Hit a Badger with the JSW - Good shop in Houston to fix it ??

Klystron

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Location
Houston,Tx
TDI
2013 Passat SE 6MT
Well on my way back from Colorado I hit a badger going about 75mph. The badger hit mostly the the right side of the vehicle and folded the horns back into the windshield washer tank. The badger also managed to crush the condenser and break both electric fans off. I tried to limp it home but after 50 miles the radiator decided start weeping and when the low coolant light came on I had to pull off and get it towed home.

So to those in Houston who do you recommend to put the wagon back together? I was looking at maybe Momentum VW collision, anyone used them ??

EDIT: I was reading on VW's page http://www.vw.com/en/owners_portal/parts_and_accessories/collision.html That Archer VW is a certified VW repair facility. Any thoughts on them ?
 
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Seatman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 23, 2010
Location
Scotland
TDI
2014 Skoda rapid elegance 1.6 cr tdi
That's one seriously fast badger:D




Sorry couldn't resist.
 

Klystron

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Location
Houston,Tx
TDI
2013 Passat SE 6MT
That's one seriously fast badger:D
Sorry couldn't resist.
It actually took me about 20 minutes to figure out what I had hit. I was describing it to my wife who was sleeping when the "badgering" too place and she started bring up pictures on her phone till finally she showed me a badger.

To add insult to injury not more than ten minutes after the badgering we hit a skunk that did no damage except a horrible smell that stuck with us. I guess the badger and skunk had a suicide pact.
 

Bob Sacamano

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2010
Location
Washington
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
The honey badger has been referred to, by the Guinness book of world records, as the most fearless animal in all of the animal kingdom. It really doesn't give a ****.
:D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg (nsfw - language)

sorry, i couldn't resist either.

Good luck finding someone. I am originally from the area, so i'll make a few calls tonight to see if i can drum up recommendations.
 
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ToeBall

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2010
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
2010 VW Jetta Wagon TDI
To answer the OP's question. I'd go with Deerbrook Collision. I've used them personally for a repaint on my truck before. They're the ones doing the fenders and stuff on my car also. Finally, several local tuners, including Hennessey, use them for the vehicles which are going to be featured in the media. I can't say for others, but unless you specify, Hennessey farms it out to cheaper shops for normal stuff and only goes to these guys with his media cars and personal stuff.
 

P0234

Veteran Member
Joined
May 18, 2011
Location
NoVA
TDI
11 JSW
I've learned over the years to take body shop recommendations with a grain of salt, especially from general forums like this one. What seems like a perfect repair to one person will have a nut (like me) attempting to strangle the body shop owner. Quality repairs are few and far between. Go to various places and personally inspect their finished product. Check for overspray, paint texture (smoothness/orange peel) and paint contamination (dust). Autopia.org has regional sections where you can find a good shop for very picky people.

Last, but certainly not least, take pictures of the damage before you take it in to be repaired. This will be very useful when you sell the car, you can re-assure the buyer that the damage was in fact minor and not some major front end collision.
 

Past_VNE

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
'01 Jetta GLS 5-spd, '12 JSW 6M
P0234, that's all good advice. But, that last suggestion about prepping photos for a future sale is an amazing suggestion. I have tons of photos of the minor and extremely minor accidents we've had in our Jetta and truck. If I ever sell my Jetta while it runs, I will use those.
 

piney

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2010
Location
Ft Lauderdale
TDI
2011 JSW-TDI/DSG
Talk to your local Audi or Mercedes dealer and see where they take their cars. The below photo was taken where the local Audi dealer told me they take their cars.

I stopped at this shop yesterday and they were replacing two doors on a new S600 that the dealer's son had clipped a car with. (ouch)

I grew up in the body business and know perfection when I see it. The people that work on high end exotics and are used to working with aluminum and carbon fiber do masterful jobs. If it were my car that needed fixing, that is where I'd take it.


 
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Klystron

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Location
Houston,Tx
TDI
2013 Passat SE 6MT
Well the insurance company looked at it and the cost is almost $5,000 for hitting a 20-30Lb animal.

They are replacing the radiator, A/C condenser, intercooler, the entire front bumper, windshield washer and tank, both radiator fan motors, and all the plastic parts involved.

After this incident I'm ordering a diesel geek panzer plate. Had I had one the damages would have been much less IMHO.

After driving trucks and SUVs all my life and hitting everything from possums to a elk I never would have thought that a small 20-30lb animal would disable a car and cause so much damage.
 

piney

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2010
Location
Ft Lauderdale
TDI
2011 JSW-TDI/DSG
Well the insurance company looked at it and the cost is almost $5,000 for hitting a 20-30Lb animal.
This sounds like a grand opportunity to have the factory driving lights installed and even to relocate the front plate, if you have one.
 

terry mac

Active member
Joined
Feb 4, 2007
Location
clinton ms
TDI
2010 tdi jetta
Hit a "gater" in the road last week , first est was $2500 . well see what the insurance co will do friday... thinking about swaping out front end to a CUP tdi?
 

Klystron

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Location
Houston,Tx
TDI
2013 Passat SE 6MT
This sounds like a grand opportunity to have the factory driving lights installed and even to relocate the front plate, if you have one.
I don't have any issue with the front license plate mounted were it is honestly. The "clean" look of the front end just isn't worth the hassle of not having front plate while living in Houston.

You will get stopped and ticketed constantly by Houston police, Sheriffs office, Constable and my absolute least favorite and the most unprofessional law enforcement entity I've ever met, Houston Metro PD.

I'll add fog/driving lights later on, just don't have the extra money laying around with having to lay out $500 for the deductible.
 

Past_VNE

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
'01 Jetta GLS 5-spd, '12 JSW 6M
I moved to Texas 3.5 yrs ago with my cars. No front plates in PA, so my plate is in my trunk. I'm not so much against installing them, but never get around to it. Would have to order the hanger, drill the holes, all that. Just never remember to do it, except when I'm reorganizng the trunk.

My husband got a written warning once for not having it. He's been pulled over a few times. I got pulled over twice, no mention of the plate.

Fingers crossed that it continues. Planning to leave it off the JSW when it comes. But, we'll see. I totally understand not wanting the hassle. It does cause me some stress when I see a cop looking my way.
 

piney

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2010
Location
Ft Lauderdale
TDI
2011 JSW-TDI/DSG
I don't have any issue with the front license plate mounted were it is honestly. The "clean" look of the front end just isn't worth the hassle of not having front plate while living in Houston. .
Somewhere else on the threads there was a way to mount the plate lower, under the bumper but still up front. I'm sure a search would find it. That look was more of what I'd want if I were compelled to have one.

Something like this:
 
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