G35 VS DEER...

[patsti]

So I was spent the last week in Florida visiting my sister. I took my GF and her friend to a family members house in ST Augustine and I went 4 more hours south to Sarasota.

Anyways on my way home (about 1-2am) in South Carolina a truck (big/lifted) hit a baby deer he kept going and well the deer got sucked right under (parts of it went over) my G35. It felt like I hit a speed bump going 70mph!

It was late, there was no shoulder in the passing lane and I had an 18 wheeler next to me in the other lane...

I couldn't avoid it. Anyways it chipped up my hood, Cracked the paint in my bumer, Cracked a headlight housing, blew off my side markers, bent my front and mid subframes, control arm, blew out a steering knuckle assembly (ball joint is fixed so it ruined the whole thing), it also tore all the air ducts and plastics off the bottom and caused a leak in my steering rack...ETCETCETC!!!

So after having the Progressive adjuster look at it (who couldn't believe that happened) we got a starting estimate for the damages.

If you look at my car from 5 feet away you prob wouldn't know (it is hard to see paint cracks and the chips on the hood).

So not including the steering rack (which he is going to tackle once it is in for work as we don't know if it is fixable or not) $200-1200

and the mid subframe which is torn and bent (couldn't find in the computer listings) $1000-1500+

the total was $3640.00 + those costs (so 5k-6k in damages!) and that's just a starting point!!!!!!!!!

So I talked with him for a while and we are meeting again next week to finalize the repairs, he is allowing me (as the headlights cost $800 for a remaned one) to buy a set off ebay of the upgraded 05+ projectors and change out a few other things aslong as it is less or close to the price of what the oem things are.

I am upset as I hate to see a car with a clean title get a mark but atleast now I will have a refreshed front end and a new underside!

Anyone want some venison jerky? It is all over my exhaust/driveshaft/and engine bay!

 

[IBratmanI]

Wow, that sucks!!!! But at least you are getting it fixed!!

 

[inski]

Holy crap!

Now I know why they have deer hunting season all year long.

Glad it didn't visit you inside the cockpit.

 

[GClark]

Bummer man! Hope to see a speedy recovery of teh drift o' matic.

 

[Nigel Prodrive]

meanwhile Pat if you need a car I know a guy who's got a nice Focus SVT .....

condolences on the mangled G

 

[patsti]

meanwhile Pat if you need a car I know a guy who's got a nice Focus SVT .....
condolences on the mangled G

haha well I actually drove it all the way home from SC... I stopped to look at it, got some guy at a gas station to help pull off the broken plastics and headed home. The car was so loaded (3 people and suitcases) didn't even feel the suspension issues until I got home.

I am gonna use it this week and drop it off when my parents are on vacation next week so I can borrow a car (unless I can find a civic or golf or $500 b4 that).

Ill post some pics (but it doens't really look that bad unless you know what is missing from under it).

 

[Stein]

Damn that sucks. Must have been freaking hitting it! Good luck with the repairs.

 

[krazykarpenter]

I hit a deer in PA with mt grandmother's Envoy, caused 4k worth of damage. Needed a new hood, new front bumper, new headlights and some suspension components. I feel your pain dude. deer + car = bad feeling in the wallet.

 

[Ty Ty]

I've hit 5 deer with the Jeep. I replaced a headlight once...but that was it.

 

[boxer3main]

use an engine acid cleaner to get the hydrochloric bowel acid off... it doesn't take abut a few years after a hit..structures deemed impossible to decay, failing before you very tough truck lies...

In fact, a hit in my dads rig is showing signs now, 2 years after, thorough cleaning included.

and that is 115k psi steel.

 

[saabaru]

Dayum.. Glad it was not worse..

 

[patsti]

So I went to look at my car today.

Friday my adjuster called me to tell me they would not be covering the steering rack as it was caused by wear and tear from being lowered... Funny thing is the Deer's head and body had been splattered all over the rack and is what caused the leak. After YELLING for about an hour I got them to agree to replace it. The shop told him it was pre accident... BS! I have never had any leaks on the car!

