While I bought my JCW back in October, I have been in Europe a lot and the weather last winter really sucked so it only has 400 miles on it. So I took it out today and drove from Greenwich to Rye Ridge Shopping Center and parked it all the way the farthest away from anyone there was nobody 100 yards from me. I come out an hour later and see this. If anyone has any body shop recommendations that will be able to make it good as new without turning it into a disgusting mess inside and out, please advise. It was a hit and run and the Police were beyond nice---they even put their arms around me and said "it is OK to cry, we won't put it in the police report"......

 

Oh god!! Awful! What is wrong with people?

 

People are jerks who love to avoid personal responsibility.

 

If you happen to catch the ones who did this, I will bring the razor blades and lemon juice!! ... sorry about your car.

 

I'm sorry that happened to you. If it makes you feel any better, the repairs will be virtually undetectable if done correctly. Part of this is because the shop will replace the damaged A-panel, wheel arch trim and door skin rather than repairing them. That way you don't have to worry about body filler, wavy panels or having to blend the paint on a repaired panel. I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to repaint the entire left half of your car, either. My wife's MINI received almost identical damage last year and it looks as good as new now.

 

Bastards, sorry man.

 

When I read your post and saw the thumbnail, I was thinking it was going to be a door ding or something. Then I click the link and cringed in disbelief. So sorry.

 

That really sucks. I witnessed something similar a few years ago. the person tried to park in a tight spot and hit the car. so what do they do back up and try it again. yep hit the car again they finally got it in the spot got out checked their car for damage and never even looked at the other car. Then walked into the store like nothing happened. what did i do? wrote down their plate make and color of car and left it on the damaged car. Too bad someone didn't have the decency to do that for you

 

WHT is wrong with people nowadays!

 

Labalbo brothers in Stamford do excellent work. Nice folks too. They do many high end dealers work.

Maybe check to see if any store security cameras can help. Not so much for the money, just to nail that ahole. Call channel 12 and report it, they have nothing to do some days and if it airs, maybe someone did see something. I will kick them in the nuts for you if we can find them.

 

Alas this is what the world has come to no respect for someone else's property. A lady while I was parked elbowed my mirror and just kept walking. I got out of my MCS and I'm like "not even a sorry" to her. She looked at me with a weird face and kept on going on walking to her car. I go to her "how would you like it if i elbowed your mirror". I no this is very minor compared to what happened here but it just goes to show you how reckless people are. Since I was born I've been taught to respect other people's property including there garbage.

What happened here though is just dirty and goes beyond anything I've ever seen in my life.

At least you weren't in your MINI and got hurt. Best of luck repairing your car.

 

Man that sucks and I know the feeling!

I park my 4 month old MCS on an end spot at my buddy's apartment complex when I go to work. I work for a city PD and can't take my police car home so I need to trade out and leave my MINI there during my shift.

The residents are nice and I was never too worried about my car, but I do walk around it every night after my shift and check for damage. The stress of "expecting" to find my car keyed or screwed with would build as I parked my patrol car next to it after each night.

I got off work this one night this week and found a scratch at a downward angle through the paint and a dent in the panel Someone dropped a bike handle bar or something on my car.

In 38 years I have never been to a body shop and boy was I pissed. I wash my car 3x a week and always park waaaay away like you do.

Luckily the local shop can get just that piller under the turn indicator painted for a nominal fee.

I tried to make lemonade out of a lemon situation, so that will be the LAST time I worry about the Whistler while I'm at work.

My MINI mechanic buddy just put a new motor with 6k miles in his 94 acura integra. For $1400 bucks I now have a "Beater mobile" to drive the 12 miles to and from work every day and I don't care what happens to THAT car.

It even has 15" MINI wheels Yeah I'm out $1400, but the MINI will accrue less miles now and on my days off it will be like jumping in my go-kart for the first time all over again.

I see a lot of hit and runs, but I would say yours is the WORST I have ever seen in a parking lot in my 8 year carrer! I mean how the heck can someone misjudge parking that bad......oh yeah I know...alcohol.....the #1 cause of most of my dispatched calls on a weekend.

