Yeah lol, their view is that they're required to put it back to pre-accident condition & if it wasnt like that before the accident why should they pay to make it better. I'm guessing thats in regards to blending the hood? I hear you though, I'm on your side & deal with this all the time, not just with Geico but a majority of them do that. The good thing is that they dont really make aftermarket parts for our cars. For the most part, hes probably going to look for a used fender, used mirror, replace the outer panel on the front door, blend the hood & blend the rear door. I understand your whole view on the no bondo but thats going to be super tough with the hinge pillar dented like that. To be real, I'm 99.99% sure theyre not going to pay for a $500+ dollar hinge pillar + the 7 or so hours to replace it & im pretty sure thats not including R&I'ing the dash, windshield + everything else.

If you're getting into a rental car that they're providing, one point of leverage you have is to decline the repairs to the body shop (they need your approval as the owner of the car even though the insurance is paying) & argue to the insurance company. It basically boils down to Geico being charged daily for the rental while they fight you when it can possibly be cheaper to just give you what you want. Now mind you, depending on what youre after, that doesnt always work. I've seen it end both ways, the insurance gives in & does it or the customer gets ****ed & has to cover some of the rental so be careful with that advice. Also, keep in mind that Geico is not your insurance company & you dont pay into them, which gives you a bit less leverage.

 

Do you never wax your car, park the car in the sun all day and never wash it? I had a 2005 for 10 years in the Bay Area and it was mint the day I sold it. Daily driver, did many years of trips to Tahoe. Clear coat was perfect.

The clear coat damage on your hood alone is horrendous.

 

The wiper paint and vent cowl vinyl is gray instead of black. Definitely "sunkist" ...Reminds me more of a "valley car" not a bay ride.
Never the less sorry for your loss!

 

yeah, it's a northbay car. I waxed it once every 3 months. In 2010, it started as a little dime sized white spot. Lol. After moisture got in, it was done. I've seen a couple eclipses from that year the same way. It sucks, but it runs perfect, so that helps. Plus, I drive the hell out of it. Its definately no garage/dyno queen. 160000 on the clock and ticking. But, yeah. Its lived outside its entire life. It still hurts though.

 

you're right brother. Just outside the bay, where the heat is brutal. What really sucks is I just got a place with a garage to put it in. Maybe I'll buy some spray tools and attempt to refinish it. Definately cant afford the 10 grand for the paint job.

 

Found some more damage behind fender. Hit the support bracket just behind it, but didnt reach the strut tower. Still, the adjuster needs to reinspect the car. Lol. Body shop wants to do a new fender skin, and I am down with that. They've got a quote for a new mirror, so that might happen. Still waiting though. Lol. Trying to get the peeling bastard home has been trying.

 

Might just ask while it is in the body shop if they can hit those "burnt" regions with some matching color. Meanwhile you can prep it. Body work is what costs.
If they say 10K just to shoot color.....find another shop.

 

its actually worse than it looks. The clearcoat is peeling, yes, but most of the exposed paint is damaged also. It goes from rear to front. Basically anything the sun has shone on. It would need a fresh paint job, exterior wise, and ALOT of prep. That's ok though, as I put the money where it's really needed. As much as i loved my pristine exterior, i love having a reliable vehicle more.

 

How did everything end up?

 

car is still in the shop, waiting on parts. Apparently nissan fired a whole bunch of people at the Mitsubishi dealership near me and the parts are coming slowly. Lol. They ended up approving the repairs which was about 7000 bucks total. Give or take.

 

I hear you on the parts I'm kinda in the same boat. According to my parts guy, Mitsubishi is moving one of their major warehouses from Cypress, CA to Riverside CA which is about 45 min - 1 hour away & its definitely gumming things up because more stuff has to come from Atlanta. Nice, hopefully the approved estimate is written in the direction you were hoping to go!

 

I would try to repair that yourself and not go through insurance. May not be totalled but I wouldn't risk it. Just my opinion.

 

Ouch! Does seem repairable.

 

Wow. Good luck man. These cars are getting up there in value these days I think.

 

OP, sorry this happened to you. Awesome to see that it's getting repaired, though.

So Mitsu is moving from Cypress to Riverside huh? Perhaps this is why they didn't have MOD last year. Hopefully Mitsu can throw a bone at us in Riverside.... even though it's an additional 45+ minute drive for me