I *&( Hate Other Drivers!!!!

[Kansei]

That is only if they purchase a Mazda OEM bumper cover. Many go the inexpensive route with a knockoff.

Canecreekfreak is correct, you most likely can take your car to any autobody, but again if the place is not part of the insurance companies network then that work is not guaranteed. From my experience anyway.

As bad as my insurance company is, I'm glad they don't try to stick s*** aftermarket parts on my car. I'll be the one doing that, thank you very much

that being said, oem bumper plus oem-spec PPG global paint does not equal OEM look, so definitely find a shop you can trust.

 

[Astral]

Thanks guys, I will ask about an OEM pre-painted bumper cover. Do you think they would also have a trunk lid?

There really is very little chance of you getting non-OEM parts for such a new car! Insist on nothing less than OEM. The insurance company knows it!

Who knows if they have painted trunk lids? Maybe they do...

Also, if the accident somehow does make it on Carfax, it will show up as a minor accident. When someone checks your car for sale and sees it being driven for 50K+ miles (or whenever you will sell it) after the accident, that's usually plenty convincing that the car was repaired correctly (otherwise, owners try to sell soon... if I see an accident and then a sale 2K miles later, I get real suspicious).

 

[Kansei]

There really is very little chance of you getting non-OEM parts for such a new car! Insist on nothing less than OEM. The insurance company knows it!

Who knows if they have painted trunk lids? Maybe they do...

Also, if the accident somehow does make it on Carfax, it will show up as a minor accident. When someone checks your car for sale and sees it being driven for 50K+ miles (or whenever you will sell it) after the accident, that's usually plenty convincing that the car was repaired correctly (otherwise, owners try to sell soon... if I see an accident and then a sale 2K miles later, I get real suspicious).

I know the feeling.

 

[Canecreekfreak]

I was worried about paint matching on my '03 P5 that was Laser Blue (like yours), but Carol's matched it perfectly. You couldn't tell anything was done. I don't know if Laser Blue is harder or easier to match, but I was impressed.

 

[Crazee D]

Yeowchee

I feel ur pain bro!

 

[MAZDASPEED MX5]

In MA if the car is less the a year old it gets OEM parts. After that you only get OEM parts if an appraiser writes it up that way or you buy the endorsement for OEM parts and pay a premium for it..

 

[chuyler1]

How is "less than a year old" determined? The car is a 2006 but the build-date probably only makes the car a few months old.

 

[Hughes412]

Be glad it wasn't me, by the time I can stop I'd ran up on the back window lol

 

[bazooka joe]

How is "less than a year old" determined? The car is a 2006 but the build-date probably only makes the car a few months old.

not sure, but you should be covered

 

[MAZDASPEED MX5]

not sure, but you should be covered

To be honest, I'm not sure. I wasn't in the claims department long enough to have an issue with it. I believe if you have a MY/2006 vehicle they will allow you thru 2007, in 2008 they begin using LKQ parts.

 

[chuyler1]

My insurance company estimated the cost to repair was going to be $953.68. I don't think they saw the scuff/dent on the trunk lid so I will have to be specific with the repair shop and make sure the insurance company gets the final estimate corrected. I don't think it should be a problem. I think I may just have them buff it out and attempt to remove the dent w/o painting. I also need to have the repair shop thoroughly inspect the exhaust system to make sure there aren't any broken hangers etc. I hear rattling from the back but I think it may just be the faux exhaust tips and plastic bumper holders.

The insurance company recommended I go with Forgein Motors West in Ashland. Oleg informed me that this is primarly a BMW/Mercedes outfit and after driving by last night I confirmed that most of the cars in the building and parking lot are of Bavarian decent. ...but that's where the insurance company said to go. Once I get the paperwork I'll give them a call to confirm that they will in fact work on my lowely Mazda.

I also contacted OnlineMazdaParts and they said Mazda doesn't offer pre-painted parts. So my bumper will have to be painted and that is why I may just ask them to buff out the trunk to prevent further mis-matched paint.

Man, why can't I get a rental in this country with a stick shift???

 

[altspace]

FMW is a good place. I designed their websites years back.

http://www.altspace.com/fmw.html

 

[Kansei]

Don't be fooled by the presence of ze german cars. the place my car got ***** at was a Volvo/BMW/Merc place.

 

[ZoomVT]

Don't be fooled by the presence of ze german cars. the place my car got ***** at was a Volvo/BMW/Merc place.

That right there was your problem...

 

[Protege52003]

wow, sorry to see this chris.......BTW, love you car. can't wait for a ride sometime!

-R

 

[chuyler1]

So I dropped off the car at FMW this afternoon. Everyone was very nice. I should know more tomorrow about actual damages. The advisor I spoke with looked at the car and said it will most likely be more than the original estimate.

Now I get to drive around a Marine Blue PT Cruiser. The retro looking interior is nice but this thing has really no pickup above 30mph. It just chugs along smoothly, not what I would have expected for 150HP. The long shaft shifter makes me wish it were a stick shift. The steering wheel however belongs in a bus. I had to hand-over-hand twice to pull into a parking spot. Seats are uncomfortable and when you go over big bumps the car resonates at a frequency that hurts my ears. And I've only driven it for 10 minutes.

It's really the little details that make Mazdas worth their price. For example, when you put the blinker on and make a turn, the shaft bounces back up and bounces a little before settling (think Beevis saying boyoyonggg!). My Protege has almost 80K and the shafts are as precise as new. The window controls are in the center of the dash. I hate that. My 87 couger had it and passengers would lock and unlock the doors several times before asking me how to open their window. Had I test driven this before buying my Protege5 back in 2003, I would have laughed. Checking the specs on this car reveals that it would have cost $300 more for a base model (no cruise, no pw locks, no illuminated entry, no alloy wheels, only front disc brakes). The only advantage I see is max cargo space (with seats folded down) is more and rear passenger leg room is more. With the seats up, the P5 has more cargo space. I thought American cars were supposed to be more affordable? What gives? Would I be paying extra for the retro look? eh, whatever.

 

[altspace]

Ha! Love the rental review. I'm not even going into details of the Mustang and Explorer I drove while the 8 was getting it's new parts. Needless to say I "like" the look of the new Mustang, but the interior is just so damn cheap.

 

[Dpwhitehead1]

just out of curiosity, aren't we not allowed to cuss in titles? i think i got temp banned partially for that...

 

[mikeyb]

FMW is a really good outfit that turns out great work. I sell alot of BMW aero to them.

 

[chuyler1]

Change the title if you like. I don't have the privledges to do so.

FMW had lots of positive reviews posted in their waiting room. They obviously cater to BMW and Mercedes but everyone I spoke with knew exactly what the Mazdaspeed6 was (always a good sign). I walked around the entire car with the advisor and we discussed how the car was brand new. He assured me it would look "brand new" again when they were done with it.