On Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:25:34 -0700, Alan Baker wrote:

> ...for real.
>
> Sure, I've had a guy roll back into my left front corner at an
> intersection (never fixed)...
>
> ...and I've:
>
> dented left front fender when exiting a parking slot (never fixed)
>
> broken the left rear light cluster lens (never fixed)
>
> tapped the right front corner on a light standard on a rainy night
> (never fixed)
>
> and accumulated various other scrapes and minor dings.
>
> So suffice it to say that my Miata needs a little TLC.
>
> But now I've really got a reason to get it done.
>
> Last Tuesday, someone in a nearly new Sunbird/Cavalier tried to turn
> left between me and the car I was following. Bad move. I got the brakes
> on hard, but I couldn't miss him.
>
> A testament to how tough the Miata is is that while I nearly tore the
> rear bumber clean off the GM POS, the front right corner of my Miata
> really isn't too badly beaten up. But it's beaten up badly enough that
> I'm getting it fixed on the other guy's insurance, that's sure.
>
> So it seems to me that I might as well get all the rest of the wounds
> fixed as well. Which leads to my question:
>
> Does anyone have an idea of what the overall cost should be of fixing
> the dings on two corners (along with assorted scrapes and chips, etc.),
> and then getting the whole thing painted?
>
> The shop that's doing the insurance repair is going to call me back with
> an estimate for the rest of the work in the next day or so, and I'd like
> to have some clue as to what's reasonable when they call, so your input
> on the subject would be much appreciated.

That's too bad, Alan. What year did you say you have, 90 or 91?
Hopefully it will still be cost-effective to have it repaired. If not,
this may be an opportunity to perhaps get another Miata with less miles
on it. This happened to my brother to an older car that he loved, and he
was able to pick up another one of the same model with far fewer miles
on it and in much better condition for less than the cost of repairing
the original. He said afterward the accident was a blessing in disguise,
though obviously he didn't feel that way at the time.