damaged door and fender, replacement options?

mostsmooth · Jan 8, 2022

hi all
somebody banged into my 95 gt not too long ago, damage to the driver door and fender, right where they meet. I had to use a pry bar on the damage to be able to open the door.
their insurance is covering.
problem is, there arent any 'certified' suppliers of replacement doors and fenders so i would have to be on my own a little if i opt to get the damage fixed. the insurance company created the estimate based on used door/fender they located from a salvage yard.
apparently i may be over-worrying about getting something from a salvage yard because the boy shop would do the actual acquiring and if the parts come in and are substandard are not good enough to use, they can reject them and they can source better (and they would work with insurance if cost adjustment is needed).

regardless, i know there are several aftermarket sites that sell parts and such, but i dont know of any that sell doors and panels. is there someplace i can look to get such things, or should i just let the body shop find something suitable?
time is not a big factor.

thanks

General karthief · Jan 8, 2022

I'd let the body shop handle it, ask to see the parts before install and paint if possible.

jozsefsz · Jan 15, 2022

Fenders are easy to source new, and available pretty cheap. https://www.macsautoparts.com/1994-...IzMHn6uQ7KjkLdFJiJE1c5rKNHDRLsMRoCZ7QQAvD_BwE

Doors you'll pretty much have to use used. I agree with the General, I'd let them handle the sourcing and the work which makes it their problem (warranty) if something isn't right. Make sure they get a nice southern rust-free door and fender and check them out before installation.

I'd insist the hinges be rebuilt / replaced. If I were doing it myself I'd also make sure all of the guts were transferred from the old door to the new (door lock and mechanism including actuator, window motor and regulator, wiring harness, speakers, buttons, door skin). Those are often left open to the elements in a scrap-yard. Since I'd do that myself, I'd ask the body shop to do that too - or minimally to give you the damaged door so you can gut it and put those parts in your spare parts collection.

Brighter side with used parts (plentiful in the junkyard) you / they could locate the right factory color (so they wouldn't have to repaint the inside etc. which is sometimes hard to match perfectly depending on the color) and they'll be made of quality 1995 American steel that's been appropriately rust-proofed and primed. The SN95's held up to the rust-belt where I am incredibly well, new aftermarket parts like the ones I listed above are likely Chinesium that will start to rust before the rest of the car.

mostsmooth · Mar 28, 2022

hi all,
so i dropped the car off today, covered all the bases discussed above, no worries, but then the guy warned me that there is a chance that they find damage when they take it apart that could push the cost over the total value of the car. apparently if the insurance company totals the car, the body shop has to halt all work and they wont put the damaged parts back on the car, and it becomes a salvage title (which i dont think i care about either way really?). so now im worried about having to go through that hassle. it looks like the insurance has the car at about $4000 value and the estimate is $1750 or so. body shop saying if theres any structural damage the cost will likey go over $4000.
im no expert but when i look behind the dents, it seems the damage was in a perfect spot in that the damage is minimal and theres likely no structural. seems that the door and fender are simply bent in spots where there is nothing behind them. not sure if i am describing it well.

i told him to not do anything until i think it over.
i guess the only options are just leave it as is (and maybe pulls out the dents a bit) and just live with it (and pocket the $1750) or let them fix it and hope it isnt totalled? i really dont want to bother with sourcing parts myself, getting them painted, installing etc.
part of my thinking it over process includes hearing from you folks here.

what would YOU do (if you were me i mean)?

images attached below.

Thanks

mostsmooth · Mar 28, 2022

hmm, i just thought about something, if i let them fix it and it gets totaled, then i get a check for $4000 as far as i know, so thats probably what im going to do. worst case is i get a check for $4000 and i have to put the fender and door back on.

EDIT: jfc i cant win, it appears that if it gets totalled and i wanted to keep it, i would have to pay the insurance company the amount that they could have gotten from a scrap yard, and if that number is 1-2k, then im almost back to where i am now, a dented car and ~2k in my pocket.

