# My weekend project, or how to save $700

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-weekend-project-or-how-to-save-700/229569>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 16, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-weekend-project-or-how-to-save-700/229569 "2004-02-16T23:03:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-weekend-project-or-how-to-save-700/229569/1 "2004-02-16T23:03:58Z")

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As I mentioned last week, I had a small accident. I rear-ended another car and [this](http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-1/584173/IM001140.JPG) is the result.

I took the car to a couple of shops and the cheapest estimate was $950!

I’m going to have to do it myself. The radiator is trashed. It’s the one I spent four hours on in December 2002 installing. The bumper is destroyed as well.

I’m ordering a new radiator from the place I got the last one. Just $99 delivered (versus $175 locally). I found a bumper in a local salvage yard for $150. I haven’t picked it up yet, but was told it had “a big scratch” on it. Since it’s highly unlikely to match colorwise, I’m not too concerned about a scratch. Another salvage yard had two unscratched bumpers, but they wanted $275 each.

The bumper looks to be a challenge. The radiator I can handle.

Wish me luck.

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**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-weekend-project-or-how-to-save-700/229569/2 "2004-02-17T06:07:47Z")

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Good luck with your project.

Have you thought about seeing if an automotive repair class at a local communitity college could paint you bumper for cheap. Gives them something to practice on and saves you lots of $$$.

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-weekend-project-or-how-to-save-700/229569/3 "2004-02-17T12:19:48Z")

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> [@misstee](#):
>
> Good luck with your project.
> 
> Have you thought about seeing if an automotive repair class at a local communitity college could paint you bumper for cheap. Gives them something to practice on and saves you lots of $$$.

I’d thought about that, but the waiting list is about a year long!