After waiting on the adjuster for about a week my insurance finally sent down its final verdict. They offered me a settlement of a: 5400.00 (thats after my $1000 deductible was removed) or b: 3,600.00 after deductible and me buying it back for roughly $1800 subtracted. I am going with the $3600 payout and getting it fixed. With me buying the parts I should come in at below 2500 by a long way and then buying the other 3 tires to match the one I had to replace in the accident. Here are the accident pics again for those who havent seen it. I figure I would come out ahead this way than having them tow her away over a bumper and fender( well a little more than that but shes not hurt too bad). Time to get things together for the 05 upgrade.

 

Looks like a great time for any year front end update! I am a 05-07 fan!

 

Dude! They seriously wanted to total that?!! Wow! I know repairs cost a bunch but that is SOOO fixable! That makes so little sense to me! Man...keep her and maker her new!

 

i bet your frame is tweaked by about an inch ..

 

It hasnt been on a frame machine but I did have the suspension checked/alignment done. After the accident you could still take your hand off the wheel at 70 mph and it stay straight in the road. The alignment shop said everything checked out ok but the toe in/out whatever was knocked in a bit and when everything was retightened and all it pulled the steering wheel back in straight, it had got it knocked about 30 degrees maybe at most. The body man said that since she was turning that the wheel actually saved the suspension, it didnt bend the rim or even crack the lug nut center cap thing other than putting a tire mark on it but it did knock the tire off the rim. The impact was more of a frontward out than a direct side impact, thus pushing the bumper out other than caving it in. IMO the frame is fine but again it hasnt been on a machine. Fender and tire took the damage, the rest was caused by the fender or bumper pushing against it, i.e. the grille, didnt even hurt it other than popping the little side insert out but the hood is buckled from the fender being pushed into it. Gonna put the 05+ front end on it and call it done, plus put the other 3 tires on it to have a matching set, had to get rid of that spare so mounted a Cooper Discoverer AT3 on the factory rim to get it back going. I think I came out ok with the decision, least Im not having to pay out so to speak as opposed to having to fork out the deductible even though it was taken out of what they are paying me. Figure couple of grand to get it back in operation, maybe 2500 with me buying the stuff and doing the labor other than the paint and stuff.

 

nice sounds a good save then

 

Yeah if the impact had been more of a straight in side impact I would have to agree that the frame was possibly tweaked. What happened is she was in a merge lane but was going to actually drive across the highway and hit a cut through road to keep from going about a mile down to take a loop and she wasnt thinking of traffic being released from the redlight back behind her and when she saw she could beat incoming traffic she turned into that lane and whammo!!! 2011 Z71 just left the light and clipped her so her tire was actually turned pretty much all the way left and he tried to miss her but they clipped each other anyway. His bumper and fender was pushed in so that he couldnt really steer to drive plus his airbag was deployed so his was dragged away, my dad in law came and put on the spare and she finished her errands.

 

I am sure the frame is tweaked but in the very front and is only really cosmetic.

You going to do a painted front end or chrome? When do the parts start pouring in?

 

Lots of rebuild pics is what we need, you now have a fan club!

 

Im still debating chrome vs paint. We like both but I have had painted before on a truck and it was hard cleaning bugs off, we have those love bugs real bad here in texas so Im weighing that into the decision. Also was thinking of going all black and pulling the beige trim off all the way around but the wife isnt going for it. Trying to decide between harley lights vs regular. Decisions decisions. Still doing some pricing on some parts plus should get our check any day so the build will start soon, will keep updating with pics. We are also taking suggestions.

 

Mark, I'm likin' the ranch hand from the pickup and a set of V's up front.

 

I like the harley lights on dark trucks/X's. Finding a good used set will only be $40 or so more than regular lights. Personally I like painted front ends but yes the bugs are fun to clean off. I plan to put the 3M clear invisashield stuff on after letting the paint cure for a good while. I hear it is easier to clean the bugs off the clear vinyl rather than the paint. Also a FYI the 05-07 grill is very flat in the front and does pick up more bugs than the older rounder grills.

I also like the two tone with the cladding. I would personally leave it on and match the front end to the two tone of the rest of the X.

But it is your X and you make the ultimate decision and your the one that has to look at it all the time so make sure you pick what YOU want.

 

I know about those bugs. I love the blackout look, but we also have the beige trim, i'm thinking about buying a ranchhand in beige, either the front replacment or just the grill guard, the ones I have seen I really like. Once I do the 05'-07' swap, we might like the new grill so well we don't want to hide it. I was going to have ours painted, but with the beige and keeping the stock chrome rims, I didn't think it would look right. Good luck on the repairs, I am sure it will be better than new.

You aren't that far away, i'm in Lindale, just north of Tyler.

 

I actually work in Nacogdoches and Tylers only about an hour and a half or so from there. I like the ranch hand front end on my F250 but with my Ex being 2wd I dont know so Im just going back with a regular bumper. Ill probably end up with chrome grille but we will see. Still got a few days to decide..lol.

 

The grill guard would be okay, but the full front replacement would really pull down the suspension on the 2WD. They sure come in handy though, I have a full replacement Top Gun on my 04 Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4, its a lot of metal.