Cost of body work repairs ... how to estimate?

Ally

Have seen a car, very nice and has a good price. However, there are a couple of dents. How would I go about finding out the possible cost of repairs before making an offer to buy?

Also, it is possible that MOT won't be given as a result of 'dents'? The car is said to be in good working order.

Any help/advice appreciated

Dave_G_5

Dent's won't affect the MoT unless they leave any sharp edges on which someone might hurt themselves (doubtful). For removing the dents you would probably be better off contacting a Smart repairer such as Dent Devils or Dent Master etc, just look in your Yellow Pages. Their prices usually start at around £70 per panel but can come down rapidly if they are doing a few panels once they are out. They also tend to repair stone chips and other minor marks too if you want them doing.

trigger_mike

This used to be my trade, depends on what panels and how bad the dents are, doors are roughly £70-80+vat each, Bonnets £150+vat and Rear 1/4 are about £90+vat but as i say it largely depends on how bad the damage is.
Also as Dave G rightly said, the dents have no affect on a MOT, only if sharp edges stick out or the dents are so bad that the panels do not close will it fail..
Also remeeber to get a good job done, a bad job can make a car look worse.:D

Ally

Thanks for the replies!

So, a hammer from the other side to push it out won't work

Ones on the bonnet and one is at the rear passenger side between the lights and the back bumber ... quite a dent, but no pointy bits! Otherwise car is perfect!

Didn't know if it was worth the buy or not ... and if it was worth repairing it or driving it as is!

What exactly is a panel? Is it like the bonnet is 1 panel, the side above the front wheel is another panel, the door is a panel etc etc

trigger_mike

yeah a panel is like a bonnet, a wing, a door etc, depending on the car it could be cheaper to find a second hand bonnet the same coulour as yours and just swapping them around, only 4 bolts and then the washer jet pipe to worry about, as for the rear end, not quite sure where you mean, but sounds like a bigish job if the dents quite large, just remember to make sure the cars cheap enough to cover the work to repair it.
Also a hammer could knock some of the dent out if you can get to it but it could make it look worse leaving lots of little humps and damaged paint work.

vansboy

The info, from other Moneysavers, is spot on, BUT.....

why so many dents in the car, in the first place - if the owner is so bad at attracting damage, maybe they've not looked after thecar, in the way they drive, or maintain it!!??

Or maybe upset one or two people, with size 10 footwear -!!

Can't you find one with less obvious problems!!??

VB

Ally

I just checked wisebuyers and the asking price is above the norm - especially when you consider the damage to the body work. I've never bought a car before so am very cautious of being had! I am trying VERY hard not to get pulled in by a car that looks pretty on the outside too

Vansboy, I'm not going to go for that car, seller seems a bit pushy and blunt, also, it has no tax or MOT! Am I right to worry about the car not having a valid MOT when it is damaged? The rest of the car 'looks' perfect, apart from the two dents that seller said were "small"! I am trying to find one now using wisebuyer as a guide ..... and ofcourse the lovely car savvy MSE'ers

Thanks again for all you help guys ... I've learnt a lot already!

trigger_mike

By the sounds of it you have made a wise decision they are so many cheap cars out their with mot and no dents on the body work, i've got a L reg peugoet 106 1.4 Diesel i brought of ebay to use for work, it has no dents, no problems and 1 years mot and cost me £300. carn't go wrong for that!