well my grandfather who worked at a bodyshop since cars where invented lol.
said if airbags popped and the frame is bent more then .5 inch its totaled

but as it being a honda the parts are cheap mean aftermarket and the insurance company knows this, so like about 1-2k in parts and body shop labor is like 3-5k with paint mmm looking at 8 -9k when done. better just to total it out.

Air bags popping doesn't not make a car a total loss, nor does a bent frame...there is no magic part that makes it a total loss in most states(though it varies state to state).

As far as A/M parts, yes they're cheaper...some parts fit fine, some don't...and if the shop gets some that fit fine they make a KILLING on profit compared to OEM parts(unless they have a good deal with what ever OEM distributor or dealer they use).

yeah thats what i figured... that when they use aftermarket parts they just keep the profit..

well when insurance companies pay $40 an hour for labor, gotta make something somewhere.

The insurance companies force the shops to use the A/M parts...but some shops don't mind it because if they parts fit OK(meaning they don't have to pay their body guy extra time to get them to fit) they're fine with using the parts. All the shop can charge is list but what it costs them is their business. There very well could be a 40% profit on an A/M bumper cover for that Hon-duh and only a 10-15% profit if the shop got an OEM cover(again, depends on the dealership).

Shops love using A/M radiators and condensers, rarely any issues and they make good $$ off of them...and if the insurance companies makes then use it then it's a win/win.

Some body parts fit like ass though, Keystone is hit or miss, some hoods/bumpers/fenders fit fine, others are a nightmare for a shop to get to line up correctly.

No body shop in NJ works for $40/hr ;)

The lowest rate as of last summer was $43-44/hr for body/paint. Materials rate is usually around 24-26/hr, mechanical is in the ballpark of 70-75.

yea we make $44/hour labor its terrible considering all the crap you have to deal with in autobody... its going to be another buissness where "only the rich can survive" pretty soon... my boss went to an epa/dep seminar last night to find out about new laws... there is some crazy new laws comming and they said if you dont abide by them and they catch you there "can" be a fine "up to" $37k for each day you function like that.. yes $37k i did a double take when my boss told me this... not to mention all the new machines and materials they want you to use... all the little shops are going to be going under really soon i have a feeling... sad but true... BIG GOVT regulation driving people out of work... well now you just sent me off in a rant...seee what you did! long story short... its a hard buisness to make money in... especially if you do your work right and dont cut corners or commit insurance fraud like some people do to make $$$ btw i think adam was just round off to $40

You're going to see a lot of mom & pop shops close up soon....I really don't know how a small shop(say 3-6 guys) can make any $$ unless you have one sick crew. Between the EPA laws, the price of materials going up AND companies like PPG that require to use XYZ product on top of their paint it's just getting harder and harder to make $$$. Example: PPG requires you to buy an $80 bumper prep kit(1 kit per bumper obviously) if you spray their paint. Insurance companies don't give a rats ass if that's what PPG requires, that's a $80 cut into profit before you even start working on it....(keep in mind that's just one example)

Unfortunately we're going to be left with dealerships and high volume supercenters. Low/medium volume shops are going to be struggle more than than they are now.

yea my shop is the largest in brick but yet only has a work crew of 5 guys... one painter... 3 body men and and mechanic... i agree with you on everything you said but what bumper kit are you talking about... we use ppg paints... we were using DBC line, but have just switched last year to their envirobase water born system... but the undercoats are the same... alls we do with bumpers is scuff em down... shoot some 801 adhesion promoter let it sit for a few and hit it with a DP primer/sealer with a special bumper additive to help it stick and then shoot color... iv been there for over 3 years now and i havent really seen any peelers come back... i think i know what your talking about but my boss had a problem with it so he stopped using it.... before i got there of coarse...

I forget the name of it, it's something to do with the adhesion promoter(it's been a while and my memory is a bit fuzzy lol)

yes $44/h is terrible :rollseye:

(44*40*52= ~92k in case you were wondering)

That's not what a tech makes....that is what the shop charges an hour for body/paint labor.....

You think a dealer tech makes $100 an hour too? :lol:

yup, all profit too. idiot.

Not to mention health insurance, bennifits, overhead, insurance & profit for the shop.

My bad, when someone says they get $44/h for labor, I'm assuming that's what the person is paid. GFY

yea shop makes $44 an hour labor... i wish i made that much!!!... ahhaha still think is a lucrative business???

You know what they say about doing that.:lol:

That shop better do some DAMN good work for that labor rate. ;):mrgreen:

ahhh damn.....

Yes, after an accident like that, that civic will never drive 100% again. It will probably turn into a money pit. Time for somehting new

ahhah where are you guys getting your cars fixed???