Papaman677

I'm so upset right now. I just pulled into my underground parking garage at work and tried to squeeze in a makeshift parking spot. I'm a teacher, got to work late and didn't want to park on the street. As I was backing into the spot I hit one of the support collums which had a pipe coming down it with a screw pointing out. I backed my car right along the screw and put about a 6" scratch from the seam of the plastic bumper into the metal going toward the rear door. It's not so much the scratch that is upsetting me it's the fact there is now a crease in the metal where the screw dug in. if it was just a scratch it could be painted but I don't know what they could do about a crease dented in. Calling it a crease b/c I don't know how else to describe it. Does anyone know what can be done about it? I know I have no pictures but any insight would be appreciated. I have NBP and in the sun it's going to look horrible. I figure maybe I"ll touch up paint it for now and get it fixed after the winter. Just wondering how much it would cost or if the metal has to be replaced. i know I have no one to blame but myself but I guess accidents do happen. I'd like to kick myself in the ass right now!!!!

Bplayer

Take it to a good body shop and have it finished properly. If metal work has been scratched you do not want to go through winter with it exposed to road salt.

Plan for about $500 to $1,000 depending on how many panels are involved. If multiple panels are involved they may recommend painting more than those areas affect to ensure proper color match. I would only do the minimum number of panels.

Papaman677

Well it's only on the 1 panel. I figure I'll touch up paint the scratch so it doesn't rust and take care of it in the spring. They say we're supposed to get a pretty rough winter here in Jersey this year and I'm afraid I'll spend the money to repair it and something else will happen to it in the snow or something. I know anything can happen at anytime, but more likely on snow/ice covered roads.

AMIC

I feel your pain. I've done the water pipe in the parking garage thing before. Not in my TL, but in my old Accord not too long after I got it. I got lucky and the piece sticking out got my turn signal front plastic cover.

vp911

Sorry to hear about this. It really is unfortunate. If I were you, take a picture and post it here then others can give you the best option. It does, however, sound like you will have to have a body shop repair the damage - repaint it and other panels to blend the paint in.

yoolykeme

if there is a crease where there is a sharp bend in the metal, it will have to be replaced

thats the rule of thumb, i think.

dug-mac

This is upsetting because you feel like it could have been avoided, but as you say accidents do happen.... My suggestion is to either take care of it right away, or do as you say and just touch up the scratch and address it in the spring. If you choose the latter I would encourage you to do something that increases your sense of pride in your automobile - maybe clean the inside up real nice and keep it that way - so that you can see that scratch for what it is (i.e. minor) and small compared to the joy of owning such a nice car.... Good luck...

Papaman677

I just tried to post pics on here of my car and realized I have no idea how to do it. If someone can tell me how to do it I'll post a picture. Thanks

Scribesoft

1) Go HERE
2) Use the "browse" button to upload your pic
3) Click "host it"
4) copy the last link at the bottom called "Direct Link to Image"

5) Once back in Azine, create a new post to this thread, then use the "Insert Image" feature (button which looks like a mountain with the sun above it) Use the link copied in step 4 above...

You should have a pic display like this:

vp911

^ Or, e-mail me and I will host them for you.

vp911

vp911

Is there an actual hole? I guess it is possible to get a touchup paint professional to touch that up - and have a paintless dent repair shop pull out the dent. Not sure though.

JohnDoe2

A teacher? I thought teachers didn't make any money.

vp911

hijack. What deos that have to do with anything. That doesn't mean they don't have money or are married to somebody who makes a better living. and FYI there are public school teachers who make more than 100k a year. end hijack.

Papaman677

No that's not a hole but a paint chip. Yes I'm a teacher, physical education/health, but I'm also a real estate agent. It's not that we don't make any money, it's just most of us feel we don't get paid enough to do the work that we do. It also takes quite a while to get to the top of the pay scale, 15 yrs where I am. Dealing with a bunch of crazy middle school kids all year can sometimes raise the stress levels. Can they actually "pull" out the dent in it??? It's like a dented line, a crease. I'm sure there's a way they can do it, just don't know how. Thanks VP911 for hosting the pic.

vp911

No problem.

It is possible for them to do it - I would call your dealer and ask who they use for dent removal and call them up and have them look at it. They will tell you yes or no - but if they can do it, and if you can get somebody who is good at doing touchup then buffing, it may look almost like nothing happened to it for a lot cheaper than a full repaint.

ragged

I don't think they pull it out, they have a tool that they use to push/massage the dent out, maybe from inside the trunk or from up under the wheel well. Depending on how good the guy is, it will come out pretty well, just that the panel would need some touch up paint. I've had only 1/2 a panel painted before and it blended perfectly. Since your car is new, it's a lot easier to match the paint.

The bumper is plastic so it's a different story, I don't think they can that out so easily.

Papaman677

Thanks for the info, guess the next step is to take it into a shop and see what they say.

mio

go to bodyshop fix it

mblanton66

Hey my wife has a master's degree and teaches high school in one of the highest paying districts in the state (SC), and what she makes is sad. She literally does it for the personal reward. I assume most do.

At any rate, after three weeks of owning my WDP TL, I dinged the door real good at a gas station. A good, deep one, too, about the size of a nickel. I got nauseated I was so disgusted with myself. I took it to a guy who ran a paintless dent repair operation at a local body shop, and for $65 he literally made it disappear. I see absolutely no trace of where it was. He had to drill a hole in the door (where it meets the pillar when closed) to get his tools in there, he plugged it with a rubber piece. I know your paint is scratched pretty bad, but the bent metal can be fixed for relatively cheap.

The one thing I really dislike about this car is that it has horrible rear visibilty, what happened to you could easily happen to me.