PatrickGSR94

iTrader: (1)

hey guys, been awhile since I've been around here. Due to home and work and just life in general, I haven't been able to visit in several months.

Lots of stuff has been happening. The old Integra got rear-ended 2 months ago, while stopped waiting to merge into traffic. Some of you may remember I had the whole car repainted in July 2004, including the 98+ front and rear bumpers I bought from a couple of other Integras. Just 5 months later, a car barely tapped my rear bumper and took off a little of the brand new paint.

So for nearly 6 years I've been driving around with this blemish on the rear end:



Fast forward to 17 August of this year (1 day before my wife and my 3-year anniversary), 6 pm, about to get home from work, when I was stopped waiting to merge into traffic. I pulled forward slightly to get a better view in my side mirror, when *BAM* a Ford Expedition smacks the rear of my car. He was going maybe 5 mph because he thought I was going when I had actually stopped again (he was looking at the traffic and not my car). Got out to find this damage



Drove it like that for a few weeks, then finally got it into a local *expensive* body shop on the guy's insurance coin. Car needed a new tail light, and repairs on the bumper, lift gate, rear finish panel, and actually needed a bit of frame pulling where the bumper bolted to the rear unibody.

After 15 days with a 2010 Hyundai Elantra rental (real nice car actually heh), numerous phone calls with Direct Insurance (major PITA to deal with), and over $2,000 insurance money, I finally got the car back. They repaired the hatch and finish panel, and replaced the tail light, and *drumroll* I got a BRAND SPANKING NEW 100% OEM Honda 98+ Integra rear bumper! All fully painted and assembled by the amazing guys at body shop. Oh yeah, the paint is pretty much a perfect match for the paint we sprayed on the car in 2004



Finally, after so many years, no more blemish from the rear. If only I could have afforded to have the front end redone, because it looks like complete trash I've put at least 125K miles on the car since it was painted in 2004 so I guess that's understandable.

I have to say, the body shop I used was the ABSOLUTE BEST body shop experience I've ever had. These folks bent over backwards to help reassure me that everything would be repaired to the highest quality possible, without having the car totaled. Direct actually came pretty close to totaling the car, but the body shop was able to work it so the value of the repairs didn't go too high. The guy doing the actual body work on my car even told me he donated some of his time so that the car wouldn't be totaled. They understood that I'd never find another car as nice and reliable as this one for the amount the insurance company would have given me for it.

If anyone ever needs bodywork done in the Memphis area, hit up DeSoto Collision Center in Southaven, MS. Talk to Diane Steele, she'll take care of you and your car. http://www.desotocollision.com/

PS The architecture firm I work for actually designed the Southaven location (I produced all the construction documents), and I've seen their work before, which is why this was my first choice.



Well, hope to be back in the game around here on H-T! Car has 294K miles on it now. Just drove it on a little day trip a couple of weeks ago and still got 36.5 mpg for the whole trip!

joss731

wow, next time im at a stop light, i'll remember to stop-and-go,then stop again. who knows, maybe i'll get lucky cuz my rear end needs a touch up.

dntnedvtec

long time no see. I was wondering where you have been. 294k miles??? Jesus christ....and still 36mpg......

PatrickGSR94

iTrader: (1)

well it's not like I wanted this to happen. Yeah it's nice to have a fresh rear bumper and all, but I could have done without the hassle, having to get a rental (no other car to drive), having to make sure the body shop did things right like not paint the slot in the rear bumper, etc etc.

heh yup, that's why I was so adamant about the ins. company not totaling the car. It'll be clicking over 300K miles some time this next springs.