Monday, July 16, 2012

Just Not Feelin' It



Obama's throwing bombs, Romney not so much.  I wish Romney WOULD throw a few bombs... and The Deity At Hand knows he has enough material... but it's still early days.  Romney needs to be smart about it, too... not like the latest dumb-assedness from the Obama campaign, i.e., "Romney might be a felon."   Yeah, and Obama might be smart, too.  There's about an equal chance of either premise being true.

So now it's off to the shower and then off to The Big(ger) City™ to see what it's gonna cost to fix The Tart.  Which is part of the reason I'm just not feelin' it today.

Update, approx 1415 hrs:  Aiiieee.  Both SN1 & SN2 were right and I was wrong... this ain't jes a lil $150 or $200 ding, it's a frickin' $724.50 MAJOR PROJECT, which means The Tart will be in the shop for three or four days or even a week, worst case.  It seems like the whole damned left side of the car will have to be disassembled, the bumper has to come off and the clear coat has to be re-sprayed up to and including the driver's side door.  So much for a lil ding.

I originally thought I'd get this fixed on my dime and save an insurance claim, but after speaking to USAA I've decided to claim it.  There's a possibility my deductible could be halved due to the hit and run nature of the damage, but I have to wait and see.  But $500 is still cheaper than $724.50.

Sigh.  It's always SUMTHIN'.

16 comments:

  1. I thought it would be about that price range, but not knowing the cost of things in your neat of the woods, I couldn't be certain. That really sucks. There are places that can remove dents "pointless" that is usually cheaper, but I don't know how well it would go with that kind of dent. Being in the crease along with it creasing the metal a different way makes for a lot of work. The paint is also damaged, but the good part, sort of, is the paint will blend well given the young age of the tart.

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    1. You're right on all counts, Anon. The guys at the shop told me I could go get a quote from the "paintless" dent-removal guys but that I'd prolly not be satisfied with the outcome. I trust these people, coz they did me right with the work they did on TGH.

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  2. Friends/neighbors 2006 Volks Bug was rear-ended at a stop sign. It was drivable, so he RTB'd before taking it to get an estimate the next day. Both the rear bumper assembly (actually entire rear of car below back hatch to include fender & lights) and back hatch were buckled. I looked at it and foolishly est approx $2-3,000 damage off top of my head. Actual cost? $6,000+ I don't know what the resale value of a 2006 Beetle is (But I DO know geography is a factor--in SoCal if you try to rent a retro VW Bug from some speciality rental companies in exclusive zip codes like Marina Del Ray/Santa Monica/Venice area the weekly cost is the same or greater than that of a Benz or BMW such is the Bug craze on the Left Coast! Blew our collective minds when we first est a second home in SoCal after Katrina.) but 6 grand MUST be a big chunk of it. Tis a puzzlement..

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    1. The cost of EVERY-frickin'-thing is up these days, Virg. WStill and even, that sounds like a lot to fix a Bug.

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  3. PS: The really sad part of the story was that he had only bought it two weeks before for his collage age daughter and it was in PERFECT condition w.o a scratch on it and good leather inside w.less than 60,000 miles on it!

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    1. Tell me about "sad." I had less than 1K miles on The Tart...

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  4. Black is Black, I want my baby back16 July, 2012 19:49

    By removing the bumper, they will gain access behind the dent, which will make the job go fast. Removing the bumper is a real bitch though. Still, I'd estimate an 10 hour job, with 3 days to let the paint dry. That would put you in the 800 dollar range with materials and labor. Sadly most body shops only work about 3 hours a day and the rest is goofing off.

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    1. As noted above: I like and trust these guys, Black. They've done great work for me in the past and always delivered on-time and at or below estimated cost.

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  5. Not "I don't get it." I do get it. You have a dent. But entropy happens. You'd spend (or your insurance company would, on your behalf, spend) pret' near a grand to reverse that bit of local entropy? Bleh.

    Nice car, though. A car. You use it, it will move towards disorder.

    I ain't bought a new vehicle since a GL 1200 I ended up dropping hard in Ojai in 1986. Even that was a floor demo.

    Somebody's got to buy the new Caddies, RVs, cycles, etc. I suppose. You're enjoying it I hope, you deserve it as you've worked so hard and been so frugal for so long. As Bob Brinker would say, it is time for you to spend on yourself! One of these days I'll join you-- perhaps a new RV, but never a new car.

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    1. Different strokes, eh, Bob? I've bought used cars and new cars and I prefer new. They smell better. ;-)

      I'm actually leasing The Tart; she'll be used when I buy her at the end of my lease. So there: best of BOTH worlds.

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  6. We used paintless dent removal on the Toyota after a hail storm. It was great, but it was a Camry and hail storm - not a Caddy with a serious ding.

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  7. About 3 years ago I hit a car parked next to me by backing up and swinging my car too wide (please, no comments, I've head them all). I crumpled my front bumper slightly and dinged the headlight casing, plus a bit of scratching on the front panel. No damage to the hood. Cost nearly $3,000 to repair it.

    It's a great racket actually; when you own a nice car like a Caddy (or like me, an Acura) - they know you want to keep it nice. So, they'll charge you for the priviledge.

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    1. (please, no comments, I've head them all)

      My lips are sealed. ;-)

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  8. My heart hurts for you and The Tart.

    Pepper came home with a Caddy once upon a time in the early 90s. It had leather seats and a built in mobile phone, -- one of the first. I named it "Slick." He was not amused.

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Just be polite... that's all I ask.