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EF9 Sedan
08-06-2015, 02:17 PM
:banghead: I got stuck in the hailstorm on Aug 4th. Every single panel on the car has dings/dents from the hail. Since the storm lasted forever, there are multiple dings on each panel. I'd estimate around 100+ dings on the hood and trunk alone.

My car is a 2003 Honda S2000. It had a clean title and the exterior was in very good condition before the hail storm. I called my insurance (Meloche Monnex) and they referred me to "know how systems" for an estimate.

Questions regarding next steps:
-Does "know how systems" do a good job with their repairs? Does anyone have any past experience with them? Is there another company that you recommend I bring my car to after they complete their estimate? Tomco/eco dentworks?
-Should I ask them to replace all the panels with OEM parts and repaint instead of PDR? Again, please recommend a shop. Contemporary Coachworks/Screaming paint works?
-Benefits/Drawbacks of PDR vs. Replace & Repaint

I'm also grateful to hear any comments/tips you may have to ensure my car gets fixed properly and I don't get screwed over by insurance company or any incompetent repair shops.

Twin_Cam_Turbo
08-06-2015, 02:23 PM
Meloche and Know How did my 135i back in 2012. They were ok but I wouldn't say exceptional.

JustinMCS
08-06-2015, 02:30 PM
Where were you that the hail was big enough to damage your car? Good luck. I have used Dent Boss and DNT on little dings here and there, not hail though.

roopi
08-06-2015, 02:31 PM
Originally posted by EF9 Sedan

Should I ask them to replace all the panels with OEM parts and repaint instead of PDR?

I'm curious what their response would be to this question. If you ask them please post.

EF9 Sedan
08-06-2015, 02:32 PM
Originally posted by JustinMCS
Where were you that the hail was big enough to damage your car? Good luck. I have used Dent Boss and DNT on little dings here and there, not hail though.

I was near Westbrook Mall

KRyn
08-06-2015, 02:36 PM
If you have damage on every panel of the car it sounds to me like your car may very well be written off. What is the going price for a 2003 S2K?
If this is the case you should take the payout, keep the car and sell it to me. I could use a cheap auto-x beater.

Darkane
08-06-2015, 02:39 PM
Originally posted by KRyn
If you have damage on every panel of the car it sounds to me like your car may very well be written off. What is the going price for a 2003 S2K?
If this is the case you should take the payout, keep the car and sell it to me. I could use a cheap auto-x beater.

Or sell to me ;)

EM2FTL
08-06-2015, 02:40 PM
Originally posted by KRyn
If you have damage on every panel of the car it sounds to me like your car may very well be written off. What is the going price for a 2003 S2K?
If this is the case you should take the payout, keep the car and sell it to me. I could use a cheap auto-x beater.

Ugh.. IIRC when I was looking last year, AP1s were going anywhere from 14-17K for a haggard looking car, while other owners were asking $20K+ for clean versions.

Edit - Even i'm interested if it does get written off and OP sells with damage. Now watch the bidding war for a hail damaged AP1 :rofl:

KRyn
08-06-2015, 02:42 PM
Originally posted by Darkane


Or sell to me ;)

No, I called dibs.

:whipped:


Originally posted by EM2FTL


Ugh.. IIRC when I was looking last year, AP1s were going anywhere from 14-17K for a haggard looking car, while other owners were asking $20K+ for clean versions.

Edit - Even i'm interested if it does get written off and OP sells with damage. Now watch the bidding war for a hail damaged AP1 :rofl:

Get in line pal!


:whipped:

Xtrema
08-06-2015, 02:48 PM
Originally posted by JustinMCS
Where were you that the hail was big enough to damage your car? Good luck. I have used Dent Boss and DNT on little dings here and there, not hail though.

I had 2 friends on 11th Ave and 14th St and got hail damage. One even with busted windshield.

As for OP, I think Tomco did a AMA on PDR and there are some limits on when PDR make sense while other would be a straight panel replacement. S2K hood is aluminum, it's not going to be cheap to repair.

