Front bumper cover damaged.

[JSlabotsky]

Well, I did something today I never thought I would allow to happen. I was fumbling with my cell phone in traffic and looked down for a second. When I looked up I was about to hit the back of a Ford F-150. Luckily all I made contact with was his trailer hitch, but it put an ugly dent in my bumper cover.

The dent is in the license plate area toward the passenger side. All the plastic parts are dented/creased, including the top edge of the bumer cover just below the grille. At first I was hopeful that all the damage was to the impact strip and license plate bracket. The bumper cover doesn't look like it will pop back into shape. It also slightly bent the metal behind the top edge of the bumper, but nothing I can't easily pull out with a slide hammer.

I have a few questions:

- Can I replace just the bumper cover and remain safe? Like I said, it hit hard enough to dent the metal behind the bumper, but not severely.

- If I decide I can live with the crease in the bumper cover, is it possible to replace only the impact strip?

- Where is the best place to get parts that look as good as the factory parts? Salvage yard?

- Is this a good enough excuse to buy a body kit? :p

Thanks guys...