To make a long story short, I was cut off by some ricer in a black Prelude coming FAST off an exit ramp. I was going about 60 mph and had to "swerve" into a turn-in. By the time I nailed the brakes and had the ABS kick in, I estimate I was going about 40 mph or so. I nailed a high curb (they are quite high and square down here in TX). I hit it on the driver's side at about a 45 degree angle. Plowed through a garden bed and emerged on the other side into a empty parking lot.

I was on my way to a business lunch and was pretty shaken as I have never had an accident before. I'm not sure if this counts. My associates thought the car looked great considering the damage to the curb I left behind. They felt confident their new rental Cadillac would have been toast. Anyway, on to the important stuff...

Somehow nothing critical to the operation of the engine was compromised. Condensor, Radiator, and mounts all appear OK. I was able to drive the car 30 miles home (on back roads of course). A/C still blows cold. The steering wheel is severely cocked and the car wanders if you let it. In very tight turns, there is rubbing in the driver's side wheel well. Also, there is a very pronounced squeaking noise coming from the area of the cowl or A-pillar. I suspect this is simply the infamous W124 fender squeak exacerbated by sharp impact, but I will have to check further to be sure. The shocks are tight and still respond wonderfully, so I have no reason to suspect they are damaged. I will of course inspect the mounts.

I have done a preliminary survey of the damage and need help determining how much this is going to cost me. I self-insure, so this is coming out of my pocket. With the exception of final alignment, I will be doing all work myself, so labor is assumed free. Here is what I have observed so far:

- 2 new wheels
- 2 new tires
- new sway bar, mounts, and bushings
- new control arms (maybe just driver side?)
- new bumper
- paint
- new belly pan and gasket (the old one is in the trunk)
- 4-wheel alignment

My unstudied estimate is $1000 to $1500 ballpark. Does that sound about right? Here are my questions/concerns:

1. Obviously the front driver wheel took the bulk of the impact as evidenced by the bent control arm. Is it absolutely necessary to replace the passenger side control arm as well? It doesn't appear to be bent, but how can I be sure? Are there any body guys here who can give me some guideline measurements? Or should I just wait to see what they tell me when it's on the Hunter rack?

2. Should I just do tie rods for good measure? They're next to free anyway...

3. I'm assuming the spindles and races should be OK. Am I hopelessly optimistic?

4. The driver side wheel is cracked, and I would replace both front wheels as a safety precaution. Ditto for the tires. But the rear set should still be good, right? I'm assuming the initial sharp impact from the front wheels would have slowed the vehicle down enough that the integrity of the rear wheels/tires were not compromised?

5. Look at the pics of the driver side fender. It looks like it got rolled by the wheel. Any tips on straigtening this? I could of course leave it, but that 1/4 inch deviation is gonna bug me every time I look at it.

6. I will be renting the spring compressors here. Any tips?

7. Am I missing anything obvious?

THANKS IN ADVANCE!

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08 W251 R350
97 W210 E320
91 W124 300E
86 W126 560SEL
85 W126 380SE Silver
85 W126 380SE Cranberry
79 W123 250
78 W123 280E
75 W114 280