There is a guy on Youtube that does Auto repair.

Unlike the guys that spend 15 minutes talking about themselves, then 5 minutes repairing the car while skipping everything important and then another 20 minutes talking about themselves.

This guy spends very little time talking and it's just videos of him working. He does skip stuff that isn't body repair like pulling the drive train and such but he makes it look easy.

He repairs cars that shops around here wouldn't even think about fixing.

Seeing what this guy repairs has me thinking is the labor that cheap over there or what.?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR2f-q4WPfs

There was some russians where I lived in middle tennessee who would buy two identicle wrecked cars, typically one hit in the front and one hit in the butt and cut them in half with a sawzawl, right through fuel lines and harness brake lines... and splice everything back together, weld up the sheet metal, throw on some paint and run them through the auctions, some of the worst cars ever "made in america" !

That vid shows me whats wrong with alot of practices in our country.

Outwardly it doesnt look like hack work, mabye they know something about value and economics then we do. Maybe not.

That bmw took him 27 work days to fix. How much is the car worth?

$60k. The truth of the matter is is there is no inspection, no safety checks, no emissions, no warranty, no guarantee of work done where he is at. The odds of that car being 100% factory operational is not even 1%. I have European friends that tell me stories on these 'gypsy' car builders and there was never a happy point to it. These cars are scrapped because the safety crumple zones have been damaged, so it there is another accident, there could be serious injuries caused as of a result of the repairs done. Seen alot of cobbled cars over the years, scary of what hides under a layer of filler and paint.

Dude is a total hack from a collision repair standpoint. Doesn't follow OEM repair procedures, doesn't repair vehicles properly, fixes things that the factory requires to be replaced if damaged. He's very talented, but should work on old cars and such, not doing collision repair on modern vehicles.

The vehicle in question was not repaired properly, not even close. He didn't even mount it on a dedicated fixture, as required by BMW. He just clamped the pinch welds and yanked away. I'm not sure BMW approves adhesive bonding for the roof. I'd have to look that up.

i agree 100%.
i didn't watch this video, just the first 30 seconds to see who he was. i have see a couple of his repairs on facebook when they popped up.
i remember one i watched. he was repairing a late model VW Tiguan. these cars have a ultra high strength steel center pillar. i think they are made out of boron steel. guy took out a torch and heated up the center pillar to rough straighten it. he then cut it down the middle and butt welded a used replacement part in it's place. when you do this it heats out the additional alloys that make it high strength steel. it turns ultra high strength steel into regular mild steel.
i commented he just made a 5 star side impact car a 0 star safety rated one. if the car was ever hit again in the repaired area someone might be seriously hurt or even die from the crash.. he or someone that does his videos got really testy and blocked me from his feed.


i didn't watch the video, but as far as the roof bad fix. i bet he bonded it and didn't even weld it where the pinch weld meets the inner structure. i really don't know of any auto maker allows this any more .not only is it welded it has to be weld bonded where you use a squeeze welder that duplicates the factory spot welds just like the factory does. you do the spot weld thru the glue.

Thanks to all of you who commented. That is one of the reasons I like this site.

It's all about perspective.

I was amazed at the work put in for the probable return, but I didn't think about the heat treated pillars being welded and other stuff not up to spec.


He does have a slide puller I like. It spot welds the tip to the car, he yanks it, and then twists it to break the puller loose. Not great for hard dents but he uses it pop low spots up quickly.

those "nail guns" [i forget what the correct name for those are] work really slick !
they can be had pretty cheap, maybe around $99.00 [?].
i used a cheapy one a couple of times, and it worked pretty good ! if a guy was going to be doing a bunch of work, it would be wise to get a quality tool, but for occasional use the cheapy's work surprisingly well.