Twin_Cam_Turbo
08-06-2015, 02:51 PM
Man I need to apparently fix some minor stuff and vacuum bag my S2000 if I've learned anything from this thread...

NoPulp
08-06-2015, 02:53 PM
I want a hail damaged s2000 too.

I don't think you can ask them to repair your car a specific way. They'll decide what is most cost effective. I wasnt happy that they offered me PDR for my truck. Would have much rather it to be written off (to buy back) or repaint the hood at least... Oh well, taking the payout.

Darkane
08-06-2015, 02:54 PM
Originally posted by KRyn


No, I called dibs.

:whipped:



Lateral raises for reps with a 10lb DB! Strict form :rofl:

No benching, squatting, deadlifting or OHP as you'll destroy me and make me look like a little girl.

94boosted
08-06-2015, 02:54 PM
4th in line I guess

ga16i
08-06-2015, 02:55 PM
Meloche and Know How took care of my hail damage back in 2013. No complaints, did what they said they were going to do in a timely fashion. I believe from start (getting hailed on) to finish (final car pick up at shop) was 3 weeks all in.

350ZAl
08-06-2015, 03:15 PM
Originally posted by Xtrema


I had 2 friends on 11th Ave and 14th St and got hail damage. One even with busted windshield.

As for OP, I think Tomco did a AMA on PDR and there are some limits on when PDR make sense while other would be a straight panel replacement. S2K hood is aluminum, it's not going to be cheap to repair.

The hood will likely have to be replaced. That's what happened on my Z anyways, easier and cheaper to replace than to repair aluminum hoods. Mine only had maybe a half dozen dents on the hood too.

Tik-Tok
08-06-2015, 03:18 PM
Originally posted by roopi


I'm curious what their response would be to this question. If you ask them please post.

You can always ask, but their answer will be whichever is cheapest for them.

EF9 Sedan
08-06-2015, 03:18 PM
Originally posted by KRyn
If you have damage on every panel of the car it sounds to me like your car may very well be written off. What is the going price for a 2003 S2K?
If this is the case you should take the payout, keep the car and sell it to me. I could use a cheap auto-x beater.



Originally posted by Darkane


Or sell to me ;)



Originally posted by EM2FTL


Ugh.. IIRC when I was looking last year, AP1s were going anywhere from 14-17K for a haggard looking car, while other owners were asking $20K+ for clean versions.

Edit - Even i'm interested if it does get written off and OP sells with damage. Now watch the bidding war for a hail damaged AP1 :rofl:



Originally posted by NoPulp
I want a hail damaged s2000 too.

I don't think you can ask them to repair your car a specific way. They'll decide what is most cost effective. I wasnt happy that they offered me PDR for my truck. Would have much rather it to be written off (to buy back) or repaint the hood at least... Oh well, taking the payout.



Originally posted by 94boosted
4th in line I guess


:rofl: I appreciate all the interest, but I don't plan on selling the car. Just looking for advice to restore it back to the condition it was in. /endbidwar

KRyn
08-06-2015, 03:29 PM
Originally posted by Darkane


Lateral raises for reps with a 10lb DB! Strict form :rofl:

No benching, squatting, deadlifting or OHP as you'll destroy me and make me look like a little girl.

You give me to much credit, I am extra fluffy right now.
How about body weight leg press for max reps?


Originally posted by EF9 Sedan


:rofl: I appreciate all the interest, but I don't plan on selling the car. Just looking for advice to restore it back to the condition it was in. /endbidwar

Let's be real for a moment. The car will never be the same again, even if it is repaired. It will be impossible for you to love the car the same way! You should just move on and cut your loses.
;)

But in all seriousness, if the car is written off please contact me. Keep us up to date on what happens with your claim.

Joe-G
08-06-2015, 03:36 PM
Originally posted by EF9 Sedan
:banghead: I got stuck in the hailstorm on Aug 4th. Every single panel on the car has dings/dents from the hail. Since the storm lasted forever, there are multiple dings on each panel. I'd estimate around 100+ dings on the hood and trunk alone.

