JoshyGT

I got into a wreck Friday. Thankfully no one was hurt and I didn't cause a penny in damage to the other persons vehicle. We were on a hill going down in the rain and he slammed on his brakes like the guy in front of him did and I slid into him and went under his bumper. This is the damage:

1-Center "Pony" Grill Smashed In
2-Foglights broken
3-Bumper ripped apart with large holes
4-Hood won't close or open
5-Fenders looked bent away from the hood
6-Drivers side headlight loose

I had the insurance people come out and take a look and they took pictures and did their thing but I have no idea how much I will get. I would be very interested in replacing the stock parts with a few (probably cheaper) aftermarket parts. I know a bunch of you have done this. How do I do it properly and ensure there's no trouble? Thank you!!!

Hootna

So what your saying is you want the full on GT500 front end upgrade Wish I could help you on that but not sure how it works. I am glad to hear everyone is ok.

2k05gt

if the insurance company sends you a check, you can find a shop that will work with you on any upgraded parts, some times you can purchase them from someone on the Forums or www.newtakeoff.com and have them shipped to the body shop. Some times the aftermarket parts are cheaper some times not.. but you can always pay the Body shop the extra for the parts you want.

cheftjpeck

man that sux, but I am glad to hear no one was hurt...as far as the GT500 front end mod,..try this guy below...he has the complete front end relatively cheap..or he did...I bought my rear fascia from him for like 1/3 the price of everyone else
Kevin Casey
05stangkc
Parts Manager
Clevenger Ford
1-800-570-5554

JoshyGT

cheftjpeck,

Thank you, I will call him today. Don't insurance companies base the estimate off the stock costs from the manufacturer? I am sure the stock bumper alone is expensive. Thoughts?

cheftjpeck

yes...they do it off of the retail replacement vs your estimate.when my 05 was rear ended I went to the Ford dealer and told them I wanted OEM parts only. then when the insurance adjuster came out I advised him the same thing. I was given a check based on my estimate and the adjusters factors. please remember dont let the insurance company tell you that you MUST go to body shop A. You can choose the body shop you will have your car repaired at. once you get all your details then you can advise the body shop that you will have your car repaired at that you are obtaining the parts etc.
send Pascal a PM, he is a GREAT BODY REPAIR expert and he has the gt500 front fascia etc....he can probably hook you up even better..I know he is out of country right now...but send him a PM...TJ

MustangGT0405

+1 pm Pascal he does great work from everything I have seen.

If I had the damage you listed I would probably take the check and through in the extra coin and install the C-series kit.

But the GT-500 front end is a nice addition too.

JoshyGT

Where could I see a picture of the C-series kit?

abrush

If you decide to go the aftermarket parts route the one thing I advise is that aftermarket parts don't always line up as good as the oem parts. I have used them on some projects in the past and they were a pita to get them lined up correctly. Hopefully they have improved the parts for the S197 stangs.

A_Drunken_Llama

go with the GT500 front