I got a folded up pipe slam into my bumper and hood. One estimate to repair and paint was $2500.00 the other to replace and paint was
$5,000.00. Can a hole in the hood be patched and can the spider cracking just be patched over and painted, or does the hood have to be replaced?

 

The Jeep in your avater pic probably has a steel hood... can you post a pic or two of the pipe damage to your Vette? Thanks!

 

The Jeep is one at the 09 SEMA show in Las Vegas, I have a black 06 TJ Rubicon. The pictures I took for the insurance company don't show any real damage, the light reflecting off the paint. It has a 1 1/2" diameter dent on the driver side "fender" above the wheel, that has gone deep enough to be able to push down about 1/4 to 3/8" inch, the center of the hood was impacted from the bumper up about 3/4 of the way up to the windshield with spider cracks on both sides. The license plate filler is toast and the front bumper has spider web cracks going in all directions from the center. I don't know if I should keep it or sell it? What do you think?

 

Need to possibly see the damage (photo's) and also what YEAR is your Vette???? It "kinda" makes a difference...due to many issues with hood designs and where the damage is located.

"DUB"

 

DUB... I think the OP has a Jeep Rubicon which had a confrontation with the pipe. I wonder though as most Jeeps I have seen have all steel front ends?

 

Sorry, I've been dealing with insurance companies and body shops. I have a 1996 C-4 black 1 1/2" diameter dent in driver side top ridge of fender, spider cracks, and all of the above damage.

 

If all of that damage is IN the hood....from your explanations. I would replace it. But it also depends on "who's" insurance is paying for this damage. "The other guys" insurance should not cause that much of a problem...UNLESS..."by their view" the costs of repair are going to come to to the 75% "rule" so-to speak....which may cause them to TOTAL out your car. A used hood in good condition can be found ...and even if the paint has to be stripped off...IT...in my professional opinion...would be a lot better than chasing down stress cracks and having to worry if they will come back. With this much exterior damage...I SURELY BET that there is internal structural damage to the hood itself also.


Off topic related info...if you care to read it.

I do not know the laws in your state when it comes to repairing a car. But I do know in North Carolina, I can call the Insurance Commissoner...and get answers to issues that I have with Insurance Companies from time to time. Insurance Companies ( not always..but often times do) count on IGNORANCE in these LAWS and will tell you what they WANT you to believe...ESPECIALLY if it is NOT TRUE. I have CAUGHT MANY adjusters in these...ah...."mis-communications of the LAW". EDUCATE YOURSELF before you ACCEPT ANYTHING!!!!!! Trust me...it will be worth your time to do so.

I ALWAYS try to bring a Corvette back to the point RIGHT BEFORE the accident. NOTHING MORE----NOTHING LESS. And it can be quite challenging to get the insurance company to even come to a point of being close to what it was before the accident. BUT "sticking to your guns" ( because you know your rights) and NOT trying to make the insurance company pay for things that ARE NOT ACCIDENT RELATED....will often times get you what you want. And that is a Corvette just like it was before this problem happened.

The Insurance Company will TEST your PATIENCE...and often times try to "break you down" so you give in to their INSANE offer(s). They are counting on this...as I have found out from time to time....and I even went over the "head" of the adjusters to get answeres from THEIR BOSS...because...the adjuster had his/her "own agenda" and was not moving off of it...even though I KNEW I WAS RIGHT! That is when knowing what your CAR is worth and having the estimates in front of you will allow you to see in writing what the issue truely is about.

I am not saying that you are running into these issues at all...BUT ....I know they happen...so be prepared. The main thing is to not feel like your are being "drawn and quartered"....and MOST IMPORTANT...getting your Corvette repaired correctly.

BEST OF LUCK,
"DUB"

 

I really appreciate your knowlege, and I'm leaning towards a replacement hood and bumper cover. It looks like there are stress cracks around every point of impact. I'm taking it to another body shop tomorrow. What type of body filler is used on C-4 Corvettes?

 

You use the type that is for SMC fiberglass.

If you hood has any and I mean any rock chips you have spider fiberglass.

so untill the paint is removed they really have no clue what damage they are dealing with.

you should be able to get a hood for your car in the $400-500 range I wouldn't pay more than that for a C4 hood there are way to many of them.

 

You use a filler for the main body ( not bumpers) that is approved for SMC ( sheet molded compound). But due to the design of the hood for your car. If the hood is cracked up in too many areas. It is best to replace the hood due to the the flex that the hood already has in it from then factory. Combine that with stress cracks...on the outside skin and understructure...it is a recipe for failure...in time. I am not saying that it can not be repaired. BUT why take the chance...especially when hoods are somewhat readily available at reasonable costs. So going with one is a wise choice.


