Ouch!

[big-boss]

BMW 745 verse KMP 498--BMW Wins

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by big-boss

BMW 745 verse KMP 498--BMW Wins

It makes you want to cry. Don't think twice though -- put it on a truck and ship it back to the Kirkham bros. and it can be put back exactly the way it looked before. I know. I had my ERA "lightly kissed" from behind in bumper to bumper traffic and it cracked the fiberglass. I put it on a truck and sent it back up to the same people (Connecticut Custom) with the instructions to put it back exactly the way it was when it left their shop the first time. They did, and it is absolutely impossible to tell the difference. Real body pros, whether they be glass or aluminum, are like Houdini. Trust me, the sooner you get it on a truck the better you'll feel.

[RON N BKFLD]

Don't have to worry about matching paint, +++++ Ron

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by RON N BKFLD

Don't have to worry about matching paint, +++++ Ron

Exactly. The Kirkhams can fix it, no sweat. Get some upgrades while you're there. It will make you happy again.

BTW, someone almost hit me from behind once because they were too busy trying to take a pic of my car with their cellphone and almost couldn't keep they're foot on the brake at a stoplight.

[*13*]

A gallon of bondo will fix that right up!

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

The Kirkhams can fix it, no sweat.

How do you go about fixing banged-in aluminum like that? Do you cut it out? Heat it up and whack it somehow?

[elmariachi]

Originally Posted by patrickt

How do you go about fixing banged-in aluminum like that? Do you cut it out? Heat it up and whack it somehow?

They could tell you, but because you own an ERA, they'd have to then kill you.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by *13*

A gallon of bondo will fix that right up!

No, no it won't


Bill S.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by elmariachi

They could tell you, but because you own an ERA, they'd have to then kill you.

Out of courtesy to the OP, I am not taking advantage of the situation to point out the benefits of a glass car.

[elmariachi]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Out of courtesy to the OP, I am not taking advantage of the situation to point out the benefits of a glass car.

Yep, and I am sure the company who insured the Bimmer will be quite shocked when they see the estimate provided by the folks in Utah.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by elmariachi

Yep, and I am sure the company who insured the Bimmer will be quite shocked when they see the estimate provided by the folks in Utah.

Yeah, but it's called "the egg-shell plaintiff" rule. You bust it, you pay to fix it, regardless of how fragile or expensive that may be.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by patrickt

How do you go about fixing banged-in aluminum like that? Do you cut it out? Heat it up and whack it somehow?

While I'm not one of the experts at Kirkham, I think that's about right. I'm aware of a Kirkham, which had some minor accident damage, that I believe was cut out, new piece or pieces welded back in and then smoothed into shape. You couldn't tell anything had happened, unless of course, you looked underneath where it may have shown some seams. Assuming, I recall the info correctly.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

You couldn't tell anything had happened, unless of course, you looked underneath where it may have shown some seams.

Does California recognize diminution of value claims?

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Out of courtesy to the OP, I am not taking advantage of the situation to point out the benefits of a glass car.

So, your saying cracked fiberglass with paint matching would be better? I think you take an Advil either way. The Kirkhams are awesome at fixing this kind of stuff. May I refer you to the Larry Ellison billet car?

Also, there's a CC member here that had a dent banged out of his Kirkham for free by an employee of the Kirkhams at, I think, the Western States Cobra Bash, if I remember correctrly. A few years back.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Does California recognize diminution of value claims?

Wouldn't that also happen with fiberglass, when viewed from underneath? I remember people at Corvette shows constantly checking for seams under my Corvette.

[RodKnock]

From Ron (Igofastr):

"Took my car to COBRA BASH (number 2, was it?) with the left rear fender pushed in quit a bit...long story, my fault. As I pulled into the parking structure, Joe and "Sandwich" noticed my car and waved. They walked over, eyeing the sizable dent, and said "Hey, we can fix that." I said thanks, that would be great!......and eventually got to the "how much?" part of the discussion. "Don't worry about it, we just have to get our tools."

Mind you, I hadn't bought the car directly from the Kirkhams.

Next thing I know, they're making arrangements to have their tools airlifted to the Reno airport overnight.

The next day, I get up fairly early (for me on vacation anyway) and wander out to the parking structure. I couldn't believe it, the dent was already gone, and Sandwich was just sanding the remains of the file marks out....you now can't tell that there was ever anything wrong with that fender. I offered to pay, or at least buy them breakfast, they refused, and said that they just like to take care of "their" cars."

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Wouldn't that also happen with fiberglass, when viewed from underneath? I remember people at Corvette shows constantly checking for seams under my Corvette.

On my car I can't tell that there's been any repair (and I know where to look too). In fact, if I were told to find the ding in the fiberglass on my car by looking underneath, I would guess that it's somewhere other than where it really is. If, after the repair is performed, you can tell that a repair has been performed, then the OP is entitled to a diminution of value payment (in my book, at least), because the car is not the same, and never will be.

[elmariachi]

Originally Posted by patrickt

If, after the repair is performed, you can tell that a repair has been performed, then the OP is entitled to a diminution of value payment (in my book, at least), because the car is not the same, and never will be.

Some interesting case law reading on this subject for all 50 states here:

http://www.mwl-law.com/CM/Resources/...imuinution.pdf

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by patrickt

On my car I can't tell that there's been any repair (and I know where to look too). In fact, if I were told to find the ding in the fiberglass on my car by looking underneath, I would guess that it's somewhere other than where it really is. If, after the repair is performed, you can tell that a repair has been performed, then the OP is entitled to a diminution of value payment (in my book, at least), because the car is not the same, and never will be.

I don't disagree with you about the diminution of value, and I'm not an alloy expert, but isn't seaming aluminum the manner in which a Kirkham is built when it's built in Poland?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

I don't disagree with you about the diminution of value, and I'm not an alloy expert, but isn't seaming aluminum the manner in which a Kirkham is built when it's built in Poland?

Believe it or not, you have stumbled in to an area that I know absolutely nothing about. But if this was my car, I would give the Kirkham bros. the exact same instructions that I gave Connecticut Custom -- "make the car look exactly like it did when it was first built." I'm sure the Kirkham bros. can do it, it'll just cost a good bit. But in my book, the owner of the BMW should pay for all of those repairs.