Pheasant meets A209 CLK 2008 at 60MPH, bodyshop or bonnet

[richardgr88]

Well I don't know what the swearing policy is on this rather useful and friendly forum but I'm sure you'll get the picture

So I was going about my business driving home from work when a pheasant decided it wanted to make friends with a couple of tonnes of Mercedes fine bodywork at 60MPH. So there was an explosion of feathers and guts, so I drive on a mile or two more only to realise half the damn bird is still stuck to the front of the car, cue pulling over and investigating.

The bird *insert expletive here* was wedged between the centre grille and the front lip of the bonnet.....and on impact has done a delightfully grand job of damaging the front of the bonnet, I had to open it to release the animal!! Luckily I managed to save the Mercedes badge in the animal removal process.

The only consolation for me now is that I hope someone got a good supper and that's one less *************** pheasant likely to damage someone else's pride and joy.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Are we talking bodyshop or new bonnet shopping? (see pics below).

On a side note I knew I should have gone in the MG today, perhaps it could add to the existing crack on the bumper and be written off a second time!

Seriously though if anyone has any insight it would be much appreciated. If anyone knows any good bodyshops in the Northamptonshire/Milton Keynes area that'd be great too. Plus anger management counselors or marriage counselling in the field of how to convince your other half the anger and being mad is fully worthy due to the inconsiderate damage caused to your pride and joy.

Any help much appreciated

 

[MancMike]

Whichever is cheapest.

You need to save your cash for the anger management classes.

 

[BTB 500]

Not nice, but at least it didn't come through the windscreen ...

 

[WDB124066]

Had a similar thing in one of the cabbies, it really p1sses you off and no amount of trying to understand that things were a lot worse for the bird makes any difference at all.

Just part of the joys/risks of motoring really, the sooner it's fixed the better you'll feel and in any case now is a good time to get those stone chips sorted too.

 

[richardgr88]

Very true, at least it didn't come through he windscreen. One time when I was in my MG before the Merc with the roof off I hit a pigeon and it rolled up the window over the roof, I was rather pleased that didn't join me in the car, and that was a close one.

Never really had much experience with body shops touch wood so not sure if it could be bent back and resprayed?

 

[richardgr88]

That's the trouble too, there was hardly any stone chips. The bonnet was literally perfect, certainly compared to my last car :-(

Indeed one less nitter of a bird to bugger up someone else's car.

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

Gardner motors in Wellingborough I'm always told locally is good in general, but there's a well recommended one in Milton Keynes however I've forgotten the name of it

An independent in MK recommended them. Can I remember the name of the independent? Hopefully someone can jolt my memory if they see this

 

[camerafodder]

I bet for a brief moment that the pheasant was more ****** than you.

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

Killahertz on here may know a good one over Cambridgeshire direction which is local to us Norhamptonians (if this is where you're from)

 

[PobodY]

I'd guess it's new bonnet time, but as above; whatever is cheapest.

 

[richardgr88]

That pheasant was certainly more ****** than me for a moment. Would have left a lovely 3 pointed star imprint on it. Pleased it didn't knacker the grille or badge too, think it'd be an expensive bill for those too.

Did see a cat D car I was very tempted to keep for spares if only it didn't quite cost so much and had a larger space to keep it.

 

[MWCLS]

The badge alone is 56.95 for the grille. Could have been alot worse !

 

[merc85]

That bird better of died lol

 

[richardgr88]

I knew the badge and grille were expensive but f me! Pleased I saved that. The bird definitely died. Left half of it at the scene and the other half a few miles down the road. And the rest of it was all over the windscreen.

 

[richardgr88]

Thanks for all the help. Have contacted a few places near work and home to see if I can get a quote from a body shop, none have come back yet.

Have also received a quote from a breaker of £250 ish inc. delivery for a bonnet off of a car they're breaking which I didn't think was too bad. Just not sure if that one would then need respraying.

Silly question time now, the bonnet the breaker has available is from a 2004. Would this be ok on a 2008? I'd have thought it would. Think I need to get the paint code too to confirm. I think mine is obsidian black but not 100%.

 

[richardgr88]

So I visited a few body shops, some seemed to think it could be repaired and others didn't. One honestly recommended looking for a salvage bonnet, as if I wasn't already trying - managed to find one of those at about £250 which seems to be the going rate. The quotes ranged from about £250 - £1,500 for the repair job!!

At the end of the day it was going to cost at least £250 to put right, so I thought I'd give it a go myself, what had I got to lose. Before anyone tries this I don't condone or take any responsibility for this if you do decide to give it a go.

I cut up some plywood pieces which I wrapped in micro fibre cloths and clamped fairly tightly using a vise grip and managed to bend the bonnet back, the size was important so not to flatten the bonnet too much.

See photos below of before, during and after. Pretty pleased with myself so far. Just waiting for the paint to come in the post and we should be back in business. Although not perfect it'll be a lot better and not far off perfect. I've done paint jobs before on previous cars where I accidentally caught a wheel arch on a concrete post and also when I backed into a low wooden post at a camp site (don't worry they were both in Ford vehicles).

Will post some more pics after the paint job

Before:

During

After

 

[richardgr88]

Some more photos which hopefully show how impressed I am so far.

 

[Flyinspanner]

Very good results by the look of it

 

[PobodY]

I'd be pleased with that result too.

 

[zipdip]

Great repair,well done.