The nail guns are usually called stud welders. With any HHS structural repair you are required to resistance spot weld and only section in I Car or factory recommend locations, most of the time it is a complete panel replacement as sectioning is a not approved, but that holds true in North America only apparently. Our local insurance company is selling through Impact aka Adessa and seems most of the newer vehicles are going to foreign countries and at astronomical prices, prices at times are at what the vehicle would be worth after the repair. Possible money laundering? No hard working tradesperson is going to pay those kind of prices, at least I'm not.7

I have a Stud Welder that looks like an Oversize gun that leaves studs (they look like nails) welded to the body. I then use a dent puller to pull on the studs. Finally I grind off the studs.

The one he uses that intrigues me is like a stud welder that has a slide hammer built in and the stud is part of the gun. He welds the end of the apparatus to the body, slide hammers it and then twists it off.

Here is a picture. I am not even sure what to call it, but I want one.

"Spitznagel" was the name many years back for the spot-weld-then-slide-hammer style.
Literally, "spits nails" in German.

There are some of those Russian guys in Spokane. The cars are a horror show in person, not to mention the non-ICAR levels of repair.
Sometimes the folks that bought the cars would come in for subsequent repairs or related post-repairs, and I'd turn them away.
You open those cans, and they blow up in your face.

No way this guy has a squeeze welder. No way. Again, total butcher. I wouldn't put anyone I cared about...hell, anyone I was indifferent about...in a car he fixed.

The Throw Away Economy meets The Frugal Economy.

..essentially yes - labor is cheap, at least in the cash economy, as opposed to going through "official" channels..

We're not comparing apples to apples when we compare this to "Western" standards...
Hundreds of years of engrained cultural and consumer differences make our economic attitudes completely different.

For hundreds of years, the world around us lived with a relative Scarcity of goods.
Just look how a WW2 Generation person treats their possessions.
They are frugal.
Goods were bought, used, maintained, repaired, handed down and used again, until their useful life was up.
After that the goods were repurposed (clothes turn into garage rags, tractor drivetrains used to power skilifts, a new engine transplanted into car chassis, etc.).

These repurposing and underground economies are a "natural" phenomenon, and active in places like Russia, China, Peru, Bangladesh, India, Cuba of course, etc..
The Rich in those countries have or are moving to the culture of Abundance, but not the population in general.

Few people can afford official labor prices or going to a dealership, so handymen like this and demand from those who can't afford better, motivate the underground economy.
Only The Rich in those countries scrap or abandon their cars. Repair shops bring them back to life - whatever that life means for the car and the next buyer.
For instance, there is (or was) an active trade in used-up Japanese sedans being shipped from US to South America because the demand for re-juvenated old Japanse cars and pickups is so high there.

We here in the US and Europe live in a culture of Abundance - cars, food, clothing, goods of all kinds - we have everything in abundance.
We use it and throw it away the moment it isn't good enough.

Over there it is completely natural to rebuild stuff.

This Is The Way.
- Art

Russia has a high tax for vehicles imported from other countries. At one time it was 100% of the cost of the vehicle. It has been reduced but still is about 45%. Something like 25% import tax and 20% VAT.

Very true. The issue with guys like this are that the technology they are working on has changed dramatically, but the technology they are using to fix it has not.

EXACTLY....there is no way on the planet that car could have been repaired according to FACTORY PROCEDURES and not cost more than buying a new car.
the labor part is probably less than 1/3 of the cost of the replacement parts.
and NO you can't install "SALVAGE" ultra high strength parts and not destroy the high strength part of the steel.

before you start claiming "GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS created this problem. this comment can't be more wrong. this problem is determined by LIABILITY LAWS.
in the USA, if a legitimate shop does this type of repairs they are required to stand behind their repair for the life of the car.
basically in the US the hack used car re builder does the repair than sells the car wholesale his liability ends the day he sold the car wholesale in AS IS condition. the poor dealer who bought the car is responsible for it if it's sold to the customer or he sells it wholesale to some other dealer.
there are auction rules requiring the sellers to buy back cars if there are problems with title branding and things like that. but the hack repairer really doesn't have to stand behind his repairs. if this were actually the case there wouldn't be any hack car re builders.

