Crash repair protocols

Mr Burns

I had a minor low speed tip in my car last week. Need to replace the headlight, bumper and wing.

Now I can source all the parts cheaply myself new. Now will a crash repairer fit them for me or will I have to fore go the cheap parts that I can source elsewhere and let them order them in? Would a repairer be bothered if you supplied your own parts? He will still have to remove the old parts, fit the new ones and then spray them.

From speaking to a few repairers, I get the distinct impression they only want insurance jobs, as that is the very first question they ask.

Opinions please?

The_Rev

My wife recently damaged her own car and it was exactly the same senario. However, if you can source your own parts then you must know a thing or two about them? Why not try and do the actual removal & re-fixing of the parts yourself? This way all you really will need is someone who will spray paint the car for you?!
When you get down to it, it really isn't that difficult and you never know you might just enjoy the challenge!
And the insurance should (if you are going down that road) cover the cost of all this based on the quoted cost from the repairers that you have been speaking to.

Mr Burns

There is no insurance involved as this was a 50-50 job. It is a 100% cash job which is what seems to be dissapointing the crash repairers.

It is a mark 6 escort and the parts can be readily ordered on line. The wing is spot welded on so that is where I wouldn't have a clue on what to do tbh. I would prefer to source the parts myself and have someone else fit them/spary and tidy it up.

Are there any people out there that would undertake such a job?

mickdw

You will find someone to do your job. The big guys are too greedy to do a job for a reasonable price. They want the 'think of a figure and then double it Insurance jobs'.
I dont see a problem with you ordering the parts but they might bump up the labour slightly to make up for the small profit they would have out of the parts if buying them for you.

You should first of all find someone willing to do non insurance jobs, then get a quote for your work including parts. They may well be getting the parts alot cheaper than you and so even with profit on the parts it might not be worth your while getting them yourself.

When you see the quote, Compare parts with your own prices and work from there.
Given that you car is 8 years old or more, it might be worth considering parts from a breakers. The body shop might source these for you and that way it would surely be cheaper. Breakers parts would also be a better fit than non genuine parts from the net.

Mr.Diagnostic

mickdw wrote: »

You will find someone to do your job. The big guys are too greedy to do a job for a reasonable price. They want the 'think of a figure and then double it Insurance jobs'.

In the case of an insurance job the bodyshop is not in control of the price. The cost to fit each part is preset. The system is called Glasmatics.

I imagine some bodyshops would allow the OP to supply the parts but probably very few. Its kinda like bringing a burger into mc donalds and asking them to cook it for you.

Would it be fair for the bodyshop to charge a premium on the labour to cover the cost of lost profit on the parts? Its the same thing as a restaurant charging corkage.

Another thing to remember is that spurious body panels dont always fit as well as origional. If the gaps are wrong it would be the customers problem.

The_Rev

Is Glasmatics used by the repair shops themselves or just the insurance firms motor assessors?

I didn't realise the repair shops had access to that system?

Even so, with my last incident, I priced every single part that was to be replaced as new from 3 different main toyota dealers, added a huge labour cost for the work involved and still didn't come close to what the "big guy" was quoting the insurance company, and this was the insurance companys preffered repairer!

In the end I received a settlement cheque and gave the job to a local garage recommended to me and saved a few bob for myself, which i told the insurance company about and was told to "just keep it".

Mr Burns

I have now got a few quotes for the repair. One guy wants €1600! :eek:
I went to an indepandant guy who wants €600 for the job. I can't see how there can be €1000 difference in the prices quoted. Both places using genuine ford parts.
Here is a pic of the damage.

Opinions please?