Got into an accident and trying to pick up pieces

[yikes11916]

Only 5 months ago in October, I purchased a 1992 LS400 with about 130K miles on it in great condition that we fell in love with immediately. Unfortunately, we got into an accident recently and our car has sustained some damage, particularly to the bumper and the passenger front quarter panel/fender.

Apparently, we will need to replace the at least the bumper, front passenger side fender, turn signal, and passenger headlamp. After the accident, the car was driving exactly as it was before it got into the accident, so I am wondering if I should be worried about any long-lasting effects. A private party who has fixed cars for my family and friends quite a few times in the past (by some of the work he's done, he looks to be pretty good) looked at the car in person and said that it will probably cost about $700 for him to replace everything, but I am extremely unsure about this because I have heard many stories of people on this website getting into similar accidents and needing thousands and thousands of dollars in repairs. Additionally, I am still not even 100% sure what exact parts I need to buy.

 

Attached are some pictures of the car after its accident.

 

 

[1990LS400]

$700 to repair all the damage sounds incredibly low.  About 15 years ago, another car "tapped" my rear bumper and one of the front license plate screws put a small hole in the cover.  It cost over $1,000 remove/reinstall the bumper cover, fill in the hole and repaint the entire cover.

I had a front bumper cover, left front fender, left fog light, and left front turn signal on a 2000 LS400 replaced about 10 years ago after hitting stuff that had fallen off a truck and that cost around $4,500 if I remember correctly. 

 

[landar]

Sorry to hear about the accident, Yikes.

The cost all depends upon how well you want the car to be repaired. If you want it like it was before, it will take new fender, turn-signal/side light, possibly headlight, hood is messed up, and of course the bumper and apron. You could probably spend over 1k in parts alone, then there is labor and paint. I think you are looking at 2-3k to do it 'right'. 

Then again, if you are not real picky, the $700 might get it looking ok...not great but ok, maybe. Junk yard parts are key to keeping the cost down.

Welcome to the club! 

[Exhaustgases]

What you need to do is find the correct paint code color parts at a wrecking yard. Or just find the correct color car on craigslist for the 700 and you will have lots of parts. Maybe even sell some. Do not install the wrong color and have it painted it never looks good.

[yikes11916]

Thank you all for your advice. I did expect repairs to be at least in the thousands  and we were planning to get the parts from a salvage yard to keep the costs down. Please keep any additional advice coming, I need all the help I can get!

[Exhaustgases]

The fix is going to be under 2K if you do what I say and if you can't change the parts find someone that can. Repaint matching is a joke, you then have 2 different types of paint on the car and they weather very differently. And if they use water paint and the base is not properly dried you get nice little pimples in a good freeze. Same goes for a paint air system with wet air. I have not seen a blend yet that I can not tell its been a repaint panel blend. And such crap does not belong on any year of luxury car or collector car. Only way to paint is have a well known auto painter strip and repaint like the factory did. And that can run into the 20K region cost wise. The easy thing to do is find the correct color car you can get the whole car for less than having some body shop mess around. And like I say you then have a whole bunch of spare parts. Body parts, interior parts, engine and transmission parts and the list goes on. If you plan on keeping the car it is the most cost effective way to go. And best to have the same options and year as the car you have, then you have a spare ecu, and all the other modules. Glass and what ever. Or you use what parts you need and then you got time to find replacements for the donor car then you have 2 of them, if you buy the donor cheap enough then sell it or the parts. If you did insurance on this they will just total it then you have a salvage title, you will not sell the car with a salvage title.