Hit and Run - M35X - Philly Area

[bejjutsu]

Hi Everyone,

My *parked* car was smashed into last night and the driver fled the scene in a hurry.
It's a 2006 M35X, mint condition for 5 years until this. The back bumper is destroyed and the body directly under the fuel filler door is pushed in pretty far.
I had AAA come out and they did a quick inspection. They think it's purely cosmetic, which is good. No doubt this will be expensive, but it's better than being destroyed.

Does anybody know a good mechanic in the Philadelphia area? One that you've been to before..
I'll be leaving in a couple weeks and need to send this in ASAP.

I am worried about the gouge under the fuel filler door. It's part of a MUCH larger piece of metal that extends the length of the car. Do you think that this can be fixed?

Thank you in advance!

[bejjutsu]

P.S> This is probably a pipe dream, but I have pieces from the other car. I know the color of the car, that their car is damaged on the front left and that it's a sedan. Is there any sort of website to report this that sends out a mailing list to local mechanics? AAA told me this guys car is probably in really bad shape, and maybe undrivable.

If not, there should be! Entrepreneurs, get on that!

[CGinev]

I can recommend Barry Hackert Auto Body in Warminster. If you're in center city, it may be a bit out of your way but they do great work.

[isved]

I have a friend who works at a body shop and is free to use it in his time off. He does magic with body work and paint, and is affordable. The shop is located right off of Route 1 in Morrisville, about 15 minutes from Northeast Phila. Let me know if you'd like to meet for an estimate.

[Ilya]

My brother in law has a bodyshop somewhere in the Philly area if you're interested.

I can get his information if you'd like.

[sunoco]

Thank goodness for insurance. Wait.....you do have insurance, yeah? Should only cost the deductible....

[maguzma]

Bumber Docs. Life time warranty on work and paint. However, the crease in the rear pannel looks like its going to take some work.
In California if any work is done on any car and exceeds $750.00 has to reported to DMV in which it is reported on the car's history. So when a carfax is purchased on the car there is a notation that the car was in an accident. That will hut the price of the car here in CAL. People are hesitant to purchase a car with an accident even if the original owners report that the car was in a minor infraction. My last car was hit in the same area when I was stopped at a stop sign and sombody backup into me. Damage did not look as bad as your but it took three weeks and $5K to fix. I took good pictures so when I sold it the buyer could see the minor dent.
So what people tend to do is go to some cheap body shop and get the car done without the Insurance company involved and do not report to DMV. I have seen cars that had work done was not reported in the carfax. Have to look real close to see how much body work was done to a car. Things like white powder in the nook and crannies (buffing compoud and sanding residue), bumpers not lined up, bolts with paint chipped off, tape left behind and overspray, weilding in the engine compartment are just a few things I look for.

[CPJ LB]

if you are filing a claim, make sure that your insurance company uses repitable companies/body shops that will use OEM parts....

g/l and sorry to hear of the accident...

[sunoco]

if insurance is paying why not just send it to the dealer?

[The00Dustin]

P.S> This is probably a pipe dream, but I have pieces from the other car. I know the color of the car, that their car is damaged on the front left and that it's a sedan. Is there any sort of website to report this that sends out a mailing list to local mechanics? AAA told me this guys car is probably in really bad shape, and maybe undrivable.

If not, there should be! Entrepreneurs, get on that!

Aren't the cops supposed to do this when investigating a hit and run? You did report it, right?

[bejjutsu]

Sorry for the late reply.

Sunoco: Yes, have insurance, but I'm worried about the time it will take to repair as I have to travel within a few weeks. Also worried about the crease in the body panel. I'm curious to see if they want to try and fix it, or replace the panel completely.

Maguzma: Thanks for that. Yeah, I was afraid this would impact resale.

OEM Parts. Yes, will make sure.

Dustin: I reported it right away. The cops weren't even interested to see the pieces I collected from the other car, so I would be surprised if they did much of anything as far as an investigation :/

Thanks again guys

[The00Dustin]

Dustin: I reported it right away. The cops weren't even interested to see the pieces I collected from the other car, so I would be surprised if they did much of anything as far as an investigation :/

Sad, but typical. I'd make sure the insurance company knows you have that stuff in case they can pursue it some how, unlikely, but worth a shot.

[mcmnky]

if insurance is paying why not just send it to the dealer?

My experience (all in the NorthEast US) is most dealers don't do body work. You can bring it to them, but they send the work out to an outside body shop. Working through the dealer adds another layer to the process--you have to arrange a date to get an estimate because the body guy isn't in every day like the mechanics in the garage, if you have any questions the dealer won't be able to answer, it'll be at least a day for the dealer to call the body shop, and then for the body shop to get back to the dealer, etc.

It's worth asking the nearest dealer. If they don't do body work, ask who they send their body to, and work directly with that shop.

Good luck, bejjutsu, and know there is a special place in hell for people who leave the scene of an accident like that.