dastanley

Hi all,

I'm not entirely sure where to post this question. This may be a bit off topic and I apologize in advance. However, you guys have been very helpful in the past, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Basically, I'm trying to find out the cost of getting some paint work done on a car. I was recently involved in a collision, and I am trying to pay for the other person's damages. They do not drive a Mustang and I was on my bike at the time. The damage amounts to a scratch in the side door (pictures attached).

I'm calling a number of bodyshops to see about getting this repaired, and I would like to know how much I should expect to pay (so I don't get ripped off!). If you guys have any experience with this, I'd be much obliged.


Picture: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/.../photo%201.JPG

dastanley

Is anyone able to give me advice for this repair? It seems that some places are charging upwards of $600 - $800, which seems very high. I wonder if it would be cheaper to just replace the whole door.

I would be grateful if you could reply and give me some advice...

rbowmar

Sounds a bit high. Does the cost include taking care of the scratches behind the door? It looks like the color might be a pearlescent color. If it is, the cost will be higher as pearls are especially difficult to match.

I hope this is helpful.

dastanley

Hi, thanks so much for your feedback.

I want to pay for the person's damages and make sure their car is repaired properly, but these prices seem very high. I can understanding paying this much if you were charging the insurance company.. but would you pay this much out of pocket for your own repair work? I am a student, so this is quite above what I can afford.

Regarding your question, I think it does include taking care of the scratches. Here is a link to the quote: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...ELIM%20EST.jpg

I'm guessing these items like "belt molding" involve repair to any scratches that may be present.

rbowmar

Would I pay that much for my own repair work?Yes! With a $1000 deductible on my insurance, I would have to pay for the work out of pocket just as you do. Since the person you hit is being reasonable, I'd take care of it pretty quickly to avoid things getting ugly.

The bid looks good. His hourly rate is $44 when 50-70 is more common. The hours are OK.With the bumper cover included, the repair wraps all the way around the back of the car up to the back of the front door--about 1/4 of the car. $700 is not bad for that.

Would I do that job on my car? Yes, with qualifications. I might defer the expense, or use a body guy who is very cheap but takes forever. If I have the time, I would paint it myself. I already own the tools and have the skill. Note that none of these solutions work in your current situation.

I wish I had more to offer. For the future, if you can't afford your deductible, buy up on your insurance. Since you are young, if your insurance is too high, look for a vehicle that is inexpensive to insure.

Goog Luck!

dastanley

Hey, thanks for your feedback. I found a few places that would do it for cheaper - one that was offering ~$350. But they seemed to be more of a small shop, and he was not confident with them working on his car. So we instead opted to go for a mechanic shop Maaco that billed ~$500, which I paid for.

rbowmar

Congratulations at finding a solution that works!

All the best!