That's what people outside of the industry are likely unaware of. Just because you can make something look nice, or make something fit, or make something straight, doesn't mean you've fixed it properly. There are too many alloys used in vehicle construction now to just assume everything can be repaired.

I think he'd be a very good restorer. He clearly has skills. What he doesn't have is the proper equipment and proper techniques to repair modern vehicles. He fixed that car like it was a 1985 Caprice.

Also, to further Mr. T's point, anyone who thinks his comments about guaranteeing the work and the liability held by the repair shop should google John Eagle Collision Center.

Hack repairs would be amusing except that you're playing with people's lives. In the 1970's there was a shop in my area that specialized in rebuilding (drum roll, please...) Ford Granadas and Mercury Monarchs. The cars looked OK but the workmanship was terrible. I saw one that broke in half shortly after it was repaired. They soon figured out that it was MUCH easier to steal a good car and switch dash pads that had the VIN. That didn't last too long....one day they were visited by a bunch of blue-and-white Plymouths with red lights on their roofs.

i will add this is why we have ultra high strength steel in modern cars.
this 2019 VW tiguan got towed into out shop around august of last year.
i don't know the exact details of the crash. all i have heard is someone didn't stop at a light in a 35mph zone. it could have been a left turn in front of someone. or possibly someone ran a changing light and the person turned thinking someone would have stopped.


there was a 16yo boy sitting in the passenger seat. the only thing that happened to hims is he got 2 cracked ribs, he crawled thru to the drivers side door and was walking around when the ambulance showed up.


to highlight the importance of high strength steel. see the last pic. see how the center pillar is still pretty straight. also see how above the head is still pretty straight. this is because there is a ultra high strength steel frame under the exterior sheetmetal. the high strength steel still stays straight protecting the passengers in the car. and the crash forces are transferred to the outer areas. see how the roof is crushed? this happened because the impact forces were transferred thru the ultra high strength steel to the roof where the forces are absorbed my collapsing. the cowl of the car also collapsed absorbing crash forces also. i am also sure the forces were transferred by making the car go airborne across a couple of lanes of traffic.
just to show the extent of the damage the center post was pushed in about 8"

So true. You just have to look at electrical equipment built to NEMA standards (US) and IEC standards (European). In the US material is cheap and labor is expensive. That's why NEMA equipment (motor starters for example) are overbuilt for a given rating so that competent electricians can select and install them without engineering oversight. In Europe, material is expensive and labor is cheap. That's why electrical systems are typically designed by engineers and not electricians. Having worked in the utility industry when IEC equipment started becoming more common, there were spectacular failures when the IEC equipment was treated like NEMA equipment of equivalent ratings.

This was a common practice by various (typically immigrant owned) shops in California in the 80's (probably other areas as well) and that is why we now have Salvaged titles as a federal (I believe) requirement on totaled vehicles.

I did and it was very interesting reading.

https://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/jo...-million-dallas-couple-negligent-repair/

Just remember the training and dedication needed by the techs to properly repair todays vehicles. They do not get paid enough for the effort they provide to ensure your families safety with a quality repair. Shops are short handed because good quality techs are leaving for better paying jobs. I'm one of those that had decades of experience, training and modern equipment to get the job done. Got tired of the politics with insurance adjusters and company policy and decreasing pay and benefits so I quit. No more collision repair for me and I tell anyone that asks to avoid the trade. Work smarter, not harder. I've seen enough hacks in my time also. Pisses me off to see sub standard work just to make a buck. No pride in their craft.