After that I decided I needed to check my car out...

So my wheels, bumper lip, and rear diffuser are all painted FLAT Hot Rod black... They repainted the grill GLOSS black... and painted over chips. It has runs, doesn't match and you can see dings in the grill.

The hood and fenders haven't been painted yet... But the bumper was so I think they are trying to slide that past me...

They never stripped the bumper SO it is PEELING on the corners and behind the sidemarkers.

They straightend the dented and bent passenger side subframe arm... it is a $250 part. I want a new one as it is unsafe to moddify a frame... And it should be put to pre loss condition. NO ONE WANTS A REPAIRED SUSPENSION ARM.

I see no other evidence of repairs. It has been in the shop for 1.5 weeks basically nothing has been done...

again whats been done-

1-painting on front bumper (0 prep work and pealing, shows pits and scratches)

2-painting on grill (not right color/ 0 prep work/ shows pits chips and left badge on (easy clip to remove to paint under it))

3- allignment (kinda)

4- told they repaired (not replaced) subframe and tunnel stay frame... Saw no evidence of this. (can't see without lift).

Now for the allignment... WTF!

They said it is fine... I said I want the front numbers matching and I want the rear numbers matching... I don't think that is too much to ask.

I will not take the car back untill it is in preloss or better condition. Looks like it's gonna be a fight...

 

[patsti]

Just got back from the meeting with the shop and adjuster.

Went pretty well. The front bumper cover is being replaced with a new one (either oem if I can get an early 03 sport aero bumper again or a nismo urethane). I am getting a new grill as they did a really bad job on it (skyline style carbon or matte). The subframe seems alright so I am letting that one slide till tomorrow when it comes out for the new steering rack so I can check the inner spot welds.

Someone had scratched my passenger side fender with a ring or something so they are now repainting that and my car got caught on the allignment machine (when I requested only I drive the car... they did it) and dented/scratched/ripped the flex pipe on my exhaust. So I should be getting a new exhaust (it was covered in red paint from the allignement machine).

Parts were not put in right/missing clips so I cleared that all up... hopefully.

I feel pretty bad for the adjuster as he authorized the work this way... and it came out horrible. He got a little worked up but in the end it should be alright. I might have to grab him a drink sometime.

Big Sexy was with me... I am pretty sure he enjoyed it.

Ill post pics of the car as it sits tonight.

I did get a new front compression arm, steering knuckle, ball joints so far. So they did do SOME off the stuff they said... not all of it.

The car got dropped of on April 7th or 8th (gotta check the date again)... So it hasn't been super long... but for what has been done TOO LONG!

 

[Chris]

That's ridiculous! If someone didn't know they're way around under the car they'd get completely screwed by this shop!

Props for getting what you deserve out of them!

 

[patsti]

Pics... Notice the peeling (cant see the pit marks in the photos) I'll get some underside pics tomorrow.

The grill is not supposed to be gloss and it is not supposed to have chips under the paint. Oh and after all this is done... I have no idea what happend to my lip. It was on the car when I left it with them.

peeling-

Chips under paint-

Missmatched paint-

Scratches with hand prints (ring caused scratches)

Notice the fender liners not being clipped in... wtf

 

[Ryan]

Dude... wow. Bunch of monkeys working on your car or something?

 

[bigsxy]

this was the funniest thing ive seen in a while the adjuster tried his best to make more money but by now my guess it would have been easier to total it with the money they have to pay out

 

[patsti]

The adjuster is actually a pretty nice guy. It is his job to keep the insurance from spending money by trying to do things the half assed way. MOST people don't notice it and it is how they keep making money. We battled it out for a bit then we got to laughing after all was said and done.

Hopefully I can get the otherstuff fixed that was messed up by the other shop.

 

[Nigel Prodrive]

hey Pat if u think ur car looks bad, just remember what the deer looked like!