finally ready to bond with my sport trac

[Devon Fathauer]

OK so Im 18 years old with about a $200 a week job and attend college, I have a 2003 white sport trac XLT fully loaded and im ready to do some work.

this truck used to be a work truck for my dad and now its mine..ive had it since 2006 and theres now 110k miles on it.

about 4 years ago my dad hit a deer on the high way and cracked the front bumper cladding, the front bumper and the front corner light came loose (its being held in with tape now lol)..the hood is slightly dented also. my local ford dealership wants 3k to fix this damage which is why i havent fixed it..im wondering if i should buy a new bumper and fix it myself or take it to Mako or something..also, my friend rear ended me in his bronco and severely dented my tailgate which i would also like to fix...

what do you guys suggest i do about this damage?

also, after i fix it where should i start on upgrades for the engine and exterior?

 

[Jim parnell]

coastiejoe has access to salvage yard info, he should join in soon to help you find used parts if you don't mind that route, save $$

 

[S KRX]

That front damage doesn't look too bad at all. I'll bet you can find a used replacement bumper cladding, especially since its a common color (white). Do it yourself, or find a buddy who's done something similar to help you out. Its not hard to replace plastic bumpers, why pay $80 an hour for labor??

 

[David Griffith 2]

I agree.. that doesn't look to bad.. I'd fix it on my own.

 

[Bo Loo]

FYI, a guy in Cocoa has been trying to unload a bumper cover for months on Craigs list...

 

[Gavin Allan]

Good luck, Fishbowl! I wish I was 18 and had a Trac! Oh, the trouble I would get into. Enjoy it now, 17-18 was the best years of my life- it is all downhill after that.



As for the rear-end damage by your friend, I think a good ass-whooping would help fix that problem...:lol::lol:

 

[Devon Fathauer]

thanks for the advice..ya so i took the trac to maaco today..just got an estimate to compare to my ford dealer...holy crap! $1200 for an aftermarket front bumper, hood, and front left fender (plus labor)..i didnt even bother with the tailgate..i guess its dented beyond repair and an ass-whooping will be delivered.

im gona try paint-less dent removal sometime..

im putting new shocks on it tomorrow morning too

any advice or help on possibly getting a new front bumper/cladding? i really dont wana pay maaco for their bs

 

[ray moyer]

i dunno bout ur maaco but the one in my town is complete garbage...



work is horrible... i dont think they even prep. it horrible



i can rattle better than they paint...



go with cold air, throttle body and exhaust...

after ur done with body work...

then get a programmer...



thats a good starting point

 

[Chris Taylor]

The tailgate will be the easiest to replace, especially if you can find it in white. You just lift it off and unhook the cables... As mentioned, Coastiejoe has a way to get a listing from the junkyards in your area on who has what.

 

[Devon Fathauer]

ok well i have one of those cheapo aftermarket air intakes coming in and new cornerlights..definitely need to do something about the body damage still...how do i contact this coastiejoe?

 

[Shaun Tucker]

Fishbowl,



welcome to the site bro. Hopefully you're bonding experience is as fun as mine!



You can find members of MYST.com by typing their name in the search and by checking off "Authors"



the search button is at the top of the forum page where the topics are listed.

Give it a shot!

 

[Devon Fathauer]

thanks shaun, not sure I understand what you mean exactly.

I dont mean to be a bug but i'd like to hear opinions on fixing my bumper and tailgate the cheapest way possible

 

[Shaun Tucker]

Fishbowl,



When you click on "Sport Trac" on the side navigation menu...



<--- Right there, see it?



..the Forum topics are listed.



this is where you posted this topic, right? Well, look along the top of that page and you will see a bunch of blue buttons. One of them is the search button.



Put "Coastiejoe" in the search field and there will be a checkbox under there where you can say you want to search authors and not the text within the messages.



hope that helps







If not, just scroll up to the very top of this topic and you will see the blue buttons there too!

 

[Devon Fathauer]

ya i know how to search, thanks though