I am curious, what is the factory approved method to replace this component in a body shop?

i am not familiar with BMW repair procedures so i cannot give you 100% accurate response.
i didn't watch the video. i am assuming we are talking about the roof panel replacement

on a VW and mazda you not only bond the parameter all of the way around the roof you also must use a squeeze type welder that replicates the factory spot welds. this is just for the roof panel only

also with seeing the very first picture this car had significant damage to the center pillars and the ultra high strength reinforcements under the sheetmetal under the roof and side panels. if this is damaged the exterior sheetmetal and the ultra high strength steel reinforcements MUST BE REPLACED.
basically stated by just looking at the first pic of the care in the video pretty much ALL OF THE EXTERIOR sheetmetal must be removed. then the reinforcements that are 1 piece covering the entire side panel must be removed. if you damage the inner bracing that must be replaced also. without looking at the car directly and only seeing the first pic. ALL OF THE PERMANENT SHEETMETAL from the floor of the car to the roof needs to be replaced. just a guess but i would assume the front inner structure was damaged also so that needs to be replaced too.


for a comparison we have a 2016 or 17 VW Tiguan, the last year of the old body style, that someone hit something with the "A" pillar in the middle of the windshield and bent the inner structure about 6" wide. it shattered the drivers door window also.. it also damaged the inner bracing under the dash also. we saw this when we removed the windshield.
the proper repair procedures is to completely replace the entire side of the car including the 1/4 panel. it only comes from the dealer this way in a 20' long box. this must be done to replace the 1 piece ultra high strength steel reinforcement, this part also is delivered in a box 20' long. the reinforcement runs from about from where the rear wheel is all of the way to the cowl. because the inner bracing under the dash is bent also the entire shock tower needs to be replaced also. because the bracing is integrated into the roof inner structure the roof and all of the inner structure must be replaced also. to weld in the roof structure we have to replace the rt 1/4 next to the roof panel to weld properly.
i really don't have access to the estimate . but i have heard the estimate is in the $35K range to repair properly. the car is only worth about $15K. this car has been sitting outside with plastic over the removed windshield for about 3 months. there have been multiple people basically saying "you have to be kidding me. it's only damaged here in this small area. can't you just put this small piece in and call it a day?" the shops official response is the car requires this to repair properly.if you don't want it repaired this way take it somewhere else. this isn't open for discussion.

i will add you CAN'T MIG WELD on UHSS, ultra high strength steel. you have to use a squeeze type resistance welder, STRW, that duplicates factory spot welds. this includes welding the UHSS panels themselves and welding panels to it.
i will clarify this a little bit. as of now, you can mig weld the mounting flanges of UHSS. mounting flanges are what's under the weatherstrip. you can weld these areas but you are strongly suggested on using a STRW. if the area is panel bonded from the factory you must use STRW welders in that area. i would assume in the future they will remove this recommendation when there is more crash testing and there are more STRW welders in shops.

you can MIG BRAZE, also know as silicon bronze welding, in limited areas of UHSS. this type of welding is several hundred degrees cooler than mig welding.
to do this type of welding you must buy a welder designed to do it. our shop has a pro spot mig welder. it welds mig, silicon bronze and aluminum. it uses both 75/25 and pure argon shielding gas. have been lead to believe this welder cost around $20K when new. our shop bought this welder about 12 years ago. new machines might be cheaper.

just a fyi. our shop has a car-o-liner Squeeze type resistant welder. i think it was around $30K new. our shop bought it about 12 years ago. new ones might be cheaper now. these welder run on 480 volts. these welders can easily put a spot weld thru 4 layers of sheetmetal with the inner layers of sheetmetal still having the ecoat primer still on it. these machines put out serious magnetic waves when welding, that can stop pace makers and wipe out cell phones a short distance away. i have read about this in training classes but have never experienced it first hand.

Sir, as always a pair of complete, accurate, factual posts. Thanks for taking the time. I learned something!

Unlike many other threads, I actually feel smarter having read this one. "Thank you" to the professionals that took the time to post.

This is about a lambo and the guy.

https://www.carscoops.com/2019/05/t...ebuild-a-destroyed-lamborghini-gallardo/

I still think people are overlooking this is in Russia, Ive been there several times in my life and its harder to grasp there ways and economy and most all in general vs many other countries.

