Karma sucks.

JimKueneman

Mopar Nut
Well since I did such a great job on my Coronet as I learned how to do paint and body someone leaves their car in neutral at work and it rolls into my 2010 Civic during the day sometime yesterday.... First time I have had damage to my vehicles in 35 years.... Yes insurance will take car of it but just a few questions...

1) Honda no longer makes that particular door that got hit... It is available from places that have them in stock but you can't order one from Honda anymore. Skins are still available. It hit only the center of the passengers door and caved it in. nothing else was damaged. How should a body shop handle this? I say just buy a $500 door and be done with it.

2) How should the paint be matched? Just paint the door that is damaged or blend it out into the fender and rear door?

3) Should I insist on UC or euroClear :)

4) Should I just do it :)

5) Wow these new cars are flimsy after working on the Coronet. I removed the door panel to knock the cave in back out a bit so it was not quite to unsightly. Like a tin can...

Jim
 
If the intrusion beam is damaged, the door gets replaced. Fixing beams is not allowed. It would not surprise me if a used door was specified for the job.

Blending is usually mandatory on a job like that.

You could do it yourself, but you'd have to familiarize yourself with the claims and supplement process used by the insurer.
 
Jim, First thing to remember when dealing with Insurance Co.'s is that they are only going to pay for what they think is the absolute minimum to return the car to "Pre Accident Condition" (their words not mine)

1.If the frame (inner door) of the door is not bent a new door is out of the question. They will write it for a skin. If you could talk them into a used door that would actually be the best way to repair it. Used parts fit better than OEM replacement parts. Most OEM replacement parts are stuff that was pulled from the assembly line that didn't meet the OEM's quality control standards. Used door would be miles ahead of a skin especially if the Shop/Tech who installs it can't put it on without damaging the skin (happens all the time) and ends up swipe bondo around the entire perimeter of the skin.

2. Standard procedure and what the Insurance Co. will pay for is to blend into the fender and rear door or 1/4 panel (depending on if it's 2 or 4 doors). Most of the time it is necessary in order to have a seamless repair.

3. Euro clear would be fine but unless you do the work yourself a shop is going to use the paint system that they use. They are not going to be willing to use a clear they are not familiar with. Just how it is.

4. I don't know your experience level but know working on the new stuff is quite a bit different than older vehicles. Installing the skin with out butchering it and blending the color would probably be the hardest parts of the job for a novice.

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks guys. The intrusion beam was barely tweaked. I put a 4x4 on the back side of it and give it a few smacks and the skin ended up back about where it belonged. There is no visible damage to it. The impact was mostly below it and it seems like the pressure there was causing the upper part of the door to be caved in. Once all that was relieved it popped back into place.

I appreciate the comments and what to look for/ask.
 
Lot of those cars and Parts around so maybe a good used door in same color. Same color may help in not having to paint inside edges .
 
Jim, you say the dent popped back out with no damage. If the paint surface isn't broken down to bare metal, a reputable paintless dent repair place may be able to repair it so you won't know it was ever hit. I didn't think the vertical crease in this door (below the mirror) could be repaired that way so I didn't take a picture of the damage -- it was creased in the main panel and the lower bulge as well. It still looks perfect 12 years later.
DentKingRepair.jpg
 
Jim, you say the dent popped back out with no damage. If the paint surface isn't broken down to bare metal, a reputable paintless dent repair place may be able to repair it so you won't know it was ever hit. I didn't think the vertical crease in this door (below the mirror) could be repaired that way so I didn't take a picture of the damage -- it was creased in the main panel and the lower bulge as well. It still looks perfect 12 years later.
DentKingRepair.jpg
Mine is much worse. I did not see what hit but something like a hitch hit below the brace and REALLY put a deep 4" crease that stretched the metal and broke the paint while caving in the rest more like yours.
 
Ok I finally got my Civic fixed. They replaced the skin. It is actually a nice job on the skin (I think). What was interesting is that me not knowing what I am doing with an inexpensive gun actually laid down a more orange peel free clear than a pro. I am saying nothing about my skills I have to assume it is just the UC is that easy to put down smooth. So it actually needs to be cut and buffed a little to match better. I am really thinking about wet sanding the whole car in a month or so and shoot a few coats of UC on it. I can tell it has been outside enough in the Arizona sun (5 years) that the clear is on the edge of going.
 
Back
Top