ideas to fix my poor damaged bug

[karla2801]

Hi as you can see from my photos my poor bug has got alot of damage to its left side. However there are scratches, cracks and chips in most of the pannels. This is due to my car slidding on black ice back in the winter and i wasn't able to control it and ended up in a ditch on the side of my poor bug and had to be pulled out.
Iv fixed all the underneath damage and have replaced all alloys and tyres, however the body work is yet to be fixed. What i need help with is the cheapest way to fix all the damage. The left side skirt is completley dented in and have been told buy a bodyshop that to have the sid skirt cut out and replaced and both wheel arches fixed it can cost me up to £5000!!! i can not afford this.
Does anyone know any bodyshop or some1 that can fix this for me at a cheaper price. All ideas welcome as i want my bug to have a complete face lift.

[kellyyysayss]

Maaco would probably charge you $400-$600 to fix all of that up. Don't know if there is one near you or not.

If you really do need to replace the side skirt, pick one up from a salvage/junk yard and have it color matched to your paint. Maaco would probably charge you $60 max for this.

If you lived near me I'd fix it all for $100, but that's just me.

Good luck!

PS- Really like your decal designs!

[karla2801]

dont know if there is one near me but ill have to check. thanks i put all the dacals on myself

[archiebug]

Um, Karla, you're in the UK aren't you, theres no 'Macca' over here

Ok, fixes, you could try buying some Votex sills (if you can get them!) to cover that damage to the sills, however thats so severe I doubt they'd fit over!

Cost wise, probably to fix that sill properly you are talking around £800, then theres the painting of the two wings and door (well basically the side of the car) around another £800 or so.

If you want that damage repaired and the whole car painted properly (ie properly stripped, lights out, windows out, etc) then you will be talking around £2500-£3000 for paint and around another £600-£800 to fix the sill (I'd just buy a new replacement from

Also why aren't you on the UK NB sites (New Beetle Owners Club & Club Concept - the UK's first and largest VW New Beetle club - Home) as with regards to stuff like this we'll probably be more help for UK companies

[elancee]

I just love your butterflies and hummingbirds! Hope you find an inexpensive way to fix your bug.

[SMG]

Ouch.

Isn't it funny how I knew the photo was taken Europe without even looking at your user info. The light is different over there, I swear. Kind of how you can tell a photo taken on a nice fall day from one taken in the spring.. Anyway got off on a tangent there.

I assume you didn't have insurance?

[karla2801]

no of course i had insurance dont wanna driva around ilegaly. I was at the time only 3rd party fire and theft. So the insurance company wouldnt pay out for the damage.

[Wingnut_rb]

Another thing for VW to put on their "things to do better" is making the rocker panels removable!

And to be honest, I think you can do much better than the 3800 the other fella quoted you. Good luck with the repairs.

[karla2801]

thanks seems to be a bit of a mission at the moment but hopefuly will all be worth it.
Now thinking of doing complete colour change lol

[Daisy2001]

As a bodyman... There is no cheap solution here. The front end is going to have to come off, to have the front fender plastic-repaired, ditto with the rear end. The side skirt is going to have to be cut off and the shop is going to have to find a junk yard to cut a replacement skirt... Those fenders and skirt will then have to be sanded and sent to paint. Then the a-pillar, door, and quarter panel will also have to be sanded and painted. Then reassembly and finally wet sand & buff/polish. There is alot of labor hours in doing the plastic repair, paint prep, paint, and paint finishing...

In US dollars, for a proper repair, you are looking at least $1000, up to $1500.

[Daisy2001]

And for whoever said Macco, never take a car to Macco. Macco does not color match, uses cheap paint, and do little to no paint prep. Paint prep is vital to the paint lasting, you will see the paint start to peel before a year is up and you will be kicking yourself in the ass.