Dan94Z28RO

I am in the air force and deployed. Two days before I got deployed I crashed my car. Now I hear from my supervisor, who took it to the storage lot on base, that the rear hatch wont close. I have called several autobody shops and I have heard everything from "We need to have a look at it before I can give you an quote and our normal looking fee is $30,000" to "Oh yea, straightening a unibody goes anywhere from about $350-$450 just bring it in." Can anybody here tell me what somebody looks for when they check out the car for a twist or tweek? I would like to know if I am getting anally penetrated with these quotes. It would seem to me that if the hood, both doors and hatch close properly then the chassis cant be twisted or bent....but then again I am a military turbo diesel mechanic. ANY help or insight would be GREAT. Thank you.
-Dan

cjleadfoot

repair rates vary state to state. in michigan rates range from 25 to 60 dollars per hour. here in michigan , many shops give free estimates, however , dont be surpised if the final amount is double that of the estimate. usually shops have adjusters write estimates, and they only note things that they can see is damaged. they may not include items such as core supports or frame rails because they may be covered perhaps by plastic bumpers thay return to their original shape, or fenders. i have fixed many cars that had estimates of 7 or 8 hundred dollars increase to two or three thousand before they were completed. Most reputeable repair facilities wont give you an exact amount up front, without a "teardown", because it is impossible to tell what will need to be replaced, what is repairable etc. i just fixed a camaro that was rear ended pretty hard , both rear frame rails, and one quarter panel had to be replaced, though doors, hood , t tops operated fine. the total repair cost on this vehicle as approx 8 grand. you did not say where your car was hit, front side , angle ,below or above the bumper reinforcement? what can you see that is obviously damaged. are the door gaps consistent width from top to bottom, and from one door to the next.

Dan94Z28RO

I first hit at an angle. The rear quarter panel on the passenger side hit first, which whipped the front end into the barrier. Then I slid accross the barrier for a couple of feet before coming to a stop. The most obvious damage is to the whole passenger side. The rear quarter panel is dented in where the car hit, that whole side has a massive scrap all along it. Both doors seemed to operate just fine when I pulled some crap out before I left that weekend. The airbags didnt pop if that helps. I dont really remember if the gaps between the doors and the car were even. I could ask my supervisor or a friend to check it out and even take some pics if that will help the situation. We have a pretty good digital camera in our shop. Thank you for the help. We could continue this through e-mail if you want. Keeping the car is based on if the chassis is twisted or not. Once again thanx for your help.
-Dan

daniel.caprar@jbab.aorcentaf.af.mil

cjleadfoot

sorry for long time between replies. if your car hit a barrier that did not give, i assume you hit it pretty hard since it rebounded the front end into it also, chances are the body has been tweaked at least a little. all f bodies are of unibody construction. this means there is no frame like say a caprice, or pickup truck, basically the body is the frame. so if the hatch wont close, then the chassis is bent. checking the cosistancy of the gaps between the fenders and hood , and quarter panels and hatch would be the best indicator of if "sway" exist in the front or rear of the car. this does not mean it isnt repairable but you wont know till you take it to a repairshop. the price quotes you recieved seem reasonable.