(Long) Tale of woe: BMW was a mess :-(

snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH) wrote in news:1h0vyem.1nddutj1q39uvxN% snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk:

Yes the condition wouldn't have surprised me had it been one I'd picked out of the autotrader, but I hadn't seen it and was relying on description, more fool me! Even now, he's relisted it and put 'minor stone chips'. That is not true. Whether or not the chipping is normal for a car of it's age/mileage is another matter. It probably is, but the fact remains that it does not have minor stone chips, they are major and very great in number! As the price, I'd expected to lose the bidding and for the car to sell for a lot more, based on my (bad) perception of it's condition. But it didn't and I think this was because all the other serious bidders had seen the car.

Bottom line is I cocked up by bidding for it without going to look at it. I have sworn never to do this again, so a lesson learnt, methinks!

You don't have to crack the window. Just scrape the brick along it. I got my windscreen changed because it had a tiny stonechip in my line of sight. The windscreen people couldn't care less as they are getting their money anyway.

Steven.

"PC Paul" wrote in news:JD6Je.12039$ snipped-for-privacy@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk:

Hehe...use a pickaxe, then. Worked for my dad, years ago ;-)

An automatic centre pop also works well. So I understand. :-)

No. That's not the case. Any good professional sprayer would have little trouble in spraying a panel to match the ones adjacent to it. I did say a good sprayer though. We've all seen examples of bad spraying where a careful look can see that the resprayed panel doesn't *quite* match the rest of the car.

Proof if needed, is the resprayed bonnet on my car. Metallic silver. It is a perfect match in colour and texture to the top of the wings right next to it. If I hadn't been told I wouldn't have known. I'd probably still be wondering how such a high mileage car could have such a stonechip free bonnet. :-) Even knowing, I can't find any evidence of it being done. No overspray or masking lines. Nothing to indicate it's been done at all.

I also had the sides of my metallic silver SD1 resprayed some years ago, when I had a wheel arch repaired. Just the doors and wings. The rest of the car was OK. Similarly well done. The guy even managed to blend the rear wings in with the 'C' post that continued to the roof. Even the blend was invisible, something that's quite difficult to do I understand. Especially on metallic finishes. Mike.

what... like.... Wales?

Around the parts we live, yes.

Bad form.....

But you Northern Monkeys couldn't afford to ;-)

Remember - I've been there...

... whatever happened to a meet up? Can't go thrashing my car until the wheel bearing is done but a meet for meat would be great...

In article , Stu writes

It's usually better, when buying an older car (ten years old in this case) to go for one with a highish mileage as it's likely to have seen more motorway miles, which is much better for the engine than pootling around town.

Was there one Tim S Kemp listed as a previous owner, by any chance?

"Mike G" wrote in news:42f4fdba$0$91495$ snipped-for-privacy@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net:

Not that you've ever tested this theory yourself, Mike ;-)

This I didn't know, because I once asked for a price for a scratched rear door respraying and was told it had to be blended with the adjacent panels.

So what's the average cost of having a large bonnet properly resprayed, these days? It sounds like something worth taking into account.

ooh - bitch!

At least my cars can get to ludicrous speeds without the need to /fix it again tony/

And? The description didn't match the item. Would Stu have bid on it if it was described as it actually was?

A seller often describes something a buyer doesn't agree with. It's called advertising. Unless you expect to believe everything you see advertised on TV, etc - and that's controlled.

IMHO, the car was in fair condition for the age, mileage and price. But then I'd not buy a car unseen off Ebay, or anywhere else. I'd go to a proper auction, where you can see it before bidding.

But I've bought and sold plenty via Ebay, and not had problems. But not cars.

Worst one I've heard of was in Kidderminster.. they smashed a side window but only got about 38p in change and a plastic folding rain hat...

Oh. And a tape of Postman Pat stories.

well at least the can buy 38p of mixed sweets to eat while the listen to postman-pat

That's not true. Blending as I understand the term, is where a panel is only part sprayed. The new paint has to gradually 'blend' in with the old paint, without a noticeable change. It's actually easier to spray a complete door, wing, bonnet whatever. That wasn't possible on my SD1, because the rear wing, C post and roof were all part of the same panel. Another thing that makes it easier, is that new paint can never completely match old paint. The difference could be vitually imperceptible, so a break between two very slightly different colours is all that's needed to fool the eye into thinking they are exactly the same.

I've no doubt there are those that are more qualified than I to answer that question. Dave Plowman for one. He's just had his SD1 EFi resprayed.

I would guess that for a bonnet you'd be looking at somewhere between £100 and £200, but ask around, some of the best guys could be tucked away on an estate, or barn somewhere, like the guy who did my SD1 Vitesse. He had made up a spray booth in a farmers barn. Alongside tractors and other farm machinery. Up to his neck in work, purely on recommendations. That he charged considerably less than most garages or spray shops might have had something to do with that of course. :-)

Prices do vary. I had a Celica front wing resprayed about 2 years ago for £80, which would be considered cheap, although they made a good job of it.

Having more than one panel sprayed at the same time is usually cheaper than having them sprayed at different times.

As far as scratches go. I've never used them, but I've heard good reports about those mobile professional scratch removal guys who advertise in yellow pages etc.

No good for heavy stone chipping on a bonnet of course but they might be a cheaper alternative than spraying for the sort of scratches you described on the E34.

Assuming a car was mechanically sound, and providing it was reflected in the price, I wouldn't be too worried about a few scratches or a chipped bonnet. Even the odd dent or two. They're easily fixed. I'd be more worried about uneven panel gaps, rust, or signs of obvious neglect. Mike.

"Mike G" wrote in news:42f55399$0$24024$ snipped-for-privacy@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net:

I see. Good information, will bear it in mind.

I can see now that it isn't worth dismissing a car for one damaged panel. But I do still feel that it required a full respray and thought that it would be very expensive. As far as neglect goes, such severe stone chipping *is* a sign of neglect, IMHO. As someone mentioned, it's a sign of tailgating and this is not the driving method of a conscientious owner. It suggests aggression and impatience and is far too a common problem on todays roads, IMO.

As far as mechanical condition goes, I'll never know. Difficult to check mechanical condition with the car in a parking space. A book full of stamps looks good but they are, after all, only stamps. If I was having a car professionaly serviced for the history, I'd keep the actual receipts. Much better evidence. When my dad had company cars, several different dealers were used for servicing. If a service was ever late or missed, they'd simply stamp the book and mark it with the appropriate mileage (but not the actual mileage). I would never put any faith in a FSH from a main dealer, especially if the stamps had been issued by the same place.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that. There's a difference between someone who is not too concerned about stone chips on the bonnet, and one who neglects routine maintenance. I don't think one necessarily equates with the other. The former might not realise why the bonnet is chipped, so doesn't modify his driving to reduce it, so I don't think you can read too much into a stone chipped bonnet. Mike.