OWhatAThrill

Hi all,
Hmmmm..how many cars can I go thru in a year, one wonders...lol.

And hi all..hope all are well!

Ok..well..don't think they will total this one but son hit a deer Sunday night. Front end damage. $2400 The two estimates call for

replacing the hood ($358),
grill ($97),
right headlight and assembly ($201),
right marker lamp assembly ($77),
support assy radiator/radiate manual ($461)
and repair right front fender.

Body labor $377
Paint Labor $343
Paint Supplies $242

Various other small charges coolant, stripe tape, etc.

Since the wreck, I've also had a rattle coming from underneath, sounds about like where I had what sounded like a small exhaust leak. Was getting ready to get new muffler but had had a muffler shop check it out when it got louder and they said there wasn't any rush on getting it, but now there is a rattle..embarrassing going over rough spots like in parking lot. Forgot to mention that to the body shops..would they do those repairs too. Would that even be covered. Oh..and feels like a front end alignment is needed.

My questions are...if this was your car..what would you do? Not sure how this insurance carrier deals with claims, as I just switched to them 3-4 weeks ago. :-(( But I'm not too sure I have to have a brand new hood, the right light still works.

The bar going across the front of the car that the radiator is attached too, is pushed back about two inches on the right side..which is what caused the break in the radiator..at the neck where the bar and radiator are attached. The SE grill is broken on the right side but attached to the left..otherwise, in tact.

I'm currently driving it because I wasnt sure at first if I was going to file a claim with the two totaled cars on my insurance already but at $2400 I will. I have put a little water in the radiator before each of my 1 mile commutes to home and back to work. My only immediate concern is the radiator.

I'm wondering...if my insurance hands me a check, how much of this I could scout around and find parts for. My thoughts are..get the radiator fixed immediately and have the body shop fix..by replacing or straightening back out that bar across the top. Not sure how this would be done..replace vs. straighten.

A hood I would imagine I could find in a junkyard..and mine latches so could drive it. It is crinkled up where it's not flush on either side..about 1 inch one side..1 inches the other.

If this was your car..what would you do?

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

If you want to keep it and have it fixed for cheaper, try to get used parts. ie.. hood, grill, lights and stock side markers. You might/might not want to get an used radiator unless you know it's history. A boneyard could probably cut an used radiator support for you also.

Try contacting Matt93se or JustinMc. Those guys have alot of extra parts.

OWhatAThrill

Thanks Jeff, already had Matt in mind, but with him in Okie and me in TN..well..can't see getting a hood from him, but maybe some of the others, can't remember where his got hit.

I do think I want to keep it. Son wants it, he's even been saving his dollars to buy it from me. If I thought the damage was enough to seriously put the solidness of the car in jeopardy, I wouldn't want it, but I don't think this hit was. The child is already hollering..don't put the standard grill back on, I want another one!!

And yes, methinks the new radiator is the only thing I really care about being new. Depending on how the insurance handles it, the only things I want fixed immediately are the radiator and that bar that will have to be straigtened to put a new radiator on. The rest, if we can find the parts, I think we could replace. My ex restores cars, motor, body and paint, and the son has done a little with him, so whereas I wouldn't ask the ex to do it all..(he probably would but his wife would hate it, and I don't wanna get him in trouble <sigh, such childishness>, he would help if we needed it. This said, of course, I have no idea how hard a hood is to put on.

speednsound007

I recently went to the junkyard and picked up a new hood. They asked for $150 but I said $100 and got it. This is a big savings over the $300-$500 it costs for a new one. It was not hard at all to change out the hoods and I am not one of those at home mechanics. All you need is metric sockets (12 and 13 I believe). There is a bolt at the bottom of each hydralic that holds the hood off, remove them. (at this point someone needs to hold the hood from falling on your head). Now the brackets in the back have 2 bolts on each side. Remove those. The hood Doesn't come off when it looks like it should... Look closely and there is sealent over the hinges you just took the 4 bolts from. Stick a big flathead in there and pry the hood off. It'll crack the sealent but not damage anything. transfer over your hydralics with another socket and then put your new hood on. Shouldn't take more then 30 minutes maybe, but I could do it quicker now.

PJ

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

Neither Justin nor I have those parts, unfortunately.. at least on the sheet metal. he had to buy a hood and possibly a fender for his car he's rebuilding... and my car was hit HARD on that side.. enough to destroy any part you would concieveably want on that corner.. it even cracked the case on my alternator! didn't find that out until I'd sold it and accepted money for it, THEN I pulled it off the car and discovered the damage.


