'22 off to flying start. Can't say same for the turkey

Hi. I hit a turkey today going 60. Is this level of damage something I can DIY repair? I'm decently DIY-savvy for basic stuff...I am thinking yes for grill, not sure about radiator/internal parts?? Would a DIY job and/or leaving internal guts as-is drastically hurt trade-in value over the next year (I was considering trade in for a 6' bed extra cab)? My insurance deductible is $500 but not sure yet if covers animal collisions.

 

That all looks very minor imho. You just need a new grille and two new horns. The smaller cooler looks to be fine as the fins are slightly just bent and should work with no issues. If you must replace it, you can find a used one and install it yourself. If your insurance covers you with no deductible, I'd go that route and upgrade the grille to a pro model. If not, get yourself the 2020-2020 grille.

Any damage to the hood itself? It's hard to see if there are any dents or paint issues.

Hows the turkey doing?

 

(hope I am replying in the right place. This forum feels so deliciously 1997)
I noticed a nick in the hood but to the left side, seems separate from here. No damage to hood from this incident per se. It seems confined to all the cheaper plastic bits. I could manually reshape all the metal fins if that isn't silly of me... I hadn't had time yet to research that those are the horns. I'm curious why the recommendation to newer model grilles? I did like the old school Tacoma emblem. But I also like the idea of trade-in value.

Last I heard, the turkey was lodging a complaint with the roadworks division.

 

I see some bare metal and cracking paint above the right side horn. Wire brush that to get the lose paint off and then touch it up to stop rusting.

 

Betty White RIP
Sidney Poitier RIP
Turkey RIP
Bob Saget RIP
WTH?
Not Sure what your insurance is like but, Take the money and fix only whats needed. Used parts etc. Keep the change.

 

F that turkey

 

Dumbass turkeys. They won't file a complaint, they will just show up on your property and "peacefully protest". Seriously tho, I hate turkeys and my dog loves them.

Looks doable for a DIY fix. No damage to the radiator? Get your estimate and if your insurance covers it, get it done properly. Would suck to have a paint chip on the hood cause a big ol rust spot. Other than that, looks pretty straight forward.

 

Did you at least pick up the turkey and eat it?

 

I have a great stuffing recipe if you need it................

 

I can't "like" the post because it will be a p-i-a for you to have fixed.

That said, I do admire the post for the elegance of the wordless story told in 2 pictures and the implied fact that the offending bird will end up on your table to pay for the inconvenience of breaking your windshield.
And in that spirit --

 

Yowch!! If I hadn't been in shock and not wanting to maybe witness it still flopping about, I would have liked to have picked it up to give to someone to process for ... Something. Feeding the crows and buzzards it now is. I simply had no clue turkeys had such ballistic qualities.

I have had the steering column, piece of the dash and all but 2 windows replaced in my taco.. the first from theft and the back windows from a windstorm. She's slowly becoming this frankentruck of replaced parts XD but that's what some call "customizing", right?? "

 

Grille and surround are easily replaceable... the horns, no problem. The PS cooler and A/C Condenser are both fine if there are no leaks. Just make sure bare metal is touched up as mentioned and buff out the scratches on the hood... easy DIY repair.

 

"I simply had no clue turkeys had such ballistic qualities."

 

Looks like you came out of this one ok- I had a similar incident with a Turkey

 

Your insurance should cover the damage. If it were me I'd cough up the $500.00 and have it repaired at a reputable shop.

 

oh yea- Welcome to TW

 

Been several years back I hit a coyote on the I10 in Arizona. Reported that to insurance then got a quote after I got home, did paperwork and claim. Before I had it fixed I then hit a deer. Ended up with two $500.00 dollar deductible payments

 

My wife hit a dear a few years ago ... at least in our state, it was considered an act of God and we didn't even have to pay the deductible.

 

Honestly, the grill surround is $160 then drop it off at a shop and they will probably shoot it for you for under $100.

You can find grill inserts all day long on fleabay for $100, maybe a touch more for an aftermarket trd-pro grill.

Then get some superloud air horns and install those. The radiator fins are just aluminum, you can straighten them with a small plastic pick or something. They also have special tools for that, but you don't really need it. I use a grapefruit peeler.

This is a super easy fix, the hardest part will be taking the grill surround to a bodyshop for paint. They have nothing to do but a quick sand and paint so it should be relatively cheap.

Everything snaps together like legos, you don't need anything other than a 10mm socket.

We're looking at less than $400 and you're fixed and your insurance won't go up for reporting an accident.