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PLEASE do yourself a favor, and right from the start, work with the insurance companies. They will be more than happy to work with you once you explain your aims, as it will cost them less.
In this case, DO NOT try to get them for the most money, if you intend to keep the car. I just went through trying to get a Salvage Inspection in CT and its something you NEVER EVER want to try to do.
DO take some pictures before and after, and note the VIN if you can of the parts car you get the fender from, JUST IN CASE.
The deal is this- you want to keep the car. You DO NOT want the ins company to take the title and mark it "SALVAGE". I thought this was no big deal till I got the 30-page package from our state dictating how a "rebuilt" car is supposed to get reinspected. (I have this 89 that took a light light hit in the nose several years ago, and the ins co totalled it out, damage must have been no worse than yours based on what's original. Just enough to get totalled.)
So figure that you're only gonna get maybe $750-$1000, tops. More than enough for a good backyard repair I think. More money than that will exceed the 50% value mark of the car's book value and you'll wind up totalled, and you may have to go through one of these inspections just to keep the car on the road!
I'd figure on pulling the whole top and bottom rad supports, front spoiler, bumper and bumper mounts, and probably the panels the headlights mount onto, though that can likely be straightened. Also, obviously, you need a fender (not the hood? lucky!) and the lights. I'd guess $50 for a junkyard fender, and call around a lot, hold out to get one which is the right color. Avoid the $100-300 for painting a panel if you can.
For the lights, I would get new ones (FCP Groton among other places) and not have to deal with crappy parts with broken housings and lenses full of water.
If you put any money in your pocket at the end of the day, you'll be doing ok. But PLEASE call that claim adjuster and work with them, it will save you lots of hassles down the road.
Good luck!!
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '87 244DL/M47- 234K, '82 245T/M46-182K, '89 244DL/AW70- 212K Not too distant past: 86 244DL 215K, 87 244DL 239K, 88 744GLE 233K, 88 244GL 147K, 91 244 183K
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