My car is a 2003 Honda S2000. It had a clean title and the exterior was in very good condition before the hail storm. I called my insurance (Meloche Monnex) and they referred me to "know how systems" for an estimate.

Questions regarding next steps:
-Does "know how systems" do a good job with their repairs? Does anyone have any past experience with them? Is there another company that you recommend I bring my car to after they complete their estimate? Tomco/eco dentworks?
-Should I ask them to replace all the panels with OEM parts and repaint instead of PDR? Again, please recommend a shop. Contemporary Coachworks/Screaming paint works?
-Benefits/Drawbacks of PDR vs. Replace & Repaint

I'm also grateful to hear any comments/tips you may have to ensure my car gets fixed properly and I don't get screwed over by insurance company or any incompetent repair shops.

I was with Meloche during last years storm, and was strong armed into only using Know How. Being that my car had previous hail damage, I tried to push for replacement panels (at least the easy ones) for obvious reasons with no success.

I don't really trust "affiliated insurance shops" and for good reason. Meloche wouldn't approve my request for new panels... I asked them if I could take it to my preferred shop, and they agreed but only after offering to cover what Know Hows heavily discount rate was worth, leaving me with the difference. I asked for them to cut me a cheque so I could take it elsewhere and get it fixed to my liking (new panels, any required PDR, and obviously some $ out of my pocket), and they still refused.

With no other options, I had to get it fixed at Know How. Under the right lighting, and with a certain attention to detail, my panels look like shit.

No longer with Meloche... Got hooked up at Touchstone Insurance shortly after, and was even cheaper after factoring in the Professional Group discount @ Meloche. Hope I don't have to make any more claims, but Im sure the guys at Touchstone will be helpful and honest about everything....

theken
08-06-2015, 03:50 PM
My c63 got caught up in a hail storm on Lethbridge. The damage was quite extensive as far as hail goes, the company fixed it, had a no drill policy and did a pretty good job on it. There was a couple spots where you could see light bend, but you couldn't notice it otherwise. I can't recall the company that did it though. As far as I know, the c63 has a lot of aluminum as well. You car will probably be written off though, my damage was worth more than the value of your car, and don't believe I had 100 plus dents on the hood alone.

OneGreasyHobo
08-06-2015, 04:02 PM
I'll be with you on this one... My G has 6 on the side and about 20-50 on the hood, 50 on the roof and about 20 on the trunk...

I've made a claim yesterday morning. I hope they write it off, because I don't think I can love it the same. Its like my girlfriend sleeping with someone else, it just changes shit. Unless your into that.

Pacman
08-06-2015, 04:15 PM
I'm also with TD and they have suggested Know How Systems. My plan is to get the estimate and then see if I can get Tomco to do the work or another shop.

From what I understand, companies like Know How and other hire the PDR techs as sub contractors, so it probably has more to do with the technician you get vs dealing with the shop itself.

Canmorite
08-06-2015, 04:18 PM
Originally posted by OneGreasyHobo
I've made a claim yesterday morning. I hope they write it off, because I don't think I can love it the same. Its like my girlfriend sleeping with someone else, it just changes shit. Unless your into that.

:rofl:

lilmira
08-06-2015, 04:19 PM
I'll find out soon enough.

I have about 5-10 each on the hood, roof and trunk. None of them are super sharp or deep to the point of noticeable more than 10ft away.

The tricky ones are on the rails above the doors. For some reason it appears that I have a lot more (10-20 little dimples just ball parking). I don't know if the metal is thinner there or because of the curvature. I hope there is access from underneath.

EF9 Sedan
08-06-2015, 04:26 PM
If the insurance company does write the vehicle off. What percentage of the payout is the buyback rate?

This is the first time I've ever made a claim, I want to be armed with as much knowledge as possible to negotiate fairly or in my favor.

nzwasp
08-06-2015, 04:28 PM
Originally posted by lilmira
I'll find out soon enough.

I have about 5-10 each on the hood, roof and trunk. None of them are super sharp or deep to the point of noticeable more than 10ft away.

