My G37 arrived at the dealer yesterday, and he was honest enough to call and tell me that it had "slight transportation damage", in the form of two 3 inch long scratches on the front fender. I haven't seen it in person, but he told me they are too deep and wide to buff out (and it's hard to "buff out" a clear coat finish anyway).

I can take the car as is (with some sort of "price concession" for the damage), or they can repaint the fender, or I can refuse the car. I definitely do not want to paint a brand new car. Reds are hard to match, red paints are actually complex formulas with many pigments in the mix, and it's tricky to get a complicated formula just right to match well enough so that it's not noticeable.

What do you think would be a fair "price concession" for the damage, or would you not take the car at all? A low-end body shop would probably charge about $200 to spot-paint and "blend" the paint (which would look terrible), and a high-end shop would charge about $1000 to strip and re-finish the entire fender (the best way to do it, but still a risk of it not matching exactly).

Thanks!

 

Tough call, but now is the best time to repair this type of damage with probably the best success. I'm not a bodyshop guy, but I had a white Acura coupe several years ago that had some major damage and the bodyshop guy told me that white was the most difficult color to match as it had so many slight variations in it. Don't know if that's true, but he worked a miracle on that car. Anyway, I would take a minimum $1K for the damage and ask for some more and see where it goes from there. I'm already staring at a rock chip in my hood, so something will happen to you eventually anyway. I think that Vibrant Red is hot and you may not have an opportunity to snag another one quickly. If it has all of your options buy it and get it fixed.

Good luck to you!

 

I wouldn't take it. The damage (and the attempted fix) would bother me as long as I owned the vehicle. Why not wait it out for an undamaged one? Problem solved.

 

This is sort of old fashioned, actually very old fashioned, thinking. The formula for this paint color is not a secret. Manufacturers supply their forumulas to all paint suppliers, and matching the paint will be much easier than you think.

However, applying it, and clear coating it, so that it wears the same as the rest of the paint, will depend entirely on the skill of the shop, and on how well you maintain the paint during your ownership.

This is a tough call. Only you can decide how much the scratches mean to you versus waiting for the factory to get you what you want (do you go back into the pipeline as though you just ordered the car and have to wait two months). Please remember the transportation company has insurance and will be responsible for the damage. I do not know where you are located, but if you want the car repaired, make them either use the absolute best paint shop in the area or have them return the car to the port and have Infiniti repaint the fender.

 

I think the only way to decide is to go look at it yourself. If it's something you could live with, or deal with the compensation... take the car.

otherwise, don't.

 

i'd tell them to get me another car

 

i'd get another car....cus every time i'd look at the car, i'll be looking at the scratches...and that would bother me every time

and i dont want a brand new car that needs to be repainted already...unless they give u like $2k off or somethin...but i doubt they'll discount it that much jus for a couple of scratches

 

Definitely a tough call. I like that the sales manager/consultant was honest with you. I think I'd wait for a new vehicle myself. That's just me, though. You've waited this long, another month or so probably wouldn't hurt.

 

Get the new car. If it did get painted, every time I look at the car, I'd remember that it was once scratched, and that part/paint is not OE. But i'm nit-picky like that. Who isn't with a $40k+ car. Bottom line, get a new car.

 

Funny you should ask. When I purchased my car (2 weeks ago tomorrow) the crew who preps the cars for delivery scratched the passenger side rear quarter panel. It was pretty bad. They actually scratched the paint off. No way to fix it but to repaint.
My salesman and his boss were very apologetic and I had a really tough time decideing if I was going to refuse the car or have them repaint it. The biggest thing for me was that the car had everything I wanted and was one of my top color choices.
I also found out that the dealership I purchased from has an outside company do the prep on the new cars so everything would be their responsiblity. This really concerned me.
In the end I decided to accept the car. The dealership offered some additional concessions on my deal, little stuff but good faith offerings. The owner of the car prep company also offered concessions. Between the two I ended up feeling ok about accepting the car.
My decision was confirmed as a good one two days later when I brought the car back to be fixed. I had to bring it back in for tint (part of the concessions) as well so I was able to kill 2 birds with one stone. They gave me a loaner and ended up keeping my car overnight. When I went and picked it up the next day I couldnt even tell it had been scratched. My salesman said they had a great body shop and I would have to agree.
The final decision is up to you but fixing paint is not as big a deal as it was a few years ago. Plus now that it has had its first ding, I am no longer waiting for it to happen.
Sorry for the long post.
Good luck with your decision!!!

 

Pics please spyderbret

 

You can see full car pictures here:
https://www.myg37.com/forums/picture-share-g-coupe/173896-liquid-platinum-g37-pictures.html

They were taken post repair.

Here are a few close ups from today. You really cant tell. The damage was in the areas highlighted by the box. The area towards the rear was the worst with paint removed and the area towards the front was just deep scratches.

 

It's a tough call that only you can answer. If you receive a good concession and you have the work done by top notch people it may be worth. If you also negotiate being able to refuse the work if it is unsatisfactory it will make an easier decision.

When the car is new it will be the easiest to paint match.

 

its your call if u want them to take some money off ur price then i would take it, but anyother reason i wouldnt take it. I mean youve purchased a new car so the money shouldent be an issue. Youve waited all this time for a new car, why would u want it with external damage.

Personally ill tell them to get me another one which they should even take a bit off that price for having you wait. Or take it to another infiniti dealer.

 

I agree. I believe you should get a new one with a depreciated price for the time they've wasted. Its hard enough for me to have been told i have to wait another week for my car to come in, but to wait and received a damaged car! Out of the question!