vbMike

iTrader: (2)

Not happy right now. Work up early because I couldn’t sleep. When I was driving home from work last night I hit a stupid deer. Actually the deer hit me. It ran into the front driver side fender and then bounced off the windshield and up over the roof.

The front fender and inner plastic fender liner look pretty trashed. It bent the side mirror and broke the glass. I think the hood is okay. The door might need some minor attention. It appears to have rolled the panel in a little by the side mirror.

I don’t have collision or comprehensive on the car so I’ll be paying out of pocket for repairs. Any advice for anyone that has been down this road? Are the reproduction parts (fender) any good or should I try to find an original? Can I still get the pin stripe at the bottom of the fender? Do I have to buy the stripe kit for the whole car or can I just get the piece for the fender?

midias

Ouch I feel your pain I have hit a few before you start spending take it all apart make sure you don't have frame damage

Aaron R.

Aftermarket body parts are 50/50. I have put on some fenders and hoods that fit decent with minor tweaking, and others that would not fit right no matter what you do. I recommend if you buy aftermarket you install it right away. Buy from a local vendor and If it doesn't fit right return immediately.

ksr

That really sucks, Mike. Hopefully it won't be too bad.

Since moving to South Carolina, deer aren't as big a problem as back in western Pennsylvania, but even here they are a threat. Like you, I don't carry collision or comprehensive. I have thought about getting a Haggerty policy.

Back in November 2012, a deer jumped right in front of my car on I-79 near Pittsburgh while I was driving to work. It jumped the fence, pretty near landed on my hood, so it could have been worse, maybe going through the windshield. Every airbag went off, front end pretty well smashed. As it was, the car, a 2010 Camaro with 35,000 miles on it, had around $13,500 of damage. i was surprised and kind of disappointed that they didn't total it. It had to be close, as it was only a V-6 and $13,500 had to be really close to the limit. It was in the shop for three months, but after one month I actually traded it in on a different car (2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe). I always wondered how well that car performed for whoever bought it. I'm sure that over time it was fine, but after all that damage, I wouldn't be surprised if it made a few trips back to the dealer. It took so long to repair because they kept finding other things - small parts, electronics, etc. - that were damaged.

That 2011 CTS Coupe, beautiful car, only 10,000 miles coming off a lease, was hit by a deer three months later in February of 2013. Like yours, this time the deer ran into the side of my car. $1,800 damage. Got the car back and in April of that same year, one of those drive-thru carwashes that just sprays soap and water on your car broke and a machine arm flung out and scratched the bumper and chipped the spoiler. Another $1,500 or so of damage, paid for by the convenience store chain. I felt cursed. It was a tough stretch.

TransamGTA350

iTrader: (2)

That's really unfortunate.
Pull the hood, fender and nose off and see if there's any damage to the underbody structure. You can also look up the body measurements a frame shop would use and verify the front clip is still straight. Based on your description of the damage, it probably is fine, but it's easy to check.

Depending on what you are looking for in a final product, you could use an aftermarket fender, but I wouldn't. I have installed aftermarket fenders on these cars and you can get them to fit with some work, but they won't look right. I would source a good used fender before going with aftermarket.

Depending on how hard the mirror was hit, the door skin is probably bent where the mirror mounts. Depending on how tweaked the door is, a good used door might be a better option.

vbMike

iTrader: (2)

I got the quote back and it was $1680 so not as bad as I expected. That with OEM fender, mirror, and fender liner.

They are going to need to replace the decals stripes and IROC-Z on the door so they can blend the paint. Can you still get OEM decals or is aftermarket the only option? If so, who makes a quality set of decals?

indy82z

iTrader: (5)

Phoenix Graphix makes the best and most accurate decals that I have come across. Stay away from GM as they have been discontinued for years and well past their shelf life at this point.

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

Find factory parts if you can, but be picky and demand pictures if you are having them shipped.

Fenders, bumper, hood, and doors should all be easily obtainable. However, remember they are used parts, so their defects could cost more to fix than fixing your existing panels.

I doubt there is frame damage by the description. Mostly cosmetic, however, its going to cost a few thousand to fix by a body shop as they have to do body work and paint at least half the car.

With cars these old its best to move to an agreed value insurance policy if you want to keep it.

vbMike

iTrader: (2)

It's just cosmetic since the deer hit me. They were going to replace with used OEM parts that I have already looked at and the Phoenix graphics as recommended.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions.