2000 Mountaineer gets rear-ended again!

[koda2000]

My daughter's 2000 Mountaineer (2WD 5.0L 245,000+ miles) got rear-ended for the second time in as many months. This is the 3rd time this truck has been rear-ended in the 8 years we've owned it. The first time was about a month after I bought it in 2012 with my wife driving. That bend the rear bumper brackets. I replaced them with a used pair of brackets for $20 (IIRC) and didn't bother with insurance.

The second time (last month) bent the passenger's side bumper bracket. I haven't bothered fixing it.

Last week's accident:
- Popped the plastic trim/step on the top of bumper up on the driver's side.
- Smashed the crap out of the d/s tail light.
- Put a small dent in the d/s quarter panel where the tail light housing hit it.
- Put a tiny dent in the left edge of lift-gate and scuffed the paint slightly.
- Scraped a small amount of paint off the small piece of trim below the d/s tail light.

I figured the insurance company would total the truck and then I'd buy it back and fix it myself. I bought a used tail light assembly off eBay for $20 and new long-life 3157 and 3156 bulbs for around $10 from Amazon (bulbs cost me .82 cents using some Amazon points).
- Removed the broken tail light, straightened the bend pieces of metal where the tail light mounts.
- Snapped the plastic trim piece back into the holes on top of the rear bumper.
- Test-fit the replacement tail light until I was happy with it.
- Installed the 3 new bulbs (signal, stop/tail and backup)..
- Reinstalled the tail light assembly and tested it (everything works fine). You can barely tell anything happened.

Total money spent on repairs - $20.82 (plus $20 more if I decide want to replace the bumper brackets).

My total time spent replacing/fixing the tail light assembly and popping the bumper trim back on - 1.5 hours.

I just got off the phone with the other driver's insurance company. We settled with them sending us a check for $1,900 to do as we please with no total/buy-back hassle. I'd call that a big win and the old Mountaineer gets to live on. It still runs like a top and is the best riding of all the Gen II Expl's/Mountaineer's I've owned. Now that we recovered the driver's seat this past spring the interior is descent. The worst things about it is that the clear-coat is peeling off the hood, tops of the front fenders and the wheels.

 

[toypaseo]

Uh $1860 to use for whatever... win

 

[donalds]

Sad to hear about your Mountaineer it's a shame but I can't help but to wonder what the other car looked like are you gonna fix it best you can or leave it just wondering

 

[koda2000]

Uh $1860 to use for whatever... win

Yeah, it's almost enough to get the stuff I need to rebuild the engine on my '01 POS Sport Trac. I'm estimating around $2,000 for the parts and tools using all high quality parts. That's still a $1,000 less than buying a reman engine of unknown quality.

 

[donalds]

. That's still a $1,000 less than buying a reman engine of unknown quality.

I'm just curious why not do some research on the manufacturer to figure out the quality and parts used ?

I have to say I'm happy to hear about another sho engine back on the road again

 

[koda2000]

Sad to hear about your Mountaineer it's a shame but I can't help but to wonder what the other car looked like are you gonna fix it best you can or leave it just wondering

I've already got it back to a completely functional level and the damage doesn't look bad at all. The only thing I pondering is if I want to replace the bent bumper brackets. I'll probably buy the used ones I found on eBay for $20 and install them when the weather cools down in the fall.

When I bought this Mountaineer, back in Oct 2012, It was a really good looking truck with 178K on it. I paid around $2,300 for it back then and I'm now getting $1,900 for the accident damage 8 years later and putting nearly a 100,000 more miles on it, so no need to feel too bad for me. It still runs and drives perfectly (even if it's not so pretty any more).

 

[donalds]

I've already got it back to a completely functional level and the damage doesn't look bad at all. The only thing I pondering is if I want to replace the bent bumper brackets. I'll probably buy the used ones I found on eBay for $20 and install them when the weather cools down in the fall.

When I bought this Mountaineer, back in Oct 2012, It was a really good looking truck with 178K on it. I paid around $2,300 for it back then and I'm now getting $1,900 for the accident damage 8 years later and putting nearly a 100,000 more miles on it, so no need to feel too bad for me. It still runs and drives perfectly (even if it's not so pretty any more).

