Saw my wife's truck today at the body shop. It looked like a ML yard sale.

Parts were everywhere. Engine and transmission were take out as a unit. The axles were off. The body was up in the air on a lift. The engine bay was empty but for the radiator and the overflow tank. The new frame was sitting next to the old frame on the shop floor.

Despite all the teething pains we have had with this '99 model I was very impressed with the way it is put together.

Two mechanics worked as a team. They started this morning and the shop manger said that they should be finished by mid-morning tomorrow with the reassembly. (I guess I'll have one of the few hand built MLs in the States.)

They then will fix the minor damge to the lower lip of the hatch and install the hatch, hitch and rear bumper skin. After road testing it, if all goes well we should have it back on Saturday or Monday at the latest.

(I had the old style fuel filter, had it changed to the new, amazingly easy when there is not a truck sitting on top of the frame.)

This damage was orginally estimated at $3500 for what looked like a minor fender bender. The final bill should top $10,000 but the car will have the same crash strength as before.

If your ML is ever rear ended and the bumper supports are bent you too should demand a replacement frame to protect yourself in the next crash.