Some idiot has opened a door on my brand new baby and put five small scratches on the rear quarter panel, two groups about the size of a ten pence piece.

Had chips away out today. Thought it would be a simple job, no dent, scratches not too deep, but too deep to polish out.

How wrong was I. Because the paint is a clear coat over the exotica red base, the entire panel has to be painted, otherwise you won't get a colour match:bang: . So I phoned a body shop friend who I knew would not muck me about and give me an honest answer, and he agreed, but said it may need two panels painting to get a perfect match.

And the cost, chipsaway £300 . Body shop (Mick) £100 if its one panel £160 - £200 if its two, depending on what it looks like when he sees it. I would be inclinded to go with Mick as I know he will do a good job, he put my last Punto back on the road after a idiot pulled out on me, two headlights, two wings, a bonnet, slam panel and a front bumper. The panel gap was perfect, in fact better that when it left Fiat.

So if you have a flat colour GP, keep it wraped in cotton wool, cos if you get a scratch or a chip, its going to get expensive.

If anyone else has experience with this problem, HELP!

Awww man that is damn unlucky shame you didn't see it happen!. It sounds about right having to get the whole panel done it happened on my mk2b Imola Yellow Sporting.

Hi Vindi, sorry about that...it's a very sad thing . Once a motorbike fell on my Mk1 Punto and smashed the rear quarter panel and dented the door so I know how you feel. As for respraying try to avoid respraying the door too, the quarter panel is quite big I think the new paint could be blended in ok. I really hate touching factory paint. Goodluck man, post some pics when it is back in it's former glory .

Shame buddy, hope you get it sorted soon

and just to note, all the Fiat colours, metalics and solids have the base coat and top clear coat, so whichever you go for you'll have the same problem!

this happened to me in tesco car park day after i got the car but i saw the scrot who did it in his corsa and he kept saying "oh its just a scratch, and it should have bump strips anyway" so i smacked him and said so should you. then security came over and said we have to get outta the car park and wouldnt let us go at the same time

I feel your pain mate.

Drove the GP Sporting down to France / Andorra / Spain in June and some **** decided to parallel park their car behind mine using my offside back wheel arch as a guide. Took it back to the dealer for a respray (£300!) of the entire panel and rear bumper. To make matters worse, went to pick up the car a week later to find yet another **** in the dealership had scratched the drivers door. 5 days and one entire resprayed door later get the car back....!

thats shocking i hate it when you dont catch the culprit. every car i've ever owned has suffered from carpark damage regularly, every little dent and scratch drives me mad. 3 years ago i was sat in my car in the asda carpark at sunderland when some idiot parked right beside me and opened his door. He pushed it really hard into my door and then got out the car hanging onto the door repeatedly banging it against my door. then he started laughing and said sorry with a bog smile on his face. i got out and had a look, sure enough i had a big dent with a few little dents around it, and some of his paint on my door. he said it was fine. i called him a prick. 2 minutes later he was in asda and i was doing something that he wouldn't have found funny when he got back to his car. lets just say its too bad to post.

OxO said:

this happened to me in tesco car park day after i got the car but i saw the scrot who did it in his corsa and he kept saying "oh its just a scratch, and it should have bump strips anyway" so i smacked him and said so should you. then security came over and said we have to get outta the car park and wouldnt let us go at the same time

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Classic.

Yeh someome has managed to put a scratch on mine a nice half moon shaped one just in front of the driverside door mirror obviouly done by some 4X4. It looks really bad as the car is black and it has taken it back to the primer. Got a touchup kit on order.

Many years ago I caught a guy sat in my car in multi-story car park after ragging the lock and damaging the door to break into it. lets just say I repeatedly explined to him the error of his ways

allanhelen said:

Many years ago I caught a guy sat in my car in multi-story car park after ragging the lock and damaging the door to break into it. lets just say I repeatedly explined to him the error of his ways

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pmsl i would of killed him