Body Damage.

Long story of how it happened but a buddy of mine was driving my truck and backed into a telephone pole. The side panel is pretty banged up, the tailight is cracked and the bumper has a little bend to it now. I've yet to get it quoted from a body shop and I'm considering having it done by some people that I know. My question is, is this an extremly expensive fix? If anyone out there could give me some info as to how to go about fixing it it would be awesome.

A buddy of mine thinks that the panel can be taken off and simply a new side peice welded on. I've also talked to someone who seems to think that this is definelty a $3000-5000 fix.

 

i would say an easy 2,00 to 3,000 buck fix. I scraped my back door offroading on a tree and kind of went to the side of the bed too. A good size scrape and dented it pretty good .It was lot. It wasnt that big but still was 2,000 to fix. I only had to pay the 500 $ thing from the incurance though

 

I would take it to a few different body shops to get quotes. Then you at least have an idea of what the repairs would cost in your area.

 

The easiest way to fix it would be a new bed-side, tail light and bumper. I can't really see $3-5,000 unless you go through the stealership for everything. The bed side will be the most expensive part because it has to be painted. The good news is the bed side is a separate piece from the bed itself so you can replace just the one side and leave the bed in place.

Keep your eye out on here for a new/used taillight and bumper from someone who just upgraded to a plate bumper (or get a plate bumper).

 

I would do the insurance claim but I don't want my insurance going up and my buddy doesn't have insurance cuz he lives in Boston and doesn't have a car on the road. So we figured we'd go out of pocket. It sucks either way. Wish I went to tech school and could fix it myself. I wonder how much a new side panel really is though?

 

Yeah thats what my freind was saying. It's a sepearte piece and you wont have to replace the whole thing. I have a couple of freinds that could do the work/paint. If I could get away with doing something for about $1000-$1500 I'd be estastic.

 

I dont think it can be that much for a new panel. I mean damm I could dent my with my hands lol. I can just push it in cause its hard plastic so I really cant see it being alot.

 

You can get quotes from shops without getting the insurance involved.
Unless your buddy is willing to pay to get it done right, I would recommend going through the insurance and get it done right. If you feel sorry for your buddy and go the cheap way to help him out, you might regret it later on. There is a reason why a cheap job is cheap. Next year your buddy moves away and you never see him again and you sit with a truck that was fixed cheaply and the paint starts to peel or something.

 

Unless pricing is alot different in the US.... there's no way you could get a quality fix at that price.

 

Thats why NOBODY but me drives my truck.

 

Lets just say I was in no shape to be driving. That's why I have a little compassion for him. He was helping me out. But the damage was still done. If it wasn't too expensive we wanted to go out of pocket and split the cost. But if it's going to be $2000+ I might have to bite the bullet and have my insurance go up.

 

Insurance does not always go up for a first claim, depending on who the insurance company is. Also, other factors such as that someone else was driving, not the regular owner. Small fender benders in parking lots also don't affect the premiums (again, depending on insurance company)
Ask me how I know - my wife average about one fender bender a year over the last 12 years - my premium went up, but not on every claim.

 

they'll replace the entire panel. That'll be about 1500 with paint, labor, etc.

the taillight you can buy one off ebay for like 90 bucks and put it in yourself.

bumper, you can buy an aftermarket All pro bumper for 500 bucks, or try and snag an OEM one off somebody on here hopefully or offline for pretty cheap!

don't worry. it will get fixed, and it definitely shouldn't be 3000+ dollars

 

Winner.

 

Used parts and a friend that can paint. That'd be the only way to keep it that cheap.

 

I think that you're going to be shit out of luck. You might have to go through insurance. Or why don't you and your buddy go half. I would be calling a cab before I would have someone else drive my truck. HA! I don't even let my own mother drive my truck. Well you're right. the damage is done. I'm sure that everything will get itself worked out.

 

The skin/bed side panel is $575.75 unpainted of course. I just checked my estimate. I have similar damage on mine as we speak, no bumper damage, but my flair is torn, and rim has a small gash across it. Total $3875.00 waiting on his insurance to get off there ass.

 

We were planning on going halfs. And unfortunately there are no cabs where I live so it was either hoof it home or have him drive. Like I said it's a LONGGGG story.

 

That's a good idea. Let us know how it turns out once it's all done.