Here are 4 photos of the situations I discussed yesterday. One photo of mid message with the email envelope and the number 1

And three photos of the ding, and deep scratch, on body, behind left rear (drivers side) tire. I have to learn to use the camera a bit better for a clearer shot, but thats another story, another 200 page manual.

So if anyone could tell me how bad the damage they think it is, would be appreciated.
I know the car is dusty, havent washed it for a week, and the nbp gets so dusty where I park it in the garage, and out on the street all day parked while I work.

Much regards flatfoot

 

Wow, that's a deeep scratch! How did it happen?? The envelope on the MID means that you have a MID message, i.e. service due soon. Just scroll throught it.

 

With only 3,910 miles on the odometer, I can't think of any service message you might get. Driving in NYC, you could get the A message with that amount of miles on it, but there isn't any other service message that should pop up. So I still don't know what it means. Have you asked the service manager?

The scratch is way beyond paintless dent repair. It will take a body shop to repaint it. I can't tell from the picture if there is any sheet metal damage, but if there is, then definitely a body shop.

I fixed up your thread a little and made the pictures visible, since I am the lazy type and hate clicking 4 times when I don't have to.

 

First thanks Ron for fixing up the thread, so photos scroll down.
I dont know how the scratch dent happened. I check the car all the time, and I first noticed it after a day at work The vehicle was parked with the scratched side, towards the sidewalk, so it wasnt a vehicle going down the street.
It got me real upset as you can imagine. I dont want to fix this up through my insurance, as do not want my rates to go up. (police officers pay a lot more for insurance then civilians-at least in nyc), and my deductible is 500 dollars. So I figure, cash is the way to go with this one. Damn. I guess I am volunteering myself for a couple of parades to get some o.t.

Much regards flatfoot

 

Flatfoot, the scratch could have also appeared due to something getting stuck up in between the wheel and fender while driving. Since all the smudges are from bottom to top front. There are nasty things lying on the road all the time. Just a guess.

 

A truck bumper could have done that. Many delivery box trucks (such as FedEx, UPS, etc.) have bumpers that are "raw" metal on the ends, and could have done that when pulling in next to you or beside you. Sorta just caught your bodywork with the lower edge, you know. And that's about the right height off the ground for that, too.

 

any lower, the other truck/car/etc.. wouldve riped your bumper off.. good luck in getting it fixed..

 

Thanks to all that have and will reply. Funny you said about the smudges. I took a cloth and wiped it before I took photos I should have washed it a bit, but gave it a quick wipe, and it justg kind of created the smudge. My fault. . Somehow, using a idgital camera, in a dark garage with an intense flash, makes the car look like crap. LOL I am almost embarrassed looking at the photos. But believe me, it does not look so neglected.
Look at the further out shots . LOL

Much regards Flatfoot

 

If someone hit you, it would be a larger dent/scratch. It's right down to the metal and ripped the paint off. IMO, it looks like a shopping cart or delivery cart

 

oy...thats way beyond touch up...sorry to hear

 

You've got mail.

But unfortunately it just means there is a maintenance reminder in the system. You can page through the MID messages to view it.

 

triggle is right on here... just page through the message...

sorry for the gash, flatfoot - wow thats bad...

 

With the headline.... I thought that the MID was telling you you had a scratch.... smart car!!!

 

flatfoot,

One fellow NYCer to another, do yourself a favor. After you get the damage fixed, you should consider custom fenderwell trims like I have. And they'll be less conspicuous on your Abyss Blue Pearl:







To prevent those annoying dents and ring dings (license plate bolts) on the rear bumper, a 5/8" thick custom moulding all the way around with the ends cut at the same angle as the bumper line from the taillight assembly to look factory. You can see the last few inches of fenderwell trim on the right:




This pic was taken a day before delivery last year. That's Pinstripe Pete, the guy who does all this type of work for Curry and most of the new car dealers in the Bronx and Westchester. His # is 914-318-9927



If you or anyone else is interested in seeing my car 1st hand before going through with this work, please PM me. Trust me, these mouildings look better in person than in pics.
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Hey DMZ

How much did that all cost?

 

What's in the pics came with the car as part of a dealer add-on package I requested along with a wide thin ribbed moulding commonly seen on bumpers installed underneath the rocker panels to prevent damage from bottoming out.

Other stuff like custom 3M door edge trim (pliable unlike Acura's dingable painted metal) that goes completely from top edge to bottom edge and along the entire bottom edge of the front doors for protection against opening the door next to a high curb, and 3M paint protection film on the front, rear & sides I added afterwards.

I can't give specific costs per item, but overall, a bunch of $100's to be sure.

This is without a doubt the most protected 3G TL against dents and dings in existence.
Living in a place like New York City, this is all a must !

 

Fellow nyer ( eastern queens). My 2001 was a victim of headlight stealage

2005 tl with 8900 miles has a shoppingcart scratch on the passenger side ( in the plastic bottom under the door) I am in the process of compounding out some of the yellow shopping cart plastic.

So i know how you feel flatfoot. My guess is it is NOT from a car. My guess is it was made in some sort of deivery or garbage pickup misshap. A car likely would have had more diffuse damage , unless it was a damaged bumer end that glanced your side.

Also those worthless driveup windows for the bank and takeout have areas that can do this sort of thing as you turn around deep corners.

 

Those fenderwell trims are FUGLY!!! I'd rather risk a dent or scratch than have those ugly
things on my car. They look like something my grandfather would buy.

 

Your car, your dents. If you lived in NYC, you just might think differently. And BTW, they're not so bad looking in person. That's the opinion of every other TL owner whose seen them....live.

 

Just as a followup to those photos of my car, I went to several repair places to have them look at car, including two acura dealers.
The one place that had a good reputation for working on higher end cars, was the one that also treated me the best. The owner, took me through the shop, showed me a few high end cars(expensive bmws, and a few custome jobs) that he was working on. I told him what some of the other places told me, and he said even though the price was cheaper at those places, they were not going to do the proper job he was going to do, and it would show up later the repair jobs.
His price was similar to the two acura dealers(who by the way, shop them out to some other unknown place), and he told me, he was just not going to do a bang and patch job, but to remove panel, and do a proper job on it. Since my deductable was 500 dollars, and all the estimates were from around 400 for a patch job, to about eight hundred with acura dealers and with him, I gave him the car. It was the right move. I was going to pay the tab, not worth going through insurance to recoup a few hundred dollars.
I got the car back three days later, and I cant tell where the damage was. It looks (at least to my untrained eyes), like it did off the showroom. He even retouched my bumpers for no charge. I was very pleased with the work.
Photos to come in next few days. It looked much worse in person, then the photos did for some reason. But I am glad I went there.

Much regards

 

flatfoot,

Can you share with us which shop did this kind of quality work?
You're still welcome to see my moulding and protection work 1st hand for yourself. My fenderwell trims may not have prevented all that damage, but they surely would have lowered the repair cost.