rb23lb

So I was in a very minor accident that dented and chipped paint off my front hood and also cracked the front grill

I have Arctic White paint on the stock hood and a stock grill painted black:










Look like I will need a new grill and possibly a new hood + paint. I have a high $1000 deductible

A new grill is only $150 but I am guessing with a new hood and paint, that would put me over $1000 and would make sense to make a claim.

Yes, I was found 51% at fault in this minor non-injury incident so it is already on the insurance company's books and not-involving them to avoid future rate increases in no longer an option.

Just wanted to weigh in with some of the forum veterans here to see what you would do in this situation!

What is a great Mercedes bodyshop to take it to in the Los Angeles Area?

I know a lot of dealers outsource body work so just because I take it to the "dealer", I might not necessarily get the best Mercedes factory style work.

Anywhere from Santa Monica down to Orange County I am willing to travel, just wanted to see if anybody had any recommendations.

Sorry about the bad pics, but there really isn't much more to show.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!!!

cfav508

I just had a deer hit me and do some minor damage to my car as well. I went on line and found the parts I needed in junk yards and replaced them myself. The fact that your car is white will make it easier for you to find a good match. Mine is grey and had to run it down to the local paint shop to have him match the paint. All in All I spent about a grand but it is not on my insurance!

rb23lb

Nice, was it PPG brand paint (I think that is what Germany factories use)?

rb23lb

I bought a new black single fin grill off ebay for $125 bucks

and am thinking about buying a carbon fiber hood as well...

trying to avoid having to paint the hood, while at least losing some weight in the replacement

how much is a replacement stock hood that is painted white cost from a junkyard in good condition?

I am looking at carbon fiber hoods available for local so cal pickup for about $400-$450 as a comparison

rb23lb

how much was the paint job on the hood only to have them redo the paint in factory PPG color and quality?

xEryx

We bought my fiance's car hail damaged and when it came time to replace the hood, I found OEM one on eBay for less than $600. Total came out to less than 1k.

dieseldoc

I would get your car fixed properly. Many Paintless dent places will not fix areas where paint has been damaged. The damage you have is in area where there is a crease. Be hard to fix. If you are like me (a perfectionist) , you will never be happy with a less than perfect repair.