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Mar 23, 2018 17:17:12 GMT
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Preamble:So I have this nice SF5 Forester - 2001 year S-Turbo. It's our second one (so fast, so practical) - we managed to score it last year at a good price with only 65k miles on it. Was pristine up until the point a deer ran head-on into the side of it on holiday last year. The passenger front, and to lesser extent rear and rear quarter are all dinged up but I'm loathe to spend what it would likely take to get them all done with bodywork since it seems to me - at least for the doors - that just replacing them with donor doors would be a) cheaper and b) teach me a bit more about maintaining the car by fitting them myself So off to the world of Echo Bay.Here's a story. Stop me if you've heard it before. I have. It happens EVERY time. 1) Find a car listing that's 'Breaking for spares - This listing is for 1x cigarette lighter'. 2) Write a PM to the seller to the gist of -"Can I buy the passenger side doors; don't need glass/mirrors/cards - happy to pay shipping, can you check the paint code is XX thank-you bye!!" 3) Seller gets in touch "Yes I can do that for you - I'll put them on a palette and ship them for £XX. I just need to remove them, and set up a new listing" ... and then that's it. I never hear from them again. No more replies to PMs Gone in a puff of smoke. I swear to you this has happened at least five times over the last 6 months with different silver cars. I just don't get it. Are these people secret hoarders who are just listing them to placate their significant-others? Can they just not be bothered to remove the parts? Is it organising a courier? (If so - just list as 'local collection only") Or perhaps I'm forgetting to do a secret handshake or something... What. Is. The. Point. of. "selling, not selling" parts. ! ! ! Anyway - rant over; it drives me to distraction and I just wanted to vent after another exact-to-script version this week - and maybe compare any RR experiences of same. Here's my one with the dents:  And a nice one - one day I'll get it lower and put on those OZ superturismos I have in the garage and get it a bit less 'Caravan Hauler" 
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Mar 23, 2018 18:03:07 GMT
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I'll give these opinions as someone who has broken a few cars over the years, and as someone who has bought bits from people breaking them.
I think some of the time it comes down to a lack of time to strip the parts off the car and pallet them up. Smaller bits are easier to whizz off and list, but big panels are a bit more time consuming. This is more true of people with day jobs rather than breakers yards.
There's also the problem that removing items such as doors before listing them would make the car not weatherproof. And if I had a quid for everyone who was "defo gunna hav them parts off ya m8" I'd have enough for a few pints. I'm not suggesting that you come across as a messer, merely that you get a little bit jaded after the hundredth potential buyer has done a disappearing act, and you get quite disinclined to go and remove bits just to be messed around again.
I had this issue when looking for an e39 tailgate. They are a colossal pain in the backside to remove and weigh about a tonne. Nobody wanted to speculatively remove the tailgate, just to be let down again. In the end I found one already removed, listed by a breaker who even delivered it for an extra charge. Even then I ended up recieving it complete with all accessories even though it was listed as a bare panel, probably because the time it would take to strip it down wasn't available.
I would suggest that you find someone who is fairly local and willing to let you come and take the doors off yourself, or look for listings with the doors already removed (so... I guess listings for doors rather than complete vehicles).
Alternatively, from looking at that one pic a mobile dent guy might be able to straighten what you have there for less money and hassle.
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Last Edit: Mar 23, 2018 18:08:23 GMT by BenzBoy
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Mar 23, 2018 18:21:07 GMT
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BenzBoyThanks for this - really helpful. I definitely try to write the most reliable-sounding messages to prove my intent and trustworthiness (I've been on the receiving end of messers too so do my utmost to appear as genuine as possible) but I do see your points. Especially about the weatherproof-ness and hassle of heavy items which I definitely hadn't properly considered. I did have had a go with one door auction that was detached —but never got beyond clarifying the paint-code (surely that's a deal-breaker for a lot of people?) I could drive around with panda/mismatched doors, but if I have to get them resprayed I might as well get the dents fixed / filled too - so not really a saving. The dent is worse than it looks in that shot - I got one of those specialist mobile guys to quote and he wasn't confident he could do a decent job because of the dent's proximity to the edge of the door and the lock. I have thought of doing the scrapyard thing but a) I've never done it and have visions of rabid Alsatians on chains and... b) the car is pretty rare - so how do you know if the scrappy even has one in the yard?
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Mar 23, 2018 20:26:43 GMT
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Yeah I would think the chances of finding one in a regular scrappy are quite slim. Maybe you'd be better off contacting the specialist Subaru breakers? I've found that those types of outfits tend to have racks of panels ready to go, so you would hopefully not encounter any reluctance to take the parts off and ship them.
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Mar 23, 2018 21:31:52 GMT
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I break quite a few cars for parts. Most are Dolomites and these I advertise on the club forum and a few specialist facefbook pages. Others I am forced to use ebay for but I HATE doing that first "breaking for spares" ad because ebay charge it like you are selling the car! Whereas if you just list a part the listing is free. When buying, which I also do a lot of, on behalf of customers, I use the "nearest first" option, especially for bulky objects. That way, I can usually find something local enough to collect and forget shipping costs.
