Damaged body panel. Repair or replace?

[white.pony91]

So today the Zed has unfortunately taken its first prang and now I'm not quite sure what to do. Long story short, I was reversing into a space in a multistory car park and it looked to me like I had about a foot or so of space left behind me as I know how long my car is, but the car stopped suddenly (with a loud crunch, might I add). I'd obviously hit something so I went out to have a look, and this is what I found. :sad:

http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n494/whitepony91/IMAG0298.jpg
http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n494/whitepony91/IMAG0299.jpg

The picture of the damage is terrible, it doesn't show where the paint has cracked.

Turns out, that entire piece of white metal with the bolt through it wasn't supposed to be there and I'm guessing it used to hold something in place. As I thought earlier, I still had about 6 inches of space left before the end of the space so this bolt was sticking out into the space itself, and my car. The boot was actually bent in where it had been hit, but I'd pushed it back out (cracked the paint work) before I took the picture.

I had a word with the manager of the car park who ended up taking a good few pictures of the bolt and my car and then took my details.

So my question really is, would it be cheaper/easier/quicker to take my car to a body panel repair place and get it smoothed and resprayed ... OR ... try and find another boot off a breaking car.

[petet16]

If the car park operator is paying for the repair I'd go for a new bootlid if available.

[white.pony91]

If the car park operator is paying for the repair I'd go for a new bootlid if available.

It's possible that they will be, they mentioned it to me when they took down my details. I'm assuming you can't buy them new and I'd have to find a used one?

[Dan1971]

Hate to dampen your thoughts but the wall didn't move - you did - your fault. If I owned the car park you'd get nothing out of me I'm afraid.

I'd have a hunt around for another boot, or get a dent guy out for a quote. Sad to see the damage though :cry:

[white.pony91]

Hate to dampen your thoughts but the wall didn't move - you did - your fault. If I owned the car park you'd get nothing out of me I'm afraid.

I'd have a hunt around for another boot, or get a dent guy out for a quote. Sad to see the damage though :cry:

I suppose I did drive into it, yes, but it's sticking into the space and shouldn't have been there which the the manager said so herself. Is sad to see the damage, not happy :/

[KirkJames]

Sorry to see that mate, hope you get it sorted!

[Smokie]

Hate to dampen your thoughts but the wall didn't move - you did - your fault. If I owned the car park you'd get nothing out of me I'm afraid.

I'd have a hunt around for another boot, or get a dent guy out for a quote. Sad to see the damage though :cry:

i wouldn't see it that way at all. If the space is marked and provided for a car then it should fit a car in it. If it has any kind of restriction on size, headroom etc this should be clearly marked. If i was you i would see what the car park company say + I would also see if they do anything about bolt, if they remove it I would see it as an admission of guilt i.e it shouldn't have been there in the first place. The car park in my eyes have a duty of care to the people using that car park. That bolt sticking out like that isn't just unsafe / dangerous for cars what if some little kid walked / fell into it and cut his face open or took an eye out would it be the little kids fault because the bolt didn't move? no it wouldn't. I would stick by your guns, be polite but i would make sure they paid for the damages.
Dan if you owned the car park i am sure you would have cut the bolt off already.
Thats just my opinion.

[white.pony91]

i wouldn't see it that way at all. If the space is marked and provided for a car then it should fit a car in it. If it has any kind of restriction on size, headroom etc this should be clearly marked. If i was you i would see what the car park company say + I would also see if they do anything about bolt, if they remove it I would see it as a admission of guilt i.e it shouldn't have been there in the first place.
Thats just my opinion.

That's how I felt about it. They also told me they were going to have the bolt removed as soon as possible as it shouldn't have been there. Would be interesting to see if it's still there when I'm next in town.

[talkingcars]

Ouch - I'd replace, if you can find the right coloured boot you are laughing.

However I'd like to add that you must have been close to the actual beam if you did that bigger a dent with a bolt that length :wacko:

Hope you get it sorted quickly.

[daytona365]

Used to repair dents like that all the time in my old marina, only they tended to be rust holes............