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Is this repairable? (to all the autobody experts out there)

6K views 47 replies 18 participants last post by  dreiloft 
#1 · (Edited)
found a pretty fantastic deal on a CTS wagon, which would normally be way outside my budget
the one problem is this;
Automotive exterior Vehicle Car Auto part Hood


the rest of the car looks absolutely spotless EXCEPT for that roof section. Not even any frame damage. maybe it got scraped on the roof? i doubt it was a roll based on no frame issues.
all the listing says it was "transportation damage"
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tab=summary&recnum=&actLog=&listingId=127132886
i'm just wondering if an autobody place could potentially fix something like this? would it cost a grand or under? because that would STILL be within my budget

i'm probably being completely irrational and its probably a really bad buy but...ugh...i gotta get dat wagon yaknow?
 
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#6 ·
The roof is dented and the ultra view sunroof is out of alignment from impact do not buy it.
i'm going to contact the guy for more pictures, but i'm not actually sure the warping your seeing is real...
the opposite corner of the sunroof is fine, you can see from the interior pics
the nearest corner...seems to align...i think...
it all depends on what more pictures will tell.
 
#10 ·
The car is certainly repairable. The question is: will it be worth your investment after its repaired? The big questions are: does it have a clear (no salvage) title, and is the damage listed on the car's repair record? If the answer to both is NO, and you can repair the damage yourself, it's probably worth the asking price. If you can't repair it, you need the shop that will repair it to tell you what it will cost.

I have brought a few cars back from the dead, and I know it's always more involved and expensive than you think it will be.
 
#11 ·
well i guess it all depends on what the autobody shops will quote me, and if the prepurchase inspection mechanic finds any evidence of worthwhile frame damage+sunroof leaking
if they dont replace any panels or components (which isn't really necessary), i very much doubt the cost will exceed 2 grand, and even then it's STILL in my budget, if only barely.

as for doing it diy, i suppose it'd be a great deal of prep work with sanding and a fantastic amount of bondo+fiberglass trip reinforcement. but that's fine, i got time.
i mean even if the sunroof is leaking i can play some tricks with silicone and re-clear the drain tracks. considering this is 12 grand for a 25 grand cts wagon, almost any effort is "worth it"
 
#12 ·
Bondo and fiberglass?!?!?! Those panels need to be replaced... at a GOOD, QUALIFIED shop, not patched in the driveway or at Macco. The roof "rail" isn't even a panel, it's part if the body side panel. a structural part if the unibody. This is a several thousand dollar repair just in visual damage alone, plus whatever else isn't shown in, or isn't able to be seen in the pictures.

It's repairable, but it needs some major work.
 
#14 ·
looks like a nice car however I think they are asking to much. I think you are looking at a Minimum of 3K in repairs. Frankly I would have them replace the entire roof pannel with a non sun roof pannel, those sun roofs seem to have some issues even on cars without roof damage. frame repair is going to be expensive along the window. then you also have to consider the car is out of warranty so if there are any mechanical issues you will need to have enough money left in the bank to take care of those. these are not cheap cars to repair so take that in to account. after the metal is replaced you will need to have it painted and that is not a cheap easy job on those pearl colors.
so at the end of the day it could be a good deal for you but you have to get the car for super cheap like 6K or less I would think. If you cant get it for a price that lets you do the repairs with a shop YOU pick then I would walk away. don't trust the dealership to pick a good shop. and don't settle for crappy work. the last thing you want is to drive a sweet looking Caddy that has obvious problems.
 
#20 ·
'far as i know, the 100k does indeed follow the car, as revealed in a few threads found using the search function
but i doubt the b2b follows it, even if it's like 5k miles or something microscopic


....or do you just mean fixing that roof gash in general?
 
#21 ·
The place that is selling this car is an outlet for salvaged cars. If this car could be repaired for $2,000 or $3,000 retail, the prior owner would probably have had it repaired and then been able to get rid of it for normal value, but I don't think that price is even close.

