Mark VII GTO-300 got hit

[Keno]

Had this happen on Friday. Idiot tried to drive through the bay with a trailer on nailed it. Not even a customer, just driving through the bay to get out of our lot. Caused even more damage to other parts of the machine and property trying to back out. And of course ran away and didn't call us. Cops got him with the license plate from our cameras.

Looks like the frame is tweaked. Any ideas on who I should call that could fix that frame and sheet metal?

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Why aren’t you dealing with his insurance company. A bent frame on an IBA pretty much makes it scrap metal. I went through this a few years ago. I may know someone that has a scrapped GT-300 if you have to go that route.

 

[Keno]

Why aren’t you dealing with his insurance company. A bent frame on an IBA pretty much makes it scrap metal. I went through this a few years ago. I may know someone that has a scrapped GT-300 if you have to go that route.

We will be dealing with their insurance as soon as we get the info, police said it will be in their report available later this week. Just trying to get this up and running as fast as possible to avoid losing too many customers. But doesn't seem as though that's going to happen if it's going to be totaled out

 

[Waxman]

you may be able to take some thing like a house jack and insert it in between the bent sections and use some wood as spacers to straighten out the bent frame. I did something like that when my mat brusher machine was hit by a customer car and I got it pretty straight.

If that doesn't work out maybe you can find a local welding shop that has Some torches and welders on a truck that they could bring over. A lot of welders are very skilled at straightening out bent framework and things like that.

The sheet metal looks like you could just take it off and pound it flat and put it back on.

 

[soapy]

I had this happen and had to replace the whole machine. If you have good insurance you should have business interuption coverage. You should call your insurance and make them aware of the loss. They will deal with the other insurance company. I would go for new rather than a cobbled up machine. Since the other insurance company is paying you will not be rated for the loss.

 

[DiamondWash]

DON'T REPAIR IT!!!! Just dealt with a wash with literally the same situation and as soon as he showed the insurance company it was semi-operational from the half-ass repairs they were done with it, then fast forward 2 months he is having track issues, gearbox problems, all sorts of differant operational issues. Insurance would have got him a new system.

 

[washnshine]

Repairing a bent stationary stricture vs. a bent rolling/moving structure is very different. There isn’t really any margin for error when you have a rolling gantry. Issues with tracking, motores and gears can crop up if you are not 100% true, like Diamond Wash said.

 

[Keno]

Thanks for the advice, will be going through insurance, will post an update once everything is complete.

 

[Keno]

Quick update on this, unit was totalled out by insurance. We found a used machine that was our exact model. Ended up lifting our gantry of the tracks and dropping in the used machine. We are back to washing cars after 6 months. What a headache this was... all because someone who wasn't even washing decided to drive through with a trailer attached

 

[Bricks]

That’s terrible! I hope your customers come back.

 

[Keno]

They are coming back slowly, was a slower IBA site anyways