Okay, so I need some opinions and fast. So as many of you guys may know by watching the news/weather. We finally got a snowstorm up here in the great Lakes region. Snowed most of the day yesterday and into last night. So I head off to work today, with the Ram. Get to work and one of the parts guy's is driving the boss' plowtruck plowing snow. So I go around the back of the building where we park and see him plowing so I am like ok I won't park in my usual parking place (guys next door plow their snow into our yard behind the lot where we park, he was also plowing at this time.) So I see the parts guy backing up in the plow truck, so I sit there, parked, waiting for him to make his pass and then go park. Well he was going a little bit to fast, well actually considering he was backing up he was going really fast. Well he proceeds to not see the big black monster in the midst of all the snow. You know? The big lifted black truck with big tires a zillion lights and cb whips? Ya that one! No he doesn't see it and slams into the front of my truck.

Lucky for me, I had mounted my brush guard with my Dad this fall, to run on the truck for winter. Well that took the brunt of the impact. The boss' plowtruck has a dump box on it, so needless to say this baby whacks a punch when it is backed into a mostly fiberglass and sheet metal front end. But unfortunately, the truck needs a new bumper, new grill, and new hood. Had the guard not been there, I'd be looking at fenders and headlights and God knows what else. As it is, the fenders have a knick in them, and the hood got pushed into the doors. Can we say he was driving a little to fast in REVERSE.

Lucky for me, I work at a dealership with a body shop. My service manager told me not to worry they will pay for everything, and they will fix it. Which sucks because if many of you remember I just did all that body work and re-painted the truck in summer 2010. The body shop guy took alot of pictures, and wrote down information of everything it needs. He is going to have the estimate for me on Monday. The boss is probably going to pay for this out of pocket so it does not have to go to the insurance company.

What the body shop guy told me, and what he is going to figure into the estimate:
New hood
New grill
New front bumper w/all the stuff fog lights, brackets, valance etc..
Brush guard WITH 2 KC lights
He is going to re-paint the fenders, and blend into the doors.

So here is where you, my friends come in. Now I had just hood scoops on my hood, should I tell them to forget about the brush guard and lights and take that money and stick it towards a cowl hood?

I wasn't really sure if I was going to keep the bar, next year anyways. So should I just have them scratch that and go for a cowl hood or just let them order a OE hood, and have them put my scoops back on?

Just something, that is rolling around in my head. Need to make up my mind by Monday. If the boss is paying for it, I might just pull the trigger and go cowl, and have them forget about the brush guard and lights. I got more then enough friggin lights laying around here anyways. (no I didn't tell them that either lol)

So what do you guys think?

*Cliffs for the lazy *
Snowstorm, take truck to work.
Get backed into by dumb parts guy driving to fast with plowtruck.
Decent amount of damage.
Shop paying for damage, and fixing truck.
Go for factory OE hood w/scoops or Cowl Induction Hood?

Edit to add: Now remember I love my hood scoops on my Ram. I passed up, as tempting as it was a cowl hood when I did the re-paint job. I regret not buying the cowl, but still love my hood scoops on my baby. I want YOUR opinions and why.

 

Well. Interesting opportunity. Circumstances kinda suck... but, hey. At least they are going to fix it.

If you can get a cowl induction hood that you can actually make functional, I would most certainly go that route. (no vote though, because of the caveat.)

 

As HeyYou said if you can make it functional go with that. If not, you might as well just go with the original + scoops. I like the way yours looks in your pics and adding a brush guard would make it look even better... If I was in this situation I'd stick w/ OE hood/scoops and throw on the brush guard, but that's just me.