Just like it says on the left, I'm sort of a noob here, but i was lurking for a couple of months now, but still.
Heres my very sad story. During spring break, day or two after the last snow storm, i was returning from Boston on Storrow Dr. Right before the exit was a curve, and while im taking the curve the car starts skidding, and theres a bridge over the curve so things are def. not the way i want em to be, i try to regain control and stay on the road for a while while losing speed but eventually i just skidded into the divider, then bounced off and went off the road, almost into the river(snow stopped me about 2 car lengths from the bank, there was about a car length with no tracks in the snow, so apparently i got some pretty sick air too). I didnt get hurt, noone else involved, but the car got pwned. Naturally this really ruined my spring break and most of the time since, because now im back in the underpriveledged pedestrian world. Boohoohoo.
The damage is as follows: the impact was pretty much exactly at the front passenger corner, speed was about 40 mph at the time and the car didnt stop, so the impact wasnt that hard. The lights got owned. The bumper got owned (owned means i need a new one). The fender got owned. All the sheet metal(plastic?) frrom underneath the engine compartment came off, but i dont miss it. The grille is broken, and the hood has a small bend/scratch on it, but closes and looks just fine. The rim(1995 300zx 16x7.5) got bent. The tire (Kumho 716) is obviously gone too. The dustboot(rubber thing around the shock) is ripped and the shock makes ksshhhhhh noise when driving over moderately large bumps. The alignment is seriously messed up too. Radiator mounts are bent too ( the bar that goes on top near the front of the car, from one side to another is bent, but insurance listed 2 parts, i dont know whats the other one). All except shock were included in insurance estimate, which totals 2000.
That looks like a decent figure to me, and since I dont really care about the sheet metal from underside(dont remember $$$), the hood(paint+work), or the grille(which costs 62.50+work), and im getting alignment paid for, and i need a new wheel and shock, and ive been wanting to drop my ride for a while, i was thinking of buying a set of gr2s+h&rs, and using the money id save on the above parts to pay for some of it(obviously it wouldnt cover the whole thing, but itd be a couple of hundred, which would allow me to do this real soon). Well, I cant take the car to the shop myself, because I have school, so I gave my parents the list of things i wanted fixed and told em to ask for an estimate before they give em the car, then call me and tell me what the estimate is, so I'd know if i can pull this off. Well my parents take it to the shop, and the shop doesnt want to hear about any list, they want to see the insurance estimate, and they definitely have to fix the hood or otherwise they cant do it at all because its a part of the bumper. They didnt give any price estimate, they said theyll work directly with the insurance, and are not fixing the shock or the wheel(its not like they have one of those around anyway) and im obviously not getting an alignment. Well from previous experience with mechanics(which apparently think I'm a sucker) I'd say they're gonna take all the money insurance gave and then maybe some, and in the end the car is not going to drive any better, because i still need to do the shock, the wheel/tire and the alignment. I gotta find a 300zx left wheel or get a new set of rims+tires. I doubt i can find the first in Amherst, and i cant afford second.

Well my options are to take the car back and then ????? Or just give up and see how it all turns out, most likely ill have to have em install oem shock, and then go to a junkyard to get 300zx wheel and so forth.

Wow, i just realized how much i wrote, sorry. My questions are, is the insurance estimate fair? Can I insist the shop doesnt mess with the grille/hood(supposedly they refused to do it otherwise)? Is this work I can do myself?(All i can really do is screw/unscrew things and use the internet). How much is the work actually supposed to cost for the radiator mounts+fender+bumper+headlight+paint? What if theres frame damage? Insurance assumed there is none. If i just install the oem shock and get an alignment, ill be replacing it anyway before the summer, which im trying to avoid. Or is the estimate fair and I should stfu and have the shop do what they feel is necessary and work "directly" with my insurance? Anybody knows good body shops in Boston area, close to Waltham, that would do what I tell em to do and not rip me off? Any input is appreciated, thanks for your patience if you read this far too.

 

Depends how much you love your car and how safe you wanna feel in it....

 

Hey i wish i was as concise, but youre probably right, guess ill just toss the new shock when time comes

 

talk to the shop...maybe if you buy the struts they will put it on and all the others in lieu of an OEM one.
I was just talking about the repairs....just get it done right if you wanna feel safe in the car. shop around for shops too....if that one wont do what you want for a good price go somewhere else.