Bloody boggin bloody hell!

[Arragonis]

Managed to prang my rear passenger door on a bollard - bollards is what I said in fact, or it rhymed with it along with a few other words of varying numbers of letters.

My own fault, poor estimating on getting into a tight space.

Looking at replacement doors on fleabay seem not too spendy and a lot of them are the right colour too so I'm pondering getting a replacement and getting someone to fit it instead of a repair / respray job. This depends on the price of the latter as I might get them to do some other spots too.

Question - are the saloon and Avant doors the same ? I appreciate the window frame will be different but that could be transferred across ?

TIA.

[MarkTM]

Door and no damage to anything else?

Personally I'd repair if the skin's not been damaged as there's no guarantee that a complete replacement hasn't been repaired.

When you take that with shipping and fitting costs into account you'll probably find it a false economy.

Any pics of your handywork?? :)

[Arragonis]

Yep - altogether now, "bit of T-Cut and nobody will know..."

http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-SzlqGWZ1p4s/UzbmqFG_K1I/AAAAAAAABMY/fYxskIIIdWc/w599-h798-no/20140329_130452.jpg

Looks deep to me and that ripple at the bottom is not nice. Sill untouched.

[joedredd]

If you can, try and find a panel beater who can also do lead filling. As far as I am concerned it looks repairable rather than buy another door. Take it to a good body shop for quote an see what they say. Good luck fella.

[Guest 2]

Definitely repairable, think the car is trying to tell you something!

[Arragonis]

Will take it to the place near work on Monday. Its a pain though as I was hoping to get my local specialist to sort the parking sensors and the driver's window but I suppose this comes higher...

Mrs A is happy for me to spend on it rather than buy something else, can't imagine why :Blush2:

[Arragonis]

Definitely repairable, think the car is trying to tell you something!

Run away ?

or

Save me ?

[joedredd]

Save me

coz u love her

[Guest 2]

Run away ?

or

Save me ?

List all the problems the car has had since the start of your ownership below and then decide ;)

[Arragonis]

List all the problems the car has had since the start of your ownership below and then decide ;)

Well this "problem" is not with the car but with the pilot - i.e. me :o Fully admitted, my fault.

But you want me to give up so easily ? Where is your sense of adventure ? :p What about looking over the next hill just to see what is there, going through the door marked "no entry", checking the green-ness of the grass over the fence, not choosing the path marked "easy going", buying the car with the dodgy history and just dealing with the issues ?

OK I have spent money on it - and I could buy a new one instead tomorrow. But then I would be totally bored trying to keep it "perfect" and having to go back to the dealer again and again (by all accounts here and elsewhere) to get issues solved (or indeed not) whereas I could do it myself in a Saturday morning on the drive or ask a local specialist to take a look. Been there with the brand new luxury car, done that, yawn.

If we all decided on this approach then the legend that is Gup would not have posted here and elsewhere ?

There are quite a few of us cheapskates about (using man-maths too), and we look here for advice / info, if I add any then surely that is a good thing ?

Not having a go BTW, just tapping... :beerchug:

[Guest 2]

Fair play to you, I would've given up a long time ago :)

I have no patience!

[dan2485]

If your not bothered about the bottom damage the big dent should pull out ok with a suction cup placed in the centre of dent (ideally if you can find the impact point this would be better) then you could give yourself some time to get a decent repair price without it driving you insane.

Dan

[Arragonis]

Been to 2 places this morning, both have said new or replacement door - it is too stretched.

First place will quote for labour etc. if I can find a door, second place will try and find a door for me.

Waiting for them both to come back with a full price.

<removed>

Both will also tidy up the door edges for me whilst they are at it, and maybe de-chip the front.

Glad I'm going on holiday next week - to Venice to so driving...

[AlyM]

Gutted for you! :(
There was a couple of doors on eBay a while back!? Roughly about £100

[Hex69]

Won't you get a bit wet, has no-one told you about Venice's unique 'features' :D

http://beautifultravels.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/6a00d8341bf8f353ef014e5fda5433970c-800wi.jpg?w=640

[Arragonis]

There are 3 I can find just now - one is collection only so out, one is a saloon for £100 (are the doors the same ?) and one is a complete Estate for £200, right colour but they warn it might get damaged in transit - straight bolt on though.