I'm happy to read that it's still drives also that you can keep it lol it will go for ever like a tank I love these old trucks as the old saying goes they just don't make theme like they used to

 

[koda2000]

I'm just curious why not do some research on the manufacturer to figure out the quality and parts used ?

I have to say I'm happy to hear about another sho engine back on the road again

As far as researching engine re-manufacturers and parts used, I'd rather do the labor myself. I'm pretty much the only "mechanic" I trust and doing the labor myself will save me around $1000.

 

[donalds]

As far as researching engine re-manufacturers and parts used, I'd rather do the labor myself. I'm pretty much the only "mechanic" I trust and doing the labor myself will save me around $1000.

Now that I can really understand.
I wish I have a garage I would have rebuilt mine the tc components were fine ....I would have replaced them anyway....but the oil sprayer s clogged and trashed the cams and I needed to do the whole job in a weekend and I did get her done in a weekend man that took some planning and I did not want to cut any corners I mean not even a clip luckily I have a friend who has a shop and let me hang around to help so I know it was done right...people don't change oil which I hate and I don't ever use that word
My wife's friend always asking me to do work on her truck and she won't change the oil on time so I won't do the work I guess that makes me an ass ....
I love this kinda stuff which I'm sure you have figured out by now wish I was close I would love to help you on assembly

 

[lobo411]

I'm surprised you didn't have to straighten out the frame rail where the brackets mount. Mine got rear ended and it took an anvil, and iron bar, and a lot of patient beating with a 5 lb sledgehammer to get it shaped back into a rectangle so I could mount the bracket. Looks fine now, though.

 

[koda2000]

I'm surprised you didn't have to straighten out the frame rail where the brackets mount. Mine got rear ended and it took an anvil, and iron bar, and a lot of patient beating with a 5 lb sledgehammer to get it shaped back into a rectangle so I could mount the bracket. Looks fine now, though.

I haven't looked at it closely yet. So IDK for sure.

 

[lobo411]

I haven't looked at it closely yet. So IDK for sure.

Sounds like it's not twisted that bad though. Mine was obvious...the rear bumper was twisted up at a 45 degree angle!

 

[koda2000]

Sounds like it's not twisted that bad though. Mine was obvious...the rear bumper was twisted up at a 45 degree angle!

The driver's side looks pretty much level now that I snapped the plastic trim piece back on. The passenger side (last month's rear-ending) is down at maybe a 15 degree angle. I'll try to look at it closer as soon as I get the chance.

 

[EB4X]

That's what I like about our/my Ex versus my daily-driver WJ Jeep.....NO REAR MOUNTED GAS TANK....you would think that after the Pinto no one would place it there again.....

 

[koda2000]

I just had a chance to get under the rear bumper of the Mountaineer to inspect the bumper brackets and the frame horns. I see no damage. I think if I loosen the 4 mounting bolts I should be able to get the bumper straight again. Also, I was able to get the tiny dent in the edge of the lift-gate out by hitting it from behind (using a wooden hammer handle and a second hammer) and I got the scuffs off the paint of the lift-gate with some polishing compound. As I don't think I'll need to replace the bumper brackets I'm thinking about buying a spray-can of Harvest Gold touch-up paint to repaint the scratched piece of trim under the tail light. The only remaining visual damage will be where the tail light got pushed into the quarter panel, which is not all that notifiable.

It looks like the $1,900 check from the insurance company (or maybe it's some paperwork) is coming in today's mail.

 

[donalds]

Yeeyeee

 

[koda2000]

I just went outside and decided to loosen up the bumper bolts, then I put a socket on the trailer ball nut and jacked the bumper straight again and re-tightened the nuts. It's now sitting perfectly straight and even. I even compounded the black Toyota paint off the bumper. All-in-all the easiest $1,900 I ever made (less the cost a used tail light and some bulbs).

As an added plus, I finally got to replace that dam tail light with the gold on it (from some year Limited or Premier?) that has always bugged me.

 

[EB4X]

After 3 rear-end events I think it's time to put one of these on the rear hatch....

 

[GLOCKer]

Sucky situation ends in a win!

 

[koda2000]

Sucky situation ends in a win!

Yeah, every once and a while things work out in your favor. Not often, but it's nice when they do. I'm surprised the ins co didn't just total it.