As for where to get parts.. get all of them you can from a junkyard. the hood and fender should go for no more than $75 each. (they're cheap in TN and KY, as I've done lots of parts shopping!)
hood will be near impossible to ship, so try to find one locally. you may have to buy a new aftermarket one, which are about $275.

if the damage isn't bad enough (evidently not) to keep the car parked, you can jsut wait it out until a local yard gets one in.. just let them know you're looking for one and keep calling back every week or so.


the radiator, I would either buy it used and have it pressure tested, or buy a new aftermarket one.. they're around $150-200.

Radiator core support goes for about $60 new from a dealer.. should be about 40 salvage or aftermarket. either one should fit well, and are not a problem to replace by a body shop.. common item.


Very sorry to hear of all your problems with your cars! you have about as bad lock as I do!

Brandon90gxe

sucks to hear that.. wasnt it your son that wrecked your car the last time?? haha.. bad luck..

cant predict the dear though, my mom almost hit one in her new car.. gotta love abs. im sure if it was my car i wouldnt have been as lucky.. good luck, hope you get everything fixed!

OWhatAThrill

Thanks, Speed. Sounds like something do-able for us. Well..should I say..for the 17 yr old son and his buddies maybe cuz I'm having back surgery at the end of the month and don't think I need to be holding any hoods..lol. Sounds like something this mom wouldn't have to help direction tho. I like those kinda things.

OWhatAThrill

Thanks Brandon. Yep, that be him. He flipped the black GXE 21 days after I got it after replacing the Jeep Cherokee my friend rolled and wrapped around a tree 41 days before. Just put him on insurance...my payment used to be $650 a year. We are paying $2200 a year now, and something that I find very funny, but not uncommon in the industry, when we added the 92 Mercury Sable I bought him, but still sitting in the driveway awaiting the new head gasket (he just got the part two weeks ago), the premium went down from $2800 a year to $2200, but of course, they rated him on the Max. Told him if he continues at this speed (he JUST got his license back two weeks ago from it being revoked while he was completely some programs for getting kicked outta school, AND I just had started letting him drive it to work (only supposedly), five days before, but that...his insurance premium would be what a car payment would be soon.

OWhatAThrill

Thank you Matt. Yes, I'm getting really scared of driving now..and I haven't even been driving these!!! No insurance claims in 22 years and now 3 in one year..<sigh>.

So you're saying, I can even go buy my own radiator and radiator core (which I'm assuming you are talking about that bar?) and take them in and let them just put it on? That would save bunches of money! Least half price on the radiator. I don't even mind paying the $500 if I knew it was a new one because I think it would be worth putting a new one on, but would rather take a new one in at half the cost. Justin (son) is going to scout around at some of those places listed in the FAQ for car parts on the radiator plus we'll call around here. Want to get this fixed really quick, as I'm limping with it like it is for fear of further damaging the engine. Son put some JB Weld (?) on the radiator bracket neck last night but under pressure...dunno. least might not lose it as fast on my 1 mile journeys.

Really would love to find a gray hood close. Don't wanna push my luck on this one holding at speeds I would be at on the interstate especially with the way this one is bent. (wind get under it). Wait..I can't drive back with a hood in the max, so would have to find someone to get it for me..lol..

Anyway, we will do a lot of calling on Saturday to middle TN junkyards and hopefully by then will know more from insurance company.

Thanks much for post!

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

radiators aren't hard to install at all. if it's not smashed into anything, you can probably replace it yourself.. or your son can. it'll be a good learning experience.

you've only got 2 tranny cooler lines, 3 water lines (the two large in/out and the small reservoir line) a couple wire connectors for the radiator fans and about 6 bolts to hold it all down. then it just slides out the top.

the radiator core support (the bar on top) is the only thing you'll really need to have a shop do for the time being. it will take at least 2 people to replace the hood.. 3 would be best.. have 2 hold it while the other secures the bolts. it's just big, but not that hard. again, it's a DIY job. just be sure to have him line it up before they slam the hood down.

If your son is remotely good with tools (i.e. can chance the oil on his own, or change a flat), he can learn to do this stuff.. and for how his driving skills are, I'd say he needs to learn how to do bodywork pretty quick. it'll be useful for the rest of his life (don't ask how I know that one! )

blackandwhite

iTrader: (3)

You can get the corner lamps from anyone who has bought clears (I already sold mine). Try the classified Part Wanted/For Sale Forum.

You can get the headlamps and maybe some other stuff from eBay from eBay.

Goto ebay.com
click on ebay motors
then click Parts:Car/Truck
then so to the search box and put in the word : maxima
check the box that says "search titles and descriptions"
then change the menu that says "only in ebay motors" to"Parts:Car/Truck.
Then click search