General karthief · Mar 28, 2022

And a salvage title means it's a parts car in most states. And in Florida there are a bunch of hoops to a rebuilt title plus the devaluation of the car.
Me I would tell the insurance company to give me the check for the estimated repair bill, and fix the car myself.
The fender and door needs to be removed to check damage at the door hinge area, which as far as I see may not be any but once you tell the shop to fix it before settling the insurance company holds all the cards and the body shop can claim more damage and you don't have a voice in the matter.
JMO

mostsmooth · Mar 28, 2022

General karthief said:
And a salvage title means it's a parts car in most states. And in Florida there are a bunch of hoops to a rebuilt title plus the devaluation of the car.
Me I would tell the insurance company to give me the check for the estimated repair bill, and fix the car myself.
The fender and door needs to be removed to check damage at the door hinge area, which as far as I see may not be any but once you tell the shop to fix it before settling the insurance company holds all the cards and the body shop can claim more damage and you don't have a voice in the matter.
JMO

Thanks
right, losing control is my concern.
i dont have the ambition i had in years past or i would probably go the fix it myself route.

So i spoke to the insurance company while i was mulling it all over, they said new jersey doesnt do salvage titles for cars older than 8 years old, so thats good i guess, not that it mattered much. the guy said the buyback for totaled cars is generally about 25% of the value of the car pre-damage and maybe in special rare cases it could go as high as 50%.

General karthief · Mar 28, 2022

Be careful, you are not in good hands and they are not your friends, find out if you get a clear title,

mostsmooth · Mar 28, 2022

General karthief said:
Be careful, you are not in good hands and they are not your friends, find out if you get a clear title,

yes.
i was planning to call them tomorrow for some follow up questions as well.
talked to the body shop guy to tell him to hold off, mentioned the title thing, he said the paper title would be normal looking but if the history is searched it would reflect that it was salvaged. i may be getting more and more confused.
he also told me that he took a look at the damage and he is thinking there will be some structural based on something or other. he seems to be on my side, and there is no benefit to him if there is structural damage because that would end the job.

is maaco worth looking in to?

thanks again

TIGGER · Mar 28, 2022

IDK, I think the risk is low to them finding structural damaged based on what I see from the picture. There is a lot of metal in those A pillar / door frame sections and it takes a lot of force to bend that stuff in my opinion. The cowl cover and the drip rail molding look unmolested. Hope things work out for you....

Chythar · Mar 29, 2022

Just because the insurance company says your car is worth $XXXX doesn't mean it's true. I had two different insurance companies over the years try and tell me my Mustang wasn't worth fixing (I had a 94 V6 at the time). But their 'proof' was Mustangs with less options and cars in states where cars aren't worth as much as in California (where I live). The insurance company is supposed to pay you enough money so you can buy a comparable car - same engine/body, same options, etc. And if you don't like their offer, you can just choose not to accept it. This puts pressure on the insurance company to settle, as it looks bad for them if they can't settle claims fast enough.

Do your own research on the value of your car. Look for 94-95 GT's that are listed for sale in your state. Print the listings for evidence later.

mostsmooth · Mar 31, 2022

so, I took the car to another place for an estimate.
guy said there's not going to be anything wrong with the structure, dont worry about it.

for the door, he talked to his body guy and he said he could fix it with some bench tool thing. apparently they clamp it down and unwrinkle it. it wont be perfect of course, so they will fill the small imperfections with bondo or whatever. he suggested this insteasd of a used door because my door is original and in good shape (other than the fresh dent).

for the fender they will get a new aftermarket piece.

in my head it seems i want to avoid situations where bondo is part of the solution, but i may be being unfair. so once again, i turn to you knowledgable folks, anything wrong with this unwrinkling plan?

thanks again

7991LXnSHO · Mar 31, 2022

This is why you get more than one quote.
Who is at fault for the damage? That’s going to make a difference if you are fighting your insurance or if they take care of you and then fight the other company.

A repair shop that is certified with the insurance company is on the hook to get it right. That will cost more, but you have some leverage if the try to mess with you or just not do the job.

Most replacement parts are going to have some filler skimmed over parking lot or shipping damages. Shipping/storage dings are also true for new parts. If they can get it close, your hinges are checked and repaired as needed, and you get to keep your car, it’s probably not a big deal.

limp · Apr 2, 2022

General karthief said:
Be careful, you are not in good hands and they are not your friends, find out if you get a clear title,

Do you really think you can Trust John Morgan??

damaged door and fender, replacement options?

mostsmooth

Active Member

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

jozsefsz

mostsmooth

Active Member

Attachments

mostsmooth

Active Member

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

mostsmooth

Active Member

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

mostsmooth

Active Member

TIGGER

Chythar

Recently finished repairing my rear

mostsmooth

Active Member

7991LXnSHO

wanna catch the space herp

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

Similar threads

damaged door and fender, replacement options?

Active Member

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

Active Member

Attachments

Active Member

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

Active Member

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

Active Member

Recently finished repairing my rear

Active Member

wanna catch the space herp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency