Opinion on Collision Repair

I made a post back in January about possibly acquiring a 2003 Tacoma PreRunner, and I got the truck a few days after!

After an unfortunate turn of events, I need to have some body work done. I have a painfully obvious hole in the rear lower bedside. The corner below the taillight is dented inward and the area to the right of the hole is slightly dented as well.

I am not experienced with collision repair, and want to get a few opinions before I take my truck to the shop. Funds are not abundant, but I want to make sure that the job gets done properly of course. What do you think it might cost and how would you approach getting this repaired if it was your truck? I just want to make sure I walk in prepared. Any help would be greatly appreciated! I will attach some images.

 

That looks like it could be patched up and repainted, but it might be easier to put a new bed panel on. With the demand for used vehicles still at record levels, there's no way in hell any insurance company will total a Tacoma over relatively minor damage. I have a 2nd Gen, so it's newer than yours, but I was involved in accident that wasn't my fault. I was dropping off scrap metal at a recycling facility this past February, and an excavator operator caused a scrap avalanche that slammed a metal pipe into the side of my truck. The scapyard's insurance company paid for everything. If the vehicle is more than two or three years old, and especially with supply chain issues, all insurance companies will buy used parts from totaled vehicles at insurance auctions. The only part my truck needed replaced was the door, and the body shop bought a door that came off of a totaled Tacoma. My truck is silver and the donor truck was gray, so the door had to be repainted, but the body shop replaced the window that came with the door with the tinted window from my door and even transferred the components of my custom stereo. Whether you go through insurance or pay out of pocket, your best bet is to buy a fender from a totaled truck and have it repainted if it's a different color.

 

Dang. Scrap avalanche sounds like a nightmare haha. That's great that it got resolved without issue. If I were to pay out of pocket, what is your best estimate for total cost, from getting the fender to having it all complete?

 

I got hit by a drunk driver in October 2015 and it destroyed my left rear fender. My bumper also had to be replaced and the total cost to repair was like $2,200. If the fender can be saved, I'd guess close to a thousand to repair. If you replace the fender and get it repainted, I'd guess in the range of $1,500 to $2,000. I am not a body guy, however, and am only going on what it cost to fix my own truck in the past and what people I know in the auto body business have told me.

 

New fender, new taillight, one panel paint job.

Cheaper than patching.

 

I did find a 2003 tacoma at a Pick Your Part a few miles from me. I have only taken parts or components from scrap vehicles, but never a body panel. I am assuming I would need to cut it out myself, correct? The bedside looks to be in good condition from the pictures they provide. What do you think?

https://www.lkqpickyourpart.com/parts/houston-wallisville-1236/?year=2003&make=TOYOTA&model=TACOMA

 

I think the whole panel can just be unbolted...

 

I believe on the 2nd gen they are bolted. The 1st gens are spot welded, if I am not mistaken

 

I think they might total it....They would offer a check for about $4500. That may be book value. They make it up on parts salvage

 

New bed would be the fix. Cut and patch is many hours. They still need to paint the bed and body shops are charging a fortune these days

 

Yeah no doubt about that. The Tacoma I found at the pick your part is the same year and color as well. It might not be in perfect condition but at least there isnt any damage, as far as I could tell on the online images. What do you think a fair price would be for them to charge me for the whole bed? I'm hoping I can get it for a good deal.

 

I did a halfassed eBay search, seems like the starting negotiation price point is between $1200 and $1500, see no reason why you couldn’t get one on the lower end, and maybe less.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=00-04+tacoma+pickup+box%2Fbed&_sacat=0
This is for a second gen, seems like a reasonable starting point to negotiate.
I’m sure there are others like this one, but for your year range.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/393989469152
Dig your avatar btw

 

I just did a search on car-part.com and prices on beds ranged from $500 to $1200. I'd bring cash and be ready to negotiate.

On your existing bed, it might also be worth cutting out some panels from the bed floor, especially where it curves up into the wheel well. It's a very common area for these beds to rust out. I'd be willing to pay you for that chunk of sheet metal, I had to cut out a rusty hole in my bed a couple weeks ago. Selling a couple patch panels could help you fund the new bed.

 

If you go the new bed route, that’d be a fine time to replace the rubber lines on the fuel tank. Also fix and clean up any wiring spaghetti that might be hiding under there. Mind as well throw some fresh (spray) paint on the frame. And the money you saved could be splurged on that rear suspension. Think snowball effect. Ya know, Christmas is right around the corner, maybe Santa could help out.