My Baby got a nose job this weekend | FerrariChat
Buy

My Baby got a nose job this weekend

Discussion in '206/246' started by need4speed, Nov 27, 2006.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. need4speed

    need4speed Formula 3

    Nov 3, 2003
    1,616
    Pacific Palisades
    #1 need4speed, Nov 27, 2006
    One second, the car was in the median. The next, the car is making a left and is in front of me. To my right, the curb. To my left, another vehicle. Slam on the brakes with nowhere to go but straight. I notice the driver is an elderly woman and doesn't even see me/us coming. The car to my left was able to swerve around her. I'm not so lucky. After the impact, I run out to see if the woman is OK. She's fine. No airbags went off. I was moving around 35mph so I'm fine. But my baby has a flattened nose. All the way back to the front tires. Doesn't help that there's very little up front. I don't even have the spare in there.

    The shock of the impact caused paint damage at the back of the passenger door!

    This happened on Saturday and being that body shops are closed, I was wondering what to do with the car. It just so happens that an owner of a bodyshop lives right where my accident happened. He offered to store the car over the weekend. I went and checked out his shop and he has a 456, 355, and a 550. An Elise and a Boxster among other Euro cars. All modern cars. His work looks great.

    I'm torn between going back to my shop or trying this new shop. The reason I'm even thinking of not going back to my old shop is carelessness. My old shop is known for Pebble Beach quality restorations. And they've done several Dinos. But I've gotten my car back with window switches upside down. The felt strip at the base of the window bunched up. There's always a "new" issue with my electrical each time I get my car back. The most recent are blinking headlights when I turn and the interior lights not working when the doors open. Also, my latest bump was repaired but I can see swirls from the buffing wheel. And the worst issue, they replaced my ammeter gauge with a modern unit saying that they couldn't get my old gauge to read correctly. Then they didn't give me my old gauge back. I had to ask them for it. It took them a while but they now have my old gauge and told me I can pick it up when I drop my car off to take care of all of the above mentioned issues.

    What would you do? Stay with an experienced but careless shop. Or try a new shop who's willing to go the extra mile to get your business. By "extra mile" I mean new leather upholstery for my worn seats. Again, my car is a driver, not meant to be a concourse queen.

    Thanks for you inputs

    PS. If I knew how to get photos off of my cellphone, I'd post pics.
     
  2. jselevan

    jselevan Formula 3

    Nov 2, 2003
    1,873
    #2 jselevan, Nov 27, 2006
    need4speed - sorry about your predicament.

    HOWEVER, the answer to your question is rather obvious, and it lies in the oxymoron of "...Pebble Beach quality..." and "...replaced my ammeter gauge...".

    Enough said.

    Jim S.
     
  3. dignini

    dignini Formula 3

    Aug 21, 2005
    1,348
    NJ
    Full Name:
    Luigi Marazzi
    #3 dignini, Nov 27, 2006
    Have you talked things over with you regular shop?
    Listed all the items they've missed and what was their reaction?
     
  4. need4speed

    need4speed Formula 3

    Nov 3, 2003
    1,616
    Pacific Palisades
    #4 need4speed, Nov 27, 2006
    They are always ready to fix any issues. But my point is it shouldn't have happened in the first place. Since it's a pain in the butte to drop off and pick up the car.
     
  5. dignini

    dignini Formula 3

    Aug 21, 2005
    1,348
    NJ
    Full Name:
    Luigi Marazzi
    #5 dignini, Nov 27, 2006
    If you bent the nose, then bumpers, are gone, lights?, radiator, fans, battery, battery housing etc. Did spare wheel get pushed back? need to check frame alignment? Sounds like a big job. I'd be more concerned with the quality and accuracy of the frame/body work at this point rather than more mundane stuff. But it sounds like you are looking for reasons to drop them.
     
