Crunched Festy

[seattlestiva]

Just had my '88 ( year old paint job-no rust-no dings-runs like a top) LX
backed into (left front quarter panel) by a lifted Toyota Tacoma.
Luckily it didn't get the door or hood. Had a estimate ($1500.00).
Totalled?:eeeeeek: Geico said they'ed fix it!
Anyway. There are times when you realize how tenuoius these investments
in time and money are with these wonderful cars when you get hit.
I know - fix it yourself,yada yada (I don't have the time to find,paint & install
a new fender). I'm more careful driving the Festy then our other cars for this
very reason. What say you?

[rockin86ranger]

I know you say you don't have the time but if it is new paint job I would say get a fender paint it and then install it when you get the chance (not that hard to do on these cars), just drive it with the dented fender until you can get time to put the new one on.

I know a lot of people are intimidated by body work. but since I am a certified auto collison tech I guess it isn't as menacing to me.

If you decide you want to try to do it yourself feel free to IM me any questions, If not I understand a lot of people wouldn't attempt their own paint work.

[seattlestiva]

Agreed ranger. I guess the gist of the comment was as much about the money/time (and emotion) put into the car as a whole, as the actual fender. To truly have this car
and have it make sense, it always comes back to the ability to do it yourself,
whether it's mechanical, bodywork or maintainance. I'm pretty OCD about dings, dents ect.

[sketchman]

I dropped into a ditch at about 40 and plowed a boulder with my front right corner once in the old neon. I fixed it myself, but it kinda made me not care as much for it afterward.

If they can fix it and make it "perfect" again it might be worth it to know it's "perfect".

[DriverOne]

If you can get the whole car painted, go for it.

[scitzz]

I don't know about the rest of you, but my rule of thumb is, If it hurts Baby Car, it dies...That Tacoma would be totalled when I got done!

[TheresGabe]

I removed the old fender, and replaced with a new fender on my Festiva in 13 minutes. You need a ratchet, 10mm socket, and a phillips screw driver. It seriously could not be any easier.

[bravekozak]

No bondo. Replace the fender. Have it painted first.

[Bert]

This is part and parcel of joining the Festy club. These cars are worth nothing to insurers, or anybody else, now that they are 20 years old. On the other hand I don't ask for fire/theft/glass nor collision coverage anymore on them either. I don't own a modern car and I don't have modern insurance; no doubt my gas bill savings will easily cover all of the above, should it happen that something goes wrong.
Plus I can't imagine a renegade Festy ever making a huge mess when it did go out of control. Traffic Controller at the Newfoundland ferry standby line came to me 5 years ago to say I could get on the boat only because I had "half a car" and the motorcycle rack was empty. I was proud at the time, but not the way owners of Hummers are.