I drive an 06 B6 Passat estate. It’s got 72k on the clock. I recently had a slow parking impact with another car and creased / scratched half of the rear near side. It doesn’t look that bad but it’s rubbish driving a car with damage. Otherwise it’s in ace nick and recently passed its MOT. I got the above estimate today. So. Do I spend the money – approx 25% of its value or leave it as is?

Dilemma or no brainer?

Your esteemed thoughts if you would.

Leave it. It’s called character.

No. Not only do you save £700 but you no longer have to worry about getting dinged in car parks.

but it’s rubbish driving a car with damage

It really isn’t.

No brainer.

get some t cut and polish it out.. it wont look so bad and you’ll save £693.01.

‘ Dont thank me … it’s what I do!’ 🙂

We need a photo. My gut feel is yes get it repaired as you’ve said it bothers you and otherwise the car is in good condition mechanically. Also the damage will devalue the car, so you need to balance the cost of the repair with the reduced value if you don’t fix it.

people will get out of your way!

I dropped 350 on patching up an a 10 year old unexciting estate after a minor concrete pillar interaction this year.

The car was otherwise very tidy, has some 120000 miles in my ownership (160000 in total) and I take care of it because it covers lots of miles for work, occasionally has to carry clients and I have a sense of pride in caring for my possessions and making them last. Your motives and priorities may vary

Imo once a car has one scuff everyone treats it as a licence to belt their doors into it.

Garage dweller, you just need more dents, when you hit a critical mass point, no one will park within 2 spaces of you. That was my experience of an old banger I had with no straight panels.

Timber agreed but that would bother me (just doesn’t sit well with my obsessive nature) and potentially (and rightly given my role and seniority) my employer…at which point I might get lent on to update my much loved old workhorse at some hideous cost instead of running it until it drops!

if you’re not going to sell the car then don’t bother

if there is bare metal or the risk of rust/corrosion then get it pushed out and t-cut and touch up

and potentially (and rightly given my role and seniority) my employer

If your employer is going to dictate your car will he pay for it as well?

garage-dweller £700 is a hideous cost for a minor repair to a £3k motor.

Leave it and stick your £700 in a bank account for when something that stops the car running breaks.

Mine came pre-mauled as it was owned by a pensioner beforehand. It has 2 great bonuses- one, I don’t need to fuss over it, clean it, avoid driving it through trees or into ditches etc, it’s already ugly. And 2, people aren’t keen to park too close to it in car parks.

chipsaway

Have you tried Harland & Wolfe for a quote ?
At least it would last.

Where abouts are you? £700 for rear quarter panel is a lot! If you are near leeds or wetherby I ll give you a quote. I run http://www.expresscarbodywork.com

Hard one.

If it’s needed for work, then you should get it done. It’s a pain, and doesn’t seem cost effective, but cheaper than the alternative of a new car.

If it’s not needed for work then I wouldn’t bother. You’ll forget about it, or become desensitised to it, soon.

If your employer wants you to drive a smart car while representing the firm, they should provide one.

Leave it be, spend on shiny bike bits.

In the new year I’m going to be getting my 15 year old Polo fully resprayed, some rust bits sorted out etc. What it costs me will probably be worth more than the car is currently worth.

As above I would get it fixed after trying to get some cheaper quotes. I too am quite fussy with my cars and have. Pride of ownership in most things I have. As Imsaid the outright cost of the repair isn’t the only factor, it’s the loss of value if you don’t repair and/or the replacement cost (eg in DaveyBoy’s example).

I’m in Salford.

I misled a bit. It was half of the nearside. The rear passenger door took a bad hit which I pulled out but the skin has stretched and rippled. So I’ll need to provide a second hand door to be sprayed up and fitted.

The company has an excellent rep’ and I’m sure they’d do a brilliant job. But such a financial hit for aesthetics.

I’m still undecided…

My wife hit the corner of the wall on our drive as she set off for work recently.

3 door Golf GTi ended up with scrape for a meter down one side, side trim damaged and dent in rear 3/4 panel.

£2500.

I’d say £700 was a bargin.

Get the rusty tailgate done at the same time 😆

My wife hit the corner of the wall on our drive as she set off for work recently.

3 door Golf GTi ended up with scrape for a meter down one side, side trim damaged and dent in rear 3/4 panel.

£2500.

I’d say £700 was a bargin.

I think you got well and truly done. A few months back I had the following done on my T5 by a really well thought of local body shop who normally work on supercars and other top end stuff:
– rust sorted on drivers 3/4 (which on a van is bloody big!) and repainted
– both back doors fixed and repainted as well as handle colour coded + rear bumper fixed and repainted after someone drove into it and drove off
– front bumper had ABT splitter removed and the whole lot smoothed and painted

All that was ~£1400 IIRC.

I think you got well and truly done.

Think there may have been a bit of ‘sill’ damage too – she gave it a bit of a thump.

Insurance sent out an assessor who didn’t argue with the quotes we had done.

Ah, if insurance was covering it then happy days 🙂

Is this not what insurance is for? premium is not going to go up £700 is it??

body shops will pump up insurance quote anyway for hassle incurred actually getting their money.

Last time my parents got hit in a drive off cockwomble incident the boy at the body shop said “insurance job or private ” – “whats the difference” …. “private job gets a cheaper price as there less hassle”

If you get it done do it on the insurance.

But sods law says you get it fixed and then something else goes.

£700? you could get some decent forks/wheels for that