 

Man, that sucks.

Personally, that doesn't look like an accident. Someone had to make a decision to sideswipe your MINI.

Sadly, there are people out there that have a "if it's nice and I don't have it, then you won't either" attitude.

 

I want to thank you all---reading these posts has been "car"thartic for me :-)

The Police did check for cameras and knocked on a bunch of doors with no success. It was probably either some large truck turning around in what they thought was an empty part of the parking lot, someone practising parking, or someone who did it on purpose. I just still can't believe they drove off.

I would usually have a complete breakdown over this sort of thin but there is too much other stuff going on to let that happen right now----I just hope they can get the repair right and not trash the paint (thank you Zaino as the car looks amazing with not a single swirl) or trash the interior with dust and lose that wonderful new Mini smell.

 

Were there any skid marks or burnout marks near your car? Maybe someone was doing donuts in the parking lot and hit it and drove away. Still sucks though :-(

 

... I hate it when people go out of there way to ruin someone's day and property. Hope they catch the jerks who did this.

I tend to park my MINI out in the boondocks too and sometimes I come out to find someone parked right next me. Really?!?! Out of all the empty spaces you had to pick this one? Then again I am one for passive aggressiveness. Yesterday some turd in a crowded parking lot parked right on the lines and at an angle that made everyone find another spot. My husband and I were in our dented up IS300 and parked right in the middle and were inches away from the driver's side. I had to crawl out the drivers side door but that was nothing. We were hoping to see the owners reaction but left before he/she came out...but not before leaving a "You suck at parking. Seriously learn how to park a*****e..." business card

 

GRRRRRRRR!!! Find that A-hole and beat the **** out've them!!!

 

I thought crap like this only happened in my NY parking lots!!sorry4you&car!!

 

Very sad

 

oh_my_god...i_would_have_died. Honestly, I'm not a hugely religious person, however I do tend to believe that God takes care of people who do things like that. They'll get theirs

 

I hope that scumbag gets his *** whooped, No mercy. I agree with Whistler NC, they've got to have been high or drunk.

If it provides any relief, my MINI was involved in a hit and run in the garage I park in 3 weeks after I bought it. It wasn't till I arrived at work did I notice and tried to open the passenger door and much to my dismay found that it wouldn't open because there was a huge freakin' dent in it and scratches. Not as bad as yours but bad enough to cause the passenger door to be non-functional.

Luckily, the garage owner ended up paying for the damages. He recommended a body shop he has been dealing with for a while. My first instinct was hell no, I want the MINI dealer to repair it, which by the way is 5 blocks from where I live. But he insisted that his shop would make it look perfect again. So I went over to check out the shop myself first and after seeing a lot of high end vehicles in there being worked on, I rolled the dice.

The car came out looking like as if nothing ever happened. I was relieved, 2+ years later no problems so far with door functionality or paint chipping of any sort.

I ended up going back to the same shop to paint my fenders and wheel arches!

Good luck buddy.

 

It's called Karma My first Mini had so many door dings it looked like a Golf Ball. I refuse to park near anyone, I'll walk until my toes fall off before I'll park next to anyone, my wife stays pissed at me because I'll let her off at the door. Then 10 mins later I'll meet up with her after I park the Mini. So I'll get the face But I don't care as long as the Mini stays ding free. And I told her about yours.....I got a big glass of I TOLD YOU SO. Sorry about your Mini hope you get it back real soon.

 

My fiance had the same thing happen recently to her car at the grocery store. Some lady whips her bigass truck in the spot next to us and scraped down the doors. We were inside the store when it happened... We came out and found out what happened, and what the person looked like, thanks to a very kind soul who saw it AND STUCK AROUND TO TELL US (!)

We call the cops and the lady comes out saying she's gonna kill herself if this goes badly..... I'm like, well depends...you got insurance?

She did and it's actually being fixed right now.

Idiots, the lot of 'em...

 

People suck. Seriously.

 

Oh man :( People do suck, I WATCHED someone do this to someone else in a WalMart parking lot, I did my best to hold this lady from leaving but she didn't wanna hear it, so I took the plate and waited for the owner of the car she hit.