Boxster devastation - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

alikhan78 · 02-25-2007, 01:32 PM

This is just not my week. So I got my oil changed last night (see previos post) and today I was going to get the car washed and waxed. My mother in law was with me and asked to back the car out, I obliged. I went outside and got the hose and buckets ready. The car is always set in reverse gear with the handbrake on when in the garage. She started the car, put down the handbrake, and let go of the clutch and through some logic I cannot understand got the car to back up 4 feet with the door open until the door hit my garage wall. I was standing behind the car, outside the garage, with a bucket in hand and a large smile on my face until that incident. The driver side window shattered and I was hit by glass, she also got hit by glass (mostly of her left hand). The car also sustained driver side door damage (along with the shattered window). Tearfully I relieved my mother in law of duty and got in the car and reparked it in the garage. Not sure what the next step is, I may go out and workout the anger and tomorrow decide what to do with the damage. I may claim this on my insurance if it is over $1000 otherwise Ill just pay for it myself. Anyway had to get some of the anger out thanks for reading.

And yeah thats glass on the top, it's also on the hood and al over the outside of my house.

Grizzly · 02-25-2007, 01:54 PM

I'm so sorry this happened to you.

Don't be too hard on your Mother in Law. I did something very similar to one of my wife's Mercedes' a few years ago. I was working under the hood and the hood was blocking my light. Rather than just go get a trouble light, I decided to back it out into the sun where I could see better. You guessed it. I left the door open with my foot outside the car. When the car made contact with the door frame it stopped and probably would have been fine, but what did I do? I stepped on the gas, of course, and folded the driver's door all the way back to the front fender. It was very ugly. Your damage, while sucking majorly, doesn't look nearly as extensive. No one was severely injured...yet. Try to keep it that way.

alikhan78 · 02-25-2007, 02:04 PM

My first reaction was just shock at what happened and then I basically reparked the car and walked in so I wouldn't say anything. Since then she's apoloized and I don't blame her, could have happened to anyone. I wiped off the drywall dust and the car door hasn't suffered any serious damage, looks like deep paint scratches (of course the glass needs to be replaced). We both did get cuts from the glass that flew at us but nothing serious. I'm hoping there is no internal power window damage. I'm not sure how much such repair should cost but I'm hoping less than $1000. Then there is the drywall as well that needs to be replaced, that shouldn't be more than $100.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grizzly

I'm so sorry this happened to you.

Don't be too hard on your Mother in Law. I did something very similar to one of my wife's Mercedes' a few years ago. I was working under the hood and the hood was blocking my light. Rather than just go get a trouble light, I decided to back it out into the sun where I could see better. You guessed it. I left the door open with my foot outside the car. When the car made contact with the door frame it stopped and probably would have been fine, but what did I do? I stepped on the gas, of course, and folded the driver's door all the way back to the front fender. It was very ugly. Your damage, while sucking majorly, doesn't look nearly as extensive. No one was severely injured...yet. Try to keep it that way.

mtch · 02-25-2007, 02:17 PM

i went dear hunting with my Boxster a couple months back, and needed to replace the d/s window afterwards. surprisingly, it was inexpensive. OEM window was just over $100, if i remember correctly, so don't fret

Paul · 02-25-2007, 02:49 PM

As an alternative call around to the parts yards and see it they have a door that's the same color and just bolt it on. In most cases they will make you an offer on your old door.

Not likely on a Boxster but its done every day on Hondas and Toyotas for fenders, hoods, doors, and bumpers!!! Many owners are not even told that the car was repaired with used parts.

Paul · 02-25-2007, 02:53 PM

Maybe that door is not even dented, clean that drywall off and let's see another picture, please.

clb0099 · 02-25-2007, 03:03 PM

you might be able to get away with just compounding most of that damage. It seems that if you don't have any dents it will get lighter. Here is the catch if your finger nail gets caught in the scartches it's a sure bet that it won't come out completely but will come out a lot lighter then it looks now. The glass you can get from La Dismantler and it's a easy DIY maybe 100-150.. let's see after you clean it a compound it .. will make it look 10 times better

SC986 · 02-25-2007, 03:07 PM

Ouch, I hate to hear and see that. Judging by the pic and amount of drywall, except for the glasss it looks like the Boxter got the best of the wall.

I hope this works out to not be expensive for you.

