I am very angry now. Looks like somebody has crashed into the wing, and dented and cracked it.

Luckily on a FIAT the wings are just bolt on. However on the way back the was a slight smell of petrol. I don't know if there is a fuel line behind that wing or if it is just a coincidence.

This is the damage







The splash marks are because I had to go to the lockup on the way back and there is a muddy and lumpy surface is there.

Now because I have only been driving three years I could get no claims protection, so if claim for this I would loose all my no claims bonus.

However I am not sure how much that would make a difference in reality.

How much is a body shop likely to charge to fix this? Everything else on the car drives perfectly, no issues with the steering or anything so I think the damage is just cosmetic but we will see if that fuel smell goes away.

Oh and to vent my anger at these scumbags I ripped a lot of hanging down wall paper of my wall and half the plaster came off with it.

Fuming like mad, but can't swear on here, we were using this car to my grandpas funeral.

No excuses for that! Try a bodyshop first, some handy bloke might well pull, push and tap that out for you, has to worth a try. Hard lines though

People are tossers unfortunately. Remember when I had my rear bumper scraped? £250 to sort that out.

Not worth claiming for that tbh. Will be under £500 to repair. Am guessing as you are a new driver that that your excess is a fair bit anyway?

I doubt a new wing will be over £100, then it's just painting. Might be the cheapest way to do it. Go get an estimate, but don't go to any flash bodyshops, not worth it. Just look for your two man bands who have a small workshop and get a quote from them.

Remind me where in the world you are. If you're near Manc, I know someone in Macc who'll do it at a good price.

Fooking Fookers!
I'd love to string tw'ats like this up!

I hope this may take the sting out
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-Pand...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1e584c5f7c

or ring these
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2008-FIAT...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3f0e825eff

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-PAND...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27bfd46827

Wings are glued on also so require a yank to remove but an easy bolt off and on job really. Get an OEM wing and not a patern part if you do replace it as patern wings are rubbish (been there, done that).

Wing probably £80-100, painting £200.

As mentioned though it'll possibly push out hopefully, and there are no fuel lines behind it so that must be coincidence.

Goudrons said:

Fooking Fookers!
I'd love to string tw'ats like this up!

I hope this may take the sting out
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-Pand...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1e584c5f7c

or ring these
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2008-FIAT...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3f0e825eff

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-PAND...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27bfd46827

Click to expand...

Top one is a patern part by the looks of it so I'd avoid them, and will be interesting if the breakers can remove the wings without damage with them glued in place.

Ouch, and exactly in the same spot that mine got hit earlier this year.

I got it fixed by m'verygoodfriend at a local paint and dent shop, he fixed it up perfectly and resprayed the panel, you can't even see it if you know where it was. I paid ~£130 with a buddy discount, I bet you could get it fixed for less than £200 no problem.

They'll come off easy warming the panel sealant up with hot air gun or even knifing it off.
It's primary job is to seal the panels, not to permanently bond, otherwise they'd be welded on and save the manufacturer a small fortune.

If the breaker damages one removing it, then just don't buy it??

Got to be worth a punt if a cheap fix is required, maybe the OP hasn't got lots of available free funds to fork out on a dealer repair or body shop.
(though I doubt a dealer will do body work, rather farm it out to someone else) And I'm sure wouldn't like to put a claim into the insurance as it's likely to cost them dearly.
Sounds like they have some household DIY to do as well!!

There are other options available, including just leaving it dented.
The dent will devalue the car slightly, but as it loses hundreds of pounds a year, it may be a wise to just to leave it, if it's going to be worthless when it's time to get shot of it.

Thanks for the suggestions will look into it. The car still seems to get riffs of petrol is there anything else under that wing like an evap canister? However the smell doesn't appear to be coming from that end.

Less than 200 at a bodyshop, they wouldn't replace the wing just straighten it.

Goudrons said:

They'll come off easy warming the panel sealant up with hot air gun or even knifing it off.
It's primary job is to seal the panels, not to permanently bond, otherwise they'd be welded on and save the manufacturer a small fortune.

If the breaker damages one removing it, then just don't buy it??

