Hail damage

Kable72 · 23-04-2013, 07:50 PM

Hey guys,

How often do they write cars off for hail damage? Is it repairable? Do insurance replace new with new in the event of a write off? There is a storm in my area tonight with possibility of Hail and I can't get my car in the garage. I've done my best to cover it with blankets and stuff but I'm just a little frightened.

H.G · 23-04-2013, 08:03 PM

I think hail is a tough one to repair, especially when it's your roof.. Might be time to check your policy.. Just got a slight bashing here in blackwater..hail was only small but flavio suggested hail may get as big as golf balls in some Cq areas

Kable72 · 23-04-2013, 08:08 PM

Yeah Im definitely covered I know that much but he didn't specify the method of repair/replacement. He kept saying depending on the severity of the storm and damage etc etc.

jpblue1000 · 23-04-2013, 08:10 PM

The insurance will only write a car off for hail if you claim...
If you do claim the cost of repair will need to be more than the cost of the car market value, or agreed value, for them to write it off. Your insuarance policy will state if they pay for new panels always or allow good second hand. and it's also up to the panel beater to install new...how can you tell its new or second one painted up nice and pretty? If its a ute like your avatar then protect the roof as all other panels are hanging and easier to replace and paint than repair Tub is one piece but less likely to be damaged unless hail comes in sideways.

JP

XD ESP! XELR8 · 23-04-2013, 09:06 PM

Ha ha I hate hail mate..

We had some hail in melb earlier this year and I drove me XR under the neighbours carport lol

Only had 2 spots and me ESP and G6ET had them..

Thank god for the neighbours lol

Nikked · 23-04-2013, 09:09 PM

Write off?

Well that's all down to the damage, we had a bad storm n Tamworth end of last year, and thousands of cars were damaged. Our shop has pretty much enough work for the whole year.

A few key points.

-Depending on your state, the rules regarding the registration of written-off vehicles has had one positive effect...written-off cars scrap value has dropped, so some companies go up to 5% off the value of the vehicle.

-If its a large storm that hits a lot of cars, paint less dent repair (PDR) centres will be set up. The insurers steer the bulk of the work through these centres, with the panel shops getting what the PDR blokes cannot do.

-PDR is the number one way of repair, what these blokes can do is impressive. Saves a lot of money.

-If PDR is not able to be performed, traditional repair methods are done. A fair bit of panel replacement is done, the number of turrets done is ridiculous!

Kable72 · 23-04-2013, 09:10 PM

So brand new car, not even a year old. Would have to be substantial damage for it to be written off? Turret, bonnet, tub, doors, glass etc etc

Nikked · 23-04-2013, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kable72

So brand new car, not even a year old. Would have to be substantial damage for it to be written off? Turret, bonnet, tub, doors, glass etc etc

Depends on the size and amount of dents.

We have done some all-round jobs on a few cars...actually currently have a VY ute that was hit from all angles, and is all-but a full respray.

Road_Warrior · 23-04-2013, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kable72

So brand new car, not even a year old. Would have to be substantial damage for it to be written off? Turret, bonnet, tub, doors, glass etc etc

In Perth after the Great Storm of '10 (TM) they were writing cars off left right and centre. Pickles were auctioning off 1000 cars per week, snapped up by bargain hunters. Some cars I looked at and thought "why is that here..?" but others I looked at, I was like "damn, that's hammered". The point is, you just don't know until you claim. My boss's car, a 2004 Hyunda Santa Fe, got repaired, and he scored the last roof turret panel left in Australia at the time. But other much newer cars with negligible visible damage were economic write offs, go figure.

Kable72 · 23-04-2013, 09:28 PM

Fingers crossed there is no hail through the night. Thanks guys!

BadMax · 23-04-2013, 09:34 PM

Very unlikely, regardless of the extent of the panel damage that your brand new ute sustains in a hail storm that it would write off.
If glass is broken to the point that water can enter the cabin, that's a different story and will more than likel total loss. Turrets would have to be the easiest of welded on panels to replace.

Road_Warrior · 23-04-2013, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kable72

Fingers crossed there is no hail through the night. Thanks guys!

Your car is outside I take it? Can you put anything on it?

Kable72 · 23-04-2013, 09:58 PM

I have blankets and towels on it but there is a lot of wind out..

Road_Warrior · 23-04-2013, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kable72

I have blankets and towels on it but there is a lot of wind out..

Put a car cover over the blankets and towels, and then secure that with some occy straps.

kempy311 · 23-04-2013, 10:27 PM

When the big hail storm hit Perth we had heaps of cars damged but many of the newer ones were repaired by paintless dent removal companys that stated up shops from the east just until the work dryed up. I spoke to the guy that did it and he said they run a machine over it that pulls the dents up and it goes back like you wouldn't evenknow as he said the metal has a memory and wants to go back to that shape. These dents also weren't small some of the hail was the size of golf balls.

FGII-XR6 · 23-04-2013, 10:29 PM

NSW is the worst now but the "all write-offs are statutory write-offs" rule does not apply if the only damage to the car is hail damage providing you were the owner prior to being written off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikked

-Depending on your state, the rules regarding the registration of written-off vehicles has had one positive effect...written-off cars scrap value has dropped, so some companies go up to 5% off the value of the vehicle.

