Yesterday, the 18th, was the 3 month anniversary of Ollie's adoption--and I got presents.

I was engaged in ye olde "tire kicking" ritual with my uncle, showing off the baby, etc. etc. etc. when I noticed...... HUGE FREAKING DENT. Said huge freaking dent, located on the passenger door, has a spot of white paint right in the center and attracts the eye in a most startling manner. Naturally, I had a small fit. Then I noticed.... SLIGHTLY SMALLER FREAKING DENT in rear quarter panel, just back from the huge freaking dent. Another small fit, combined with initial small fit, yielded one rather significant rant about the wanton inconsideration of many people--seriously, I am soooo so careful when I open my doors and I am scathing mad that others can't manage the same consideration. It's not like it's a taxing endeavor--you just open carefully. Why, oh why, is this so hard????



Anyway, my panties were sufficiently bunched as I started examining the hood--I get pelted with rocks on a daily basis and have learned to live with the minor scratches. Hood examination leads to a discussion about rocks and windscreens and how I should be glad that it hasn't been cracked yet. I mention the infamous MINI stress crack and then I notice.... I HAVE ONE. Just left of center, coming down from the very top of the windscreen. Speechless. Panties have spontaneously combusted. Arg.

To review:
3 Month anniversary
2 dents
1 windscreen stress fracture.

And I just needed to vent. I'm going to go sulk now. Thank you for listening.

Ayyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....!
~Kelley

(PS. For those of you with door dings: to fix or not to fix? I know it would take a repainting of the entire door panel. My uncle has a body shop and he informally quoted me about $250-$300. Is it worth it or should I just learn to love it as a battle scar?)

 

Bummer ! I feel your . . . dings?

It's a new car - FIX IT !!!

It will make you a whole lot happier.

Later

Marty

 

Bummer...when they develop a "force field" for cars, MINI owners will be first in line...I say fix it, you'll be glad, and good luck.

 

I'm right with you. There are some people who don't care much about cars...too bad their inconsiderate door-opening can't confine its effects to their own vehicles.

 

Without a doubt.....Fix it. I go to a great deal of trouble finding a "safe" parking spot. There's no such thing as a perfectly safe spot, but you can reduce the chance of this happening again by searching out the best spot. Even if this means a longer walk. I'm going on 11 months without a door ding, my system works. I hope I didn't just jinx myself. If it were my car, I'd be looking for a white car with some of MY paint on it. Good luck.
MB

 

Sorry to here about the damage. I too park out in the hinterlands to avoid all other cars. When I come back, there's always 2-3 parked around me! At first I thought maybe pranksters until I talked to one of the drivers and he told me that he noticed how I parkewd away from others and obviously cared about my car, so, he figured he was safe next to mine. Go figure.

 

Kelley,

I feel for you. 'Noah' is younger than Ollie by about a month and he too had a ding on the right side. If you can afford the fix, I'd recommend that you do it. If it's not too bad, maybe one of those paintless dent repair places can do it for less. Just a thought.

Have you considered adding a clear bra for the front of the car? I hear they are great for protecting the paint on the bumper and the bonnet. I'm planning on getting one when there's a few extra dollars in the "Noah fund".

Good luck!

Wings

 

I had great success with "Dentmaster" on my wife's car. They fixed three small dents for $40

 

I've used a paintless ding repair place. Had a dint the size of a golf ball on my wife's car. Looked like somebody hit the car with a ball-peen hammer (or an SUV door). $60/ding was the going rate. Looks great!

Ron

 

>>I had great success with "Dentmaster" on my wife's car. They fixed three small dents for $40

Is that the thing that (wow, for "th" words in a row!) Billy Mays advertises?? Oxyclean rules!

 

Paintless Ding Removal

This is where I went.

Ron

 

The pain of discovering damage to a young MC is, I have to say, close to having a filling without an anaesthetic. Having suffered both, I feel well equipped to comment.

Putting the dental work to one side, I had owned my chilli red MC for just two weeks when, having returned from a two minute journey from my local gym, I discovered a small, but preceptible bump on the curve of the roof. I have no idea how it got there, as the bodywork is pretty robust and there was no paint chipping,but there was denying it: a dent!!

After almost self combusting on the spot, I consoled myself with the fact that it would be a pretty simple affair to fix said ding. Unfortunately, upon investigating the cost of such a repair, I was horrified to learn that the whole roof panel would have to be removed, the ding knocked out and then completely resprayed before it could be replaced. The price of this work? £300!! That's about $500. Suffice to say, the dent will have to wait.

As regards Mini parking ettiquette: if I'm taking the car into town, I tend to stay away from multi stories; their too quiet for my taste, and encourage people to run off without a thought if the ding your car. Instead, I try to position myself between the newest and most expensive cars I can find, as I to find that they tend to have the most respect for other motorists. Given that I live near Edinburgh, I try to stay close to posh shop Harvey Nicks, as it attracts Ladies Who Lunch, and they all own over-priced convertibles.

Oh well,

Sloan

 

I've had my silver metallic MCS for 5 weeks now only to discover 2 substantial dings in the bonnet above the left headlamp. Each one is about the size of a dime in total. BMW dealer wants $860 to fix -stating they will actually repaint 3 panels.

Anyone have any experience in having someone besides the dealer to paintwork on your metallic MINI? There has got to be a cheaper way!

Thanks,
Barry

 

I sypmathize with your stress cracked windshield problems.

 

Is it time to revive this thread?

Sorry to hear about the dings and crack.

While I was last at the dealership waiting for the measurements of my glass to be completed I watched the "dent master" take 4 dings out of a X5. Nice work, spent about 20 minutes on each with numerous plastic tools. If I didn't know where they where before hand I don't think I could have found them again.

_________________

 

Ah, Kelly, I feel your ding pain. HARMINI got side swiped while she was sleeping last month. My bodyshop guy told me he'd buff out the scratches and I should leave the ding. But I'm gonna find a dingmaster in NJ.

 

hmm sorry to hear that

so far so good on mine, had it 6 months, extremeley careful

 

i say fix it, or you will get mad everytime you look at it.

 

Way Out! That's where I park. I am just a distant silver spot on the parking lot horizon. I don't mind the walk. When I return, it gives me a chance to admire my car for a few minutes in it's parking lot solitude. :smile:

ps: SUV doors are the worst, I had explorer door distroy a mirror once on my SAAB. Suburban housewives show no remorse.

_________________

 

>>Suburban housewives show no remorse.
>>


so true, becuase its their husbands money they are spending

 

Went to my favorite Starbuck's today & when I came out a GIANT SUV had parked next to me-I was smack dab in the middle of the lines-he/she pulled in sideways with the back end kicked in towards my car-I am not a large woman by any means-small in fact-I had to turn sideways to get to my door-as I was trying to get in , my coffee went flying-most of it ended up on the SUV.
Lois

 

Keep a jar of vasaline and some paper, smear it on the drivers window and stick the paper to the vasaline'ed window with a little note of encourgment about how to park and being nice to other drivers, tell them they are lucky your not a "Keying" person, but if they keep up this way of parking they will most certianly run into that type of person, then tell them to have a nice day and dont forget to fill up with gas "Again"...

 

^^ Fabulous idea about the vaseline! And facilitated by our motoring message packs... thank you MINIUSA

Arg.