Hey all,

To my dismay, some @$$hole swiped my JCW in the front passenger-side corner. Scraped the paint, pushed in a PDC sensor and dented the bumper. One of the plastic rivets that hold the wheel trim in place was barely hanging on.

I'm definitely supremely pissed off but trying to be logical. I could not have done anything to stop it from happening, and whoever did it, knew they did it and didn't stick around.

Any advice on where to get the bodywork done? Is it worth involving insurance? I have no experience with body shops.

Thanks for any advice.

 

Where are you located? I could make a recommendation for my area, but if you're not reasonably local it would be a waste of time. I would definitely get it fixed, and it's a good bet it's gonna cost more than your deductible.

 

I'm near the North Shore of Boston. I realize it is "cosmetic," but the damn thing is brand new, with 4K miles on it. It's my first MINI and while I am a parent (I know I can't have nice things), but damn it! I want it fixed.

 

I had my car for less than two weeks when a Tahoe backed into me, dead center. Luckily his insurance covered it. Ended up costing over $3500 to set things right. Get it fixed. That's why you why you have insurance.

 

Yeah...That IS what insurance is for...I just submitted the claim.

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO........:e ek:

I feel your pain...

 

I used Olenders in Vernon, CT but that's quite a trip for you. They did an amazing job when a lady pulled out into direct traffic and did over $9K in damage to my R53!

I feel your pain and frustration that the person did this didn't leave a note

 

Compared to you, my damage is minor. I'll get it fixed, and pay my deductible. Whomever did it should have left a note. Cowards.

 

Oh No! Sorry this happened. Although superficial, that will come at quite a cost.

I hope when it's all done she will look good as new!

 

I live in Newton, MA and my F60 was hit in a parking lot the first month and then rear ended (minor but damage like yours and sensor was toast) while stopped at a stoplight a couple months ago. Thankfully the person that hit me in the parking lot had left a note on my windshield (there are still good people out there) so both were paid by the others insurance. Still no fun to have my F60 in the shop twice in it's first 5 months.

Anyhow, I used Today's Collision in Chelsea, MA both times and was happy with them. They also have locations in Stoneham and Malden.

I found them by calling MINI of Peabody to see who they send their cars to. I wanted to go to a shop that was familiar with MINIs.

Good luck!

 

Thanks, those are some great ideas/pointers! Gonna shop around this morn.

 

That's easily a 3-4k job. Brutal. How people can't successfully navigate through a parking lot at 5mph or less is beyond me. This happens to us all though. A good body shop will get you sorter out though. If you're unsure where to take it ask your local BMW dealership.

 

I hate that, can't have anything these days. Someone scraped our Lexus IS 350 in Orlando back in March, the rear corner, when we were on vacay. No note.
Yeah, some people are just no damn good.
At least it won't mess up up how well the car drives
Best of Luck,

 

Make sure you file a diminished value claim with your insurance too. That's to cover the loss you'll take on a trade-in or sale because the accident will show up on CarFax. After the work is done the company will send an adjuster out to look at the car and make you an offer. IIRC on my car it amounted to ~$800.

 

Also check your policy. Some allow you to make a claim against the "uninsured motorist" clause in the policy (typically has a lower deductible and will not cause your insurance rates to go up, but does vary by state)

 

I still have the new car parking syndrome. I park as far away as I can in parking lots to avoid this crap. I'm sure it will eventually go away, but nothings worse than spending all this money on our cars and be destroyed in such a short time.

 

I do the same thing. I also do it as an excuse to walk more.

Hmm...maybe it's time to get in-car cameras...

 

Hoping to get the Mini back this week. The latest estimate from the body shop: $3,240.08.

Once I get it back my 4-way dashcam setup's going in. If it happens again, I hope to catch the **** and make them pay!

 

Yikes, thats a lot. Paint and bodywork takes $$$, its a lot of time and work. MINI has a dashcam set up here:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-standard.html






This is popular in russia.

 

I just finished installing dual Thinkware F800 Pros in a 4-channel setup. One F800 is Front and Left, while the other is set up as a Rear and Right. Each 2-channel camera pair has its own Cellink Battery B v2 to run from during parking mode, otherwise, they run in continuous mode during regular driving.

 

Any good detailer or body shop that isn't a RIPOFF can knock this out without breaking the bank.
I had similar damages to my JCW that were estimated @ approx $400 and fixed same in my driveway for about $20 worth of parts and chemicals. Labor charges were PRICELESS.
ISAMIN