The tricky ones are on the rails above the doors. For some reason it appears that I have a lot more (10-20 little dimples just ball parking). I don't know if the metal is thinner there or because of the curvature. I hope there is access from underneath.

This sounds like my car, I was also near westbrook on tuesday and I have 1 on the trunk and 10 or so on the roof. I can only see them when the light bends on them and im standing right next to the car looking at an angle. Hard to say how much it would cost. Debating whether to claim - probably should since my car is only 2 years old.

ExtraSlow
08-06-2015, 04:29 PM
I have had a vehicle fixed by TDMM and KHS. I was satisfied with the quality of work, but it was a beat up truck.

lilmira
08-06-2015, 04:44 PM
Originally posted by nzwasp


This sounds like my car, I was also near westbrook on tuesday and I have 1 on the trunk and 10 or so on the roof. I can only see them when the light bends on them and im standing right next to the car looking at an angle. Hard to say how much it would cost. Debating whether to claim - probably should since my car is only 2 years old.

If I have to guess, I'll start somewhere between 1500-2000. $100/hr rate adds up quick, two days or more.

2 yr old car, it's still considered pretty new in my book, yeah I'll fix it.

I haven't even gotten my first oil change ffs. I only got hit for about 5 min or so before I turned into the parkade by National but there was enough damage.

Did you see that guy on the news who got his 2 weeks old ML stuck in the underpass? At least his car is potentially a write off if the electrical is toast.

OneGreasyHobo
08-07-2015, 08:08 AM
Originally posted by lilmira


If I have to guess, I'll start somewhere between 1500-2000. $100/hr rate adds up quick, two days or more.

2 yr old car, it's still considered pretty new in my book, yeah I'll fix it.

I haven't even gotten my first oil change ffs. I only got hit for about 5 min or so before I turned into the parkade by National but there was enough damage.

Did you see that guy on the news who got his 2 weeks old ML stuck in the underpass? At least his car is potentially a write off if the electrical is toast.

Saw a bunch of flooded cars.. I don't get how they flood them under the underpasses downtown. Like how do you think thats going to be a good idea?

lilmira
08-07-2015, 08:18 AM
If you have one of these you can make it through.

-8xD1Xd67oU

Would I try if I have one? Hell no lol.

OneGreasyHobo
08-07-2015, 08:29 AM
^^ Bhaha, I made an appointment with DNT for next Friday.

I'm mostly worried about the 30-50 small ones on my roof.

5G_celica
08-07-2015, 08:49 AM
I'm in the same position as the OP. My RX8 was hit pretty bad in the Beltline at 15th ave and 8th st. but the problem is I'm up at site right now and haven't been able to see it yet so it's killing me. Wife tried to take some pictures but I'm suspecting there's a lot of dents that don't show up on the photos

I started my claim and will see when I can get in for an estimate.

OP, please keep us posted on the estimate, as mine probably will be similar to yours, with an aluminum hood. my car is worth a lot less so it may be written off. which really sucks since I just replaced the engine last year.

EM2FTL
08-07-2015, 09:24 AM
Originally posted by 5G_celica


OP, please keep us posted on the estimate, as mine probably will be similar to yours, with an aluminum hood. my car is worth a lot less so it may be written off. which really sucks since I just replaced the engine last year.

Brutal, sorry for your loss. If it is written off buy-back on my 04 was very reasonable, you could likely keep your motor as a backup or swap into a new shell and part out the rest. +1 if it has black interior.

Pacman
08-07-2015, 09:59 AM
When I talked to TD, they said there are 4 scenarios:

1) they fix the damage
2) They give you money and you pick the repair shop of your choice, however they do expect you to get the repair done
3) The damage exceeds the value of the car, so they write it off
4) They determine the market value of the car without the damage, and then the salvage value of the car with the damage, and give you cash for the difference. You keep the car and the car does not get registered with a salvage title. You are not required to fix the damage This one sounds interesting but Im not sure how this would affect future insurance on the vehicle.

