My 04 R50 has side damage and I'm trying to determine what my options are. The reflector and plastic side strip are easy to locate. The issue obviously is the dented/scratched metal work.



1. I could try to locate a right rear quarter panel, but I have no idea how it is installed and if this is even a DIY type of task.

2. Patch it up with Bondo.

I'm planning on stopping by a body shop to see what they are suggesting. Does it make sense to try to locate a panel to be installed by a body shop?

I apologize for my silly questions, I just have never encounter this before.

Any advise would be helpful.

 

Everything comes down to price. It can be pulled out / fixed.

 

We have a few quarter panels available in case you are interested, I'll shoot you a PM.

 

It doesn't look like anything a reputable body shop couldn't fix...

 

Quarter panel would have to be cut out, tack welded in, and then sanded, repainted, etc...I'm not too sure of the whole process, but I know it'll be expensive if insurance won't cover it. Check your friendly local auto wreckers for rear fender trim, I've picked one up for $30 before.

Not sure if it's your aesthetic cup of tea, but my R53 has rear damage and I'm just going to drill some holes and drift stitch it. Why spend big bucks on a car that's only worth ~$4k?

Edit: Alternatively, stickers could also be of some use (a big band-aid sticker would be hilarious). When life gives you lemons...make a joke out of it?

 

I had a lady back into my e46. It was a small dent on the hood, easily accessible, I barely even noticed it when it happened as it was maybe the size of a silver dollar. $1k to do it right. The repair for that will be more than the car is worth. Try to pull it out on your own enough to mount up a flare. Then just have fun with it. Wrap it. Plastidip it. Turn it into an art car. Or learn how to do some bodywork on it

 

Suggestion from an old friend of mine: "Practice your breathing". Relax. A good paint & body shop can repair that w/o installing a new rear quarter panel. The rear seat, inner panel and wheel liner will need to be removed. They'll pull out the dent/s, prime and re-paint. Ask them if you can supply the trim pieces in order to save a little money.

 

Sorry for my misinformation! I didn't realize it was possible to do without replacing the whole fender. Do you think he could save some money by removing all the trim himself too? If so, it's not too difficult. A little frustrating the first time, but totally do-able.

Rear seat bench comes up with a yank up and towards the front of the car. Rear seat backs are removed by angling the rear seat ~45 degrees forward, loosening the screw in the middle a little, and using a big flathead screwdriver to push the bracket thing forward enough to pull the inner mounting point of the seat out of the bracket.

The inner trim panel isn't too difficult either, the B&C pillars come off with a few careful pries/pulls, the rear inner panel comes off with a few philips screws, a jimmy ~0.5" up off of the mounting pegs, and then a strong yank away from the wall.

 

If it was mine, I'd run it by an old time PDR guy and see if he/she could make it look better. Then hit it with some touch up paint.

My local PDR guy told me that BMW/MINI metal is very easy to work back into shape. I had some much smaller issues that even knowing about them I can no longer see them.

 

Doesn't look too bad, but hard to tell from the shadows in the pic. You could probably push most of that out from the inside with your foot.

As for straightening the wheel arch, get the replacement plastic arch and bend/pull the metal out to meet the contour of the arch. You can probably do most of that with gloved hands, a block of wood and a crowbar leveraged against the tire... Don't worry too much about the edge off the metal being perfect, as the arch will hide it.

Then get a tiny bottle of (RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE) BRG touch-up paint from Mini and fill in that big scratch. Wet-sand, buff, repeat. Hard to tell, but the smaller "bunch" of scratches might just buff out.

In any case, I don't think you're looking at cutting and welding anything. Good luck!

 

I stopped by two local body shops, both quoted me $800 including tax. Not bad, still weighing my options.