Puma Rear quarter panel damage

**karlz** · 26th March 2019, 05:20 PM

My friends neighbour backed into my 2015 Puma's rear quarter panel when it was parked, and caused the panel to be slightly creased.
Ive been to 2 repairs to get a quote, the 1st one is $4100 and I'm awaiting the quote from the 2nd one, but both said the rear panel must be replaced.
I went to a dent repairer and he wouldn't touch it because it was alloy.

The neighbour who crashed into me is about 90 years old, he has insurance, so I guess thats what it to be used for.
Just wondering if this quote sounds excessive or is there any alternative, what would you do?

Heres a photo of the damage, its hard to see, but look between the bumperette (how did he miss that?)and the flare and you can see the crease, rivet of the mud flare also torn out i.e. split behind it

**manic** · 26th March 2019, 09:56 PM

Looks pretty minor. Surely someone could massage it out and push in a fresh rivet for the flare. It's a defender, panels do not need to be perfect... even out of the factory!

I would be more stressed about the body shop attempting to replace and match the panel!

YouTube

**Zeros** · 27th March 2019, 03:30 AM

I agree with Manic. Try another place I reckon.
You would have to be very sure about a specialist panel shop to replace the whole panel and respray!

DiscoMick · 27th March 2019, 10:53 AM

Sounds very expensive. There are plenty of workshops around can work with alloy.

**karlz** · 29th March 2019, 07:22 PM

Second quote came thru today from an "official" landrover repairer.
Quote, no joke was $15,000.

Happy to present the quotes from 2 x "landrover approved" repairers.
(anyone want to see them?)
I reckon its ridiculous, no wonder insurance is expensive.
Maybe now, after the Royal Commission into banks, we look at these "people".
'
I ended up speaking to the 90 yo old bloke today, and told him Im going thru my insurance.

Makes me sick.

**Orkney 90** · 29th March 2019, 09:43 PM

I guess that if you are going to get it professionally repaired then it won't hurt trying this....

Heat the area of the crease with a hair dryer set to "hot". Get the panel hot without blistering the paint. Gently coax it from behind using a small rubber mallet whilst hot. Should get most of the crease out, if not completely it will certainly look better.

However, if it were mine I would definitely stay away from getting the panel "replaced" and re-sprayed.

DiscoMick · 30th March 2019, 08:37 AM

Surely any decent aluminium fab shop could fix this?

**DiscoClax** · 30th March 2019, 09:40 AM

Our local panel beater up here loves working with Land Rovers because of their alloy panels. Easy to work with, can gently rub most stuff out, he reckons. Had a nasty, hard dent taken out of my D1 and left the paint untouched (but marked). I agree with others that replacing the panel is not the way I'd go. They should be able to gently push it back and smooth it out. Probably without a respray and it all remains original and unmolested. Once you start unstitching panels and pulling trim you go down a rabbit hole of other potential issues. And Defos don't have straight panels. They 'wobble' so a minor imperfection won't even show up. Making that panel perfect will then make the rest of the car look odd. Plus paint matching, fading rates, finish...

**Zeros** · 30th March 2019, 06:14 PM

It’s a Defender! Just knock it out with a hammer. Or leave it.

My 98 Defender still has a massive dent in the rear panel, side-swiped by a roo I barely missed on the Tanami track years ago.

**CraigE** · 30th March 2019, 07:40 PM

Quote for my damage was $2500 with parts all up $3k so dont know this was WA and my aluminium was torn. I elected to be paid out and will just plate with aluminium chequer plate. There are aluminium panel beaters out there but few and far between. If I had it done would have had to take to Midland some 70 odd kms away. Aluminium cost me $162 for a 2400 x 1200mm sheet 2.5mm and will be time and tools to cut. However I suppose if you want it as new the Insurance will have to cough up. Only reason I have gone this way is it is a 2000 TD5 and you can barely notice the tear.

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