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There are a few quesitons in my mind on this one.
1. Was the quarter panel damaged during installation or improperly installed because of poor unibody alignment/straightening -or- was it damaged or molded improperly before or during installation? If it is the latter, they might be able to dolly out the flat part and then shrink the metal if needed to get it relatively contoured (hard to tell without seeing the actual car) to the tailight assembly. I do know that the quarter panel is rather flimsy with no internal suppor just behind and slightly above the wheel opening. I think asking them to order another quarter panel and you requesting to be there when they open the box of the new panel will tell you a lot....if it is the panel or the installation of the panel that is to blame.
2. Did they use a genuine Saab body panel? I don't even know if they make aftermarket quarter panels for 9-3's, so this would require some investigation.
3. The body shop portion of the dealership (most car dealerships at least) is run as a separate entity and therefore you more than likely won't have any pull with the district rep since they deal with service issues and this clearly isn't a service issue. The only reason I could think any rep from Saab would get involved would be if there was a bad quarter panel supplied...but that doesn't sound likely.
When a quarter panel is installed, there is a procedure for installing the quarter panel and getting it aligned before it is tack-welded into place before permanent welding occurs. Normally fitting the quarter panel includes the use of vice grips & metal clamps, pins that are put into alignment holes that are drilled, and magnetic supports that help align the panel before it is tacked into place. This procedure can take a long time. My Acura TL has 13.5 hours for removal and installation of the rear quarter panel alone...not including paint.
Body work is very easy to screw up. If the shop cut any corners straightening the unibody out (trunk floor, internal panel supports, roof, etc.) the panels can become very difficult to align properly. It's normal for some work to be done to new metal to get it to fit properly. Again, without actually seeing the car, it's a bit difficult to tell you what could be wrong.
I'd check your hatch/trunk gaps along the bumper as well as both quarter panels. Also check your door opening gaps on both sides to see how even they are.
Hold the line and don't accept poor workmanship. Your insurance company and the other company should go to bat for you...especially if the work is that bad. The body shop is probably just hoping you go away.
posted by 69.248.149...
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