crash damage repair

[apcouldwell]

As you may have read on the "dangerous out there" thread I have had an incident. Took the car to the local TVR dealer body shop for the insurance valuation and they have estimated £2550 labour + £190 paint /sundries + parts at list.

This is 30 hours work at £85 an hour!!

This is to replace the rear quarter bodywork on a Griff 500.

Anybody else had this sort of work done and at what cost.

The insurance company sent their own guy out today to check the damage because they probably fell off their chair when they read the quote.

Alan

[tvrinbfg]

Bodyshops usually work at a LOT lower rate than £85 p/h. They are really squeezed by insurance companies. Get a second opinion.

And if the insurance company will give you the money, you could go elsewhere and pocket the savings.

[basil brush]

I had mine repaired at the factory and Privilege didn't have a problem paying the (7.5k) bill. Insurers usually send an engineer out whenever work isn't being carried out by one of their own repairers. Get it done wherever you feel best.

[colinrob]

Mine is at ewelme at the moment they quoted £30 an hour labour I think £85 is a bit excessive, I wonder if an insurance company will pay that.

[Mike Hale]

Alan

This quote is much in line with what Harrisons charged over a year ago to do a rear quarter repair on my V8S. This involved cutting away the damaged rear quarter and setting in a new section. I did get another quote from an independant which was about £1K cheaper on the labour but I was advised that grafting in a new section was the better route and the other party was paying anyway! BTW the independant is no longer trading.

I was happy with the repair - you really can't see the join.

Mike

[supergrass]

Slight tap o/s/r.June 2002.Labour £2145.o/s/r.corner section £2750. Boot carpet as required £150.o/s/r lamp £40. o/s/r lamp cover £40. Recovery charge £260.Specialist Charges GRP £100. Paint materials & sundry items £300. Total 5785.00.+ vat.Thank you Groupama insurance co ltd.

[RUSSELLM]

Ewelme & Blackpool are about £36 an hour with the vat, but I would imagine 30 hours, sounds a tad mean for that job.

Unless that's for 2 or 3 blokes, then the £85 is about right.

[J_S_G]

If the price is greater than a certain amount (£300 or so), and not with one of their "approved" repairers (or possibly even if it is), they'll send out an engineer to OK the quote.

Now, if following your accident, it appears that the front end of your car has picked up a load of stone-chips that CLEARLY weren't there before, it might be worth having the car taken to an indy to fix...

[Uriel]

My Wedge is going into Hexham Horseless Carriages in the next week or so for a partial respray and some fibreglass work after a recent shunt. They've quoted £28.50 an hour. Hat's off to them, that's less than I was expecting from a TVR dealer.

[hexhamhc]

Hi Alan, sorry to hear the bad news! Someone has their wires crossed I think. Although I haven't seen the job it sounds like a lot more than 30 hours work for that kind of repair. The max that insurance companies allow us to work at is £25-28.50 per hour! so I don't know where the £85 figure has come from!? Give them a call to get this explained and I'll see you at Zolder! Best regards, Tony.

[apcouldwell]

Hi Tony,
might be me getting my wires crossed.

Estimate lists £2550 labour and at the bottom of the work to carry out description is written 86*30

Just assumed it couldn't possibly be 86 hours work at £30 an hour so assumed it was 30hours at £86 an hour.

£30 an hour sounds more reasonable but never dreamed it would take 86 hours.

Waiting to hear if bodyshop has approval for the work after the insurance companies engineer visited yesterday.

See you at Zolder.

Alan