This is where it could get ugly , the shop cant or wont see the point of going to all that "expense" for just a couple of cracks.

You said you have it insured ,I would call them and talk about putting new panels on it (if that's what you want) and if they are all happy with that(and there's no real reason why they wont be ,you know the other party involved so they know where to send the repair bill)

then if he tries to give you grief then let their lawyers deal with the shop .

That's why you pay them

Of course the shop might just agree to a proper repair straight up , stranger things have happened.

Edit: if you haven't already, call your insurance and get a claim number ,that way you can let "Joe" know it and it just makes things go smoother

 

So sorry to see this.
I've learned from prior projects, both mine and friends that most any type of damage can be repaired and old paint can be easily matched and blended.
Just look at some of the threads on this forum.
The condition of some of the cars from start to the finished product is an amazing transition.
If it were my car, I would immediately pick it up and get it home before the shop owner can start doing a Bubba Body Works repair.
I'd have my insurance agent contact the shop where the damage was done and get their insurance companies information.
I'd find the best fiberglass repair shop who specializes in Corvette restoration and get an estimate to restore the damaged area back to new condition.
I'd turn in your estimate to repair the damage into your insurance agent and let the insurance companies fight it out over the damage and repair costs.
This takes you and the shop owner out of the picture.
That's why we pay insurance.
We will want to see pictures of how nice the finished repair turns out.
Good Luck and don't stress.

 

So many views on this. I HATE that it happened. But stuff happens. This is why businesses...just like mine.... carry insurance for this reason.

If anything I woudl do....if you feel like you are not geting what you need or feel like you are left havintg the feeling that you are being forced to accept 'something' that you feel is just not fair. Is to contact your Insurance Commission of your State and ask them what YOUR rights are being the 'victim' of this incident.

Let me know what you need from me....if anything.

And I can tell you that white is NOT the easiest color to match...it is actually one of the worst to get perfect....to a person with a trained eye for color. BUT it can be done...so do not fear that it can come out great...as long as the shop and painter CARE to make it RIGHT. And THIS is where the insuracne company givign the time to the shop to allow them to iinvest the time needed to make it RIGHT!

This damage CAN be repaired (without a doubt!).....OR you can replace the panel. It is your call. Repairing this panel...once again...will depend on the skil level of the body man and IF they care enough to make the repair so precise that IF soemone looks in from the backside...the repair will be very hard to detect. And that IF you are concerned about that.

And if a quater panel is repalced....a trainded eye can pick up that it has been repalced if the shop does not use the correct adhesive that matches and the amount of oozing of adhesive....and the backside of the new panel will not have the aged patina of the old original panel. SO it will depend on how picky you want to get about it. Because a car is only original once.

This damage is not structural....but going into and replacing the quarter will involve a lot more of the car that that damaged area down below the bumper area. More of the car will need to be painted to 'trick' your eye and get the white to blend out so you can not pick up the blend.

Regardless of the fact that it is lacquer...If in your state they still allow lacquer to be used. Applying the lacquer and getting it to 'melt in' and then buff out is not that big of a deal.

And I have had Corvettes that left the shop for a few months after I restored it and it got damaged really good. I restored a 1964 Corvette convertible and put a one-piece rear clip on it during the resto...and 5 months later it came back due to the driver spun it out in a corner...put it in a ditch... and smashed the entire rear clip.

DUB

 

Thank you DUB. Your opinions are always so helpful and based on expertise and lots of experience. Perspective is everything and I am so glad that this happened at this point, as opposed to "5 months post resto"!!! UGH!


I have no reason to believe that the shop owner will not address this in an appropriate way. (fingers crossed). Will keep this thread updated on the progress.

 

Beautiful 68. I hope it all works out to your satisfaction. I felt sick seeing what happened. Good luck

 

This car is actually a 68 ( even better ) Many one year things like door buttons , lower panel backup lights , ignition in dash , etc. Both cars are the best.

 

All the things that my Dad loved about this year too! I just knew I loved the C3 body style and the chrome bumpers. The Stingray was always my favorite and the excitement in my Dad's voice when he called me to tell me what he had found was priceless! When we confirmed it was a numbers matching, "mostly" original BB 427/390, it was a done deal. This car embodies the passion we both share for beautiful vehicles, and will forever remain as a reminder of how lucky I was to share that with my Dad. "In Dad's honor" <3

 

It's bad, but not that bad, they should send it to a quality shop and they should be able to blend the paint, maybe you should find a good body shop and send them the bill

 

but the Stingray script above the gills . . .
I knew I'd eventually make a stupid mistake on this forum

 

Having replace a quarter- and with many conversations with DUB, let me say there is no way I would LET them replace the quarter. Zero. The area to be repaired and blended is way more ideal where the damage is confined.

Sorry it happened!

benton

 

Ouch! All my sympathies, but I have no advice to offer but to find an operation that SPECIALIZES in Corvettes, and do your homework, first.

As has been suggested, file an insurance claim.

 

how did you make out with this

 

W/Bazza

Have your insurance company fix it then go after the shops insurance trust me on this. Save yourself a huge potential headache you pay for your insurance, use it youre not at fault here.

Wouldnt worry about devaluing most 10 yr old cars have had a bump or two in the road. Make sure its fixed right I dont see how some ??? shops work (whos probably going to pay cash and hope for a deal so his insurance rates dont go up) will be up to par. maybe or not is that a chance you want to take?

 

While that shop is responsible for damaging your car, you don't have to use that shop to repair it. Call your insurance agent (hopefully Hagerty) and explain what happened. They should contact the shop who damaged the car and assist in making arrangements for a GOOD repair. That may mean that another [better] body repair shop will fix your car at the expense of the shop who caused the damage.

DO NOT feel like you have to let them fix your car because THEY damaged it. And, you really need to get your insurance company involved so they can act on your behalf.

 

I hate this stuff when it happens and I'm sorry that it happened. My 2 cents worth.. coming from one that's ran into his own goofs over the years. About 15 years ago we had one of these goofs and ended up re-painting the entire car because of it.

So lets be realistic. The panel wasn't cracked before the accident so it shouldn't be cracked and repaired after.

If this car and "goof" happened in my shop, I'd be glad that I do carry good insurance and I would demand the panel be replaced properly and not repaired.

Since this repair would require the rear quarter panel to be replaced, that would be the only way I'd go. The only issue is that the only company that makes an exact reproduction press molded panel that takes 3 months to get... so I'd have to advise the customer of this and give him his options and ultimately let him dictate how the repair is done.. but I'd also advise him that the best way is replacement, not repairing.

The good news is that the rear of your car has a good break line for blending the paint. This would make hiding the repair easier than if this happened on the front.

I'm sorry if I'm going against the grain on this but if this were my car there is no way I'd be happy with a repaired panel. While a repair can be hidden on the outside, it takes me about 2 seconds to know the panel has been repaired from the underside if I'm doing a pre-purchase inspection this affects the resell value of the car.

IMHO,

Willcox