Uuuggggg...Hit a F$#%ING Cat!!!

[galaxy]

This little SOB decides to take a stroll across five (yes, 5) lanes of a major interstate running through a major metropolitan area!! It was night, so I never even saw him until he was in the headlights. I tried to get a quick peek in the mirror to see if I could hit the brakes, but before I could move my eyes, THUNK. $@#%@$$#&&@@%$$@#$!!

Anywho...I'll get some pics up for the visual, but it's fairly simple damage. Caught him right center in the lower grill. He got scooped up instead of getting mowed down. He went through the grill, so that's completely busted out. It also busted up the airflow box section (for lack of a better term) that sits between the grill and the radiator/AC. No damage to the fins on the AC, so he didn't make it that far in. It popped the corner of the center section out of place, but it does not appear like it broke anything there. Also did not break any tabs off that lower painted piece (between the splitter and the grill opening). No damage to that temp sensor that sits right behind the grill. For reference, that boxed section that that temp sensor is attached to is what got busted up.

So, initial indications are I only need that lower grill and that airflow box section behind there. No sheetmetal damage, and no damage to anything painted. Looks like all R&R plastic parts. Just hoping no tabs or anything broke underneath the splitter center section; that's the only unknown.

I have not removed the splitter or anything underneath. Hoping I can get up in there from behind to replace those parts without completely removing the front clip. So I guess my questions are this...

-With the splitter and underneath items removed, can I access this area without removing the front clip?
-Guessing Ford is going to be the best/only place to pick up these parts?
-Any idea on pricing? Thinking I don't want to do an insurance claim for this (and I don't want to let them fix it anyways)

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[oldbmwfan]

What was the damage to the cat?

Back when my race car was still street-legal, I was driving across the PA turnpike late at night in a rainstorm and hit a deer that had already been killed by a truck. Went up and over, but the car was very low and the deer left some ... souvenirs. It was truly disgusting to pull chunks of rib bone and fur out of my suspension "x-brace" that tied together the front end and protected the oil pan. Also had to remove gunk from the swaybar mounts and scrape burned flesh off the exhaust, but amazingly I had no real damage.

Looks like the lower plastic center grill is about $90, and the side grills are about $100 each. And if I'm reading the parts diagram right, the big duct component in front of the radiator and condenser is ~$225.

You can access a lot of that with the belly pan and splitter out, but to remove the ductwork you probably have to pull the front bumper.

Hope the bumper tabs are intact!

 

[Austinj427]

Not sure about MO but in CO that would be a comp loss and there shouldn't be a surcharge on your insurance for it.

But it sounds like it may be minor enough that it may not even clear your deductible.

 

[galaxy]

What was the damage to the cat?

Who gives a s#$%? LOL...never saw him again. There's some hair on the splitter and what looks like hair on the exhaust pipes, but no, no solid pieces to clean up. He was a normal sized house cat. I looked, no damage or even any marks underneath.

Looks like the lower plastic center grill is about $90, and the side grills are about $100 each. And if I'm reading the parts diagram right, the big duct component in front of the radiator and condenser is ~$225.

You can access a lot of that with the belly pan and splitter out, but to remove the ductwork you probably have to pull the front bumper.

Hope the bumper tabs are intact!

Thanks for that info, that's awesome. Is that on line somewhere where I can check it out? Side grills are untouched. He never made it up high enough to contact the bumper area (the section between the upper and lower grills). All the bumper tabs that snap into the lower grill are all intact. No damage. The grill popped free from the tabs. Under the splitter we'll have to wait and see.

Not sure about MO but in CO that would be a comp loss and there shouldn't be a surcharge on your insurance for it.

But it sounds like it may be minor enough that it may not even clear your deductible.

Ooohhh, that's a good thought too. Didn't think of that. Yea, insurance may be a moot point; thanks dude.

 

[Epiphany]

So the cat got ejected? Because reading this through I can't help but think he's buried in there now.

 

[vernonator]

Had similar happen a few years back in my SHO - hit a small raccoon. Broke the chin splitter and tore up the front wheel well (pass side) over $1k damage...little buggers.

 

[oldbmwfan]

So the cat got ejected? Because reading this through I can't help but think he's buried in there now.

That was my thinking; there may be feline puree up in there ... unless the critter just bounced off (which would hold the the relatively light damage).

 

[GT_Dave]

I took a hit a couple of weeks ago on the tollway by a piece of 2x4 lumber that a car flipped up in front of me. I guess, fortunately I was able to swerve and avoid an on-center hit to the main grill. The piece punched a hole about the size of a baseball in the grill below the right side turn signal. That single grill piece ended up costing me $150. Now I get to see what it is like to pull the front bumper off the car.

 

[galaxy]

$127 for the grill and $327 for the duct assembly. @oldbmwfan where’d you have those cheaper prices from?

 

[lightrules]

This is just a painful story to read. Sorry OP!

 

[Brian V]

Does The GT 350 have active grill shutters ?

 

[galaxy]

Does The GT 350 have active grill shutters ?

No

 

[galaxy]

So the cat got ejected? Because reading this through I can't help but think he's buried in there now.

Yea, looks like he got scooped up and then went back under at some point. It was a solid hit though to bust up that fairing inside. Oh well.

 

[galaxy]

But it sounds like it may be minor enough that it may not even clear your deductible.

So yea, have a $1,000 deductible. But get this odd conversation. I called my claims folks and in generic terms (before stating "I want to start a claim"), I asked them if I know the damage is less than the deductible, is there even any reason to file a claim? She flat out refused to answer that question! And not as if she didn't know the answer, but refused to answer. Why would that be?

So my next question, is there a video or "how to" floating around on pulling the front bumper/clip off? Didn't see anything on youtube

 

[honeybadger]

So yea, have a $1,000 deductible. But get this odd conversation. I called my claims folks and in generic terms (before stating "I want to start a claim"), I asked them if I know the damage is less than the deductible, is there even any reason to file a claim? She flat out refused to answer that question! And not as if she didn't know the answer, but refused to answer. Why would that be?

So my next question, is there a video or "how to" floating around on pulling the front bumper/clip off? Didn't see anything on youtube

I just took mine off to install an APR splitter. Got a bit of that on film (although it wasn't the focus of the video). Happy to answer any specifics, tho.

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