MORE INFORMATION: if you care to know.

One thing to be aware of. When a front bumper is being replaced. and the impact bar has to also be replaced....or even if it does not have to be replaced MAKE SURE that when you go to pick your Corvette up when it is completed. You take the time to CAREFULLY inspect the gap between the hood and the front bumper cover. The front bumper covers can be a ROYAL PAIN sometimes to get PROPERLY FIT to the car. And by PROPERLY FIT...I mean that the gap between the hood and the front bumer cover is PERFECT from the beginning of one side ...going across to the other side....and that both the bumper and hood are flush with one another. The curves in the front bumper cover there it wraps around and downward and matches to the shape of the hood should be flush and a perfect gap also. THIS IS THE TRICKY AREA to get RIGHT. I KNOW it can be achieved ...because I do it quite often. SO ...if the shop is trying to pass of a crappy front bumper installation...DO NOT ACCECPT IT...( unless you do not care about it).

And for what it is worth. BECAUSE I am SUPER **** when it comes to this type of repair. Take a VERY GOOD LOOK at your Corvette now. And take photo's if you have to. So when you go to pick it up. The front bumper has ALL of the fasteners in it as like it was BEFORE you took it to them for these repairs. EVEN if it means that you throw down a towel and INSPECT the fasteners on the underside of the bumer cover. Last thing you want is a car that has BOGUS fasteners in it ( from a hardware store) due to some "BOZO" not taking the time to properly remove, record their location, ( make corrections if the fasteners are wrong due to a previous repair) and re-install these fasteners as the car was designed to have....and not just throwing all the screws in a box and putting it back together the fastest way he/she can so it can get back to you. OFTEN times leaving many off the car. THESE FASTENERS are IMPORTANT to maintaining the strength of how the front end of your car was built. BECAUSE if you accept it...and a few months down the road you notice things that are not right....and take it back. I am sure that the shop will put the blame on someone else..( depending on their quarantee/warranty)...or say that it was re-assembled the way the car CAME IN to the shop. NOT BY ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM am I stating that the shop you choose is unqualified to do this repair. I am just giving you the "heads-up" on what CAN HAPPEN.

AND ONE VERY IMPORTANT AREA ( not writing that other areas are not also important) is how the front impact bar is attached to the end of your frame. Take a carefull look at the shims that are used from the factory BETWEEN the impact bar and the frame. And the 4 nuts that secure it to the frame. You can see the top two nuts when the hood is raised...but the bottom two you kinda have to feel for by going under the car. OFTEN times...the bottom two are LEFT OFF because they are such a pain to re-install...due to the headlight wiring that gets in the way(depending on year model)....and basically...who checks this area. SO check this area out...and make sure they they are there and tight. IF not. Your impact bar could have flex in it...( also depending on if the "skid bar plates" are correctly installed....and thus cause for your leading edge of the bumper cover to POSSIBLY change and conflict with the hood at some time down the road. The reasonm I am writing this is more times i can count...I ahve encountered C4's that have this problem due to previous repair work. And leaving these bottom two nut off DOES make adjusting the bumper cover easier...due to when these four nuts are correctly tightened and shimmed...it changes the way the angle of the impact bar sits on the frame ...which in turn..throws everything off...and the alignment prtocess has to be re-visited...thus taking MORE TIME. It is PACKAGE DEAL...like I mentioned...THESE FASTENERS HAVE VALUE...and are there for a purpose.

REGARDLESS on how a Corvette comes into my shop. I ALWAYS apply ever effort to re-install the CORRECT fasteners in the areas where they are required...so I do not have a problem with parts shifting or a section of the car is not solidly attached as it was designed. And often times the "estimating book times" given are not even close to the amount of "real time" needed to get this area RIGHT.

SO...in some shops...that do not do this on a reqular basis and KNOW how the front end is assembled. You get a shop manager that is "cracking the whip" to make a buck and production...and the bodyman/woman who is doing the job us under pressure to get it out...and running into spending more time on the job than is "normal"... AND....you have what I mentioned in the above text. Basically a "cluster ----". HOPEFULLY this will not occur for you.

BEST OF LUCK.
"DUB"

 

Thanks again for the information, I've learned so much from this forum in the time I've been here and saved boat loads of $$$$$. This is the type of experience that can't be learned in a book or in a class room. Almost anyone can bolt and unbolt, but it takes the experience to get it right. I'll keep all these things in mind when I decidewhat to do.