Hi all, I thought I'd drop in and ask the best way to go about asking help around here.

I've got a 2003 Toyota Camry (LE, 4-Cyl, 2WD, 4AT transmission) that was in immaculate shape until one of my family members rear-ended another family member in it. The car in back was the Camry, which got the front grill and hood mashed in by the trailer hitch of a Honda Pilot (which is essentially undamaged). People I've talked to have recommended I see about fixing this myself. I'm not really a car guy, but am happy to learn. Probably the most complicated car repair I've done is replacing a window regulator (in the aforementioned Pilot). The front grill is a goner, and the hood has to be replaced. The color is "Stratosphere Mica" (8Q0), which is hard to find via junkyards.

So, I've questions about parts, painting, junkyard vs. part ordering, etc. Where do I start?

Thanks in advance,
Patrick
2003 Toyota Camry (LE, 4-Cyl, 2WD, 4AT transmission)

 

Welcome to CF.

Suggest you start by doing an informational search and finding out ALL your options.

A good start is by going to a Toyota dealer parts site. These sites have exploded part diagrams, part numbers, etc. Using the parts diagrams at the site you can look at the damaged car and determine what exact parts need to replaced and can be replaced. "Can" meaning a damaged part may be part of the chassis as in welded into place. Still it may be possible to get such a part but the old part will need to be cut out and replaced.

In checking for car damage determine if some part of the body is bent such frame area around the radiator. You may need to straighten or replaced something prior to replacing bolt on parts. The hood has front lock that attaches to the cars frame. If the hood was bent the frame holding the lock may also be bent.

For used and new pars do an internet search on "online parts search" to find hits on parts outlets. Here there are internet parts locator sites for finding parts through auto salvage yards. The site may list an individual part or a car that is available to part out. You then contact directly the auto salvage yard about what you want. The salvage yard should be up to speed on shipping parts within the US.

You can inquire to a local auto yard and inquire if they have a part locating service. Basically an online setup between salvage yards. Determine if they can do a search for your part and get it to you. They may also be able to get aftermarket parts such as a hood.

For the hood ideally find another car of the same color that had a good hood. There are companies that claim they will paint a hood to order and ship it such as www.revemoto.com. Have never used the company thus can't comment.

Try Ebay for parts and Craigslist for cars being parted out.

A possibility for parts needing painting is to find a local auto body shop that will paint all the parts at once. You bring in the parts and they paint them. These parts could be new or used since they will be painted. As to color matching, if the parts are individual parts, a decent body shop should be color match to the point you can't tell the new part for the old.

Unless you need to do body work, the repair can come down to remove and replace. Here some kind of service manual might help that covers removing and replacing the parts needed.

Suggest you do the damage survey then post back with photos of any questionable areas,.

 

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