DIY Fender Repair

My wife and I recently acquired this an 05 Tacoma TRD from her ex-husband who owed her money (not to get into details). Since he had it he crashed the front and didn't repair it. We'd like to make repairs and put it up for sale but the estimates we are getting are more than we'd like to pay.

I've gotten two estimates of $1300+ and $1700. Two questions:

1- Are these estimates fair based on what you may see in the photos of the damage?

2- Would it be easier/smarter to do it myself?


I don't have much experience repairing autos but I am good with my hands and I have the tools.

Thanks ahead of time for the help

-Peelzy

 

There's a bit of damage. To me, it looks like you'll need at least a bumper cover, fender flair, fender (if you can't straighten out what's there). The head light is twisted a bit too, so the mount is probably bent too. Also paint & clear coat. I think those estimates are pretty fair for a body shop. If you want to do it yourself, look at salvage yards as you may get luck and find the same color donor.

 

If you need it to look perfect, you will need to go with a body shop. You can replace the bumper, fender, and that piece below the headlight fairly easily. If you go that route, you can have somebody paint all the pieces for you and save some money. It looks like those parts can be replaced without additional bodywork. You can save a ton of cash if you paint it yourself, but it will not look professional. I paint my stuff myself, but it never looks perfect. I don't worry about it since it gets scratched up again on the trail, but if you plan to sell the truck that's a different story.


Those replacement parts are cheap. I just got a new fender for $68. A friend got an $800 quote for a bumper from a body shop. Instead he purchased a new bumper for $150, spent $50 on paint, and soon after sold his car. So in a nutshell, I would try and see what it costs just to get the parts painted if you purchased them separately.