Advice on some damaged bodywork (VW Beetle)

bathgatebuyer

Hi - I've got some damage to the bumper around the light at the back of my Beetle. There's a small piece of bodywork around the light which is bent (when I say small, about an inch) but this is enough to cause the light to pop out and hang loose. The damage was caused when I reversed into a lampost on Xmas Day (I know, I know, first scrape in nearly 300,000 miles of driving so I'm well hacked off! :mad:) but want to get an idea of what it costs to have bodywork repaired.

I've tried taking the light out and bending the damaged lip of bodywork back into shape but can't get enough pressure onto it to do so. Also, is this the sort of thing that will require a specialist or would your average garage be able to put it right?

Also, in terms of general scratches to the bodywork, roughly what cost would I be looking at to sort out a scratch which looks like a key scrape :mad:

goldspanners

what beetle is it? new shape or old shape?

i would take it to a bodywork place,they will have the right tools to get the best repair possible. probably wont cost too much.

bathgatebuyer

It's a New one. Annoyingly such a tiny piece of bodywork jutting out.

Loving repaired by myself with parcel tape at the moment!

goldspanners

bathgatebuyer wrote: »

It's a New one. Annoyingly such a tiny piece of bodywork jutting out.

Loving repaired by myself with parcel tape at the moment!

if i was a girl i would have a beetle in an instant, went to an auction last week and there was a black convertible one there, it looked great,but my masculinity got the better of me.
you might find a good polish will be in order to remove the remains of the parcel tape when its fixed.

pogofish

See if you can find a traditional panel beater. You will undoubtedly pay a lot less compared to one of those all-singin' "Insurance Approved" bodyshops, who ime are usually priced around 3-5x higher & probably more for something like a VW.

I hit one last year & ended-up being stitched for over £1000 for a door skin.

bathgatebuyer

:eek: Panel-beater it is!!!

Cheers - you should see how carefully I've been driving since this bash. Like Driving Miss Daisy.

Rolandtheroadie

Go to halfords and ask them. Saw a guy repairing damage to a car outside their Livingstone branch the other week there (Bathgate?). Asked a price he said £145. Yours sounds less (altho i've obviously not seen your damage, this damage covered about 4 square inches and 2 doors).