Can a regular bodyshop work on a NSX and do it right? What if they have to work a dent in the aluminum? How different is it from working on metal?
Can any bodyshop work on our NSX's ?
- Thread starter Greg Z
- Start date
Re: Can any body shop work on our NSX's ?
Negative. Almost no one can work on aluminum. The places that can are expensive specialty shops.
It requires special equiment and special training. Since only a handful of cars are aluminum(Audi A8 is the only common one I know of), noone can justify the expense.
Your best bet is to call your Audi dealer and ask where they send their A8's for repair.
Negative. Almost no one can work on aluminum. The places that can are expensive specialty shops.
It requires special equiment and special training. Since only a handful of cars are aluminum(Audi A8 is the only common one I know of), noone can justify the expense.
Your best bet is to call your Audi dealer and ask where they send their A8's for repair.
I have found that most body shops will replace aluminum body panels when possible rather than repair the parts. Very difficult to repair aluminum.
I think you are right. I just went to a local bodyshop and instantly they said they would replace it. Estimate was 2700.00
Here is some pics.
Here is the guy that hit it ( also the seller of the house that we're waiting on to close) telling me that its looks like about 250.00 to fix because he's in the business and he knows!
This is an re-enactment an hour later.
Under floresent lights
Um, aluminum is metal... :wink:
Just joking, but ask your local Acura dealer if there is a local shop with NSX experience. It looks to me, a layman, that you need to replace that panel.
I thought the same thing as I don't see any sharp creases in the metal, ask around your area for a PDR specialist with lots of experience. Hell I would think worse case you could pull the quarter panel and work it from the backside. Either way you would eliminate having to repaint.
Replace that panel!!
Aluminium hardens when beeing deformed (it becomes much harder and it will take a LOT more force than sheetmetal to bend back), it has to be heated very carefully when trying to repair any deformation. Only a really skilled expert will know how to do this right:frown: .
Aluminium hardens when beeing deformed (it becomes much harder and it will take a LOT more force than sheetmetal to bend back), it has to be heated very carefully when trying to repair any deformation. Only a really skilled expert will know how to do this right:frown: .
You could repair it for around 1200 give or take. I know because Im in the business lol. There is a lot of paint work involved that most people dont realize. You would have to paint the entire quarter because you certainly wouldnt want to spot paint an NSX. Luckily yours is berlina black, so there will be no blending involved in the repair. A VERY good body shop could repair that with minimal bondo. If the creases arent really bad you might can get it straight without bondo. If you pulled the quarter panel off, you could get a dent remover to work it from the inside. The local dent "doctor" as people call him removed a baseball size dent out of my door on my 01 carrera about 3 years ago. I just took him the door because he said he needed to get to the back side. It took him 7 hours (he said), but there was no paint work that needed to be done. If you get lucky and the dent remover says he can handle it, then you might get out with spending between 400-600.
There is NO WAY that a "dent doctor" can remove a bigger dent in the NSX high grade aluminium bodyparts.
And I know from experience: I had my NSX only 1 day when I made a really small dent in the rear wheelarch while backing out of my garage and just touching my other car's bumpertip
:frown: .
I had the luck to get recommended to one of the best dent doctor repair guys in the country (at least, I was told that by people in the business).
This guy said he wouldn't guarantee he could get the dent out, but was prepared to try at hour rate.
I stayed and helped him with his work. You wouldn't believe the amount of force that he had to apply to "smear" the small dent out, normal sheet metal would have been ripped with this force applied
.
After about 1 1/2 hours and both of us sweating like pigs, he got it about 98-99% perfect and gave up. No need to say, I was very happy that he was prepared to try and got it that far right:biggrin:
There is however a difference in the aluminium quality grade between the NA1 and NA2 (NA2 is supposed to be thinner but stronger grade aluminium) mine beeing a NA2
And I know from experience: I had my NSX only 1 day when I made a really small dent in the rear wheelarch while backing out of my garage and just touching my other car's bumpertip
:frown: .I had the luck to get recommended to one of the best dent doctor repair guys in the country (at least, I was told that by people in the business).
This guy said he wouldn't guarantee he could get the dent out, but was prepared to try at hour rate.
I stayed and helped him with his work. You wouldn't believe the amount of force that he had to apply to "smear" the small dent out, normal sheet metal would have been ripped with this force applied
.After about 1 1/2 hours and both of us sweating like pigs, he got it about 98-99% perfect and gave up. No need to say, I was very happy that he was prepared to try and got it that far right:biggrin:
There is however a difference in the aluminium quality grade between the NA1 and NA2 (NA2 is supposed to be thinner but stronger grade aluminium) mine beeing a NA2
I just figured it was worth a shot since they were able to repair the 911. Anyways, you should still be able to repair it for around 1200-1300 or so.
Put a dent on the side of a soda can and try to get it smooth again. You can't! The same thing with the NSX body panels. If it was a small ding any dent repair place could fix it, but your looks like it's at least the size of football.
Just wondering here: this guy caused the dent, it should be his dime to fix it! Maybe seeing $250. turn into $2700. will get him to focus a little harder in future.
pbassjo runs one of the most experienced body shops in the country (maybe even THE most experienced) in NSX repair. If you want to know how to fix your car right, and how much it will cost, you can trust his advice. Based on what's been posted here, better do it by PM though.Amazing. Where do they come from.
So much mis-information filled with half truths and inaccuracies.
I'll bow out. I have to go paint a NSX.
OT: Ken, I would think from now on I'll use the simular response for you, and ask people to PM you if they need Tire advices. It will save you some time and effort dealing with some stubborn, offensive members. :wink:
Man that is a heartbreaker. :frown: Sorry to hear about your NSX getting damaged.
Keep us updated on your progress.
Keep us updated on your progress.
OK, heres an update and a little more info. This was a sticky situation from the beginning as the guy who backed into the X was the seller of the house I am buying. We had already signed contracts but this was a VERY complicated deal with alot of negotiations and changing. So I did not force him for his Insurance info because I needed him civil as possible until the house closed. I contacted my Ins. Co. and they said I could wait to put the claim in until closing, but the closing has been delayed numerous times. As it stand now we close tomorrow at 11 AM. At another time when we was at the property at the same time I was walking by his truck and I tripped and fell and accidentally fell inside his passenger cabin near his glove box and it mysteriously fell open with his Ins. card in my lap while I happened to have a pen and paper handy. Come to find out his Agent is the same as mine! So I think it will be covered under his Ins..
I'll know much more this week.
I'll know much more this week.
Please, be VERY CAREFUL when walking around a strip joint. They are very dark and there are lots of places where you can trip or stumble and you never know what may fall into where. :biggrin:
what he said. with all the widebodies going around it should be plenty of quarter panels.
How do I know if they are qualified or not? Of course they are gonna claim to be qualified. I live in a small town, there are not but a choice are two to bring it to.
The quarter panel on a NSX is not welded on, it is bolted on.
Judging from the photos, that panel looks repairable.
I like the mouth open expression on the fellow on the right in the second picture.:biggrin:
