Oh man that's a bummer, sorry that happened, but glad you're mostly OK!
Thanks for the kind words everyone. It helps.
Having done some more searching, the part that keeps standing out right now is the hood. The local dealership has the complete radiator support for a bit over $300CAD which isn't too bad, especially if you consider that sourcing a used one involves drilling a bunch of welds out. The dealership is also the only place I've found a hood so far, it's over $600CAD which is rather steep. I'm going to contact a local drift group and see if they know anyone parting one out. I've seen a few in that group running Toyobarus with aftermarket hoods too, so maybe they'd be willing to part with their spares.
For a radiator, I'd wanted to get rid of the stock plastic-tanked timebomb for a while, stock-spec aftermarket units cost about the same as a Chinesium all-aluminum 2-row, so I think I'll go with one of those. The plastic coolant elbow/cap fitting is also a known weak spot and mine's had at least a good squeeze if not a total crunch, so I'll have to pony up another $100 for that.
The cost of fixing this is going to be what I would've spent on performance mods over the course of at least 2, maybe 5 years, and with my job situation I wasn't planning to push this year's mod budget anywhere past the $300 rear sway bar. I had enough spares to eke through a season of autocross and a track day or two if I didn't have any major failures, and caused a pretty damn major one within the first 10 minutes of driving
Based on our experience with running a salvage operation, hoods are probably the body panel that is least likely to survive an accident. They spring in weird ways and of course any hit of the front (corner or center) takes it out. They're also really difficult to ship. This means that trying to find a used one is pretty difficult, and I suspect the number of twins out there means there's no money in making a stock replacement aftermarket unit. So the dealer or someone who has installed a carbon vented hood is probably your only option. Might be worth calling up a body shop or two and asking if they have a source, though.
adam525i found someone in Montreal scrapping an 86 hit in the door who I've got in contact with. The local drift group knows a guy who specializes in scrapping Toyobarus and he knows I'm looking for front-end panels as well now.
In reply to GameboyRMH :
Found on www.car-part.com
Asking $300 CAD https://www.cathcartauto.com/
139 FOURTH CONCESSION RD.
BURFORD, ON N0E 1A0
2 hours west of downtown Toronto
In reply to John Welsh :
For the hood? If so I may run over and buy it tomorrow...
Edit: Found it as well, I see that's for the hood, I'll have to try for it early tomorrow...
In reply to GameboyRMH :
I work 5 minutes down the road from them...not 100% sure I'll be back at the farm this week but I could probably find a reason to go. I don't think anyone would care if the hood sat in the corner of the driving shed either. Probably see what other front parts are available too.
You know how to reach me.
In reply to GameboyRMH :
It's my experience that prices are negotiable at JYs, especially so if buying multiple parts.
Are there other items you need that maybe that car could supply?
This should be your typical first rate JY, not pull your own. Call and talk to them about the hood and expect that they will pull it and have it waiting for you at the front counter.
If you have questions about the part condition, I've had luck with the yard having a worker text me some pictures of the item.
https://www.facebook.com/share/oRuB2Q39VbmN13Ug/?mibextid=kL3p88
Asking $1k for shell. No pictures of front end
$200 headlights sounds expensive but I don't think in Canuck dollars
https://www.facebook.com/share/BFYcZgzEdgpkN6Yj/?mibextid=kL3p88
Did your airbags go off?
If yes, are your seatbelt pretensioners screwed up too? Do your belts retract properly?
I looked further and even with US availability, JY parts aren't really that available. I'm seeing $300USD used fenders and more for used bumper covers. I suspect you could have $2k into JY parts for this and what you will have is a mish/mash of all different colors. That then means you still need paintwork to get back to a one color car. The price just keeps going up.
Is there any way you can get insurance involved?
My guess is you have $10kUSD in "insurance" body shop work here. They'll probably fix it, and not total it. But, when the work is done, it should present rather well. Keep it or sell it at that point.
Yes, you will have to pony up the deductible and that could be $1k. But, as stated above your dropping more that $2k to fix this poorly and that makes the $1k look like a bargain. Yes, your rates may go up but if you're $10k out of pocket to get it fixed right... You could would have to have your insurance go up by $3k per year for 3 years to not be in a winning position.
In reply to John Welsh :
There are a few other parts I might be able to use off that car, likely the metal under-bay panel and possibly a fender - some places seem to think the 2012-2016 models vs 2017-2020 have different fenders, but they share the same part numbers and some show them interchanging...also for swapping frontends between those years, the bumper and headlights have to change together but the hood and fenders don't. So I'm thinking the fender will fit. They look identical from what I can see.
I don't have room for a parts car, room for the car at all could become a problem if it can't move itself...
$200 each for the headlights is actually really good and I'd be tempted to grab them as spares if I had the money, but I'll have to make do with the ones I have, one got a small lens crack in a place that's mostly hidden by the hood when closed and the other looks undamaged. Also the pic on that Facebook link shows a 2012-2016 front end which has different-shaped headlights that don't fit with the 2017-2020 "krill grille" bumper.
The steering wheel airbag went off, from what I can find used airbag units go for $200~400 but they're rare, new ones are over $800! And they're specific to 2017-2020 models, plus the emblem and its cutout are different between the 86 and BRZ
I should probably assume the seatbelt pretensioner fired, a replacement seatbelt assembly is a bit over $300 new(!), from what I understand it's best to replace any belt that served in a crash anyway. If the pretensioner fired I think it would still work normally, except there would be no more pretensioner function. I didn't notice it flopping around but I didn't think to inspect it.