Drizz06 · 23-04-2013, 10:52 PM

A couple of heavy blankets will do the trick.
Did that when we had that bad as Xmas day hail in Melbourne, My falcon and mrs focus was pretty much the only two cars not damaged. Although the focus is a tank! Didn't have enough blankets for the bonnet but they just bounced off like golf balls without leaving a mark.

JC · 23-04-2013, 10:59 PM

PDR work on $50 to $100 per dent - when my AU2 XR8 got hail damaged in 2010, there were around 150 dents on bonnet, RH front guard, both RH doors, roof, boot and RH rear quarter. The repair bill was $8k -car was insured for $12k at the time, so it was repaired, and came back as good as new.

xisled · 24-04-2013, 07:15 AM

In the past insurance would total loss a car for hail damage. But with PDR being really popular, they will repair more cars with hail damage. They will total loss some cars due to the amount of claims.

End of the day it all comes down to the cost.

BadMax · 24-04-2013, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kempy311

I spoke to the guy that did it and he said they run a machine over it that pulls the dents up and it goes back like you wouldn't evenknow as he said the metal has a memory and wants to go back to that shape.

He spun you a line. Steel doesn't have a memory as he suggested. There is no magical machine they run over the top to suck dents out.

OLD BALDY · 24-04-2013, 04:18 PM

They take out the roof lining, all door trims etc then with special tools, levers push them out, most don't damage the paint but some of the larger dents do, I had just about every panel of my Terri done this way about $13,000, 4years ago cant pick one dent (dint!!).

Nikked · 24-04-2013, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadMax

He spun you a line. Steel doesn't have a memory as he suggested.

Well, it does...to an extent.

So do plastic's....

They can push them out, all the glue some pads on the dent and pull them out.

BadMax · 24-04-2013, 06:39 PM

Plastic certainly has a memory, apply around 90-120 degree gentle heat and it will almost got to it's original shape. Panel steel wont once stretched.

kempy311 · 24-04-2013, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadMax

He spun you a line. Steel doesn't have a memory as he suggested. There is no magical machine they run over the top to suck dents out.

I didn't question him much as I didn't need to as I was doing work on one of the cars so there wasn't really a reason for him to lie to me. But whatever way they were doing it they were coming up great couldn't even tell afterwards.

2011G6E · 24-04-2013, 09:09 PM

A few years back there was a massive hail storm went through the nearby town of Blackwater...and plenty of cars were damaged by hail. The car transporters ran hot there for a couple of weeks taking away write offs.
One of my workmates had a lease car...a new Hilux twin cab...and he had it under a car port. A few hail stones hit it after ricocheting off posts. It only had a few small dents in the right hand side...some back near the rear wheel, a couple on the rear door, one or two on the drivers door, and a smashed rear drivers side door window. Nothing big...he drove it to work waiting for the assessor to come see it.

a few days later we saw another car transporter go by, and someone said "Hey, that looks like Cols Hilux"...we could tell by the plastic taped up rear window.

The guy said the next day at work that yes, they wrote it off. He didn't really care as the insurance meant he would just get a new lease car, but damn...

No wonder we pay such high insurance premiums...

FGII-XR6 · 24-04-2013, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadMax

He spun you a line. Steel doesn't have a memory as he suggested. There is no magical machine they run over the top to suck dents out.

actually he is half right but not with a machine. rapid cooling can make dents pop back dry ice is good for this and the hotter the metal before you start the better. the chance of a complete repair the only real limiting factor is creases will not be fixable like this.

BennyH · 24-04-2013, 09:32 PM

How'd you go Kable? All safe?

XB GS 351 Coupe · 24-04-2013, 09:54 PM

Well check here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILVWPzO_swY

GREGL · 24-04-2013, 10:39 PM

All panelbeaters are now on notice, D.I.Y with a hairdryer and your hose !!!
A camry we had in mid 90's was caught in a severe hail storm, olny reason it wasn't written off a retro airconditioner had just been put in. New turrent. boot and bonnet reqiured with a full 2 pak respray. Total invoice cost around 6k from memory, how times have changed !

Crazy Dazz · 25-04-2013, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

In Perth after the Great Storm of '10 (TM) they were writing cars off left right and centre. Pickles were auctioning off 1000 cars per week, snapped up by bargain hunters. Some cars I looked at and thought "why is that here..?" but others I looked at, I was like "damn, that's hammered". The point is, you just don't know until you claim. My boss's car, a 2004 Hyunda Santa Fe, got repaired, and he scored the last roof turret panel left in Australia at the time. But other much newer cars with negligible visible damage were economic write offs, go figure.

NEW cars had to be written off because you can’t sell them as new with repairs. The government passed special regulation related to re-registering hail-damaged vehicles. This resulted in a LOT of dodgy repairs going on. Many cars now getting around with panels full of bog.
There were potentially some bargains to be had, but as usual when things get talked about all the morons turn out and start paying outrageous prices. There were cars that looked like golf-balls, dimples allover every panel, and people were paying the equivalent of full wholesale value of an undamaged car.