Deer hit!

[shawnw]

So, had the first "incident" with the Festiva today. The girlfriend was off to work on the early shift, about 4:15 and had a sudden meeting with a deer.

I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, we live in a area overrun with deer and do alot of travelling around dawn. Luckily she got away without too much damage.

What a pain though. Just got the car looking a driving like we wanted, I just started back up at work and I picked up a 79 Westfalia to play with now that the festy needs nothing more than regular maintainence. Now within a week we hit a deer and I find out all the contractors at my work are being let go (including me).







The grille is obviously toast, the hood has a decent dent and a good lip bent onto it and the upper rad support was pushed back a cm or two and the plates bent up.

I think we got off pretty lucky, hit the deer doing about 75kmph. It's going in for an alignment tomorrow which it needed since we swapped on some straight wheels. I'm happy it wasn't an elk, been seeing alot of them around lately and they are big, would have come down on the windshield.

[qaking]

Glad no one was hurt!

Sorry about your damage, but it looks very repairable, good luck!

[Bathtub Tom]

If it didn't walk away, over here we call it venison. Very expensive, but wonderful taste.

You're not vegetarian, are you?

[shawnw]

No, not vegetarian. I don't think the deers dead yet though. She says she hit the back of the deer so it's probably hobbling around with a broken leg somewhere. It'll probably be finished off by a cougar, wolf or bear tonight.

[25Horseplay]

Where I live is over populated with deer also,(big national parke area) And I hit a deer going approx 40 MPH and did alot more damage, you are lucky it isn't worse. Glad nobody was hurt, the car can be fixed!

[gdawgs]

That's not bad. I nailed a deer going 65 in a late 80's Dodge minivan(piece of junk!!!!). Luckily it was a rental. That thing did not look good! The whole front end was pushed in about a foot.

Glad noone was hurt. That's the main thing.

[GenevaDirt]

glad nobody was hurt....and that damage is a walk in the park.....very easy fix. Grills are easy to come by and the core support looks almost like you could pull it out by hand. The hood will be the biggest problem....all depends on how straight you want it....lol

[shawnw]

Yeah, I'm going to give the wreckers a call and see if I can find a grille. I'll pull out the support tomorrow. And the hood, I'll try and straighten out the lip at the front as best I can and I"ll see if I can pull/hammer out the dent. Pretty minor stuff. But it gives me an excuse to mount some wide-angle fog lights I've had lying around forever.

[FoxProGT]

WOW..... i almost hit a deer going up north in MI.. i remember that thing got so close that i could see its eyes and all its leg muscles so clearly.. but we just missed it by a few inches... thats not bad damage at all compared to other cars iv seen that hit deer. good no one was hurt tho and the car still lives!

[Festiva_tunner]

Yeah, I'm going to give the wreckers a call and see if I can find a grille. I'll pull out the support tomorrow. And the hood, I'll try and straighten out the lip at the front as best I can and I"ll see if I can pull/hammer out the dent. Pretty minor stuff. But it gives me an excuse to mount some wide-angle fog lights I've had lying around forever.

you can get a new grille on ebay- I've piced three up for 20 bucks each