PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

Hit a deer this morning on the way to work.....



Big buck (nice sized antlers) popped outta nowhere from the left...hit him in the ass with the right front corner...
I was doing 45mph (posted speed)... hit him before I could even hit the brakes...

next thing I see is fur and pieces of headlight glass flying up over the hood...





You can faintly see the outline of his hind leg on the bumper cover just left of the foglight.



Busted the headlight out...bent the corner of the hood and the front tip of the fender, popped the turn signal lens out.
And you can see a chunk of fur in there.



You an see how far the turn signal lens sticks out.



Here you can see how bad the hood and fender are bent.

All I saw in the rearview mirror was fur floating in the air... never saw where he went or if he ended up dead...

I know its not much, but this thing WAS mint!

Thank goodness for $0 deductable comprehensive insurance!!!!
Already have a claim in to the insurance co. Will have it worked on at the local FORMER Pontiac dealer...most likely... Guarenteed work with guarenteed new manufacturer parts...so will see how it goes.

Such a shame too. I was going to ask if it broke the header panel, but it don't matter now since insurance is picking it up now.

I dont think it did break the header panel, i looked at everything beind the healight and could not see any additional damage...wont know for sure until the headlight is taken off.

Sorry to see that!

Fortunately, you do have comprehensive, as things can be made all good again. I had similar damage a few years back on the driver's side. After repairs my car looks mint again. In fact when they repainted the hood, it eliminated all the small specks of chipped paint, minor scratches, etc. that occur over time as normal wear and tear. So, it wasn't all bad.

I am wondering if any painting will be involved...its only bent a little...but will wait till I take it to the dealer for the estimate.

I don't know. It looks to me that both the front of the right fender and the hood might require painting after they are returned to the proper shape, but then, I'm not a body shop expert at all. I do know that I would not want that damage, however small, to remain there if it can be covered by insurance.

When I had this damage, they replaced the hood because it is easier and quicker to replace than to straighten the hood. Same with the fender. Examine the hood/fender spacing /alignment before you leave the shop.. Your's doesn't look as bad as mine was.

could have been alot worse, even though it still sucks.im just saying, count your blessings!

wake wrote:could have been alot worse, even though it still sucks.im just saying, count your blessings!

Oh, I'm counting my blessings!!! slpit second earlier and I woulda had an deer in my windshield!!

BTW...where can I get a set of hood scoops like those in your pic?? I think they look awesome!!

Skippy1827 wrote:When I had this damage, they replaced the hood because it is easier and quicker to replace than to straighten the hood. Same with the fender. Examine the hood/fender spacing /alignment before you leave the shop.. Your's doesn't look as bad as mine was.

ouch!! yeah, mine's not as bad...

not my car, former Pontiac Bonneville Club members car

check this out
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=e ... 17d3cf2d50

Sucks that you hit a deer, but it could have been a LOT worse.

Also, those are those cheap stick-on fake scoops that you can buy from JC Whitney, Jeg's, Summit Racing, or probably find at your local ricer-zone. I'm not a huge fan of them, they look really cheap...

Uncle's truck at 70 MPH.

fuelforthesoul1999 wrote:Uncle's truck at 70 MPH.

OUCH!!!!!

That sucks, much better than when i hit a deer. needed new hood, fender, bumper cover, headlight. They were smashed.

wake wrote:not my car, former Pontiac Bonneville Club members car

check this out
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=e ... 17d3cf2d50

yeah not a fan what so ever, thats 2 full tanks of gas worth.

at *dang* near 3 bucks a gallon that wont even think about filling my truck 36 gallon tank

45mph? What did you hit, the tail?

I smoked a deer full on in a 2006 solistce at about 50mph a few years ago... Doors and forward was all new panels, both headlights, etc...

I hate to say it but you guys have pansy sized deer compared to here.
If you hit a dear in a car here it is almost guaranteed a writeoff irregardless of age.

Glad you have the good insurance.

I was gonna say, the further south you go, the smaller the deer are, but the bigger the rack, proportionally. Up here an average deer is huge compared to even Missouri, which is only 400 miles south.

Image what its like all the way up here.
Ive only ever seen one car not get written off after hitting a deer here...
(and even then it should have been)