  6. need4speed

    need4speed Formula 3

    Nov 3, 2003
    1,616
    Pacific Palisades
    #6 need4speed, Nov 27, 2006
    Everything you mentioned is spot on. I've just not been happy with the service lately and am looking for options.

    I just got off the phone with State Farm and they have accepted full liability. I also got off the phone with someone who knows of the new shop and he advised against it. This person also worked at my current shop and he says a lot of the "talent" have passed away. He suggested another place in Newport Beach. I called them and they are booked solid for quite a while.

    I still haven't decided anything yet.
     
  7. celestialcoop

    celestialcoop Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Mar 20, 2006
    715
    Full Name:
    Coop
    #7 celestialcoop, Nov 27, 2006
    Firstly, I am glad to hear there are no injuries; I do appreciate your pain.

    Secondly, go get your car. AAA or private car trailer or...? Compensate the proprietor of the 'new' shop accordingly & get back with him.

    Thirdly, go get your gauge.

    OK. When Dino and its gauge are safely tucked away in your garage, fall back & regroup without obligation to anyone. Take as much time as State Farm will allow you to make an informed decision.

    Before you become overwhelmed with referrals and estimates, do some serious soul searching. Dialogue with other Dino owners who have faced similar situations, and look at your financial bottom line for this venture. How much are you inclined to spend beyond that which insurance covers to meet, or exceed, your goal? Grab a notebook; you'll need a large one before this project is done. Begin by jotting down the different scenarios that you will probably be presented with, from the ridiculous to the sublime. From your description, it sounds like there is still the potential for structural issues as well as cosmetic. After all, you want your Dino to be safe, handle as it should--and look awesome again.

    It's a big leap of faith to go with the 'new' shop. The fact that the proprietor lives near the accident location may have been serendipitous, or perhaps just coincidental. If you are considering someone else, having compensated this gent for his courtesy…and your peace of mind…will free you to make that choice with clear conscience. Hopefully, you'll receive several recommendations. That's what this board is all about. Factor those in, too. Though you mentioned you are not interested in a "concourse queen," it is a Dino & deserves a proper refurbishment to at-least-as-good-as-last-Friday condition. Will all prospectives work with you & do quality, not necessarily concourse, work? Ironically, ‘alberto’ recently opened up Pandora’s Box on that very concept: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=136261913#post136261913.
    I'm sure you will be faced with the dreaded 'While You're At It' syndrome that each of us has experienced. You know the one where seemingly minor repair work precesses into a major/complete resto project! As also mentioned in other threads, consider that a lot of time (money) can be saved by doing some of the disassembly and recon work yourself. A number of parts may have to be sourced and/or repaired. There's also the intangible measure of pleasure that comes with hands-on involvement. Is that an option? After all is said & done, you may even stay with the ‘old’ shop. That’s OK, too, if it’s right for you.

    Remember, yours has the potential of becoming a VERY expensive enterprise (it's gonna be expensive, at best) regardless of whom you select. If a ground-up resto was in the works anyway and money is no object, go for it. This may actually be a blessing in disguise. However, it sounds like you'd like to get your Dino on the road again without investing a huge co-payment to achieve that goal.

    Decisions, Decisions.

    ‘just a thought.
     
  8. shaughnessy

    shaughnessy Formula 3
    Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 1, 2004
    1,869
    Wolfeboro NH
    Full Name:
    Thomas E Shaughnessy
    #8 shaughnessy, Nov 27, 2006
    Give me a call I know most the local shops. Metal work is the tough part of this equation. No panels available FYI. Beckman will produce the best results. Scott at Hot rods and Hobbies is my second choice.

    949 378 8405 Shaughnessy
     
  9. synchro

    synchro F1 Veteran

    Feb 14, 2005
    9,294
    CHNDLR
    Full Name:
    Scott
    #9 synchro, Nov 28, 2006


    Scotty at Hot Rods 'n Hobbies quoted me $25 k to paint my USA version dino.
    He has done several in the last 6 years and they consistently win at concours.
     

Share This Page