Crashed my girl on Mullholland!

[CulverC4]

Well, it finally happened. As I was making a left hand turn on a light that turned red, heavy traffic, some idiot thought he could beat the red!:bash Long story short my front passenger side corner is smashed in, the hood is cracked around the headlight and about 2 feet from the front (surprised at amount of damage, still substantial but much less than I expected), my wheel is bent and the steering is cocked to the left. All lamps in that area are destroyed and the front bumper will need replacement as well (damaged beyond repair).

So, my question is: Can I use an '88 hood on my '89? Also, is the mounting hardware different or same? The reason I ask is that I found a guy on craigslist who is parting out an '88 coupe and I would prefer used oem parts rather than reproduction new parts any day. Any opinions or suggestions? It might be that I will end up paying for this out of my own pocket (cash repair)hnoes so does anyone know a good body shop in the L.A. area that offers quality work at an affordable/reasonable price? The last time I had work done I went to Coast Corvette where they charged me premium prices for a subcontracted (i.e., cheap) job ad. Don't wanna go that route again!

Thanks,
Jose

 

[Toms007]

If I'm not mistaken, the hood is the same for all years of C4's except for the 84. Man that just stinks about your car, don't you hate it when people are like that?

Hopefully you'll get it fixed back up and we're glad that you weren't injured. The cars can be repaired or replaced, but people don't always fair as well.

 

[WhalePirot]

I was not impressed with Coast for parts, nor with Corvette Mike's work on a neighbors '64.

A first-class frame-off guy who farms out his bodywork, though perhaps pricey is Steve at Automotive Expertise in HB (714)596-5034. If you cannot find what you want he might be able to help find a shop.

Too bad about the car but glad UR okay. That happened to mine on the opposite side some years ago. I still have issues with the insurance-guaranteed body shop's work.


.............. and here I sit with a nice white hood...... for an '84

 

[So Bay Vetter]

Sorry about your misshap, man. Looks like we live pretty close to each other. . .You might try J&D Corvette in Bellflower; J & D Corvette | 800-838-8353 - Home Page
They fixed my nose and re-painted my hood. They'll make sure everything fits and matches right. There's also "The fiberglass body" on Rosecrans in Hawthorne (310) 322-8745: Cheaper, Good glass work but, they farm the paint out to a marginal shop.

 

[CulverC4]

Thanks for all the responses guys, I still haven't taken on the repairs due to an initial estimate by a local shop of $7,400! That's to be expected as the guy was charging me $400 to repair and re-chrome (!) a bent polished aluminum wheel! This guy saw a vette and wanted to get paid for the month with this one job. I plan on taking her to J&D and "the glass shop" next week to get more realistic prices. Anybody know where I can find a used hood and bumper for an '89 in Southern California?

 

[So Bay Vetter]

Anybody know where I can find a used hood and bumper for an '89 in Southern California?

My experience is that J&D knows more about what fits and where to find it than anyone else in So Cal. They will honestly tell you if your front bumper cover can be "re-conditioned" or needs replacement (you'd be amazed at what they can fix) since there are no OEM bumber covers and very few used ones (I know, I checked!) they will give you your best alternatives plus, they've got a sizable Vette bone yard on the premesis for your other parts.