5G_celica
08-07-2015, 10:01 AM
Originally posted by EM2FTL


Brutal, sorry for your loss. If it is written off buy-back on my 04 was very reasonable, you could likely keep your motor as a backup or swap into a new shell and part out the rest. +1 if it has black interior.

I would definitely consider that. if you don't mind me asking, what was your buy back on your 04?

yeah black leather interior

Zhao Kan
08-12-2015, 09:33 AM
Originally posted by EF9 Sedan

Questions regarding next steps:
-Does "know how systems" do a good job with their repairs? Does anyone have any past experience with them? Is there another company that you recommend I bring my car to after they complete their estimate? Tomco/eco dentworks?
-Should I ask them to replace all the panels with OEM parts and repaint instead of PDR? Again, please recommend a shop. Contemporary Coachworks/Screaming paint works?
-Benefits/Drawbacks of PDR vs. Replace & Repaint

I'm also grateful to hear any comments/tips you may have to ensure my car gets fixed properly and I don't get screwed over by insurance company or any incompetent repair shops. [/B]

Here is how it works 99/100 times:

Insurance does the estimate on the car, or one of their hail clinics does. You can take your vehicle to a shop of your choice but their estimate isn’t worth anything to insurance. Hail and thefts where the vehicle was taken are 2 types of claims the bodyshop’s estimate is never used on. The shop you take it to however can book it in based off the approved insurance estimate or the insurance’s independent clinic that they authorized to do the hail estimate. If the estimate is out to lunch, that is fine, because the shop can then go about proving it to insurance. In the case of hail they’ll get their own PDR 3rd party guy in to take a look and see what he can and can’t do, and what needs to be replaced or repaired the conventional way involving repainting. I’ve never had a problem getting insurance to change things that were obviously not able to be PDR’ed once our PDR guy looked at it.

Now if it’s an estimate done at a hail clinic specializing in PDR (paintless dent) the entire car is probably going to have PDR on the estimate, whether it can be done or not, or whether it should be done or not. Hood, roof, roof rails, 1/4s, trunk are areas that may or may not have PDR successfully done.

As one guy said, hoods when it goes through a good shop or done by a good PDR guy, often get replaced. Why this is is two fold. There are spots on a hood that are hard to do, and usually the hail will be worst on the hood meaning that some dents just can’t be popped out successfully, and then there is the cost factor. Insurance will do whatever is cheaper, and replacing the hood on some cars isn’t too bad. The roof rails also can rarely be pdr’ed properly as there is no access from behind. A roof is hit or miss, and depends how bad (this panel also gets raped hard from hail). Repairing it outside of PDR properly on most cars is expensive because even if the metal is fixable, you’re getting a new windshield, because the front and rear glass need to come out and sometimes you need to take the headliner out. Why the windshield is getting replaced is because it’s almost imposible to take a windshield out and have it not break, unless it is defect free. This is Alberta so odds are you have a ton of pitting and chips on it, maybe even some cracks. If they’re PDRing a roof the headliner usually needs to come out anyway though so regardless, a roof is usually pretty expensive to do. In really bad hail you just reskin the roof. Trunks and ¼’s it depends where the dents are and how bad. The trunk like the hood has parts that are hard to get access too, and may be cheaper to replace as well. Doors and fenders for hail usually are fine to PDR because hail isn’t very bad on these panels and it’s usually only the very top that got hit.

Now some guys may say they can get it all out, and that they’ll use glue guns and all that jazz. I’m in Edmonton and the best PDR guy’s here don’t use glue guns. They don’t like the results from them. That’s not the real problem though with shitty pdr guys; you’ll get these roaming bands of storm chasers from the states that are here today and gone tomorrow that do hail and they will likely pdr everything, to hell if it’s done properly or not. Metal has a memory, but the problem is that metal stretches when it’s hit, so some dents will just flat out not pop out, and when these guys PDR a panel that should not of been PDR’ed, you’ll get waves in it from the metal being deformed still. The areas that are common to see this are on the hood and roof.

Myths: Aluminum has no memory, but it’s actually ok to PDR depending on the dent. Mouldings can be dented or broken, paint in rare cases can even be chipped from hail (but that is not common).

