bouis

Some jerkoff kid with purple highlighted hair in a gigantic, brand new Ford truck put it into reverse in the middle of a street and decided to back up on me while I was behind him. Despite the fact that I was stopped a full car length behind him and was honking from the instant I saw the damn reverse lights come on, he got me pretty good.

I have no idea what the guy was trying to do but the damage is done. Fortunately big trucks and little RX-7s seem to get along well in collisions because there's almost no damage to either vehicle except my utterly smashed header panel and a fist-sized scratch on his big chrome bumper.

'Course I could probably slap a bra on the car and milk this, but I'm not that kind of guy. I just want the car back the way it was.

So, I need a sunrise red header panel in "good" shape. Minor imperfections are okay but naturally I'd prefer one in great shape. UPS can ship this pretty easily and I'll pay a fair price for it. Anyone?

RotaryRyan

heh, some lady ran a shopping cart(some of you may call them buggies??) into my car today no damage though

she shoulda been in a field flying a kite or something -not next to my car with a big, metal rolling thing

bouis

I remember that right after I got my second RX-7 (and my first nice one, a cream-white '83 GS) I was taking my buddy for a ride, and he tossed a beer bottle out the window at a street sign... it hit the sign, bounced back, and put a nice fist-sized ding in my quarter panel. I think I got a lot more upset about that than I did about this. I still need a header panel though... com'on guys, it's that thing that goes between the headlights, the hood, and the bumper.

RotaryRyan

So you never got an explanation of why he decided to just reverse it all of the sudden?(Free bump- making conversation)

bouis

Nope, I didn't ask... he just said that it was 100% his fault and that his old man would make it right. I got his insurance info just in case. He doesn't have mine so it would be real tough for him to argue that it was my fault in the future, heh.

Since the damage isn't over $500 on the face of it there was no legal requirement to involve the police, I didn't want the guy to get a ticket to add to his problems, the car is in his old man's name, and we were both late for class [I for a damn test] so I just said go on, we'll settle this later.

Apparently the father is flying home today so I couldn't talk to him. If I don't talk to him tomorrow I'll get a body shop to write me a $1000 estimate, claim to be surprised and go to the cops. That'll show 'em.

bouis

Btw, this was on a fairly busy street that borders the USM campus. He was either backing up to let someone out on a side road, or he was backing up to let a pedestrian by that he pulled in front of.

This is why I couldn't just throw it into reverse and gas it to avoid being hit; there were too many pedestrians and other cars.

IanS

iTrader: (4)

Well if you cant find one that in the right color. PM me and I will hook you up with a primer red one. Real cheap!!!

bouis

Thanks IanS. I'll get back to you later if I can't find a good one.

1stgen_tn

Ahem. That title will now cost you 25 points and $10,000 Mr. Bouis.

bouis

Ten grand? Holy crap, there goes my plans for a 20b swap!

1stgen_tn

You know, I bet that's just what Lil' E said too. Everyone knows that in order to win, you must have a rotary under the hood!

For those who haven't heard, Earnhardt Jr. was fined exactly what I charged Bouis with for saying the "S" word on Nat'l TV. Can you believe that? Costing a man a Championship maybe?

Bouis, have you checked on a panel from VB? A good body shop can match your paint perfectly. IE paint fade, OEM color, custom color, etc. Odds are you're not gonna find another panel that will look EXACTLY the same color as yours.

Hades12

Glad most everything was ok.

Now you may not want to hear this but when those move sometimes the front section also moves, You may want to pull it and make sure all the bolt holes are in a line still.

Elysian

i got a dentless white one sitting outside, even has the mazda logo on it...

Elysian

its 80 bux in VB...

bouis

Yeah, Hades12, I've taken a good look at it and the damage really is skin-deep. The header panel is bent in a little at the bottom in the center, and dimpled at the top, but where the far ends meet the fenders and bumper it's still perfectly straight.

