will my bad luck ever end ?
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 940
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From: burlington, iowa
will my bad luck ever end ?
I managed to scrape up enough cash to fix the van. Took everything to do this. We are eating macaronni and cheese for a couple of weeks, good thing it is only .29¢ a box. Thought we were going to get thru this. But tonight as my wife was heading down to keokuk to her brothers house to take the kids to church in the morning she hits the biggest doe in the midwest. 
The way i understand it, she turned the doe into hamburger without the aid of a grinder. The van is totaled. 
The damage is not just cosmedic. pushed the radiator into the engine, oil and antifreeze all over the road. Smashed the front completly. Air bags went off and parts went a flying. The cop i talked to said it was the worse he ever seen a vehicle destroyed by a deer in over a year. They had to tow it on a flatbed tow truck. And there was no doe left to harvest, they pretty much picked it up with a shovel. I think i am cursed. Now i have to find more money some place to put the escort into the shop to get fixed. Wish i had another truck to sell. 
The way i understand it, she turned the doe into hamburger without the aid of a grinder. The van is totaled. The damage is not just cosmedic. pushed the radiator into the engine, oil and antifreeze all over the road. Smashed the front completly. Air bags went off and parts went a flying. The cop i talked to said it was the worse he ever seen a vehicle destroyed by a deer in over a year. They had to tow it on a flatbed tow truck. And there was no doe left to harvest, they pretty much picked it up with a shovel. I think i am cursed. Now i have to find more money some place to put the escort into the shop to get fixed. Wish i had another truck to sell.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
I hit a deer with mine a few weeks ago, damaged the radiator on it, but doesn't sound quite as bad as yours. I managed to pull the hood out far enough to still use it, the rad support pulled back easy, had to replace the cooling fan, radiator, headlights, grille and marker lamps. I didn't hit it as hard, since I saw it in time, just not quite fast enough. If yours is 95 or older, I can get parts for you. With money tight, I suppose you only had liability, or the other worse option, no insurance... Sometimes these deer hits aren't as bad as they seem, other times they are just like they seem. Can't really make a decision until it's checked out. That has been one of my fears though, popping the freaking airbags on a darn deer...
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: burlington, iowa
it is a 95 plymouth voyager, i think lol. Funny i cant remember what it is lol. i will get to see pictures of it tonight when my motherinlaw drops off my wife and kids. Jenean lucky had the camara with her so she can provide me with pictures. i defintly interested in getting it fixed if the engine isnt damaged. If it is then there isnt really much point in shoving a ton of money into a 10 year old mini van we were planning on trading in anyway in the spring. As for insurance, well she let it laspse on the mini van because she drove the escort 90% of the time. When the escort went down she had to start driving it again and hadnt transferred it back on the insurance. So it is a good thing she hit a deer and not somebody else. Otherwise we would really be up a creek without a paddle. The airbags i feel are going to be pricy if i have to replace them. I wont know anything though until i see and inspect the van. But i will let you know if i will just need a front clip and the rad and stuff.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
I doubt the engone got hurt unless she were to keep going afterward and overheated it. It takes more of a hit than a deer to take out an engine. It may be something I can fix for you to at least operation duty, not necessarily cosmetically perfect, but useable. I will have to study up on changing the airbags, but I know we have some at the lot, hopefully yours is blue, as that is our most common option. Otherwise, you would have to deal with the color difference to use the parts I can get. I wish they were my own, but unfortunately, they aren't. Radiator is going to be the problem, I about bet your radiator runs all the way across like my 94, and I had to use the only one we had for mine. The way I straightend out my radiator support and hood was to use a come along attached to something else and just pulled it out. Worst case I could use my porta power to push it back. If it is too bad, a rad support could be cut out and welded back in, but generally on deer hits I have been able to straighten them out. vehicle collisions are way more severe, and not as salvageable.
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: burlington, iowa
here is a picture of it, i think it isnt that bad if parts are not too much. The radiator is defintly gone, so that needs to be replaced, and defintly have to have an airbag, and paint is not an issue, i have a full size back yard and have infinte knowledge of spray can applications. Shoot me a close quote on the front clip and a airbag for a 95 plymouth voyager fellro
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
yeah that's a little worse than mine in sheet metal, but definitely fixable. I'm seeing hood, headlight/turn signal assy, radiator and fan. You may be able to get by on the cooling fan for a bit, depending how it's broke, have to see on the condenser if you are concerned with that at this time, although if damaged, it's easier to do it now, it's mounted to the radiator. The grollie I have will be a freebie, as it is damaged, but useable. Sad part is, my driver's headlight was salvageable on mine, I ended up switching to a dodge front because that was all we had for parts at the time.It looks like the fender is reuseable though. I would bet on the rad support being salvageable. Hard to say for sure on the rad, the coolant tank is over there, may have just broken it, otherwise it did get the radiator. Mine actually just cracked the end tank and smushed to cores a bit, but didn't actually break them.
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: burlington, iowa
Yeah thats what i thought too when i seen the pictures. I dont know why they say it is totalted , it is plain to see it is not. i will go dolly it back to burlington next saturday or sooner if i can. Nice thing we have that car dolly in the yard. Once i get the bent up parts pulled off i will be able to use the porta power to straighten out the rest. My wife still wants a new one but if i can fix this one i will drive it and let her trade in the escort in the spring.
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