I hit a pole last night in my 97 850 T5 Wagon. It caused a lot of damage to the fender and the mirror on the driver's side. I got an estimate to fix it, but it's pretty expensive... has anyone ever replaced these parts... my husband has done this on other cars but never a Volvo. We found a great site with substantially discounted parts... http://www.autoparts4volvo.com/car_body_parts/850-1997-bodyparts---VL11EL.html
but now we are trying to figure out how hard this is to do.

"I hit a pole last night in my 97 850 T5 Wagon. It caused a lot of damage to the fender and the mirror on the driver's side"

Pot hole? Sounds more like a crater left by a meteor to damage the drivers side mirror! How can a pot hole cause so much damage?

I'd pay someone else to repair any major bodywork damage unless it is simple bolt on parts. If it's just a case of replacing the mirror then this is quite easy and is described in the haynes manual. The fender may be a different story as it is made up of three or four layers so it may be better to seek professional assistance.

Good luck

Andy

Thanks for the sound advice. After your feedback, we are going to do the smart thing and pay a professional.

It was a pole, not a pot hole.... one of the stupidest things I've done in a long time! Thanks again!

Apologies for me being unable to read properly.

It's always a bummer when your car gets damaged. Still, at least it's only the fender and mirror.

Don't you just hate it when fixed objects jump into your path? Those invisible poles are a pain!

Good luck. I hope it's not too expensive to fix.

Yes always tragic when fixed objects damage your car... I am most grateful, though, because the only thing I hurt (beside some metal and plastic, is my pride!)

It's expensive to fix... but doable so I don't have to go to the insurance... because that is really expensive in the long run. That is the joy of Volvos... they are very safe, but very expensive to repair when damaged. However I'll take that over the other option... once I was rear ended by a pavement breaking truck... there was over $15,000 damage to my Volvo... I walked away without a bruise.

I just need to pay more attention and stay out of the path of wayward poles.

Bodywork is not so easy that it can be described in an e-mail message. That's why there are countless courses available at vo-tech schools throughout the country for learning bodywork techniques. After a semester or two, he might be able to get decent results.

Or... you can "pay the man."

--
Jim Rothe, '99 S70 T5M,
http://www.jimrothe.com/volvo/index.html

Thanks for the good advice. We are gonna suck it up and pay the man.