Lessons learned from dealing with a body shop as insisted by your insurance company after an accident. :doh:
This is just a heads up to all those folks out there who have a 4Runner, or other 4x4, and are thinking of "upgrading" it - new bumper, winch, skid plates, shocks, lifts, sliders, etc. - take pictures of everything.
Always, always, always take pictures of the before vehicle, from all angles possible. This way, you know what it looked like before the work was done, whether you do it yourself or have it done in a professional shop.
The REASON I mention this is this is the only proof that you will have of what the vehicle looked like before the modifications were made are these photographs.
If you do the work yourself, take pictures as the work progresses, again, from all angles.
If you have the work done at a professional "upgrade" shop as I did (not everyone is a mechanic or has the tools or the space for such work), then take pictures of the finished product, again from all angles - left, right, front/back, top/bottom, etc.
The reason I post this, is as a warning to others who may have an accident and need to show the before pictures as proof of what it looked like before the accident. I hit a deer on the highway, one very dark night and the front bumper (Shrockworks) took most of the hit, but it still crumpled the front hood and grill work and a bit of the fenders. The body shop did the work okay, but in the end, neglected to reinstall the block heater connection in the grill. Over Christmas, I was visiting relatives up north where the temperatures got down to -30°C (-22°F) and the block heater connection was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, the 4Runner (2015) started okay, but it would still have been nice to have the block heater in a position to be used.
Also, I am not happy with the restored position of the Shrockworks bumper, but I don't have any pictures to prove what it looked like before the accident, so I am stuck with what the body shop has done, at least for now.
After posting this, I am on my way back to the shop to have them check the block heater connection out and I will see what the outcome is. I will also be letting the insurance company know that their quality assurance is lacking a bit.
4Runner43
UPDATE: Just an additional thought - I would also suggest that you place a scale of some sort like a short ruler in any of your more critical photos, particularly any "closeups".
This is just a heads up to all those folks out there who have a 4Runner, or other 4x4, and are thinking of "upgrading" it - new bumper, winch, skid plates, shocks, lifts, sliders, etc. - take pictures of everything.
Always, always, always take pictures of the before vehicle, from all angles possible. This way, you know what it looked like before the work was done, whether you do it yourself or have it done in a professional shop.
The REASON I mention this is this is the only proof that you will have of what the vehicle looked like before the modifications were made are these photographs.
If you do the work yourself, take pictures as the work progresses, again, from all angles.
If you have the work done at a professional "upgrade" shop as I did (not everyone is a mechanic or has the tools or the space for such work), then take pictures of the finished product, again from all angles - left, right, front/back, top/bottom, etc.
The reason I post this, is as a warning to others who may have an accident and need to show the before pictures as proof of what it looked like before the accident. I hit a deer on the highway, one very dark night and the front bumper (Shrockworks) took most of the hit, but it still crumpled the front hood and grill work and a bit of the fenders. The body shop did the work okay, but in the end, neglected to reinstall the block heater connection in the grill. Over Christmas, I was visiting relatives up north where the temperatures got down to -30°C (-22°F) and the block heater connection was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, the 4Runner (2015) started okay, but it would still have been nice to have the block heater in a position to be used.
Also, I am not happy with the restored position of the Shrockworks bumper, but I don't have any pictures to prove what it looked like before the accident, so I am stuck with what the body shop has done, at least for now.
After posting this, I am on my way back to the shop to have them check the block heater connection out and I will see what the outcome is. I will also be letting the insurance company know that their quality assurance is lacking a bit.
4Runner43
UPDATE: Just an additional thought - I would also suggest that you place a scale of some sort like a short ruler in any of your more critical photos, particularly any "closeups".
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