Pissed off - on a scale of 1-10: about 8.5

In the UK if you budget at 300 gbp per panel you won't be far out. Surprisingly that doesn't seem to vary much with the damage to that panel assuming it can be repaired. So it's obviously the actual paint preparation that takes the time rather than the repair of that damage even if it's only sanding out paint chips or knocking out a dent.

You'll need to explain this. The 'oven' will obviously have air circulation to aid the drying process, but it's the heat which does the main work. Otherwise they'd do it at ambient temp and save the not inconsiderable cost.

They use sort of heat lamps. You couldn't heat a car to the temperature used in the factory without ruining the leather upholstery, electronics etc. But you could do this to a bonnet.

Yes actually that's it a giant hair dryer assembly - not much heat with water based paints. The Spray booths are being re-kitted to accommodate the new technology of water based paints. Thinners are actually distilled water (pure) and not much is used as the paint is generally close to spraying viscosity from the tin. Sometimes the paint is heated slightly as one would do with commercial enamels (coach paint as used on commercial vehicles ICI called it BELCO IIRC?).

The "oven" or drying chamber as it is now has warm air blowing on the painted parts to "cure" or "dry" the paint.

The old 2 pack Acrylics are being phased out as are the low bake additives but I can't tell you the time scale but I do know that Cellulose or rather Nitro-Cellulose paint will be phased out within 10 years possibly 8 and the 2 pack Iso-Cyonates are banned now (I think) but someone else can put us right on this.

Sir Hugh of Bognor

The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys. Intelligence is not knowing the answer but knowing where and how to find it!

Hugh Gundersen snipped-for-privacy@h-gee.co.uk Bognor Regis, W.Sussex, England, UK

Never the less the whole car goes in an oven. I've just had one car done. Car trim materials have to stand very high temperatures anyway - just what do you think happens when you leave your car in the sun on a hot day?

Question should be "why not tenty-one", to be consistent.

Oddly (oddly, geddit, 11 is an odd number) you could ask a similar or related question in other languages

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Fading...

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Bimmers don't have any priviledge over anybody else. Full stop. Don't complain about that. Should you have made reference to the pavement in your comparison, it'd have been better.

However, I perfectly understand your rage and I sympathize with you. It's never a pleasure to get one's car damaged even with a barely visible mark.

I hope you will find a good painter. Does your insurance company cover this damage ? If yes, don't let them choose the workshop. Good luck

"DCA" a écrit dans le message news: _2ysh.15863$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe6-win.ntli.net...

Why not? As long as it's a manufacturer's approved bodyshop? Not every main dealership's garage has its own bodyshop anyway!

Could save a lot of hassle with payments.

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

By experience, when I let my car to the insurance agreed garage, often not a 'big' workshop but an independant with 2 or 3 guys and limited facilities, he prefers to perform handwork instead of changing the parts. Far less expensive for him but same hole in the wallet with the result of a pretty lower quality. It's the same with the paint: orange skin. I had once to complain to the company asking him to redo the job.

Last time I had a dent with the Z3, I let the car in Monaco. The other company was paying the bill ! Perfect work.

There's a big difference between 'insurance company approved' and 'manufacturer approved' !

Bye

"Dori A Schmetterling" a écrit dans le message news: snipped-for-privacy@pipex.net...

I had a scrape on the rear wing done at my main dealer. Paid for it myself - wasn't worth losing my no claims bonus. They farm it out - but everything is done through them. The colour match was poor and you could see sanding marks under the paint. I eventually settled for most of the cost back. Recently I had two further scrapes on the same side done which the insurance paid for and I got them to do that wing as well which I paid for. Perfect match. But not a main dealer...

As an aside, no car I've ever owned has suffered so much damage as this one. Always happens when parked - I've never hit anything with it.

I'd agree. But not in the way you'd think. I've just had my 'other' car resprayed and the paint finish on that is far superior to the factory one on my E39 which is poor.

E.g. I had to have a side-panel respray (black metallic, another famous German brand) under insurance. Choice was to go

a) with the insurer (Norwich Union)-nominated bodyshop and have no paperwork involvement including the courtesy car (just needed to pay the excess) or

b) via the main dealer, get a quote, approval and various hassles and I did not even ask about the courtesy car...

I chose (a) especially when I discovered that the insurer's bodyshop was one of two in the area used as contractor by the main dealer.

No hassle, no fuss, satisfactory job.

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

re placement panel though. Make it ~ £550

crap - not an accident - its a collision and there is blatant blame and therefore negligence. Tripping up and falling against a car is an accident!

Wrong - I just came back from the body shop - the sides of cars were being 'set' with a portable wall of infra-red lamps - and this was in the open area. No oeven for this one.

Course we do!!!!!! :) Yes - my insurance covers it They selected my main BMW dealership - so I'll not be arguing there!!!