was this done right?

[BerniniCaCO3]

Hi!

For two years now I've been living with some damage I did, from backing into a pole,
along with wiped clearcoat on the hood and top, of my beloved 1990 mercury colony park wagon.

Finally doing something about it; I don't like driving in a beater if I can help it.

For $650, a shop here in Baltimore pulled the dents, said they sanded the hood and top to the metal, and then primed the top (and of course, the body work side). There's also a rust spot in the LR wheel well that was backed with fiberglass and filled in (not done properly with brazed metal, but they said it would last anyway).
There are some real classy touches, like a bondo smudge on the window glass and bondo dripped onto the LR wheel, and two more bondo dribbles inside the LR door jam, and a couple spots of porosity in the primer (I was told this will be sanded through and cleaned up by the painters, next weekend). Painting will be more: it was $650 for the body and prep work.
That ought to clean up. He told me a bit of acetone will pick up the primer that was oversprayed. Hopefully the painters will not be so sloppy.
The wheel well trim was torn off as you see, I do not mind. The aluminum was not repairable and I picked up a fresh piece from the junkyard a year ago, expressing good intentions at the time.

He forgot about the rust spot on the RR quarter panel, and the crack in the front fascia; he'll take care of them Thursday.

I am curious about 8 holes in the top of the roof: did something go there once?
And what I am most worried about is the persisting dent in the LR door, which he said he could not pull out because of a structural bar that is right there. Is this true? Do I need an unmarred junkyard door? Or should he really ought to be able to drill a hole and pull that straight with a slide hammer?
There is also a little waviness in the "hip" of the wheel well. Something the paint shop should clean up? Something he should have? Something maybe I should clean up if i want it done right?
Or will it look.. sorta OK when painted...? Or like shit.... Was this a good price for the work done?

Before and after pictures to follow:







THE DOOR



QUARTER PANEL




WHEEL WELL RUST SPOT (ignore the stub of wheel well trim, that I guess got left on)


HOOD & ROOF priming (what are the 8 little holes on the roof?)

[BerniniCaCO3]

It's the door line that really concerns me. That might look awful once it's glossy.
Is there truly no way to fix that?!?

[marquisman]

the dog leg. wheel well line is a concern. it looks pretty halfed assed is you ask me. an being able to see it in the primer, you can count on it showing up with paint. it can be fixed. it just needs more time spent in that area, to get it just right.

[gadget73]

The holes in the roof look like part of the roof rack thats missing, or something that was once mounted there. If they are not filled with something, water will get in there and ruin your headliner. The odd dent in the door I'd also be a bit concerned about. I don't think there is anything there, but yank the panel off and see for yourself. The entire wheel arch area looks oddly lumpy to me as well, though the trim may cover it. I'm not really up on exactly how much the trim hides on a Mercury.

[grandwagon]

Hey berni, I hate to be the asshole here but I think this guy is doing a shitty job and I hate that on your part!! The gap between the door and the quarter is all out of wack. As for the door,there is a structure brace in there but it can be fixed weather he just is lazy or he don't have the talent is the big question!! And as far as the holes in the roof, tell him to remount the rest of your roof rack!! There are stainless rails that go on top of the ribs on the roof in between the side rails of the roof rack. They are the same length as the side rails!!!



By the way, where are you at in Baltimore???

[jaywish]

Dito, it will not look professional without better sculpting. I hope they can do a good job. That looks like I did it and now you know why I do not bondo if I care at all about the result. The roof rack strips should go back after the paint job. Meanwhile plug the holes to keep the rain out.

Jay

[BerniniCaCO3]

stainless strips are in the back seat; just didn't see them.
Might reinstall until a week or two when I'll get it painted.

You guys confirmed what I thought about the lines; the more I look at them, the more they're not right. I'll have to meet up with him saturday, and we'll go over them together with a straight edge for the sharp line on top, and make that wheel arch more evenly graceful.

Regarding that door, do you just drill through the structure brace and pull out with a slide hammer on both the brace and the sheet metal together? Buy new pinstriping (since that might get torn off/ drilled through)?
How would it get done?
Then I'll tell him to do it. I want my $650 worth! And it's the slide hammer work I'm less comfortable with.

How do I tell how much bondo he used on the wheel arch (how thick it might be)?
It does still ring like metal, and, it's pretty even looking down (in a way that that door panel isn't), so maybe he did do a good job pulling the dents even if he wasn't very thorough with the sculpting afterwards.

[TSgtRet]

Yeah, ditto on the poor body work; have him make it right. Try using magnets to check the bondo thickness. Just my 2 cents.

[Ziggy]

Don't know where you are, but here in SW Ohio, the body labor rate insurance companies are paying is around $46/labor hour. At $650, you're paying your guy for about 14 labor hours to straighten the sheet metal. Based on your original damage pics, I would have written you an estimate for about 10.0 hours on the quarter panel and 6 or 7 on the rear door, and that wouldn't include any of the other stuff you're having the guy do. So before even getting into the rust repair, hood, and roof, I would be about $150 higher than what the guy is charging you. Unfortunately, when it comes to body work, you often get EXACTLY what you pay for. The short answer to your question is NO, it isn't done right. Yes, there is an intrusion beam inside the rear door, but unless that beam is bent (it doesn't look like it is) there is no reason for the door skin to not be repaired. If your "guy" was planning to spray over the dent and expect you to be okay with the repair, RUN AWAY! Find a good, reputable shop and have them dig out all of the garbage body work this hack has done, and reassess the damage. Unfortunately, to do this is going likely going to cost you more than it would have if you had just taken it to the good reputable shop in the first place. Another option you've got is to cut your losses with the guy, take your car back, and buy the tools and materials to do the job yourself. You certainly couldn't do any worse, and you'll learn some skills in the process!

[mrltd]

Hell, anyone could have done that... and the primer looks like aerosol cans...


This is why I prefer just totalling cars, taking the money and not dealing with bodyshops.

[Mainemantom]

100% agree with Ziggy. + You get exactly what you pay for. This job looks like a 1st year auto body student did it.

[BerniniCaCO3]

I'm going to try to redo it myself. I'm out of $$.

I need the door skin pulled (what's the proper tool to accomplish that?),

I need to level out and clean up the wheel arch, straighten the lines that aren't straight. Looking closely at it, there are low spots, and, one dimple of a high spot. Overall form --excepting that door skin-- seems to have been pulled out adequately. There's also the waviness in that straight line above the arch, and in the uneven curve of the arch itself.


Just rough up the surface, apply a bit of body filler to the low spots, and sand back flush with sanding blocks to keep it straight?

Final finish should be 120, or finer, before it can accept the paint?

Are there other things you're seeing that I'm overlooking?

[Lincolnmania]

does not look good, the filler is all lumpy and it looks like they used spray can primer and it's blistering already

[BerniniCaCO3]

define blistering?
what to look for?

[sxcpotatoes]

Blistering is probably 'bulges' lumps where it is pushing out, perhaps where it didn't bond properly with the underlying surface. Think of a blister on your finger from burning yourself on a hot pan. You can probably push on the paint with your finger and you'll feel it give. (all just a guess)