There's no legit way to get insurance involved, one guy recommended that I that I tell insurance I hit a deer, but I didn't think I could convince them that I hit the most 'roided out buck in the world that was scooting its butt down the road to leave a cylindrical damage pattern, and while I might be able to find venison to sprinkle on the front of the car, I don't know where I'd get deer hair Even if insurance was an option I'd have to consider it carefully...the insurance on this thing was already more than annual gas costs, and probably more than annual brake & tire costs combined.
I'm not really aiming to fix it poorly, just slowly and with less shiny new dealer parts, I was never concerned with resale costs either. This experience has further convinced me to hang onto this car that I got a good deal on and never buy an even more expensive one. The hood and front bumper already had the most paint wear before the crash so there's easy room for improvement there.
Edit: Looking closer at that car, the front-left fender is actually crunched, hopefully the hood's not affected...the front-left on mine kind of popped inside-out, but at $300~$400 for a new one, it may be worth trying to straighten it out.
Is getting one with a blown engine and swapping the engine and other good parts from yours an option? It seems like that would give a better result, and be a lot easier.
In reply to Tk8398 :
I don't have the up-front cash or the space for that, and while it would be a lot easier in terms of sourcing parts it could be more labor at the shop to swap all the parts across.
In reply to GameboyRMH :
Tell insurance that you swerved to avoid the deer and spun into the pole. I really don't think you'll be able to get it fixed right without going real body shop, so I echo getting insurance involved. It's the least suckiest option.
In reply to DasAuto :
I dunno, I really don't feel lucky enough to take my chances getting caught doing insurance fraud on top of the risk of long-term increased insurance costs...the shop I'm taking it to does a lot of collision work, I'm just pinching pennies by sourcing my own used parts, and breaking the work into stages to give myself a chance to save up for it. It sucks that I'm basically gonna lose a whole year of racing and have my mod plans kicked several years down the road, but the end product should be pretty much indistinguishable from a big-money insurance fix. Eventually I'll get any color-mismatched parts repainted and may even replace that damaged headlight if I'm feeling fancy. My aftermarket all-metal radiator setup will probably outperform and certainly outlast a dealership replacement.
I'm not advocating insurance fraud but I am advocating playing the insurance card to get the car fixed.
Insurance is there for when you are "stupid."
When you make a poor decision that results in failure. When a lack of skill results in failure. When you have more speed than skill that results in failure.
Sorry to say, and it may hurt to admit...this was you that day.
At that specific time, at this specific date, at that specific place, you drove your car straight into a fixed object. It happens many, many times a year to insured people.
Q: "How could you not see that imovable object?"
A: "I don't know but if I had seen it I would have avoided it."
"I took the car straight home thinking, how bad could it be? I was also thinking, "my ol man is a television repairman, he has an ultimate set of tools; I can fix it." I am now discovering that the repairs exceed my skill level and that's why I am calling you. Did I previously mention that I may be stupid?
Like many things, saying as little as possible is the key. Feel no need to expand on events of the day beyond, "that is where I was on that day, at that time and I unintentionally struck an inmovable object (lamp post.) I would not further divulge of the day's events. However, if that day's events made the light of day, that event was a 6 run event and you can prove via results that you completed all 6 runs. After that 6th run the competition ended.
While still on site but after the competition, you unintentionally, but as an act of stupidity, struck a lamp post.
I can drive my car to a drag strip...right? I can also get into an accident on the way home from that competition, right? The fact that I previously drag raced does not exclude me from making an insurance claim for that day or week following that event? After this event...I hit a light pole.
I know this day was not a high point in your automotive resume. I know you feel you are better than this. I know you feel "guilt" for letting it happen. However, don't let these feelings lead you down a thought-path of "I did this, I'll have to fix it." No, you've been planning for this day to come...you bought insurance. This is what it is for.
I would recommend providing your insurance company this picture as proof that on that day, at that location, in anotherwise empty parking lot (no other cars involved) you struck this exact lamp post. Boy, do I feel stupid! (same photo, a little different perspective that says as little as needed.)
I'm not gonna pretend to know the differences between US auto insurance and Canadian auto insurance as well as health care differences but in the US, you could tie medical bills to this claim as well if you were hurt from being stupid and hitting this inmovable object.
Good luck. I love ya...even if you were stupid (this one time.) I have been stupid numberous times in this life and it is never fun to admit.
Remember, these are called accidents, not called "intentionals." No one left the house saying, "today's the day I intend to destroy my car." We don't love you any less due to this accident nor discredit your automotive capability because of it. Some times you find the automotive limit...sometimes it finds you!
Just to share and commiserate, here was my automotive stupidity of a couple years back
I have a whole pile of airbags and seatbelts- no exterior parts but if you can use 2013 stuff anything interior or airbag related I should be able to help you out with.
I am glad to hear that you are OK. It is a bad day out, no doubt, but any one you walk away from...
Allow yourself some space to chalk it up as just an accident. Even very successful professional drivers have a few in their past and probably more in their future.
Yikes! That sucks! While I doubt it'll make you feel any better, a similar incident happened to a friend's Focus RS a few years ago. Sad part is he wasn't even driving (or in the car). One of his friends crashed it in a similar way - lost control and hit a light pole base.
In reply to GameboyRMH :
When I was autocrossing, and living in Ontario, I had a discussion with my insurance agent about the difference between "a test of driving skills" and road racing. He agreed that autocrossing wasn't racing. I'd talk to the insurance company and see what they say. It will likely be "No" but there's nothing to lose from asking.
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