Hi,

my 2008 Cooper S decided to fight with a deer. The deer lost, but my car took a lot of damage on the a pillar.
A lot of people tell me that the car will never be the same after it was fixed. Do some of you have some experience with body work on a MINI?

Thanks

 

Rear ended twice. Car handles the same, no electrical problems. Only change is the number of times I look in the rear view when i am stopped.

 

I hit a deer. Luckily, damage was pretty minor all things considered. Replaced hood and some trim bits, one headlight. After a spin at VIR, my front bumper cover is currently torn up and I'm saving up some $$$ for a paint job (got the parts already).

Most frustrating part was getting the paint right. I actually had the shop redo the paint and address some gap issues after the first go round (had to replace a hood hinge).

Overall, the MINI has been fine through it all. Like most things in life, I think you get what you pay for, so just check your expectations.

And oh yeah, here ya' go for your troubles:

 

1 front end rear fender bender and 1 one front end road sign. Go with a certified MINI/BMW body shop<-------that is personal experience.

 

Nothing major got hurt i.e. running gear or drivetain, but the bill was $5800, could have patched the radiator but they replaced it and anything else that even the slightest damage a first class job by a MINI certified body shop, I have no complaints looks like new to me.

 

Front end hit pretty good, mini dealer fixed it, I forget the cost but it was as good as new and better than before (no pits in front paint). Car handles perfect, like new.

 

Where is orangecrush when you need him?

 

I got the quote today its $3500 so not too bad. I think it looked worth than it was. My girlfriend bought a VW and i was thinking about trading in the damaged MINI for a GTI, but the MINI has so much more charm i will stick with it :P

 

Have any pictures of the wreck? I used to sling parts for MINI so I'm pretty familiar with the a lot of the parts and prices that are repaired in a wreck like that. I may be able to help if you have any questions.

 

I hit a deer earlier this year. It was $5250 worth of damage to my front end - bumper, hood, radiator, and some other stuff. I had the repairs done at a certified BMW place, and I can't complain. Everything they did was top notch. Granted, nothing really significant in the car's drivetrain was hurt, but thought I'd share my experience.

 

I do body work for one of the biggest Chevy dealers in Houston. We do all makes from BMW to chevy and everything in-between. If the shop has a reputation, the car will be as CLOSE to pre-accident condition as it can. A lot depends on your insurance company and if they chose to put OEM aftermarket or used parts on your car. I've fixed some completely hammered vehicles that should have totalled and they are still tight, and airleak free when I'm done. It's all about the shop. Don't let someone who doesn't work on European cars work on it.

 

After hitting a deer, I think the paint color looks OK, but I am going to go back and ask that they realign the hood (which they replaced). I'm guessing the hinge is slightly bent, too.

 

Late???

 

Only by a couple weeks