The CarFax report is available for a small fee, and lists 17 items. There may be several ownership changes, but that is a very large number of items.

It doesn't help that the car has been left out in the weather for a substantial period of time and rusted. No telling how much additional trouble there is be due to water leaking in.

If you are seriously interested in this car, it is imperative that you look at in person, and have the person who might fix it look at it in person then give you a repair estimate for the body work AND the engine work, but I have to agree with the other respondents that this is a terrible idea. The car is on hold now, hopefully not for you. Someone may be saving you from yourself!
 
#22 ·
all good points (and i was not the one who put the car on hold).
i'll probably call them up today to ask how long it's been in the rain, do they actually have it covered at this point to prevent further damage, does the driver door even open, do the driver door electricals still work, does the sunroof leak at all, and to send me both the carfax and additional pictures of the roof.
simultaneously i'll send that specific picture to a few autobody places in the area down there asking realistically the cost of fixing that damage.
If there's no electrical or sunroof or frame problems so far, and the carfax is spotless aside from this incident, and the repair cost is 2 grand or less (which it probably wont be, but still), it could be worth it.

it's unfortunate that this is really the only way to get a CTS wagon for under 20 grand, let alone 15. why did they have to way until 2010 to make the wagon? :banghead:
 
#29 ·
The listing says it has a clear title. With 45 years as an adjuster and a consultant of the 1st revision of ICAR (standard practices for adjusters and body shops) the car can be repaired. There are shops that buy this car and do the minimal amount of repairs and turn the car. The rust isn't m You can't and don't want to replace he roof panel. It's a structural component and unlike a unibody frame there is no way to pin it to maintain correct alignment. If I were to repair this car I would put two used doors on, purchased a used center post with rocker panel and roof section attached. Fortunately this can come from a sedan or a wagon. The roof section would replace the damaged section. The metal on the roof can be manipulated but the sunroof frame will need to be replaced. Sure it's repairable and the parts; if you could buy all of the used parts from one car would be repairable. The problem is finding a shop that will do the repairs correctly for a price you can afford.
I agree with everyone else; when the day is done you still have a car with major repairs that is out of warranty with a CEL of unknown source.
 
#31 ·
indeed i have seen quite a few of those and thats my more reasonable goal. you can even cet cts premiums with all the goodies for like 13 grand if you look hard enough.

but, man, that #swagon....
id be totally fine with a functioning rebuilt title wagon or something beat to hell with high miles, its just impossible to find that sine the wagon is just so rare to begin with
 
#34 ·
fair enough, i have various search alerts humming away on ebay and cars.com and autotrader at the moment. As a bonus i dont really need the car asap, i was doing preliminary research

----------

None at any Cadillac dealers in Jacksonville. I will check Autotrader tomorrow.
i appreciate the assist but i doubt anything will appear at that specific location anytime soon, across the whole of the US these mythical beasts might only appear on rare occasion. basically if i dont find one before november or sometbing i'd just default to the sedan

it'd be great if i could take over financing for one though, only problem is it might be kinda pricey per month (like 500+ for 8 years or something silly). not to mention i have no way to searcn specifically for people who want to exchange their finance
 
#40 ·
You are welcome for my offer!
oh, sorry about that. i decided against going for that place in miami simply because they do not do down payments by credit card, which is a massive scam alert, or at best bad practice. you can dispute a credit card transaction but wiring funds is one way. if they smash all the glass just for fun before sending it to me, there's legally nothing i can do.
 
#43 ·
joekitch said:
also, i actually saw this ad a few days ago while sleuthing cars.com. it is actually too good to be true. the fine print has such gems like

and

pope francis may have a credit score of 780+, but i dont know about anyone else
Hm, my rating is 806, my wife's 805. So it is not that rare as you think ;)

Back to the topic, be very careful with the car. I have the feeling the repair would send you back quite a few $$$. Not worth it.
 
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