The Crocodilian lives on....

[Mr. Alligator]

Two months ago, my1997 Ford Explorer was hit by a 2017 Chevrolet Suburban. The driver of the Suburban was apparently very distraught and completely ignored a red light. The Suburban snapped a back axle (or something that left the back wheel dangling freely) and had to be towed away.

My favorite, the 1997 Ford, suffered damage including two smashed fenders, smashed inner fenders, a ruined hood, a smashed bumper and bumper covers, a destroyed brush guard, a mangled fiberglass header panel, a wrecked grill and headlights and turn signals, a slightly bent radiator core support, and lots of miscellaneous broken connections and cut wires.

At least I was able to drive away and by the grace of God no one was injured... these Fords are tough.

 

[Mr. Alligator]

With the help of the information and support of this Forum, the six week restoration project began. Luckily, I found a very nice “donor” truck in North Georgia, and the local salvage dealers had lots of miscellaneous parts and patience.

Thank you to everyone on this Forum for allowing this truck to be keep rolling!

 

[Mr. Alligator]

I worked every day, except for some Sundays, from sunrise ‘til dinner... referring often to this awesome Forum.

The salvage parts were so inexpensive that I considered them “free”. When I got to the paint, things would get more expensive. But this was a relentless labor of love....

 

[Mr. Alligator]

I did not do a great job documenting the step by step project, because it seemed almost insurmountable and all I wanted to do was keep going, make progress, and finish.

I thought that 540,000 miles made the truck a valuable relic.... The adjuster said it might render the truck almost worthless. Luckily, we settled on payment that covered my expenses, and he agreed NOT to impact the truck title. A salvage title would not seem that bad, but it would have cancelled my insurance, required me to get the truck inspected by DMV, and required me to get future insurance through a small group of providers.

...

 

[Mr. Alligator]

Anyway, the Crocodilian lives...

*I already had the camo ceiling liner and the crocodile vinyl upholstery.

 

[Mr. Alligator]

The moral of the story... be careful out there, drive defensively, and stay safe.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

 

[EB4X]

The moral of the story... be careful out there, drive defensively, and stay safe.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

SWEEEEEET !!!!!!! GOOD JOB ON RESTORATION!
I have (also) a Jeep GC that was in accident caused by other driver .... got that back in "decent" shape - not as good as yours - and back on road so can relate...

 

[XLTrunner]

You are to be commended for your dedication repairing this unique truck. Looks awesome! Onward to 600K miles!

 

[C420sailor]

Nice save! Bet that Suburban is in the junk yard.

 

[sandsprayer]

Nice! I thought those tire treads looked familiar.
Your original grill guard saved you a lot of work
Glad to hear about avoiding the re builder title, those ain't good.
Keep giving em hell