Make sure there is NO over spray.....LIKE I posted earlier.....IF done correctly the value will NOT diminish for a painted panel....How could it IF it cannot be recognized as a re-paint and DONE to Porsche standards!?
Porsche doesn't have special paint...or does it?

As far as your car being tainted.....I cannot think of anything good to say about that to help you get over it!

GL with your repair......

 

My hope is that the door is removed entirely to paint it but I won't get to see the actual work . Even if there is no overspray .. paint is paint. It can fade . it can mismatch.. it has to disclosed .. it changes sentiment .. not just mine .. but anyone who has the choice of a pristine car with no paint vs a pristine car with some paint.

The car is no longer the same . I have already coped with knowing those facts and have accepted it .

 

Again be sure it is DONE correctly and NONE of your concerns above will be......a concern for such a small repair!
Paint is paint....you are right...technology of paint repair is AMAZING!
As far as faded... I would HOPE your car hasn't faded being that it is almost brand new....!

OR maybe I just don't understand.....

Anyway...I am sure your car will be as good as new....

 

I faced choices -- keep in mind none of my Porsches have had bodywork since 2003 when my entire front end was torn apart by xenon light theives in a parking lot . The shop who did that repair was great .. they are no longer in business ( down economy closed quite a few shops).

I know a great body shop for Hondas or BMW's etc .. but not with Porsche and I tend to be a skeptic of everything.

So--- I picked the people I trust the most with my cars and discussed it with insurance . No matter how it goes I feel like I can't go wrong having it done at the dealership . If the job is great --that great.
If the job isn't great .. how woild they explain a low ball trade in based on the paint ?

If I bring it to a private shop .. no matter how good it is .. it will not get the same negotiation leverage in a trade.

So --what if it's awful ?
Yep --even thought of that .
Then the reapir will have to be repaired .

In other words -- I commit myself to getting it done right but go into play with a few unknowns.

 

Are you serious? That will most likely open a entire other bunch of problems, door doesn't line up properly as it 1/256" away at the top then it is at the bottom. The door hing paint isn't wear evenly, I can see the list going on and on.

 

I might be wrong --I admit that i don't know the technicals of auto bodywork procedures ..

All I know .. is how to find someone else who does .

 

Most dealers anymore don't have their own body shop. There's only one porsche dealer (Tyson's Corner/HBL) that I know of in Northern VA that has a body shop owned by the dealer chain, and I'd rate them as an "ok" shop after having worked with them many times. The body shop that Porsche Arlington uses I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. They've got a great reputation among the "exotics", but they're reputation is about 15 years out of date. Anymore they're just painfully slow, and their quality has dropped off way too much in the intervening years. The owner spends too much time lobbying against the insurance industry and not enough time ensuring his shop is being run properly.

There are actually only two body shops I'd take any car to in my area, one is owned by a Ford dealership (Koon's Ford Body Shop, Falls Church) and the other is owned by the Cherner Family (Action Auto Body, cherner also owns lincoln/ford dealers). This is mostly because I personally know the shop foreman/general managers, and know the eye for quality that the techs in those shops have.

Cliff notes: the quality of the technicians in a shop is far more important than the name on the side of the building

Actually, the other shop I'd go to would be Bill Page Honda body shop, right across the street from the BMW dealership body shop.

 

and no, you don't want them taking the door off to paint it. detriming it (removing handle, interior trim, etc) yes, but there's no reason to take the door off. All that means is that someone's moving that door from point 'a' to point 'b' without the benefit of the car its attached to. Plus, if a blend to the fender is necessary, you'd rather them be able to paint it all at once rather than mess around with trying to paint two panels seperate from each other.

 

Dealerships often affiliate themselves with a body shop . It's hit or miss with getting the right person doing the work on the car . I don't know who will do mine or what his task will be .. all I know is that the person I handed the key to --I trust -- and he offered to help. Plus my insurance company is also being supportive.

Some people often criticize a shop much like they do with a hospital ,or school but one can have the best doctor in the "worst" hospital , or the best teacher in the "worst" school , or the best technician in the "worst" shop .. and visa versa .

the key is finding the person .

even with the best outcome on the car --
it will never be new.

 

I think that if you aren't sure, don't make suggestions that may cause problems down the line. It is kind of like the old story of taking your car to your mechanic and suggesting to the the source of the problem. When you came to pick up your car, the repair you recommended was done, as was the original source of the problem. Just take your car to some one you trust, if they don't do a good job don't accept it.

 

I'd tend to disagree with this statement, unless the shop you go to is kickin it OG, where one guy does the body work, paint prep, and paint himself (very rare anymore). The key is to finding a shop that turns out consistent work, as a good manager/foreman will be the key to evening out the minor differences in quality that two technicians will have between them. Having a great bodyman but a crappy paint prep guy or painter will result in terrible overall work, just like having a great painter but a crappy bodyman. The key is finding that shop that does everything consistently.

Just like the world's best doctor at a hospital with terrible nurses still won't be getting all the business he can, or the world's greatest teacher in an unsupportive school system. I would rather take my car to a shop that turns out consistent work, than take it to a poor shop that has one great technician.

And yes, they may affiliate themselves with that shop, but they don't have an owner relationship with them. If the shop screws up the work, the dealer typically won't take responsibility for it.

 

I have taken the car to someone i trust . I made no suggestions . Part of that trust is that if the car wasn't right he'd be more disturbed than I .

In short --he would reject the car .

 

The body shop has a good reputation but that's not enough either . "consisency" is not absolute nor is it a gurantee. And yes it .. it may take the faulty nurses , or unsupportive system , or the one prep guy who drops the ball --to face a snag.

I have conceded to having unknowns . (post 79)
But there wil be one person overseeing the work and at least that main person has to be the right one ..

You are correct .. a dealership may not take responsibility for the work but they also will align with a multiple car customer rather than the shop.

In other words --they would rather lose a body shop than lose customers .. especially customers who buy a lot of cars from them.

I believe it's going to be ok .. but I can't know .

 

I'm sure it'll be fine for you in the end. And you are right that the most important thing is having a shop you trust, whether it's the dealer recommended shop or the hole in the wall shop in the bad part of town. The most important thing is that you're happy with the end result.

 

I handed the key yesterday to the guy i have confidence in.

Every person I have ecountered has been supportive --including the insurance. Even the adjuster was great.
Look at all the positive replies on the thread too.

It seems like most people look at this ding and hear what happened and realize that flying debris could happen to anyone .. and one look at my car .. they want to help. I also would empathize if someone else had posted instead of me.

when its completed I'll post the after pictures .