Got to be worth a punt if a cheap fix is required, maybe the OP hasn't got lots of available free funds to fork out on a dealer repair or body shop.
(though I doubt a dealer will do body work, rather farm it out to someone else) And I'm sure wouldn't like to put a claim into the insurance as it's likely to cost them dearly.
Sounds like they have some household DIY to do as well!!

There are other options available, including just leaving it dented.
The dent will devalue the car slightly, but as it loses hundreds of pounds a year, it may be a wise to just to leave it, if it's going to be worthless when it's time to get shot of it.

Click to expand...

Knifing isn't possible tbh, again got the t-shirt, but hadn't thought of hot air gun.

JD82 said:

Thanks for the suggestions will look into it. The car still seems to get riffs of petrol is there anything else under that wing like an evap canister? However the smell doesn't appear to be coming from that end.

Click to expand...

As I've already said there is nothing behind that wing to do with the fuel system.

JD82 said:

I am very angry now. Looks like somebody has crashed into the wing, and dented and cracked it.

Click to expand...

Condolences. I'd have been gutted if this had happened to me.

As others are saying, it's unlikely to be worth claiming on your insurance as I'm sure that'll cost you far more in the long run. The way insurance companies treat innocent victims just makes a bad day worse.

On the plus side, it's just cosmetic damage & the car is driveable, so you can sort it out when it's convenient for you. Find a good independent, pick a slack period & pay cash & it might just be cheaper to fix than you think.

Hope you get it sorted without breaking the bank.

Very sorry to hear about your grandad - the dent's a pain but has to be put in perspective.

Got a quote for £300 and booked in it, it is a FIAT approved body shop in Stockport so I won't have any future issues with warranty. They can beat it out but say they will have to blend the paint in with near by panels.

They say I won't be able to tell there was ever any damage when they have done it. I just hope they are right. Will be getting it done in two weeks time (the earliest they can do it).

Will be skint this Christmas

Glad you are getting it sorted.

Just to say though it wouldn't matter where you got it done in terms of warranty.

It's good that they said you won't be able to tell afterwards. This is a minor dent, don't worry about it. Any bodyshop worth their salt would be able to repair this to a standard where you would have no way of telling.

trackdayqueen said:

Just to say though it wouldn't matter where you got it done in terms of warranty.

Click to expand...

It rather does. There's a thing in the back of the service book which the approved bodyshop needs to stamp to cover the new metal under the corrosion warranty.
It makes sense. Why would Fiat be liable for someone else's potentially crappy welding.

There was me thinking, you get receipt from bodyshop, file it and no stamps in the back of the book would make me think that Fiat would be none the wiser in the event of a corrosion claim that is never going to happen.

Didn't bother when I got mine fixed.

trackdayqueen said:

There was me thinking, you get receipt from bodyshop, file it and no stamps in the back of the book would make me think that Fiat would be none the wiser in the event of a corrosion claim that is never going to happen.

Click to expand...

Maybe. If you're lucky. If you're not lucky you get a warranty from the body shop that's shorter than Fiat's and a repair that Stevie Wonder could spot so there's no hope of sneaking it past Fiat. In that case your chances of needing to make a corrosion claim are a bit higher.

Glad to hear that you've got a plan for getting it fixed.

Alternatively, you could go and live in Gibraltar. I've just returned from a weeks holiday there and I am not exaggerating when I say that I didn't see a single vehicle on the roads there without a dent in it, and on most cars over a couple of years old, every panel had multiple dings, scrapes & scratches. I'm sure the new car dealers go round at PDI with a small hammer, just to get them off to a good start.

Using soap & water on a car there is practically unknown - living there would be a detailer's nightmare!

Geddes said:

Maybe. If you're lucky. If you're not lucky you get a warranty from the body shop that's shorter than Fiat's and a repair that Stevie Wonder could spot so there's no hope of sneaking it past Fiat. In that case your chances of needing to make a corrosion claim are a bit higher.

Click to expand...

True, though I've got a place that I've used a few times who are good, so know I'm fine. Besides sold the car a few months later.

Fair enough I guess if you're keeping the car for a long period of time.