Fireworks burn through clearcoat

To make a long story short, I came home yesterday and my neighbors had let off an extremely large amount of fireworks. This in itself I don't mind one bit. The part that irked me is that they lit them off right next to my car. I came home to find my car covered in the left over (what use to be) hot ashes and pieces of the actual fireworks. I spent a couple of hours meticulously washing it, and now my car is spotted. The ashes seem to have burnt through the clear coat. Anyways, does anyone have any recommendations on fixes? I'm thinking a new paint job is in order. The effected area includes the hood, roof, trunk, and spoiler. Anyways, on to the pictures:

http://www.rockfordracing.com/forums/uploads/1209099399/gallery_63_160_57883.jpg

http://www.rockfordracing.com/forums/uploads/1209099399/gallery_63_160_5069.jpg

http://www.rockfordracing.com/forums/uploads/1209099399/gallery_63_160_36941.jpg

http://www.rockfordracing.com/forums/uploads/1209099399/gallery_63_160_58403.jpg

http://www.rockfordracing.com/forums/uploads/1209099399/gallery_63_160_5069.jpg

i think its time to get ur neighbors to fess up $ for a new paint job

Got after the wash pictures?

^^

 

holy crap that sucks

Holy shit. That's police report & insurance claim level right there. I'm actually on my way over to Collinsville in a couple hours here to have the new suspension parts put on. I'll have to gun anyone down trying to shoot off fireworks nearby

time to poison a dog.

I'll get some "after" pictures later tonight, so that way everyone can see my polka-doted car.

Definitely call the police. The sooner you put in a police report, the less chance they'll be able to argue that it was anything else.

 

That really sucks. Make sure you use a good body shop.

I have the police report started and they're coming over to talk with witnesses (neighbors). I have also put in a complaint with the landlord. On top of that I have a lawyer ready and waiting. It should definitely be interesting.

this is ridiculous

Before wash pictures are bad. I wonder how bad it stayed after wash.

I have the police report started and they're coming over to talk with witnesses (neighbors). I have also put in a complaint with the landlord. On top of that I have a lawyer ready and waiting. It should definitely be interesting.

 

i would say just by reporting them to the landlord, will get them in enough trouble as well. That might be terms for removal if it is an apartment complex.

i would say just by reporting them to the landlord, will get them in enough trouble as well. That might be terms for removal if it is an apartment complex.

 

Yup, it's a townhouse/ condo complex. The bad thing for them is that it's illegal, in Illinois, to shoot off the fireworks that they were. (bottle rockets, roman candle, m80's, etc). The officer came by and took all of the information down. He said that if they don't end up "paying up", then he will use the fireworks being illegal as his trump card.

well at least the LE is working with you.

 

I am sorry to hear about your car though.

Wow.... That is terrible, man. What is worse is that even if you win the lawsuit, you are still going to end up devaluing your car by getting a new paint job. They aren't going to pay for a factory OEM quality job, so people will be able to tell that it was repainted probably. Make sure you pass that info to your lawyer so he can add devaluation to the suit on top of the new paint job and loaner car that you'll need for the time the car is in the shop (which could be weeks). It is going to be really interesting who is the responsible party here. They don't let you light fireworks off in apartment complexes typically for a reason. Way too many liabilities with all the cars around.

me and my comrades lit similar illegal fireworks.

 

it took one bottle rocket on my windshield for everyone to move their cars down the street.

oh i would be f-n pissed.

me and my comrades lit similar illegal fireworks.

 

it took one bottle rocket on my windshield for everyone to move their cars down the street.

 

Yup, it's one thing when you do it to your own dumb self (I've done it) -- it's quite another when someone blasts the **** out of your car when you aren't around and have no idea it's going on.

 

We have legal fireworks here (not at my place, but down in Jeffco where my friends live), and we make sure to keep the cars good and clear of the fireworks. Unfortunately we had a shell blow in the launch tube. Felt like a shotgun going off next to your head, so while the cars were good and safe, we're all deaf, blind, and burnt.

 

With some luck, it's just the clearcoat that's burnt and it can be taken down and reapplied without a repaint to the whole car.

Here's a daytime picture. The lighting wasn't working with me, so this is the best one I could get. There are numerous spots where the clear coat is gone and it appears that it singed/ burnt the paint. Anyways, the hood, roof, and trunk/ spoiler all look like this.

http://www.rockfordracing.com/forums/uploads/1209099399/gallery_63_160_37992.jpg

Here's one of the whole car, just because. lol

http://www.rockfordracing.com/forums/uploads/1209099399/gallery_63_160_18158.jpg

Sorry to hear that.

 

With some luck, it's just the clearcoat that's burnt and it can be taken down and reapplied without a repaint to the whole car.

 

Clearcoat is just clear paint. To take just the clearcoat off would be like taking just one layer of paint off. They are pretty much bonded to each other and you can't take just one of them off. To fix a burn that goes through the clear (it isn't going to stop there) is going to require proper prep and respray for the entire affected area. You are looking at at least $1500 - $2500 worth of damage if all of the affected areas have to be resprayed and you need a rental for the whole time. Just to get my bumper painted cost over $700, so I am assuming that the hood, roof, trunk, and spoiler is going to be a pretty penny. Definitely enough to make an insurance claim on, that is for sure. Just make sure it goes on someone else's insurance.

+1 for insurance claim

Absolutely use insurance if your neighbors won't pay for it all. They should pay for it all out of pocket, but even if they just pay the deductible and you would be doing them a huge favor that way. You may want to call the cops too if your neighbors won't pay anything.

Car insurance won't cover it, so I don't think deductible is going to be involved in that respect. Home owner's *might* -- but I think you'd have to tell them that you did it for them to be willing to do it on HO. I think it will likely fall to the person at fault's homeowner's policy to cover it. I'm actually curious to hear how it turns out if it gets to that, though I'm not really confident that the police are going to find anything. Let's hope though.

Car insurance won't cover it, so I don't think deductible is going to be involved in that respect. Home owner's *might* -- but I think you'd have to tell them that you did it for them to be willing to do it on HO. I think it will likely fall to the person at fault's homeowner's policy to cover it. I'm actually curious to hear how it turns out if it gets to that, though I'm not really confident that the police are going to find anything. Let's hope though.

 

why wouldnt the insurance cover it under comprehensive?