Hot take: I chose to fix a quarter panel instead of replacing it on a 2018 Silverado

Had a customer bring in a Silverado with a big dent in the rear quarter, right above the wheel. The insurance adjuster wanted to write it for a full panel replacement, which meant cutting into the roof pillar and the bed side. I looked at the damage again and said no way, we can pull this out and use filler. It took me and my lead tech two full days with the frame rack and a slide hammer, but we got the shape back. Used Evercoat filler for the final skim coat. The job came out perfect and saved the truck's original welds and factory corrosion coating. The insurance company saved about $800 in parts alone, but more importantly, the truck is stronger for it. When did we stop trying to save metal and just start cutting everything out? Has anyone else pushed back on a replace-over-repair estimate recently?

3 comments

3 Comments

shanec6112h ago

When did we all forget that pulling metal is a real skill worth keeping?

fionafoster11h ago

Can we still call it a skill if my first pull looked like modern art?

nathankim10h ago

The corrosion coating is gone once you pull and fill it, though.