Wife Crunches Fender - Guess Who Gets To Fix It?

[bp fick]

Sunny day today, so I took the crunched fender off. If it's nice tomorrow, Maybe I'll put the new one on. Story to follow later. That's called a tease.

PS- That is the new fender she holding for the pic.

 

[bp fick]

Last month, during the January thaw, while I was on a business trip to Texas, my wife comes home from singing in the choir. The frozen gravel drive has a little 1/2" of water on top of the snow/ice pack. She takes the turn into the drive too fast, (she was excited, because one of the grandbabies was visiting and she was hurrying) slides across the mouth of the drive and smacks her car into the fence rail. Ouch.

The finder was reshaped pretty good, the paint is cracked everywhere, and she took out the headlight assembly on that side.

When I got home, I head immediately to Ebay. I find an aftermarket headlight assembly for under $50, shipped. Not bad.

Now, on Ebay, I find a number of replacement fenders, but one in particular caught my eye, as it was from a body shop and was offered "painted to match". Did some messaging with the seller and agreed to buy. Sent the paint codes. Well, to my pleasant surprise, within a week, FedEx drops off a new fender, indeed, painted to match, and I declare, very well painted with an exact match. Funniest looking L shaped package, but dog gone, it here it is!!! Oh, and the headlight assembly arrive the day before.

So, if today is as nice a day as the weatherman predicted, should have it back together. Hoping it will be a couple hours work.

 

[jimmyj]

Nice! Lucky find on the paint to match.

By the way, I could have guessed who got to fix it

 

[Dmace]

Now, on Ebay, I find a number of replacement fenders, but one in particular caught my eye, as it was from a body shop and was offered "painted to match".

Can you post the eBay user name of the body shop you got it from. That sounds like a great resource. Thanks!

Oh, and have fun lining up the new fender with the hood and door. That is the worst part about replacing the fenders. Make sure you have plenty of fender washers.

 

[jinman]

Looks to me like an opportunity to be the local hero.

 

[bp fick]

OK, take out the old head light assembly. Not too awful bad, but discover, the grill has to come out first. Alrighty then.

 

[bp fick]

Well guys, since this is pretty much real time posting...

Coffee break. Dang!! It's still in the high teens, but sun is up and temps are rising fast.

 

[bp fick]

Ok, temps are up to whopping 19 degrees F.

More coffee.

Lots of tweaking, re-installing clamps, clips, bulbs, etc. Not too awful bad.
The aftermarket is fairly close to OEM.

Light assembly re-installed, grill re-installed. Progress.

Note: Be glad to post eBay links when job is completed. Soon, I hope.

 

[bp fick]

Inner fender liner push clips. 16 mile trip into town. Little auto parts store. What do you know? A rack of clips, labeled by manufacturer. Young gal who is the clerk asks if I want a stool. Gonna be awhile going through this rack to see if the right clips are available. Declined the kind offer of a stool.

Found them, or what I am pretty sure are the right ones. Can't believe it. Honda/Acura clips at AutoValue, Grayling, MI. Life is good.

Paid the nice lady clerk. $8.00 for 6 little plastic body push clips. Let's see, that is a buck and a half a piece. A little less joy she had them in stock.

 

[bp fick]

Whew. The re-assembly is always more difficult than just taking things apart. The fitment issues are driving me a little nuts. Bear in mind, these are not factory parts and I doubt factory parts would be available anyhow. Finding little issues almost every step of the way.

This car has 150,000 miles and is over 10 years old, so there's no way it was going into a body shop. My guessimate places this with parts/paint/labor somewhere near a grand, maybe more.

The light assembly was $50 shipped and the fender was only $118. Painted, with Free shipping. Not bad, but again, aftermarket stuff all. No complaints for the price.