Repairing front damage

[Paco Anton]

A month ago I had an accident, crashing the 911 frontally and hitting a concrete kerb that went under the fender and damaged the underside of the car.

Fortunately the suspension was not hit, but the bumper and gas tank were severely damaged and need to be changed

I have an estimate of around $4.000 for the repairs that I consider fairly accurate. The most important items on the bill are the gas tank and the fender, that go for some $800 each.

My mechanic says that he can get used ones for half the price. I'm leaning towards getting these used parts and saving some money. They would be replacing 20 year old parts anyway. On other more sensitive items I'll stick to new parts.

So, what's the opinion of the board?

EDIT: Yes, I am fully paying for the repairs

[dickster]

you're ins co is obviously not paying so i dont theres anything wrong in your logic. just get good secondhand parts.

[GB83SC]

Paco, sorry about the car. Here are a couple of used part houses that should be able to help.
20Th St. Auto Parts. 800-999-4911
Parts@20thstreetauto.com
Parts heaven 800-767-7250
info@partsheaven.com
www.partsheaven.com
Both have been around for many years,
and should be able to ship to Spain with no problem.
I would also try E-bay Germany
Buena suerte.

[Paco Anton]

Sorry to bump this but I need some more input before taking the plunge

[Neilk]

If you are paying for it yourself, I don't see anything wrong with used parts. Like you said, you are replacing 20 year old parts. For some piece of mind, you should inspect any used replacement part yourself before you buy it.

[cstreit]

THe only part I wouldn't consider getting used would be the tank unless there is some sort of insurance on it. A tank that was sitting in weather, or had water in it could get rust in your fuel system and end up costing you a lot more....

A fuel cell or new/guaranteed tank would be right... Unless you were sure of its condition. Bumpers and ffenders used? no problem so long as they're rust free

[Harlan Chinn]

Paco, I visited your beautiful city last July where I stayed in the Gran Villa district. I saw a few 911s driving around but not many, I saw more Vespas and BMW Scooters. I was very happy traveling through Espana. I'm sorry to hear of your car accident. Used parts will certainly save you a lot more money. The bumpers are very heavy milled aluminum, so rust is not an issue. Probably better to locate the parts on the continent to save in shipping costs. The critical components should be new and even factory new as they are covered by Porsche's warranty.

[Paco Anton]

Thanks for the tips guys. As it happens, parts from the factory are here usually cheaper than Wayne's so I will be getting all chassis parts directly from Porsche.

For the other parts I will try to source a good used front bumper and check the fuel tank condition.

Harlan, yes, I have tough times spotting other 911s than mine, but that makes my car even more special, doesn't it?. If you (or anybody else) ever come to Madrid again drop me a line and I'll tour you around. And... yes I also used to drive a Vespa back in the good ol' times