Wow, just read this...sorry to hear about the truck...that's terrible. Glad to hear everyone's OK though and that it's not totaled. Good luck as you look to repair it--that can be even more stressful than it being totaled.

 

I hate to hear that for you. I found out on mine before the insurance co. totaled it that they want to replace as many parts as they can with used pieces when they repair it. That's why I ended up being glad they totaled mine out. I just wanted to give you the head's up on that. Anything that they can find from salvage (doors, bed, cab sides, hood, quarters, remanufactured rims, etc) they will use on your truck. Sorry for you dude, but that's apparently the way it is.

 

Well my dad has already picked the body shop they will be fixing it at. It's been recommended by a few friends and they are the only shop around with a laser frame rig to check the frame accurately. Hopefully they're as good as everyone says.

 

Yup, when my wife hit a deer with my truck and screwed the hood and fender up, the reputable shop here went scavenging for used parts 1st too. Usually, they can't b/c our trucks are too young and in NC not as common as some of the more full size trucks.

It's amazing they decided to fix it though. My little deer collision did almost $3000 in damages. I can only imagine the costs for your insurance....

 

Any updates?

 

Well the truck has been towed back to my hometown in Maine to the body shop my parents picked out. They'll start work on it soon, whether I take it back once it's all finished is still undecided. Depends a lot on how good of a job they do and how we're looking financially when they complete it. Honestly though, I still don't think I want it back, if I do end up taking it again the back seats are getting ripped out and left at home. After going through that and seeing the aftermath I am not letting anyone sit in the back ever again...

 

Well after thinking it over I've decided I'm going to take it back unless there are problems with it after they fix it. I'm going to try and get the body shop to paint the grill and bumper for me while they're doing it.

 

Good deal, jump back on the horse and ride like hell and don't look back!

 

you gotta get back in the saddle man. My dad was almost killed in 1973 by a drunk driver who hit him head on. left him with a leg that is fused to his foot (basically without an ankle) because his feet went through the floorboards of his dad's huge buick. Had he been driving his 69 charger 318 he probably would have died. He was in the hospital for like 5 months due to other complications, but as soon as he was able to he got back behind the wheel. I guess the lesson here is, dont let anything scare you but at the same time dont forget about the whole thing because you've learned something from the experience. I've been in a couple accidents too but nothing that serious.

Oh and by the way... I told you that thing wasnt totalled like on the first page of this post. Hopefully it still drives strait for you!

 

Remeber this, if you were driving anything else, it might have killed you! As annoying as this sounds, this is what our trucks are desgined to go through!! Glad to hear all ok. Too bad you don't have the black box!

I have posted before about my insurance box in my truck, monitors everything and I upload to insurance company ever 6 months, and (its a pilot project), get a discount every 6 months, minimun 10, but I have had 25%. Its all based on how you drive, time of day etc. Anyways, the last time I uploaded, the tech was looking over my data, and phone me. He noted something weird with my rear brakes. One was locking ever so long, and only one. Took it to the dealer, they checked, said all was fine. I asked the insurance co to fax over their stuff, dealership could not make head or tails of their report, but took the truck out one last time, as he was pulling out of the parking lot, he touched the brakes, the brake locked, when he corrected, the brake release, truck went into fishtail, damn near rolled it!! Problem was located and fixed.

Guess my point is, I trust my insticts, I trust my vehicle, but sometimes, I need someone to watch over it. I will now always have this device, just in case. Never know when it just might save my ***.