Another CUCV accident

[rmesgt]

Well, once again my M1008 is the victim of foul play. A child driving his mothers car backed into the passenger side of my pick up. He dented the bed, just forward of the rear wheel but behind the cab. Fortunately, the person that hit me had insurance. I assumed this would be an easy repair, but the body shop stated they wouldn't fix the dent. They insist on replacing the whole truck bed. The insurance company stated that if they had to replace the bed, they would insist on "Totaling" my truck. This is not an opting. I don't even know if this is possible. I tried to find a truck bed for my vehicle, but they don't seem to be available. My LMC truck manual doesn't show a truck bed. Thoughts Anyone???

 

[Russm]

I've seen many beds in decent shape at the parts yards and once in a while some for sale in the military truck groups on Facebook / eBay / (or here)

I've also heard of people letting the insurance total the truck and then just buying it back from them. The type of title probably won't bother you.

You could also be more insistent than the body shop guy. They may be trying to get insurance to pay for a nice shiny new bed instead of just for a dent. Threaten to take the truck to a different insurance-approved body shop and follow through if they won't budge

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

 

[Saberr]

Depends on how bad dent it, may just need a new or partial side skin.

 

[rmesgt]

Thank you for your replies. I did tell the body shop that I will pick up my pick-up tomorrow to get an additional opinion. Thank you for the confidence in finding another bed should I need it. I too thought the dent would be easy to "pop out", but I don't know how to do body work. There is no crease in the metal and it is well below the body line. I will see what the next body shop recommends.

 

[Saberr]

If there's no crease, that big BS on the shop, even insurance. Look for a mobile dent remover as well. Since no crease, they just weld on a steel rod (puller) and then they have machine or a slide hammer and it just pulls the dent out.

 

[rmesgt]

Attached are some pics of the dent. The dent is hard to see because of the CAMO paint.

 

[FloridaAKM]

I concur with Saberr about finding a mobile dent remover or a different shop that will fix the dent back as good as new. The shop you have your truck @ now just wants to be rid of you, not to help you get your truck restored to pre accident condition. Good luck with your repairs.

 

[cucvrus]

That's an easy fix. The matching of the paint is simple if you have the paint colors damaged. But camouflage is not really that hard to match. A new bed for that little damage is like when the military replaced the CUCV engines because the rear main seals were leaking. Back in the early 80's many GM vehicles had rear main seals leaking. I changed hundreds of them. But fix that bed and done right it will be a <$1,000. job. Can't total the truck for that. Be Safe.

 

[IdahoJoe]

If that dent totals a truck, I have a bunch that need to totaled I guess.

Worst case scenario you can buy a bed side, that certainly doesn't need a whole bed to repair...

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

1. Find a new shop.
2. If you can't find a decent shop, let them total the truck and buy it back for pennies on the dollar. I guarantee they don't want it.
3. Stop carrying comprehensive insurance unless you are willing to pay big bucks for a special valuation policy.

 

[NY Tom]

Sounds like some Long Island, NY body guys must have moved to OK.

My 70 lb. dog did $7k damage running into my neighbor's car door...and he was fine.

Good luck with your resolution.

 

[18operator]

Attached are some pics of the dent. The dent is hard to see because of the CAMO paint.

View attachment 807887View attachment 807888

That area behind the dent should be all open. You may be able to push out the dent by hand.

 

[cucvrus]

That bed side is open up to the rail. And the other great part is the bed side is bolted on 99.9% and only welded in the rear. If you wanted to you could take it off and fix it. I done that to a few as I was rebuilding them. That made having the bottom floor and front wall mush easier to handle, clean and repaint. Reassemble and weld the gate adjustment opening and fish coat the entire bed. Even stood a few up in the shop on the front bed wall and worked on the dents while they were standing high. Mush easier on the old back and knees. Take Care. That's an easy fix.

 

[2deuce]

Insurance companies and their connected shops are really upsetting. It's off topic a little, but after telling them I wanted to buy back my totaled truck, somebody threw some plastic garbage between my air filter and the turbo on my 97 dodge cummins. After getting it put back together a month later it went about 1 mile.

 

[NY Tom]

Insurance companies and their connected shops are really upsetting. It's off topic a little, but after telling them I wanted to buy back my totaled truck, somebody threw some plastic garbage between my air filter and the turbo on my 97 dodge cummins. After getting it put back together a month later it went about 1 mile.

Yeah they are unbelievable. Coast to coast problem looks like. Hate taking any vehicle to any shop.

 

[cucvrus]

I do work at salvage yards from time to time. Many vehicles are branded never to be returned to road use again. Personally I like that on the newer vehicles because I feel bad for the unsuspecting buyer that buys a one-three year old vehicle that was totaled and rebuilt. All vehicles that are wrecked and totaled in Pennsylvania get and R title. I like that. Keeps the dishonest guys from hanging a pile of unsafe scrap on some poor sack trying to buy a decent vehicle. Banks will not finance R title vehicles and insurance companies do not want to insure them. Looking back at this I say they build vehicles everyday and the liability and risk of placing someone in a vehicle that was totaled and as complex as the newer stuff is. I feel they belong in the salvage yard. Some impounded vehicles must be destroyed and I understand that also. I was just stripping police cars last month and they were crushed after the few components were removed. Remember back when the Cash for clunkers program was underway? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_Allowance_Rebate_System trying to remove transmissions that were still good in these vehicles was hard. Many cars were drained of coolants and oil to speed the destruction when the glass chemicals was not available. That federal money was burnt thru very quickly and many of them vehicles went straight thru shredders because of the legal stipulations attached to the acceptance of cash for clunker vehicles. Many salvage yards did not want involved with the vehicles. I think no safety risk is posed by this minor bedside repair. Be Safe. Hug your CUCV and Take Care

 

[dependable]

That dent is not bad at all, easy fix with some body tools and/or expansion attachment on a porta power. I'd get what cash you can from the insurance company and fix it yourself or drive as is. Whatever you do, don't let them total your truck over that.

 

[ZiggyO]

My family has a body shop in Norfolk NE--- too far from you, but I can give you some pointers. First off, find a shop that you are comfortable with-- by law every insurance company has to deal with every shop-- they may try to tell you otherwise but they are then engaging in "steering" which is illegal. That dent is easily fixed right on the truck-- maybe 3-4 hours time for an experienced bodyman. Note I said experienced-- most shops are glorified parts changers that don't know the trade-- that coupled with programs like CCCone which compute times and costs tend to freak out when tasked with an unconventional job (not that the cucv is unconventional, but being an older vehicle, programs like CCCone dont really like it). I agree that the job should be south of $1k-- if it were in our shop, going off the pics, I would put that job in the 6-800 dollar range (maybe a little more if we had to source actual CARC for touchup versus something like Gillespie).

Also, as an aside note, even if the bed side had been creased, in many cases it would still be saveable-- one again, that is where an experienced bodyman comes into play--- depending on location, a crease can be shrunk and hammered-- difficult but doable. Worst case scenario, the cucv sheet metal is thick enough to graft in sections.

 

[dmetalmiki]

Well, If it was me. I'd drive it just like it is. (as ) I can not even see a dent anywhere.
A picture with a 'ring marker' round the damage would force me to say, OK, so there is a minor ? dent.
I would use a slide hammer with a king size self tapping screw fitted at the end (Make one!), And simply tap/pull out that invisible dent.
Body shop? absolutely not.
write off?, Absolutely not.
Buy the kid an ice cream to help you mend the panel?..Absolutely.

 

[frank8003]

Golly
She ain't gonnah last forever, even if you heart is broken
Just fix it in the Yard and take the check