One deer = $5,000.

It's looking like this repair is shaping up to be nearly $5,000.

This morning, I knew that my MINI needed a new hood, front bumper, mirror and headlight as well as repairs to the panels along the left side of the vehicle. After getting the bumper off today, the body shop discovered that the reason my car was emitting steam at the bus stop this morning is that the entire radiator mount was broken. In addition, all of the under-hood plastic panels on the left were broken, the hood latch was bent, the front wheel scraped up and the internal bumper (that huge aluminum piece in the photos) was bent slightly at the edge.

I still don't know how I made it all the way back from California.

GEICO will be coming out to take another look at the work to be done, hopefully later today. Queen City still thinks I'll have my car back in a week, but I will be amazed if that happens. Seems like a lot of work still to do.

I must say, though, it was comforting to look around the shop today and see five Porsches, two Jaguars, three Audis and a Shelby Cobra (likely a replica) in for work. My little MINI is in good company.

     
Click here to download:
One_deer_5000..zip (316 KB)