Gotta share my stupidity

Pulling into the parking garage at work, inattentive, BANG! Bonked an I-beak with the RF bumper and overrider, which in turn pushed back into the Fender right below my (uninjured Euro headlamp) and crumpled my fender above the wheelwell. DAMMIT

Talked to a few body people without any real hope for salvaging the fender.(I desperately want to avoid an overall respray and figure an inconspicuous matching of the present paint will be highly unlikely)

Local indy mechanic suggested pulling off the bumper might release the pressure which was holding the dent in the fender. Got under the car and discovered the bumper mounts are designed like springs and they had been pushed toward flat. Pulled' em out, utilized some serious blows with a sledge and they are close to original shape. Used my butt to bump the outward part of the crumple back into place. In doing this the correlative dent was pulled out quite a bit. Judicious use of a rubber mallet and block finished the job.

Only outward signs are very slight "wave" above the wheelwell and the slice in my bumper rubber which matches the barely noticeable dings in the brightwork. Also a few spots of touch-up paint where the overrider contacted the body under the headlamp and where the paint popped off at the crumple along the lip of the wheelwell.

Sorry this is so long, but I am just astounded at how this 32-yr old body responded to my amateur ministrations. I saved over a grand by fiddling with this myself. One fella refused to believe the before and after versions were each my own handiwork!

The LESSON: Watch where you are going --basic advice which I had assumed was automatic for me because of my years of driving.

kpb