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.