This is a great post. I do have one thing that I have been told by a few shops in my area. Note this was not for the MINI as it is not driven much in bad weather. I am in New York and salt is everywhere. I have been told with certain repairs that they where adding manhours because they know from experience that the corrosion was going to add time. Or they added a fee to cover bolts etc. that would have to be cut / drilled due to rust.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience. Clear communication and staying involved in the process really do make a big difference.