Be careful where you park!

 

damn. thats not zsmooth

 

Good news. What is being done about the auto park gadgetry?

 

 

That move hopefully supports your case. Good luck!

 

Glad to see it back together. Which shop did the work? Mine was 4 1/2 months in the shop, and it was driveable, but I am not exaggerating when I say I cannot tell the difference between the factory finish and the shop's (for the nit-pickers out there, no, I did not measure paint thickness).

 

Liz, I am not sure I understand you point, but I expect a shop paint job to exceed factory standards. In the very old days Aston-Martin used to send the New York show cars to Philly to be re-painted because the factory job was so poor. I must admit I have a fondness for Jag paint jobs. My XK8 was Aspen Green, a lovely color, and the F-Type is Iridium Silver which although I don't really care for silver is very nicely executed.

 

My point is that your expectation is not met nearly often enough. In ten years of repair shop ownership, I rarely saw repainted sections that were not noticeable, sometimes from considerable distance.

I'm curious which shop did the work and his level of satisfaction. The shops that are certified by JLR to work on the all-aluminum cars are very limited in number, but that front end damage might have been all bolt-on, not requiring bonding/riveting.

 

Liz, don't take me wrong. I understand that there are a lot of body shops that do minimal quality work, but at the same time, my experience is that if you talk to the local Ferrari dealership or comparable you can find the shop that can exceed factory standards. It may take a little looking and some travel, but there is usually someone around who does artisan quality work.

 

We're in agreement. I've just seen too much crap finish work to take it for granted.

 

Concur with this...after the XK8 got hit from behind in late 2016, I looked at several shops. I felt comfortable with one that had quite a few 'exotics' being worked on despite the fact that it was a 'chain' outfit. I figure if they had no fewer than two Maseratis as well as three or four Porsches, they were likely doing decent work.

Contrast that with the UndercoverBoss segment I watched the other night with the CEO from Maaco and the one employee was caught on tape admitting to the various corners being cut and that customers weren't expecting quality work since, well, they went to Maaco...

In the past, I have had shops that turned me away because of the expectations I had of them...

 

 

Excellent. Are you eventually putting the striping back on? It's a great look.

 

 

That is horrible...please provide updates

 

 

Latest photo after the repair.

 

Hey Z,

So glad to see you're close. Since your first post with pics, I've noticed how you've handled this horrendous situation with incredible dignity and patience. You didn't just "rage at the machine" (which is literal in this case), but hung in like a man to see it through. I know I could learn to take a few more of life's knocks in stride. Hope you make the Rally!!

 

Yes, its been a challenging situation, but I decided to just focus on reaching a resolution with car, so I can get back to enjoying it, instead of crying over spilled milk. I am still not happy with how the situation went down, but life is life, **** happens. I bought this car to make my life more enjoyable not more difficult so right now I am just hoping the car is fixed in time for me to enjoy the upcoming exotic rally.

 

BRAVO!!