I hate my friends sometimes!!!! Smashed door.

[4rgone]

So my friend drops by where we work, on his day off, just before we close (3am), hang out for a bit and then we leave. Now it had been slightly raining or maybe a heavy mist and the streets were slick, we sort of end up right next to each other, me in my MM and he in his T-Bird, driving down the road (not racing) going the speed limit, but the road is very slippery and his Bird has skinny tires and all of a sudden I hear a sound a sound like someone not having control of a car. Then I see his front end in front of me and he is all sideways and I think I am going to t bone him, so I turn and slide a little, I get control and try to keep moving to the curb and right when I prepair to stop he straightend himself out a little to soon and his back end fishtails into my door... So we pull over and check it out, coudn't see that well, but didn't look that bad. So I go home and he follows, we call another friend that can remove bumps, he looks at it, "Says oh don't worry, easy fix" then I am told, "hey drive it over to my house and we wil fix it no problem". So I do, get dropped off back at my house and go to bed... after a while. Now keep in mind these guys are good friends and I have no reason to worry and I believe in giving a chance before I fly off the handle, so I was calm... Friend says he will pay for everything and not to worry. So I wake up expecting to hear from my friend any minute or maybe see my car back at my house in better shape, wrong. I wait an hour call, leave a message. Like, "ok hey whats going on with my car?" Trying to sound friendly, a little irritated, but friendly. Another hour call, no pick up, call more times, and then straight to voice mail...Now i'm a little upset and my fiance is livid, so I go over to his house with my spare set of keys and see my car still sitting there not fixed, knock on the door, his roomate answers and then tells me that my friend has left town and gone down to L.A. :mad2:I almost knocked the poor guy out... I grab my car and go to work, now I am off going to have to go to my other job in a few hours the mutual job, the one I got my friend, technically making me his boss. I am beyond pissed now. I was going to try and be cool and let him fix it as much as possible, to keep costs down, but now he's screwed, on Monday I will go to a body shop and hopefully be able to get it fixed, then a paint job and present my "friend" with the bill, if I don't kill him first......................... .... The door is pretty banged up, but only the drivers door, nothing else, it closes fine, I can use the door handle, the window opens and closes with no rubbing sound so I am assuming a body shop will be able to fix it. On the off chance that they can't... Does anyone have a driver door for an 03/black, they don't need or know how to get one on the cheap? (probably can be fixed but, just putting it out their just in case, will know by Monday). Also while I am getting a new paint job I was thinking about getting the grill, a primer black, to add a little contrast to the rest of it's blackness any thoughts? Thanks for letting me vent.

[Davesvt2000]

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=51806

[Blk Mamba]

..........nnnoooo....

[4rgone]

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=51806
ya I saw that stuff for sale, but he only has the rear driver door, I need the front driver side door, thanks for the help though

[Rocknthehawk]

File a claim with your insurance and a police report. If he stands by his word, he shouldn't have a problem that you're going the right route.

If you have it repaired, and then present him with a bill, he'll laugh in your face. It's a he said she said type deal by then, and a verbal agreement doesnt mean anything in this case.

[4rgone]

1. I can get him fired from his job:flamer:, I'm the boss. 2. He doesn't have a license so no insurance, so worse comes to worse I might be able to get him arrested, but he is a friend and I don't want to go that rought. 3. I know everyone he knows and worse comes to worse I could put the old mafia lean on him:cool:... He will pay if I give him the bill. There is no doubt in my mind, that I assure you. I know what people would say, but with someone I know I just can't bring myself to call the cops, if I can't handle it myself then it wont get handled, thank you all for your suggestions though. What do you all think about the black primer grill idea?

[UncleLar]

1. I can get him fired from his job:flamer:, I'm the boss. 2. He doesn't have a license so no insurance, so worse comes to worse I might be able to get him arrested, but he is a friend and I don't want to go that rought. 3. I know everyone he knows and worse comes to worse I could put the old mafia lean on him:cool:... He will pay if I give him the bill. There is no doubt in my mind, that I assure you. I know what people would say, but with someone I know I just can't bring myself to call the cops, if I can't handle it myself then it wont get handled, thank you all for your suggestions though. What do you all think about the black primer grill idea?
Well,if he's a friend then give him a reasonable chance to make good on it,if he doesn't get moving soon and co operate there'll be time for more drastic steps later,right?

[freakstatus]

Don't get him fired or he won't be able to pay.

[hot-rauder]

If he doesnt pay, the boss will just keep his checks lol :up:

[rayjay]

This is a perfect example of why I tell people to file a MVA report and let the insurance companies deal with it. However, in this case he has no insurance and was driving illegally. Sounds like you'll be eating the repairs. Live and learn. It happened to me in 1975 and the "friend" never paid. Imagine that :rolleyes:

[Blk Mamba]

...it's all fun and games 'till someone gets poked in the eye...

[BODYMAN]

send me some good pics I can tell you if it can be fixed or not, I would give him a chance to make it right before I take further action being a friend and you work with him!!! If you do need a door I could probably get you a used one (lkq) for a very resonable price I know salvage yards all over the country. Did it just happen a couple days ago? If so I would give him a little time to make right on it before I jump the gun. It does suck that now you have to b-work on youre car but try to be patient I know it is hard. Sounds like yuoure friend is going thru same tough times as is not be able to have ins and no lic.. unless it was a DUI than I have no patience there is no reason to drive drunk.

