O/T Hail damage

[bob farrell]

I have a Dodge 1500 Quad Cab 4X2 pickup that has a high dollar factory paint job on it (called: Deep Molten Red Pearl Coat Paint)that looks like a fancy shade of purple. Hailed on it causing small dents (maybe 20 in each) in both front fenders, the hood (maybe 30), tops (above windows) of all four doors (maybe 5 each), and a few side door dents in each door. Insurance is $1,000 deductible and insurance company repair estimate is $1229.00.

I have not yet taken it to a body shop for estimate. According to the ins. co. poping the dents out will not damage the paint. Will it?

Anyone had experience with this? All advise is appreciated. Truck has 8,961 miles on it. Thanks!! bob Farrell

 

[Lanse]

i'd look for some little dent popper like you see on tv. Its worth a shot for that price

 

[Red Dave]

There are some body shops that advertise paintless small dent repair. I'd try to find one and see what they think before I'd try anything on my own on something that new.

 

[Dave in Tx]

Take it to a couple body shops and get an estimate. Prolly from what it sounds like you have would be closer to 5 or 6k here. Mine had about 50 dents in it and was 4300. State Farm adjuster was within a 100 dollars of what the body shop was.

 

[Texasmark]

Don't know about your truck. Mine has what looks like Candy Apple Red of the 60's vintage and it cost me $250 extra; forget the fancy name they tagged on it..........course the paint is one reason I bought it on the spot.

My wife recently backed into a Chrysler 2 door sedan convertible.....Sebring, now I remember. Caught it right in the rt rear panel just below where the rear window is. The paint came off like would happen if you restored an old car with bondo and painted over it and then the whole shootin match came off.

So who knows what one would find on today's cars and trucks.

Mark

 

[NCWayne]

I've got a buddy in VA that owns a body shop and does alot of repair jobs for the local used car dealerships. I've been up there enough to see alot of different brands and year model cars go through there and based on what I've seen I agree with Texmark, you never know what your gonna find nowdays. That said after seeing what he pays , his cost, for paint and materials if the dents don't just "pop out" I'd estimate nearly $1000 just for the paint and other supplies, not to mention several hours of labor to repair the damage, mask everything, and shoot it. Heck I called the other day and enough of the cheaper single stage stuff, that's not clearcoated, was gonna run me nearly $300 with the primer, hardner, etc. I'd venture a guess if my buddy were to do it you wouldn't leave the shop for less than $3000, and that's only if the parts could be shot and properly blended to match. If it wasn't able to be matched, and I wouldn't accept a job that didn't especially on an almost new truck, then you'd be looking at even more than that to pain the whole truck. Just remember insurance companies are rip offs most of the time. get three estimates, make them pay, and go with the one you want.

 

[Brian Jasper co. Ia]

Get your own estimates. I have a family member who is an underwriter for Allied insurance. He told me once that the adjuster's first job is to figure out how to get out of the claim. If the claim can't be gotten out of, how low can we go without being sued? I have dealt with insurance co's in the past wanting to low ball me. What has worked for me in the past is "I'll take your offer as a down payment on the total bill. Whatever you won't pay, I'll sue your client for. When I win, and if the client refuses to pay, I'll report an unpaid accident to the state causing your client to lose his driver's license indefinitely."
Since most if not all ins co's offer legal defense in court for accidents, the prospect of having to pay a lawyer helps loosen the purse strings a bit.
You have the right to have the shop of your choice fix your vehicle. Your insurance co can't legally mandate who makes the repairs. They can, however, make offers like "lifetime warranty" if you use one of their recommended shops.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Quote : " According to the ins. co. popping the dents out will not damage the paint. Will it? "

Is the insurance co. willing to put that in writing? Perhaps stand behind the repairs for 5 years ?

 

[Molineone]

Paintless dent removal looks great when the "artist" is done rubbing out the dents, but has anyone ever seen the inside of a fender after the work is done? It's like a dentist pick has scratched a million little spots against the panel, and I don't care how far rust prevention has come in the last 50 years, that cannot help the life of the metal. Plus the 1/2" holes they drill and just fill with a factory looking plug, that hole is not treated, primed, or painted and it another spot asking for the cancer. I detailed cars for almost two years and have seen all of the tricks. As far as 1200 bucks for 300 dents, your insurance guy should be hung with the rest of them. Good luck!!

 

[Anonymous-0]

make your offer just as ridicoulus as theres and settle in between. insurance companies are just barely above the law

 

[John A.]

Bob, Wait till dead of summer, 100 degree day. park in full sun! Take dry ice and apply to each dent, watch them pop back smooth! Here in Texas Summer sun and heat will take out a lot of small hail dents without any other help!!
Later,
John A.

 

[Anonymous-0]

In 2000, I ran across a 1997 toyota Avalon with all the bells and whistles and bought it for my wife at a fairly good deal. She is a teacher so the first morning she drove it to school she was going down the secondary road we live on and stopped behind a school bus waiting for a kid that was late running out of the house. Well the driver decided she would save the kid some steps and starts backing up the bus. My wife was fiddeling with something in the car and not looking at the bus. The bus's rear bumper landed just at the windshield of the car. Took the whole hood, top of the motor, and just made an ugly mess of it. After the investigation I had the car towed to a nearby town to a repair shop to set until I could find out what the outcome would be from the insurance company. That same afternoon it came a halestorm of the century. Absolutely beat that car all to He_?_. The bus wreck did not total the car. It came within a few dollars but no such luck. The insurence for the hale was a seperate issue and figured seperate. With both events together the insurance payment was up to around 14,000.00 and it was not totaled. I ran across a guy that would fix the car and just let me pay him He fixed it for 7000.00 and I paid it off with the other 7000. I am still driving the Avalon. One of the best vehicles I have ever had. I think it is up to around 185,000 miles or close to that. The buswreck and halestorm turned out good for me.