In your particular case, I can offer something useful! there is (or was, i've not spoken to him in a year or so)a company in Wolverhampton called appropriately "Forresters" who repairs and breaks ONLY Forresters. Assuming he IS still trading, he will undoubtedly have what you seek. His phone number is 01902 494889.
HTH Steve
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Mar 23, 2018 22:14:13 GMT
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I would put it down to time and not in a fair way . I used to know someone who picked up scrap cars for banger racing and to make cash . When ever he got a classic i would ask him if he sold the interior on for people to use and he said he never did . The reason being in the hour it took to remove and the few hours waiting for pick up advertising it etc was not worth it . In that same time he could pick up 3-4 more cars and make anywhere between £500 to £1000 depending on what they are .
I would not be surprised if the sort of people you deal with might sell one or two parts and then something else come along to make more money so they either weigh it in immediately or just leave it .
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Mar 23, 2018 23:13:04 GMT
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2001 vauxhall corsa 1972 VW Beetle 1986 Ford Capri Laser1999 BMW E36 323i Touring 1991 Volvo 940 estate 2002 Mazda 323f 2.0 sport 2016 Mercedes Sprinter 1999 nissan almera 1.4 1995 lexus gs300 1995 lexus ls400 1975 bmw 1602 fiat punto 2003 ford fiesta something else... |
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Yeah I would think the chances of finding one in a regular scrappy are quite slim. Maybe you'd be better off contacting the specialist Subaru breakers? I've found that those types of outfits tend to have racks of panels ready to go, so you would hopefully not encounter any reluctance to take the parts off and ship them. I will maybe do some more Google-fu to try and find some specific breakers - or as mentioned below follow up carledo's lead. In your particular case, I can offer something useful! there is (or was, i've not spoken to him in a year or so)a company in Wolverhampton called appropriately "Foresters" who repairs and breaks ONLY Foresters. Assuming he IS still trading, he will undoubtedly have what you seek. His phone number is 01902 494889. HTH Steve Thanks - that's super-helpful; Seems they are - they have a website and everything! I would not be surprised if the sort of people you deal with might sell one or two parts and then something else come along to make more money so they either weigh it in immediately or just leave it . Sounds about right. I think I've been wrongly assuming these cars are being stripped by garage outfits rather than just 'a guy with a spanner and maybe not even a garage' Thanks for the links - I've been watching those two doors for months - the front has quite a ding in it so I've passed on it. Funnily enough a pristine looking one has come up this evenng - it's in Doncaster and postage isn't offered. I'm gonna see if I can convince them to courier it as driving to pick it up will cost way too much in fuel. Another upside of looking about tonight - found a silver boot-lid with a nice wing on it. (My old black one one had a wing, this one doesn't and I miss it.) Now all I need is some bargain NOS coilies  Thanks all for your help. Feeling more confident about getting it sorted. |
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Mar 24, 2018 14:48:46 GMT
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the dent in that door a decent paintless dent man could get that out
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Mar 24, 2018 15:03:34 GMT
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Over on the MIG welding forum there is a regular that works for a co that strips Subarus. I dropped him a PM and pointed him here maybe he can help.
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Last Edit: Mar 24, 2018 15:07:21 GMT by wightfug
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Mar 24, 2018 16:44:28 GMT
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TBH you could get that repaired easily and for not much rather than spend and have the faff of fitting new doors .
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Mar 24, 2018 17:53:55 GMT
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Surely less hassle and not much more expensive to repair the doors ?
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Mar 24, 2018 18:14:51 GMT
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My contact Said:
at the moment don't have any sf5 foresters breaking.
We are meant to be having 2 come in but unsure of when yet.
If you pass on our details,
Usedsubaruparts on Facebook then will happily look out for one for him.
HTH
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awoo
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,503
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Mar 25, 2018 23:20:23 GMT
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Surely less hassle and not much more expensive to repair the doors ? thats what I was thinking, paintless door repair ftw. probably hell of a lot quicker, cheaper and loads less hassle by the sounds of things |
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Mar 26, 2018 10:09:47 GMT
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Thanks for all the help - for those recommending paintless dent repair - I mentioned it but I think you missed it - I had a professional paintless guy look at it and he didn't want to do it because the dent was too close to the edge of the door and around the lock - basically he said he couldn't guarantee a good job and wanted to pass. Thanks wightfug - I'll follow your lead if I don't hear anything from the current good door seller I've mailed on ebay. |
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Mar 26, 2018 15:22:39 GMT
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Find an independent dent repair man, the franchised operators will not take a job on that will not be an invisible repair. You will be able to negotiate with an independent who will probably do an almost perfect job at an agreed rate. Either way it will be better than it is now and the car will still have a perfect fitting door.
Did the same on wifes boxster when I managed to crease the door.
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Last Edit: Mar 26, 2018 15:27:45 GMT by rodbuilder
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