After being banished to a 2004 Ford Taurus rent a car POS, I am so happy to have my car back. That Taurus was pure hell. No soul at all, and it managed 3 mpg LESS than the six cylinder CLS with only a four cylinder under the hood. And I drove that taurus just like I was an old man. No sense pushing this car to the limit. 15 days in this POS.

And shit, I fly airplanes, and when something fairly serious goes wrong like an engine failure, or landing gear that won't go down, we get an audio warning, usually just a tone or steady beep until the problem is corrected. But fer Christs' sake, nothing beats the ford taurus seat belt reminder system. 24 chimes in six seconds, and it repeats every 25 seconds! The car shames you into wearing your seatbelt.

Anyway, the CLS6 is back! I had to reset the radio and navi codes, but that was no bigh deal. And the homelink system did not need retraining for the garage door. I am sans one goodrich technology chrome powder coated wheel, so I am riding on the kiddee spare for another week or so. You CLS owners out there, enjoy what you've got! There is quite a difference when compared with a bare bones domestic. I jumped on the CL after it warmed up, and WOW!

Chicago guys, I had the car repaired at Northwest Ideal on Rand Road, north of lake cook road, and I must say, they did a superb job! Here is my one and only complaint: I have one greasy thumbprint on the outside of the windshield. The car looks no different than the day before I was hit while stopped at a stoplight. And this was major surgery kids. They had to remove the rear drivers side window, the rear window, cut off and weld a new rear quarter panel to the left side of the car, and the rear bumper had to be painted also. Everything matches perfectly regarding the paint, and all the seams are perfect in terms of spacing and being level.

As an aside, my professional job is that of being an automotive paint equipment supplier and an advisor on paint application, both powder coatings and liquids. So, I know what to look for and how to find the flaws in not only OEM painting, but repair also.

Kudos to NW Ideal, 20335 Rand Road, Palatine, IL. 847.438.8233.

I hope your CL (or whatever) never needs to see a body shop, but if so, ask for Jim Irmen, the owner.

 

Great news Dave.

Glad to have you back!

 

Thanks, Eric:

But I never left, and I am keeping the car, for sure. I am one of the older guys here, a little over 50. And I bashed up my share of cars when I was a teen. Back then, after bashing up a car, you hoped when you got the thing back that the sheet metal looked something like what it did before the "accident" (as a flight instructor, I do not believe in accidents, only carelessness by one of the two parties), and you hoped the paint color was "close".

Although my damage was only sheet metal, it is amazing what the body shops can do these days, even when there is structural damage. And don't anybody start the "this thread is worthless without pics" stuff. Just look in the Acura 2003 brochure. That is what the car looks like.

Best of luck with the G35.