If you hadn't heard, the Denver area got hit with really bad hail last week. My '07 S with only 57k miles has extensive hail damage on the bonnet, roof, and all other panels except driver's door and front fender. It's going to be at least $7k to repair but body shops here are overwhelmed. One I went to yesterday is scheduling into January 2018. Even if I wanted to do that, that still requires several thousands out of my pocket as insurance considers it a total loss. So my options are:

Drive a damaged car until January and pay $3-4k of my own money to fix

Get a larger check for insurance to take the car and sell to a salvage company. And find something similar. They consider the car worth about $3k for the parts

Keep the car and part it out, and buy something similar.

The problem with upgrading is I'd want another with manual tranny, LSD (no longer an options after when?) no sunroof, and not a ton of miles. There's also the problem of the previous long oil change interval (when did that get set more reasonable?) and the timing chains. I've already started looking and can't really find a car like this.

Thoughts?

 

Another option: You could fill the dents yourself, sand it all smooth, then take it somewhere to get it wrapped any color you want. If you like a certain racing scheme (like Gulf, Martini, etc), you could have them wrap it like that. I don't know how long the wrap would last though if you drive the car in the snow.

 

Pics? Is it something a PDR person could work most of it out, or is it really bad. You could always drive it out of town to someplace not so busy for repairs.

 

Take the insurance $$ and send it to salvage. There are other mini's out there or where you are an older WRX may make more sense.

 

I agree with Minnie, paintless dent repair would be a cheaper way than a regular body shop.

 

~$7k is with PDR for the right door, rear fenders, and hatch. The hood needs to be replaced as the inner layer of metal mean PDR won't work. Most of the roof can be done with PDR, but some location might be inaccessible due to structural reinforcements. The options are doing that and getting maybe 90% of the way there, and using filler for the remaining 10%. It might end up being cheaper to replace the roof. To give you an idea, there are roughly 30 small dents just in the hatch. Most you don't see, until you look at the right angle.

I've been looking and haven't found a single Mini with LSD yet. And, we already have a WRX as well.

The shop that's booked till January subs out their PDR work. I'm going to them tomorrow for an estimate. If they can do everything but the hood, the body shop should be able to that much sooner.

 

For probably a lot less you could fly in an experienced PDR person to do the work. Maybe someone wants to visit Denver. You are probably paying too much do to the supply & demand issue. Find someone out of the area and send them photo's.

 

Parting out a car takes effort and then you have a hunk of junk in the end...and there are fewer of the Gen 2 cars out there now...is there a big demand?

I would drive it. Of course I have no idea what it looks like.

 

I would negotiate with the insurance company at to pay you up to 75% the value of the car to fix (80% will put you at a total loss and require a salvage title if you keep the car). then sell the car with a clean title. I am pretty sure someone is willing to buy it for their son/daughter as a first car or graduation gift.

I bought and sold a Suzuki that had hail damage, I bought a hail damaged CC. my brother bought VX and Acadia hail damaged...good deal

 

I can't get my phone to show the dents. I just get reflection. Anyway, I met with the PDR shop the body shop uses today. They're going to do everything but the hood. That will be in July. Then I'll go back to the body shop for a new hood. They said they could get me in much earlier for a smaller repair like that.

BTW, in Colorado car titles aren't affected by loss due to hail.