You do not get to pick what gets replaced or not. You have a policy with insurance and they get to pick, which is the cheapest method that puts the car back to the way it was. You may not want panels replaced because most insurance companies use aftermarket panels which fit like crap (oh they’ll tell you they’re capa certified which means they are certified to fit like OEM, but that cert is garbage. These panels are hit or miss and more often than not aren’t even close to oem fitment (I’m looking at a Toyota corolla capa bumper that makes me want to cry right now). TD is one of the few insurance companies that does not believe in aftermarket crap.

Aftermarket paint isn’t as durable as oem also, and has to do with the temps the manufacturer can bake their paint at vs a bodyshop. A bodyshop has to deal with a car full of plastics that can melt when they paint it, and the manufacturer doesn’t. If your car is new, it’s probably best to keep OEM paint if you can. There is also a guarantee that there will be defects in the paint no matter how good the paint is or how good the shop is. Of course there are defects from the manufacture too if you look for them hard enough.

As for OP’s specific car: it depends how bad, but you’re potentially looking at a hood replacement on that, and if you are, then they should be blending the fenders for color match. Doors and 1/4s will likely be pdr’ed, trunk is depending how bad but probably on that car will be fine to pdr unless the hail is very bad. There is zero chance your car will be a write off. If it is, I’ll take a spot in the lineup to buy a cheap hail damaged s2k.

As for shops in Calgary, I’d go to the one with the best rep, not the one insurance told me to go to. That is not to say insurance recommended shops are crap. All decent shops are on the lists of someone as a recommended shop, so the shop insurance is recommending could be the best shop in the city, or one of them. Con. Coachworks sounds good to me, but do they work on Hondas that old?

killramos
08-12-2015, 09:41 AM
So in this case what if the car still looks like shit and the dent sites are noticeable after the cheap estimate PDR job?

Can you make the insurance company buy the car off you?

Zhao Kan
08-12-2015, 11:12 AM
Originally posted by killramos
So in this case what if the car still looks like shit and the dent sites are noticeable after the cheap estimate PDR job?

Can you make the insurance company buy the car off you?

You can’t make the insurance company buy the car off you but you can get them to refix it properly. Unfortunately it’s the shop that did the screw up that gets first crack at it, so imo, go to the best shop you can right off the bat, because they’ll probably be able to fix it properly if it doesn’t turn out well with PDR’ing it (If it is a shop with a good rep, you can bet they probably have already found a PDR guy they trust to be as anal as they are for fixing cars). If it looks like crap it’s up to the shop to say it looks like crap, and then the next step is complaining to insurance. There is a guy at insurance that does quality control that gets to say if it looks like crap or not and can make the shop fix it. If one of them agrees with you, great, but if they don’t, you are going to have an uphill battle. After that it’s a process that is a road almost no one goes down. IMO if the insurance guy rejects your complaints though on the repair looking like crap, odds are good he’s probably the one that is correct, but before you go to insurance it might be a good idea to go to a good shop and get their opinion on what you're seeing. Then you have some accurate info to go to insurance with a complaint.

As for hail clinics. Hail clinics can be set up in shops with room to spare and take a small %age of the hail claim for letting the storm chasers use their shop. If your shop is going full tilt, I don’t see how you’re not losing money with the %age you get from letting these guys use the space they need. You make more off normal repairs per hour on someone working in a stall then letting someone do PDR out of that spot. If a bodyshop is hurting for business in this province, that’s a red flag to me. So me personally, I wouldn’t get my car fixed at one of the hail clinics cuz I’d be pretty picky who works on my car. If it comes down to conventional repairs + painting, i wouldn't want a shop I didn't trust getting to do the work by default.

P.S. I’ve never heard of a chain bodyshop that had a rep for quality.

