Shattered headlamp

[mags]

Hey guys,

So, just to start off, I am very much not a car person (I'd like to be one, but honestly my '98 is the only car I've ever had and I've never had any trouble whatsoever, so I've never even had a need to learn much about car repairs). Anyway, turns out that no matter how reliable your car is, if you collide with a deer on the freeway going 70 mph, you're going to suffer some damage. I hit it on the passenger side corner, causing massive body damage around that area and shattering my headlight assembly. I've attached a picture. Do you guys think it will be possible to somehow affix a new headlight casing to the car without any extensive body work?

Thanks.

[sxcpotatoes]

All the mounting spots are gone. You wouldn't have much luck with just a lens/headlight assembly. What you really need (possibly only thing you might need besides a headlight assembly) is a "header panel." It's that plastic piece that goes across the entire front of the car that the headlights and grille and stuff mount into. May have to remove bumper skin, but the parts are not that expensive, $80-85 with free shipping on ebaymotors.com . You'll need a new headlight and parking lamp assembly, you can buy a whole pair on ebay again, new & crystal clear for around $100 shipped, both sides. If you supply the parts, I could see a reputable body shop charging about $2-300 to paint and assemble, but if you're feeling frisky, and you haven't bent the supports, you could disassemble & have the new part painted then put the parts on yourself.

You'd probably want to get a new plastic piece for under the hood that covers the headlight access, etc, dunno if it's called the front shroud/cover, but should be able to get one cheap at the junkyard. At a pull-your-own, you could even get free practice tearing a few front ends apart. '99-02 were all the same. Well, it might cost you a dollar to get in.

[sxcpotatoes]

Here's a link for the header panels on ebay motors http://www.ebay.com/sch/6000/i.html?...ssories&_rdc=2

Also, there's both a head lamp and cornering lamp assembly you need, so technically it's two pieces for each side, but the entire thing with the wrap-around may be listed as just a headlamp assembly on ebay. I didn't look to closely for used parts for those, but I'm sure they crop up, or you could snag one at the junk yard, just ask before you go up to the counter how much the part will be. You don't want to pull it and then the assholes want $50 when you could buy a new one for that price, shipped to your door, free.

[BuffaloRider]

He said it, you definitely need a header panel... unless you're really broke or just don't give a fuck, in which case there's always duct tape. From what I've read and seen a header panel replacement is definitely doable as long as you have the tools for it. You shouldn't have too much trouble finding donors at the junkyards either, I know the ones where I live have a good selection of 99-02's.

[sly]

technically, you could probably rig up some zip ties and strap a new assembly on your car, but you would definitely have to bend the fender back a bit close to it's original position to squeeze the assembly in. To get it to be stable, definitely need a header panel. and there are LOTS of little bolts involved and clips a plenty. I'd be looking in junk yards for same color 98-02 years to just swap over. Barring that, any color.