[Arragonis]

Won't you get a bit wet, has no-one told you about Venice's unique 'features' :D

http://beautifultravels.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/6a00d8341bf8f353ef014e5fda5433970c-800wi.jpg?w=640

He he. I meant "so no driving" but it came out wrong ;)

[AlyM]

There are 3 I can find just now - one is collection only so out, one is a saloon for £100 (are the doors the same ?) and one is a complete Estate for £200, right colour but they warn it might get damaged in transit - straight bolt on though.

I've had doors and a wing delivered and (touch wood) never had any issues! As long as they package it properly.... Not sure if saloon fits an Avant or vice versa....

[Arragonis]

Well still waiting for the body places to call. Might go for the full one and get it fitted once they come back to me.

[Arragonis]

Going the used door route as a new one is super spendy.

[Arragonis]

The votes from the Romanian jury are in - new door fully fitted, painted etc etc etc. is into 4 figures :aargh4: - had 3 quotes, all around the same figure +/- £100 or so each way.

Replacement door shell same colour but may need some tidying is sub £200 plus delivery - and then labour to fit it and transfer the innards and some tidying. Hopefully under half that total all in.

If it arrives this week I may be able to drop it and the car off with the body place for the week whilst I'm away :p

I may still have to source the insert though or try and sand / tidy up the one I have. Slight scratch on the sill I hadn't noticed (didn't want to look...) but will just buff out.

I found a door locally but it has a slightly smaller dent in the exactly the same place as mine, and it is the wrong colour.

Did ponder throwing in the towel but then just selected S mode and decided not to ;)

[MFGF]

Good luck! A replacement door is definitely the way to go! This (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?127012-Ouch!) is what happens when they try to repair a dent like this...

MF.

[Arragonis]

@MFGF - read all of that, nightmare. Been in that position of having to "enforce" a warranty before with Peugeot. My car had "part-time" power steering which was eventually diagnosed as a need for a new steering rack but it took 4 dealer visits over 6 months to get them to actually do the work. And a month later I traded the car anyway.

Luckily all of the 3 shops in this case said no to repair otherwise I might have been tempted down that road of folly. The (edit - the replacement) door is the same age as my car so hopefully the colour will match reasonably well too. My car is 7 years old after all.

[Arragonis]

Small update - door dispatched so may be arriving tomorrow. If so I will get pics and an update from the body people.

[Arragonis]

Another update - door arrived. 2 issues - firstly it is a darker silver than mine so will need painting, but that is OK as it has a smaller dent in it anyway - a numpty door opener type dent and not a "numpty driver trying to move a bollard" type dent.

Didn't get pics but it looks OK apart from that. Body place will fit and paint next week whilst I'm away. Total cost is under half what it would have been.

Just means my idea to refurb the wheels has been put back.

[Arragonis]

Update - went away on holiday last week and picked up Hermann today, all done.

Cost more than originally expected as I asked them to look at the crusty edges to the doors on the other side whilst they were at it - seemed rude not too as he was there.

He looks lovely and shiney now.

This is the replaced door - the "blade" at the bottom doesn't quite line up but the colour match is very close and it takes a lot of looking to spot the paint merge.

http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-YGo3WEwvUNI/U0w8XZo3_hI/AAAAAAAABNI/mtQ6JUn-GlE/w731-h548-no/20140415_194746.jpg

Close up of the other side - they sorted the crusty edges better than I would have done and removed a load of scratches - there are some muddy patches on here which explains the spots visible in the photos.

http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bA2sUh0-Dpc/U0w8TcaXkZI/AAAAAAAABNA/YDKpnqBKWYw/w731-h548-no/20140415_194759.jpg

Both of these paint jobs would be spotted by someone looking closely which is fine as I can explain both and would be honest, but for a 7.5 year old car not too shabby.

When I feel "rich" again I might get the bonnet and bumper done too.

Overall pretty pleased with the result - the paintwork is as good as the "Audi bodyshop" work on the tailgate, if not better IMHO and would reccommend the place I used. I might take the Mrs' Prius there if we decide to keep it after the lease runs out as her habit of "close escort" to the car in front has resulted in quite a bit of stone blasting of the nose. But I'm also trying to get her into a Prius or Civic estate or an Exeo "wagon" if we can find a Diesel Auto. :p

Rear sensor and drivers door window on Wednesday and then a long day trip at the weekend with the family, before a 10K ("Mr Audi, I spit at your 'Long Life' ********...") service and done for a while ;-)