OneGreasyHobo
08-12-2015, 11:28 AM
^ Sweet info, pretty sure the girl on the phone said I would go to Know How Systems, or some other shop.. I just want my car like it was, mint.

lilmira
08-12-2015, 12:05 PM
Just came back from the appraiser, it will be about 4-5k. Yeah not too bad :banghead:

I hate it when they say: "that's a beautiful colour!" Yeah I know :facepalm:

killramos
08-12-2015, 12:56 PM
Originally posted by Zhao Kan


You can’t make the insurance company buy the car off you but you can get them to refix it properly. Unfortunately it’s the shop that did the screw up that gets first crack at it, so imo, go to the best shop you can right off the bat, because they’ll probably be able to fix it properly if it doesn’t turn out well with PDR’ing it (If it is a shop with a good rep, you can bet they probably have already found a PDR guy they trust to be as anal as they are for fixing cars). If it looks like crap it’s up to the shop to say it looks like crap, and then the next step is complaining to insurance. There is a guy at insurance that does quality control that gets to say if it looks like crap or not and can make the shop fix it. If one of them agrees with you, great, but if they don’t, you are going to have an uphill battle. After that it’s a process that is a road almost no one goes down. IMO if the insurance guy rejects your complaints though on the repair looking like crap, odds are good he’s probably the one that is correct, but before you go to insurance it might be a good idea to go to a good shop and get their opinion on what you're seeing. Then you have some accurate info to go to insurance with a complaint.

As for hail clinics. Hail clinics can be set up in shops with room to spare and take a small %age of the hail claim for letting the storm chasers use their shop. If your shop is going full tilt, I don’t see how you’re not losing money with the %age you get from letting these guys use the space they need. You make more off normal repairs per hour on someone working in a stall then letting someone do PDR out of that spot. If a bodyshop is hurting for business in this province, that’s a red flag to me. So me personally, I wouldn’t get my car fixed at one of the hail clinics cuz I’d be pretty picky who works on my car. If it comes down to conventional repairs + painting, i wouldn't want a shop I didn't trust getting to do the work by default.

P.S. I’ve never heard of a chain bodyshop that had a rep for quality.

Sounds like a good time to drift into a telephone pole + New car replacement coverage :rofl:

rage2
08-12-2015, 01:35 PM
Originally posted by Zhao Kan
If a bodyshop is hurting for business in this province, that’s a red flag to me. So me personally, I wouldn’t get my car fixed at one of the hail clinics cuz I’d be pretty picky who works on my car.
But these storm chasers don't regularly work for the bodyshop, so it shouldn't matter if they're renting space from a shitty shop. The level of quality would be determined by the PDR tech and not the space that it's renting.

lilmira
08-12-2015, 02:37 PM
Holy hell, the final number came in just under 6000 for me, my deductible is 250. No brainer for me. Now I can see damage worse than mine will easily go over 10, yikes!

Zhao Kan
08-12-2015, 05:06 PM
Originally posted by rage2

But these storm chasers don't regularly work for the bodyshop, so it shouldn't matter if they're renting space from a shitty shop. The level of quality would be determined by the PDR tech and not the space that it's renting.

Sure, the PDR guys do the PDR independent of the shop, but you’re missing what my point was. If there is anything the PDR guys can’t PDR, or their PDR job sucks, it’s that shop they’re at that is going to do the bodyshop work.

max_boost
08-12-2015, 06:11 PM
Zhao_Kan

Can't you simply take the payout and repair it wherever you want and you can micromanage the entire repair process to ensure absolute perfection???

5G_celica
08-12-2015, 08:07 PM
Originally posted by max_boost
Zhao_Kan

Can't you simply take the payout and repair it wherever you want and you can micromanage the entire repair process to ensure absolute perfection???

Td insurance will not allow it. Well, they didn't 3 years ago. They told me that they don't pay out hail damages unless it's written off.

lilmira
08-12-2015, 08:26 PM
Originally posted by max_boost
Zhao_Kan

Can't you simply take the payout and repair it wherever you want and you can micromanage the entire repair process to ensure absolute perfection???

They shouldn't have problem working with the shop of your choice and send them a cheque directly. I think they just don't like handing out cash to the owner. The difference is that the insurance company won't have anything to do with any issue after the repair since it's not done at their approved shop. My thought is that if the shop can't do the job right the first time, what's the chance that they can fix it the second time with the support of the insurance company or not. I want the repair done right, end of story.

