Opinions on cars with minor body work

I don't have experience with cars that have been in an accident, so I was hoping I could get some input. I emailed about a car locally and the shop owner said this: "Although the carfax is clean it�s obvious to us that it rec�d sheet metal work on the right side. There is no evidence of any body parts or suspension parts being replaced and the work seems to have been done well." Any idea what kind of accident this would be and how major/minor. I normally steer immediately away from cars with any accidents, but felt it would be worth asking other peoples opinions. My initial thought is that it will lower the value of the car (both sale now and at resale), but that if it didnt effect the body and work was done well it could look like nothing ever happened and shouldnt effect handling, etc at all. Could a few people chime in with input and experience? I think I'm going to see the car either way just to see it first hand. It's only like 25 mins from me. Also, how is it that this kind of work was 'obvious'? The car is at a shop that specializes in Porsches.

There are too many cars out there that are clean. Why would you want to deal with this issue when it comes time for you to sell? This is usually not about you making the decision as a buyer but would be a headache as a seller.

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I agree entirely. I have emailed back for more information just to get an idea of what they're talking about. Unless it's going to be a fantastic deal I will go for a completely clean one instead. It was more to gauge opinions on what people experiences buying/selling cars with minor work done.

Quotes source post: 6448499

There are lots of ways to see that evidence. Usually, overspray onto factory painted surfaces in the seams of doors or lids, but you can also find proof in missing, non-standard, or improperly installed fasteners, rubber seals, broken plastic parts, wiring, connectors, etc. As chsu74 says, there are too many undamaged cars out there to take a chance with potential issues that may be lurking inside a repair. You could invest in disassembly and detailed inspection to really check the repair out and make sure it was done right, but unless the car is really special this usually isn't worth the time / money involved.

I ended up not buying a 964 this year because of accident history on the car and now just upgrading my current car with mods. I do realize that 964s are close to 20yrs old so clean cars are few and far in between but why the headache.

I would not pass on a car that's had "minor" body work done. If the fact that the car had been in an accident is easily noticeable from a casual glance, that would be a car I would pass on, but having been in a minor fender bender in and of itself should not rule out a car IMO. BTW, almost any body work is "obvious" to someone who knows what to look for, but work done well should not be obvious to a lay person from the outside.

Well my car has 2 accidents on the carfax. I know it, I drive it, and that is that. Had I been smarter before I bought it, I might not have bought it. Having said that, I love my car and glad I did buy it. I don't know who or how I will ever sell it, but that bridge has not come into view yet. My car has been excellent in all aspects of ownership and had I found one with a clean carfax, who knows..... Maybe some other issue may have shown up. 1 year in, I have no regrets, had I not bought my car, I might not have one yet. A lot of them out there, its true. At some point you either buy one or you just wait. Choice is yours, but doesn't bother me. And many cars get touch up paint on the front, so what's the problem, if done right My .02

if you have access to a paint gauge that is another possibility to see if it was in an accident.

I'm probably a little more forgiving than most regarding minor bodywork on a used car. Having had 2 teenage sons in my household, I'm acutely aware that things have a way of happening. I've paid for at least my share of minor bodywork out of pocket rather than face what would happen to my insurance premiums from making a claim. If ...and that's a big if...the car was mechanically sound, had the options that I wanted, was the colors that I wanted AND was offered at an attractive price, I would at least do some detective work to see if I could learn the extent of the original damage. The damage could be as simple as repairing a spot where the car had been keyed in a parking lot or merely backed into at roughly 5 mph while parked. The original damage may have been quite trivial and there is some possibility that you could be getting a really good deal on the car. As with most things in life, you pays your money and takes your chance.

Apparently the paint isnt a perfect match .. blacks are off. That pretty much turns me completely off.

Non-matching paint is not good - I agree with you. I would like to have my front bumper touched up and/or re-painted due to some rock chips, and I can tell my car was dinged in a parking lot on the front bumper. It has a little crease and a "spider web" pattern of cracks in the paint. I'm worried about trying to match Midnight Blue Metallic. If I do get it painted, I think I'll have the licence plate holes filled in for a smooth bumper (No front license plate required in Indiana).

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Yeah I guess they said the car is basalk (sp?) black metallic? Is that just the typical 996 black? They said under their lights you can see a slight discoloration, so I said thx for being honest but no thanks. I then found out the 3 cars I planned to go see tomorrow all got sold in the last like 24 hrs. I'm starting to think I'm not supposed to find a 996

Basalt Black is metallic... I can see how that would be hard to match. It isn't the same as standard black. I know what you mean about finding just the right 996. The good ones go fast. I looked for a long time. One interesting thing, I ended up buying a 996 that had a few imperfections, as well as a few missing options that I thought I had to have (heated seats being one of them). In retrospect, I might have been too concerned about some of these things. Now that I have the car, they don't seem to matter as much. I think buying a car that has been properly maintained, with books and records,etc. is more important than getting every single option you want. You should make a priority list and be willing to be flexible. You'll find one. The looking part of the process is really fun, IMHO. When you do find a good one, don't be afraid to go for it.

I wouldn't do it, especially with a car like a Porsche, but that's just me. I need things perfect out of the box. There are so many 996's out there, you can certainly find one that meets your specs and has had no body work.

Depends, what are your priorities? Is re-sale a priority? Is saving money on the puchase a priority (if you can't save a decent amount on the purchase, what other incentive is there)? Is "knowing it's perfect" a priority or can you "live" with the thought of a "fixed" car? Only you can answer those questions ......