Warning: that 'easy' quarter panel job on a 2017 Silverado can turn into a week

Got one in from a local auction last Tuesday, looked like a simple pull and fill. Once we got the liner out, the inner structure was folded like a paper clip. Took three full days just to get the frame machine set right and the pull started. Anyone else run into these newer trucks hiding way more damage than the sheet metal shows?

3 comments

3 Comments

rowanhernandez17d ago

Man, you ever see a car that looks totally fine until you get it on the lift? My buddy bought a used Civic that seemed straight, just needed a bumper. He gets it up and the whole radiator support was pushed back like two inches, just hiding behind the plastic. He was so mad, said it was the biggest "gotcha" he'd ever seen. Took him forever to find all the little brackets that got bent. I mean, they build these things to collapse in a specific way now, so the damage just goes deeper than you think.

blakestone17d ago

Ever notice how the crumple zones just eat the force?

kai_webb9117d ago

Yeah, the way they "eat the force" is wild. It's basically turning a hard hit into a longer, slower stop for your body. Makes you wonder how many people in older, stiffer cars walked away from fender benders but got really hurt from the sudden jerk. The car looks totaled, but your insides didn't get slammed as hard.