Just in general for anyone following along. We're talking about a cosmetic repair here but there have been other things mentioned.......
I've just been around it long enough to know what works and what will bite you in the ***. Many times I've been that guy that gets into someone else's work and re-repair it. Let a bad job leave a bodyshop and it usually ends up with the Ins. Co. back involved and the car at a shop that has Car-o-liner equipment for a reinspection. I've had re-inspects total on the frame machine because the cars were built, glued, screwed together crooked and the repair would require cutting everything off the previous shop did and start over. Finished cars that have been given back to the customer. It happens.
Everything on a unibody is structural including the quarters. I can't stress that enough. The only proof you need is to jack up the car cut the quarter off and watch the door gap close. I've also fixed cars that had previously had panels glued on. The spot welds on the corners that the glue manufactures recommend will not keep the panel attached on a secondary hit. Even on body over frame vehicles the body adds torsional rigidity in the overall scheme of things. Case in point, chasing a water leak on a Suburban that had it's roof glued on. It ended up with another new roof on it.
All the training, I-Car, OEM programs and repair guidelines etc. beat you with proper repair procedures, liability, and safety. The biggest thing they stress is that your repairs need to stay together to protect the occupants best as possible. There's equipment out there to duplicate the OEM weld/bond techniques but it takes 460v service and a 10k machine to get it done.
It's not only the additional work it creates but it could affect someone's safety if you do a half assed structural repair
