replacements may do the same thing as the old, but never as well, or with the same quality and longevity that got them to being considered for disposal in the first place.

But there are a few passionate folks among us... I have a beautiful Kenwood amp restored to factory by a guy in KC. I've got a Marantz 2220 (a Saul Marantz original), same thing, by another dedicated gent in AZ. OWVS When I got it back, I would bet a million dollars no one could tell it from an original on the day it left the factory. I own a 1974 Yamaha scooter, fully restored, just like factory. Why? Always wanted one as a kid, and now I can have it. 44 years later, I can go out, crank it over, and it still fires up second kick, and fogs the neighborhood. 44 years from now, I doubt you'll find a Kymco, Genuine Buddy or a Chinese knock off that will do the same thing.

The guy in the video has mad skills and lots of patience, and apparently patients as well.

 

[EA82]

That's a cool video, this guy is awesome, can't find many people with his skill and patience anymore.

 

[chrome]

Here's the video on what collision industry "leaders" have to say about Arthur's repair on the 7 series:

 

[Trav]

I have seen body shops work over many years and none I have seen do it any different, in fact most don't do as well as this guy.
Before laser jigs were invented this was the way it was done and it was industry accepted.
I mostly paint and do minor stuff in comparison but nothing like this, for me its totaled and I wouldn't buy it from the insurance pool.

 

[sleddriver]

That guy is truly amazing. Sheet metal yields like putty in his hands & tools. I'd of never thought such work was possible. Amazing what he does with simple, straight-forward tools + abundant experience + extraordinary patience.

Wow.....