[nUcLeArEnVoY]

See attached photos.

Noticed it today when backing my '79 back into my storage facility. I know it didn't happen today, and this damage wasn't there when I wiped the car down this past Monday, so it must've happened while it was parked at my gym one of the two times I took it there throughout the week. Some scumbag must've backed into it. I know this is very minor and could be a LOT worse, but man, after having lost my prior daily driver car this past August in a hit-and-run, having my T/A struck by what essentially amounts to another hit-and-run is really reinforcing my desire to leave this sh*tpile of a city (Miami) as it gets more and more overcrowded.

The cost isn't what worries me. I have Hagerty, and my deductible is $500 which is neither here nor there.

My issue is bringing it to a body shop and whether or not the bumper can be salvaged or needs to be replaced. The only actual damage I see is to the front bumper and the headlight retaining panel, since the collision caused it to tweak where the two uppermost mounting studs that mate it to the fender are, as you can see in the pics. The fender thankfully is fine, at the very worse the flange where it bolts to the headlight panel and bumper may need to be massaged a bit, but it doesn't look like it.

I have no issue replacing the headlight retaining panel, I'm more concerned about the bumper. I won't be able to see if the mounting tabs and flanges on the bumper are damaged until it's off, which will dictate ultimately if the bumper is re-usable. If so, then it's just a simple sand and refinish. If not, has anybody actually purchased and had decent luck with fitment on one of the OER repop urethane front bumpers for '79-81? The bumper on this car is original and is victim to the notorious "factory jack point grille warp," so I'm actually sort of excited about the potential of getting a new bumper, but not if the OER ones fit like garbage. I've heard pretty much nothing but bad things about them.

Also not excited about bringing the car to a body shop knowing it may sit outside for god knows how long, either. Every body shop these days always seems "too busy" and make you feel bad for even calling them. Maybe having Hagerty mediate between me and the body shop will make them act a little more professional.