[BODYMAN]

...it's all fun and games 'till someone gets poked in the eye...

like Blackened said there other day it is all fun and games till gramps breaks a hip!!! Iam going to have to keep that qoute.

[4rgone]

Not worried to much about him not paying for it and I don't want to jump the gun and end a friendship if I don't have to... I'll be going to a body shop on Monday (happend 3am Saturday) to see what they say, if they don't feel they can fix it then..."frdbdytch" I will PM you. I don't have a camera readily available, but I will try to get a hold of one, even if they can fix it, it's always good to have a few pictures. My friend wasn't drunk and wasn't driving crazy or anything like that and I do feel bad for him, it was an accident plain and simple, he drove with me on the long drive to buy my MM back in December. I'm sure everything will be fine.

[BurpyTurtle]

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=51806

Let me guess... you posted this to be funny?

I really and truly wish that the linked seller hadn't turned out to be a flake. I'm not the only one he's taken, and hopefully PayPal will get our money back.

[hot-rauder]

Let me guess... you posted this to be funny?

I really and truly wish that the linked seller hadn't turned out to be a flake. I'm not the only one he's taken, and hopefully PayPal will get our money back.

Let me guess, you dont know Dave?

Don't jump the gun. Dave was simply posting a link for a thread he knew parts were being sold in. He probably was not trying to be funny. Sorry you got played on the deal, I have had it happen too.... I filed a complaint with paypal and was refunded.


Friends dont screw friends, so I wouldnt worry about him flaking...

[BurpyTurtle]

OK. I can accept that he remembered that the parts had been posted and he hadn't revisited the topic to see the train wreck further down the page. Sorry if he was offended.

I've upped my dispute with PayPal to a claim based on the other members here having problems.

[BODYMAN]

Not worried to much about him not paying for it and I don't want to jump the gun and end a friendship if I don't have to... I'll be going to a body shop on Monday (happend 3am Saturday) to see what they say, if they don't feel they can fix it then..."frdbdytch" I will PM you. I don't have a camera readily available, but I will try to get a hold of one, even if they can fix it, it's always good to have a few pictures. My friend wasn't drunk and wasn't driving crazy or anything like that and I do feel bad for him, it was an accident plain and simple, he drove with me on the long drive to buy my MM back in December. I'm sure everything will be fine.

4rGone, sounds like you got a handle on things! Hopefully it all works out for you sounds like it should good luck let us know what happens

Todd:beer:

[4rgone]

Was able to get some of the dents out with a few friends of mine and the rest I will have to have done by a body shop, got two quotes so far, will be getting a 3rd later today, but damn the difference in quotes I have gotten so far is amazing. Called my local Ford dealership to see who they use or recommend, went to the place, got quoted $975.00, but the guy said if I pay cash he would drop it to about $600.00 and Maaco quoted me at $1,327.46 and said that maybe they could drop it to $1,250.00, it's more then double, even with the drop. I am expecting the next place I go could be lower, but still, can't believe the difference.

[Rocknthehawk]

usually you get what you pay for with bodywork.

what exactly do the estimates say? Maaco could be adding to blend the door, or time to pull the window, handle, etc.

[4rgone]

the guy at maaco said he wouldn't blend because it is black and it looks like they want to completley replace the door skin, the other place is going to blend the door and repair the door shell and refinish everything. I saw some of the cars they were working on and they knew what they were doing. I wasn't suprised Maaco was more expensive sort of expected it. I guess it comes down to the door skin being replaced or not.

[Rocknthehawk]

makes sense. if you're not paying, i'd opt for the new skin.

[4rgone]

Cool I just realized I'm not a junior member anymore, I'm a normal member. I would like to thank everyone for putting up with me and answering my rediculouse questions and...ect:D

I wan't to make it as cheap for my friend as possible, I mean what if I end up doing something stupid and breaking something of his, it's nice to have that good will and if the cheaper place can make it look fine then I'm all for it.

[Rocknthehawk]

Well, you usually get what you pay for. It's hard to make any sort of a guess as to the damage without seeing it....but if maaco is saying it needs a skin, I'm guessing it needs a skin. That's not a small job.

Most likely the cheaper place (may) bang it out from behind, or use a stud gun to pull it, then fill any low spots with bodyfiller and paint. You take the risk of this bodyfiller ghosting through the paint, cracking, etc. It might look great now, or for the first few months, but there's a chance that later on, on a nice warm day, you'll see the outline of the bodyfiller.

[4rgone]

Just got back from my 3rd and last body shop and they quoted me at $800.00 cash, but the guy said that he will give me a lifetime garauntee for the work and the paint job so I think that I will be going with them.

[Rocknthehawk]

make sure you understand what that includes, and you have that in writing.

some of these "guarantees" are voided by weather, washing, etc

[4rgone]

really... thanks for the tip, I will definitaly remember that.

[1 Bad Merc]

Life-time gurantees are only as good as the life of the business. If they go out next year to bad! Dont get suckered in.....be careful.

[Rocknthehawk]

cash deal sounds iffy to me....i'd go with the trusted shop like maaco.