Minor damage (insured) can I do some repairs before taking to a body shop to save $ ?

[r2t]

To avoid some deer and major front end damage I elected to sideswipe a guardrail. Car is still driveable but has a hard pull to the right. The insurance adjusted came out and cut me a check less my $250 deductible.

RF fender - replace
RF & RR door - repair
R mirror - replace
RF hubcap - replace
RR QP - repair
Paint, etc.

Can I do some of this myself and cut down on the cost (IE-save spending the deductible out-of-pocket) and still have it worked based off of my estimate, or will the shop not do it if some of the work has been completed? I can replace the mirror myself as well as the stupid hubcap. Can do the fender as well if I find one reasonable close to me.

The body shops I called said they work of off the Ins estimate. The one shop I took it to said there would be some supplimental add-ons to be done and that's where I get concerned because of the alignment being so much out of whack. Maybe a bent tie rod or something. So if I send it to a shop for repair/paint without the insurance estimate I don't want the supplimental to bite me in the ass.

Anyone have experience with this? I gotta get this done before the $$$ 'disappears'...

[tjc78]

In this case, I would hand it off to the shop and let them do it. If there is any hidden damage they will call the adjuster and get the OK to fix and get paid. I had a car rear-ended and the original estimate was just the bumper cover and paint/blend for $1000. After the body shop got the cover off there was other damage to be fixed, doubling the estimate. The shop handled it all and it was seamless to me.

It wouldn't hurt to ask whatever shop you are going to if they would do it for the amount of the insurance check. If they are hungry for work they may.

[johnunit]

I agree that it's worth at least trying to go through the normal route.

[sxcpotatoes]

Don't mess around with the DIY route unless you have done it before, can easily obtain color-matched parts, etc, or are supremely confident in your ability to do it all.

To be perfectly candid, A LOT of body shops cannot fix your car to 100% factory original operation and looks. The ones that do, cost many, many thousands of dollars above those that don't. It's a hassle to deal with them and find one that will treat you right (unless you know someone who has made it their life's calling and will fix any niggling little thing you bring back to them, happily and at no charge). But it's worth much more piece of mind to have it done by a professional and having recourse if they eff something up, rather than kicking yourself for thinking you could save a buck or two, or pay yourself to do it.

[sxcpotatoes]

Also TJC78 is right, as some body shops will waive your deductibe & just do the work for the insurance cheque. BUT you have a bigger problem, you shouldn't have signed anything because it doesn't sound like the Alignment/Suspension issue was listed on the estimate! It should be included b/c it was damage from the wreck! I really hope you just left that out of your list and the insurance company didn't screw you on that damage...

[BerniniCaCO3]

I work at a dealer, and we get cars from body shops, or fix some things to make it minimally driveable and send them out to body shops... we have troubles with the workmanship.
Body shops that miss bent struts or tie rod end links, body shops that replace a condenser and then refill the refrigerant incorrectly, locking up the a/c compressor! Body shops that use used parts (may be fault of the insurance company-- but why the hech would you want a junkyard shock absorber?!?), a body shop that didn't torque down the lug nuts, something like 20 lb-ft when we checked, and it had to go back after the wheel fell off and took out the side panel!
Oh, and pinched wiring harnesses that cause electrical gremlins months afterwards, that can be very tricky to diagnose until you realize that some harness was clamped under the a-pillar or the headliner after interior work from an accident.

Side damage and hard pull to the right could be something bent there; at least take it to a shop that can evaluate and replace suspension components. Could easily be only a few hundred or less, depending. Body work, I have no knowledge of.

[r2t]

sxcpotatoes, I made sure the alignment is part of the estimate because I think there may be something bent rather than just being out-of-whack... I have a few shops I would let do the work. Hopefully one of them will take the check as full payment.