As I mentioned in the Christmas thread, I was in a minor car accident recently. Today, while changing my oil, I had a better chance to get a good look at what pieces need to be replaced. They are:
+ hood
+ driver's side headlight
+ plastic trim piece under the headlight
+ plastic radiator grille
+ front bumper *

Since there are no metal pieces that need to be straightened out, I am almost tempted to replace these parts myself, if I can find them for a reasonable price. The one iffy part is the bumper; it doesn't look damaged, but many years ago, I either read or saw a strong recommendation that the bumpers in modern cars need to be replaced or at least serviced after a crash because they are filled with a foam material similar to that used in bicycle helmets. The foam absorbs the impact of a collision by becoming crushed and as a result, it offers very little protection against future collisions.

Has anyone on this board been in a similar predicament before? Would you recommend the body shop you used? Or, did you repair the damage yourself?

I used Kadels Auto Body in Gresham twice for minor repairs. They've always done a great job at very reasonable prices.

About a year and a half ago, some kid hit my son in my wife's Tundra.

We took it to Northwest Auto Body;

4615 NE Minnehaha St
Vancouver, WA 98661
(360) 573-1152

They did an awesome job.

They worked with the insurance company of the kid who hit him, had the truck done when promised and washed and polished the entire vehicle.

I highly recommend them.

I think that I would start with a detailed estimate from a decent shop (Like Kadels)... they might find problems that you missed, and you should be able to tell from their estimate if bumper replacement is indicated...then check wrecking yards (like u-pull-it) to get parts costs, and figure from there.

Good thing your frame and axle was intact!

I think the bit of information missing here is the age of the car.

I'm guessing the magic number is around $5,000. If the car is worth less than that, do it yourself.

You'll find your biggest problem will be matching the paint on the new hood.

While its been a while since I've done body work, the paint vs vehicle age issue is how I'd decide what to do.

Uh Oh...better get:
http://c66.yellowpages.com/displaygif/ypc/PA/50/PA44950.gif

Hidden damage can wipe you out if you choose a cash settlement. Get 3 estimates from reputable shops and then it's just things like will they tow it for free if it needs to be, loner car, etc.

Si's Auto Body
6708 NE Glisan Street
Portland, OR 97213
(503) 254-8531

You can read several reviews on yelp.com