Marc Gelefsky · 02-25-2007, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtch

i went dear hunting with my Boxster a couple months back, and needed to replace the d/s window afterwards. surprisingly, it was inexpensive. OEM window was just over $100, if i remember correctly, so don't fret

Wow, I would think it would be easier to hunt deer with a gun instead of a Boxster..

FrayAdjacent · 02-25-2007, 03:16 PM

Believe it or don't, I did the same dang thing with my 911 in my garage a few weeks ago... except there was no damage to the door, no broken glass... just a big hole in the drywall.

And it's in an apartment garage... I'm gonna have to fix that before I move out!

SC986 · 02-25-2007, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Wow, I would think it would be easier to hunt deer with a gun instead of a Boxster

In the words od Ron White, "those deer are elusive creatures"

Sorry for the hi-jack

alikhan78 · 02-25-2007, 03:34 PM

I spent the last hour cleaning the garage. That glass flew everywhere. After getting the glass I tried to repair as much of the door I could by polisihing it. Looks much better but still needs a lot of work. Some of the scratches are paint deep and the inside of the door has actually had some of the paint taken off as it had the initial contact with the drywall. I also did an investigation and found out the drywall did not take out the glass, it was actually the garage rail (circled in one of my pics in red).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul

Maybe that door is not even dented, clean that drywall off and let's see another picture, please.

Grizzly · 02-25-2007, 03:44 PM

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!

O.K., so after I posted about banging my wife's car door on the garage door frame, I decided since the weather sucks I would change the oil in some of the cars. So, first I put this Mustang up on the lift (which I recently moved closer to the wall to maximize garage space).

So, does this look like it could possibly be the paint from my friggin' mirror on the archway???

Damn, Damn, Damn!!!

Grizzly · 02-25-2007, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alikhan78

I spent the last hour cleaning the garage. That glass flew everywhere. After getting the glass I tried to repair as much of the door I could by polisihing it. Looks much better but still needs a lot of work. Some of the scratches are paint deep and the inside of the door has actually had some of the paint taken off as it had the initial contact with the drywall. I also did an investigation and found out the drywall did not take out the glass, it was actually the garage rail (circled in one of my pics in red).

It doesn't look to me as if there's any body damage. Does the door line up O.K.? It looks like it does. If so, a body shop will be able to scuff and shoot that door for a few hundred dollars. It looks much better after the clean-up!

djomlas · 02-25-2007, 04:04 PM

ouch man, glad no one was hurt.
this happen most of the time at your own house

just at my own place i had a garage dool collapse and fall on my car, my mom reversing very fast into it, my cousin knocking out the mirror and half my door.
all in the same driveway

good luck w the repairs

CJ_Boxster · 02-25-2007, 04:10 PM

Thats why I NEVER EVER leave the car in gear while parked, I just makesure the ebrake is firmly pulled.

KevinH1990 · 02-25-2007, 04:49 PM

Here's a link to someone selling door glass:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=329757

You might be able to save a few dollars.

Good luck.

alikhan78 · 02-25-2007, 05:04 PM

Thanks Kevin, I'll get a body shop estimate, if its cheap Ill just let them take care of it. Otherwise I'll contact this guy, he's in Australia so I'm not sure how much shipping will be.

Grizzly, the door still lines up, fortunately the door only hit the drywall, could have been much worse.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinH1990

Here's a link to someone selling door glass:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=329757

You might be able to save a few dollars.

Good luck.

C5150 · 02-25-2007, 07:42 PM

Wow - I can't imagine what I would have done (or said). You are a very good man.

Hope that the repairs come quickly for you!

porschedude · 02-25-2007, 07:53 PM

Alikhan, sorry to hear about your car damage. You can call Terry at Colors on Parade Body Shop in Austin to paint the door for $375 or so (tel: 923-2984). His color matching is superb for Porsche....he only works on nice cars like Ferrari, Bentley, Porsche, etc and he is the best in Austin. All other body shops will insist on painting the rear quarter panel too, which is garbage. I don't know cost of the glass but it should not be more than $100-200. But before deciding to paint, I would try using TriCut scratch remover...get that black bottle for $12 at Gladwin Paint in Austin (see phone book for number). Put that white polish on and rub hard...should take off most of the scratches based on the pic I see....I just helped a friend in the same situation...took out 99% scratches. Keep us posted.