Weather correct or not, our ways are not there ways and if this guy is not putting out cars that are not falling apart and killing families should we take a look at why? At times the "America is the most advanced country on the planet" is just for stroking the citizens ego-s. Although probably not the case here.

There is one correct way to fix the car, and that's to follow the OEM repair procedure. Now, people in Russia may be less concerned that he doesn't follow the OEM procedures, but that doesn't change anything as far as the poor quality of the repair, and the unsafe condition of the vehicle when he's done with it. A Russian will end up just as dead due to the poor quality of repairs as an American would. The OEM procedures aren't an American thing. Lambo isn't an American company. Neither is BMW. THEY say that they way he is fixing it is wrong, and dangerous. They are correct, too.

i re read this and it sounds like i am contradicting myself.
you CAN'T mig weld UHSS PARTS ON with a mig welder PERIOD. there are no exceptions to this.
you CAN mig weld outer sheetmetal TO THE UHSS PART along the mounting flanges, under the weatherstrip .like a 1/4 panel edge where it meets the inner structure in the door jamb.
it's not highly recommended but you can do it as a last resort. I-Car recommends using a STRW welder as your first choice. plug welding with silicon bronze is the second choice.
i would assume I-Car lets this happen is due to politics of smaller shops not wanting to purchase $30K welders that are only useful in limited areas
the way cars are being built with more and more technical parts with specialized technique in them the less likely the smaller shops will exist anymore.

I understand but also confused that it seems all the internet car articles seem to be in awe over this guy and does not even get close to it being wrong or unsafe. Not sending a good message then it seems. I bet if they were 15 year old beat up lot cars hed get zero attention.

The authors of internet articles, and lots of his video audience, are in awe because he takes badly smashed cars and makes them look good again. Those same people are not aware that there's far more to a proper collision repair than the car looking good when it's done.

It's interesting that carfax was not found to have any fault for failng to disclose the repair, neither was state farm for threatening to withhold payment to the collision shop unless repair shortcuts were taken, and neither was honda for designing a car with the gas tank located under the driver's seat......... just another example of small business getting screwed.....

CarFax did nothing wrong. The info they provide is only as good as the info they receive. There are plenty of cars out there with a clean CarFax that have been in wrecks, etc. Also, the attorney couldn't prove that SF dictated the repair process. It was the attorney who dropped SF from the suit. Don't you think that if he had proof, he would've pursued them? SF's pockets are much, much deeper, and proving such an allegation would lead to a flood of class action suits with the potential to prove that SF had done this previously. If that were the case, that could potentially bankrupt SF. I have no idea if they did or didn't do it in the John Eagle case, or if they've ever done it elsewhere, but believe me, if they did and the attorney could've come close to proving it, he wouldn't have dismissed them.

As far as small business getting screwed, they intentionally cut corners and fixed the car incorrectly, AND pocketed the money for doing so. It took less time to fix it the way that they did, yet they charged the full labor time for replacing the roof properly. No one else's actions changed the load path of the energy transfer in the collision. If they didn't like the situation, they could've turned down the job. Well-run collision shops turn work away when it makes sense to do so.

Absolutely true about Russia being completely different.

Whatever anyone says here about safety and all, it is all about liability and who gets sued and who is on the hook.

In Russia, there isn't going to be a lawsuit over it. If there were to be one, it would be decided by who bribes the judge the most. And yes, it is just that corrupt over there.

For this guy, I would assume he is fixing cars the way he knows how and to what is normal and expected in Russia. Is it up to our standards? No. Is it up to Russian standards? It seems like it is.

None of which is meant to disparage the people of Russia. They are awesome and amazing and I count a few as my friends.

The car being in Russia doesn't matter one bit if it gets hit again. From a safety standpoint, the only standards that matter are the OEM standards. This car fails miserably. Now, what consumers expect certainly does vary from place to place, both within and outside of the US. Then again, most consumers are woefully ill-informed, if not outright ignorant, when it comes to the topics of collision dynamics and collision repair. See the "full frame for safety" crowd on Moparts as exhibit A.