I know the clutch was on the floor and the brakes were released or only lightly engaged when he hit me. I have to admit it wasn't my best moment... I honked, started to throw it in reverse, hesitated, looked back over my shoulder and BAM. I can't say for sure if he slowed before he hit me, but I'm pretty sure it was 5mph or under.

I do appreciate the offers guys but I'm holding out for a sunrise red one. I talked to the kid's dad today and he said he was friends with a Mazda dealer in New Orleans who could probably get the header panel at cost. I may just ask him to get me a new panel painted sunrise red, give me a few hundred bucks and a quart of paint and call it even.

Edit: Oh yeah and I went and got an estimate at Ripsuoff Bodyshop down the street just for the hell of it ($1038 lol) and faxed it to the guy

bouis

No one I have talked to has said they can "match" the color of the paint... all they want to do is "blend" the paint on surrounding panels.

1stgen_tn

Well I guess some shops are different. I had our Infiniti done (OEM pearl midnight blue) at a dealership here in Greeneville, TN. BachmanBernard. After being wrecked, we had the hood & front bumper replaced and painted to match. You can't tell it was ever repaired, really. Now, the "blending" effect is something they also do of course but that is only when they are repairing like a rear 1/4 panel and they just blend the new paint in the old instead of repainting the entire car. The guy there can "match" any color you want. Anywhere from a 1970 faded pale yellow to a 2005 Sunset Orange Metallic on a T/A. Not sure how he does it but I know he's good, just didn't know he was THAT good. Sounds like your situation is the same as our Infiniti was. It's just a piece that needs painted, you don't need anything blended. I figured surely there would be someone out there capable of matching colors. Try dealership body shops or hot rod shops maybe? You should'nt have to own a Pontiac to take it to a Pontiac shop. BachmanBernard isn't an Infiniti dealer but they were happy to take the job for me.

My guess is they keep mixing up samples and hold them next to the car's original paint until they get a perfect match. I don't see any other way of doing it.

Sterling

I may have a sunrise red one. I'll have to check today for you. From what I remember though, it has pitting from road gravel and a small but fairly deep nick in it.
I'll photograph all the red ones I have and email you. I think I still have your addy.

Hades12

The peple at paintbull sale a system to match paint, it is so they can repair a small section and get it all the same. They use a system like Home Depot does, A photo eye to see what the paint is and then mix the correct color. Most body shops dont like to do this all they want to do it cut it in and call it OK.

Bouis, I was in a situation like this a few years ago, but I was on a Fergison tractor running the box scrape and my buddy was moving dirt using a bob cat, I was following him making everything look nice, and he dumps the bucket and heads back at me, No horn. So it was a mad scramble to stop, stick forward out of 3 down and back into reverse, Lift up, and I had just gotten moving when he hit me. Did not hurt any but scared me a bit.

anthrax

That is too bad about the shopping cart...

But the bit about the kite flying is way too funny...

Why when you park at the back of the parking lot all by yourself, it takes 20 min to walk from the car to the store does some fuzz nuts in a 1974 Plymoth insists on parking next to you?

That is usually when somthing happens to your car...

People are stupid

bouis

Well, the reason they're saying they can't "match" the color of the paint is that it won't fade evenly and it'll end up two colors in a few years. Whereas if you blend the paint, even if it doesn't fade perfectly evenly you end up with a smooth transition.

Thanks sterling, I appreciate it.

Hades12, heh, I've got a few stories like that. The best one I think is one I didn't see myself. A few years ago my old man and my baby brother were cutting the grass 'round the pool, my brother on a small tractor and my dad using a push mower. My brother is something approaching reckless with these kind of machines and apparently the old man wasn't paying attention; he gets out in front of my brother who dodges and puts the tractor in the pool... it ends up floating upside down in the deep end. Haha.

DiabSoule

Hey if your talk about the metal between the head lights i have on but its black.... let me now. email