Kitty pranged

K

kittylover

Well-known user
Jun 15, 2012
1,385
860
North Warwickshire
As I said here; https://forums.ukcougar.club/thread...r-Cougar-today?p=557167&viewfull=1#post557167 post 4948, my learner driver son misjudged his reversing :cry: on Friday.
So I never managed to get a picture in daylight, too busy tiling the kitchen, then a couple of days away for the weekend.
Here is the picture I took in the dark. Interestingly, it looked to me like there was already some body filler on that rear panel.
20180323_184515.jpg

So late last night I get back from a couple of days away and my father-in-law confirms it was already some filler on there. He has cleaned up the bumper and had a quick tidy up.
He will try to push the panel back out, but it's double skinned there so he reckons the best option is to open up a hole inside the boot to enable pushing the outer skin back out again. Filling and prepping is no problem but painting may leave it still visible - bloody metallics.
I have to admit I haven't looked at it again yet, no time, but will have a look tonight. Longer term I may be looking for a rear bumper and possibly a rear light unit, but we'll see.
 
That sucks. Fortunately, our cars have quite a bit of junk in the trunk, so to speak. The panels that make our rear quarters are long enough blending the paint in shouldn't be too bad if you know how to spray car paint. Metallics aren't bad as long as you keep your overlap good. Be glad its not the newer semi translucent triple stage paints where you have to match the pre base coat color then match a color coat then match the mid coat all before spraying clear on it. Extremely beautiful colors but matching can be a pain.
As for filler. Yeah it definitely looks like theres some there as long as its done right I wouldnt worry about it. We've had cars with less then 10 miles on the clock come through to be repaired. Its all part of owning a car. Only thing that really matters is the quality of repair. I wouldnt let anything else bother me on it.
 
So this is a car forum and we're a bunch of (mostly) guys who are going to leap to help you fix the problem. It's what we do.

But the other side of this, is that he's a new driver who I hope is suitably humbled by this experience and has learned something from it.

The temptation to shout at him must've been very strong and I wouldn't blame you if you did, (which is one of the many reasons I'm not a parent) but I sincerely hope that it was a teaching moment. I remember being imperfect because I still am.

Oh - and if you need a couple links for reversing cameras and screens, I've got you covered!
 
I've used these in the past on a friend's car. Tedious, and can be annoying until you get a decent seal, but work a treat with some hairdryer work on the creases, and a clean panel. Cutting holes to push is rarely ever the answer.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Suction-Pullers-Repair-Panel-Remover/dp/B0050AJXW6

I remember calling my father to tell him I had pranged his car, expecting a full on rollocking. Surprised me with his first question being if I'm OK, and his next being whether I needed a lift or if it would drive home. Accident didn't shock me, but that did. I had broken the golden rule, and he didn't give a damn.
 
There was no shouting involved :) It was one of those moments when I was thinking . ok he's going to stop . . ok he's going to stop . but he didn't and by the time I was fumbling for the handbrake it was too late. Maybe I should have said something but he has driven many times before in his grandads fiesta and you have to show some trust at some point - or I think people just lose confidence if you keep correcting them. I'm hoping it was a teaching moment.
Honestly, of course I'm a little miffed but I'm not losing sleep over it as, let's be honest, the cars aren't worth very much :-(
Daylight pic to follow tomorrow

Good news is my father-in-law worked in a car body shop for most of his working life so we should get a reasonable job done.
 
rooster2100 said:
Stud welder and a slide hammer would pull that right out without cutting any holes in anything on the inside
Click to expand...
This. Looking at the daylight picture, the suction version wouldn't work at all.

Look at it this way: He'll pay for that to be fixed, and that slight bubble at your wheel arch gets fixed in the process - he's sort of done you a favour, in a backhanded kind of way.
 
Herak said:
This. Looking at the daylight picture, the suction version wouldn't work at all.

Look at it this way: He'll pay for that to be fixed, and that slight bubble at your wheel arch gets fixed in the process - he's sort of done you a favour, in a backhanded kind of way.
Click to expand...
Thats not a suction style puller. It welds a stud to the panel for pulling on
 
rooster2100 said:
Thats not a suction style puller. It welds a stud to the panel for pulling on
Click to expand...
I know - which is why I said the above. The only way of pulling such tight creases like that would be a weld on stud puller.

I had previously suggested a suction puller might be of use - before I had seen the daylight picture, and just how sharp the dent groove is.
 
That's really unfortunate. I hope it can be fixed!

I've been driving the car for 3 and a half years and manoeuvring is still very awkward. I would hate to be a learner in a car that has such low visibility and such round contours making proximity and angles tougher. I feel bad for the lad, certainly not a car I'd want to learn in.
 
Ouch, that looks much worse in daylight. I'd have to go look inside my own boot in that area to refresh my memory as to what would be needed ie: pushing out access, drilling to pull etc. You're definately going to need a pack of filler so don't worry about what's already there. Good luck with it Olly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.