Zhao Kan
08-12-2015, 09:49 PM
Originally posted by max_boost
Zhao_Kan

Can't you simply take the payout and repair it wherever you want and you can micromanage the entire repair process to ensure absolute perfection???

You can usually but it is up to the insurance company. You could use that money to fix it yourself, or fix it how you want, but really, if you want it fixed properly without spending your own money, just take it to a good bodyshop.

Like I said most estimates right off the bat are mostly PDR, even though PDR may not be possible, so the price could end up going up a lot more if a hood and roof can't be PDR'ed. if you took a cash payout on the initial estimate and are going to fix it urself your way, you kinda just got screwed. Better to let a shop deal with the insurance company and they can get them to pay for what needs to be done.

IMO cash payouts are for when you don't want to fix ur car and are accepting cash in exchange for driving a car that is now worse. Or if you're in the trade and can fix your car yourself for a lot cheaper.

ExtraSlow
08-13-2015, 06:54 AM
If you take the cash, you need to provide proof the repair has been done before they'll insure that car for comprehensive again. Until then, it's pretty much PL/PD only, because that car is "damaged".

For that reason alone, it's worth letting the insurance company pay for the repair.

Pacman
08-13-2015, 07:55 AM
Originally posted by ExtraSlow
If you take the cash, you need to provide proof the repair has been done before they'll insure that car for comprehensive again. Until then, it's pretty much PL/PD only, because that car is "damaged".

For that reason alone, it's worth letting the insurance company pay for the repair.

TD told me if I didn't get the hail repaired, they would simply put a the code 13H on the car, meaning previous hail damage. Comprehensive could be put on the car, but they wouldn't fix any future hail damage. Also, if there was an accident with a write off in the future, they would value the car at a reduced rate due to the prior damage

Zhao Kan
08-13-2015, 08:07 AM
Originally posted by ExtraSlow
If you take the cash, you need to provide proof the repair has been done before they'll insure that car for comprehensive again. Until then, it's pretty much PL/PD only, because that car is "damaged".

For that reason alone, it's worth letting the insurance company pay for the repair.

I would check with your insurance company on that. They won't cover hail again without proof it was fixed, but I actually took a cash payout on hail before and my insurance company said it would only affect hail claims in the future until I proved I fixed it. I used the money to fix and paint my truck instead of pdr because I had some typical dodge ram rust starting.

Every insurance company is different, and sometimes polar opposites on policies. My rx8 was written off for an engine fire, and my insurance company refused to let me buy it back, but said if they did they would have wanted about 5000. A friend's rx8 was written off a year later and his insurance sold it back to him for 1500ish and were happy to let him buy it back.

relyt92
08-13-2015, 08:06 PM
Originally posted by Pacman


TD told me if I didn't get the hail repaired, they would simply put a the code 13H on the car, meaning previous hail damage. Comprehensive could be put on the car, but they wouldn't fix any future hail damage. Also, if there was an accident with a write off in the future, they would value the car at a reduced rate due to the prior damage When I was with Aviva that's exactly what happened. 5k damage on a car worth 6k, gave me the cash payout of the damage minus my deductible and I kept the car with the same coverage as before just no hail coverage.

TomcoPDR
08-15-2015, 11:58 PM
Originally posted by Zhao Kan


Now some guys may say they can get it all out, and that they’ll use glue guns and all that jazz. I’m in Edmonton and the best PDR guy’s here don’t use glue guns. They don’t like the results from them. ?

Who are these dent guys that can't glue pull, but making excuses spreading it can't be done? Because it is PDR industry standard to be able to glue pull to a factory finish, with proper damage.

Your points are not "wrong", good write up. However you've focused the negatives in hail with PDR (by the sound of it, fed info from a very narrow single tech/single shop whom doesn't have experience with hail)

Hail damage on vehicles to PDR, is like stampede week to traveling prostitutes from Montreal. You get the good with the bad, while you STILL have to deal with local good and bad providers.