got a small ding, this man can fix it

[SwissXC90]

Scary? I think he does a really good job.

That's a heck of a lot more professional than some places...

[eternal optimist]

I watch pretty much everything Artur puts on his channel.

He's a professional -
he uses a professional pulling rig;
lasers to check things are level;
accesses the proper measurements;
removes panels using the original spot welds or cuts them where he doesn't need to remove a full panel;
removes multiple layers, repairs or replaces then rebuilds complex pillars etc in the order the factory would have;
either uses factory replacement sections or parts removed form donor sections;
lead loads where he's butt welded (actually he puts a section underneath every butt weld I've ever watched;
Uses spotters etc to reduce stretching and remove dents so that a minimum of filler is used in the finished job.

A fair number of the cars he repairs look to have been imported as damaged cars from the US. In some of the 'before' shots you can see either US licence plates, auction notices or other writing on the windscreen.

He's Lithuanian I think; lives in a country with low overheads, where labour rates are low, and where secondhand cars are worth much more than in the UK. The economics are different which is why skilled people like Artur can make a living. Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to drive my family in a well repaired previously damaged car. I don't hesitate to take them out in my VW which was a few years ago restored using a whole bunch of new metal after all the shell was blasted and all rust was cut out and replaced with new metal. And frankly, IMHO, there's less structural integrity in the average classic car than there is in something Artur Tussik's repaired.

I really don't get what's 'scary' about watching a skilled person rebuild a damaged car. They're made from bits of metal welded and bonded together. That's what he does. The car looks 'new' again because it's been well repaired, not because it's thick with filler.

[ttocsio]

[Haldex]

@eternal optimist: Your classic VW can't do more than 120km/h - whereas a hammered-out writeoff S60 will do 220+ km/h, just like a non-written off one will do. No one expects a 1950s Beetle to provide same levels of occupant protection as, say, a 2015 S60 - so people who drive them tend to drive them in a different manner.. often not even being aware that they're in a car that's been crushed and then stretched back - and made look as good as new. That's a problem with repaired writeoffs.

The guy is skilled- that's obvious- and he does do a great job, like I said in my first post- but that doesn't change the fact that he is repairing something deemed unreparable.

[IainG]

Hi

The guy is skilled- that's obvious- and he does do a great job, like I said in my first post- but that doesn't change the fact that he is repairing something deemed unreparable.

As a lot of posts on here show an insurance company will write a car off purely on cost.
So the "deemed unrepairable" is cost not safety, generally.
They would repair if the cost was lower. The cost of new panels are massive on a badly damaged car and the affiliated bodyshops labour costs are large. Bit of a gravy train in this country.

Iain

[eternal optimist]

Originally Posted by Haldex

@eternal optimist: Your classic VW can't do more than 120km/h - whereas a hammered-out writeoff S60 will do 220+ km/h, just like a non-written off one will do. No one expects a 1950s Beetle to provide same levels of occupant protection as, say, a 2015 S60 - so people who drive them tend to drive them in a different manner.. often not even being aware that they're in a car that's been crushed and then stretched back - and made look as good as new. That's a problem with repaired writeoffs.

The guy is skilled- that's obvious- and he does do a great job, like I said in my first post- but that doesn't change the fact that he is repairing something deemed unreparable.

Thanks for your response. However....

If I'd had more sense and restored the Jag Series 1.5 E type I looked at instead of the VW Crew Cab pickup I bought and restored, my restored Jag would be capable of c. 135 mph same as the properly repaired S60. Same goes for pretty much every high powered classic sports car that's been restored over the past 30 years or so.

More importantly, what makes you say the car is unrepairable? What is your evidence for that?

[Sphinx2000]

Originally Posted by IainG

Hi


As a lot of posts on here show an insurance company will write a car off purely on cost.
So the "deemed unrepairable" is cost not safety, generally.
They would repair if the cost was lower. The cost of new panels are massive on a badly damaged car and the affiliated bodyshops labour costs are large. Bit of a gravy train in this country.

Iain

I would disagree. That volvo s60 would have been a cat b in this country i.e. Break only for spares.

Although that car has been repaired to a good standard, the crumple zones have already been compromised and therefore would not withstand the same impact again.

[Haldex]

For eg:

https://youtu.be/wR2f-q4WPfs

I think this is deemed unreparable by anyone's standards.

There's more on his channel. As eternal optimist said, it's mostly cars from States which are prohibited on the roads (due to extensive damage..), hence sold for parts at ridiculously low prices..

[eternal optimist]

Originally Posted by Haldex

For eg:

https://youtu.be/wR2f-q4WPfs

I think this is deemed unreparable by anyone's standards.

There's more on his channel. As eternal optimist said, it's mostly cars from States which are prohibited on the roads (due to extensive damage..), hence sold for parts at ridiculously low prices..

Ah, so we're working on the basis of your opinion of what's repairable or not.

What's your evidence to support your assertion that the cars 'are prohibited on the roads' and 'sold for parts at ridiculously low prices'?

[eternal optimist]

Originally Posted by Sphinx2000

I would disagree. That volvo s60 would have been a cat b in this country i.e. Break only for spares.

Although that car has been repaired to a good standard, the crumple zones have already been compromised and therefore would not withstand the same impact again.

I'm not sure it would automatically have been a Category B car; Category S for sure. It would only get a Category rating if it were the subject of an insurance claim.

Your point about the crumple zones not withstanding the same impact again - what's the evidence to support that?