Damn people that don't clean up their mess in the interstate!

Well, really I guess I can understand why someone might not want to run out into the middle of I-75 at night to pick up a piece of tire, but it still pisses me off.

Anyways, the piece of tire was still stuck on my grill when I got home I pulled it out to find that not only did it scratch up the bumper some, but it cracked my plastic grill in two places.

I'm debating on whether I should just buy a new plastic grill and forget about the scratches that aren't terribly noticable or should I claim it on my insurance and have the grill replaced and the front bumper repainted. My insurance deductible is only $100 and I know that one comp claim won't negatively affect my rate. There are also some small nicks and rock chips in the front bumper that I wouldn't mind having repainted.

I definately want the grill fixed, but I can't find anywhere online that sells that body part. Is the only place to get it from Honda, and if so does anyone have an idea of what it would run?

I'm a little bit sketchy on bothering to claim it and have the whole front bumper repainted, because there's never been any body work done to this car before. With the exception of the bumper, it is in mint condition and I wanted to keep it that way.

What would you guys do in this situation?

 

how bad is the scratch?
the grill is no choice- if it shows and you dont want it to, replace it.

got pics?

 

My problem with the grill is actually more structural than cosmetic. Since it cracked in two places its kind of loose and not as sturdy as it was before. Therefore I'm going to replace the grill regardless. I'm trying to figure if it would be worth it to claim it on insurance and have the bumper repainted too. I just hate having my car in body shops. I have a hard time trusting them. It seems like alot of times they fix one thing and that screw up something else.

The scratches aren't very noticeable unless you get close up. I am pretty anal about my cars though. I'll see if there's enough light to snap some pics when I get off work tonight. If not I'll snap some in the morning.

 

How deep are the scratches? Maybe they can be polished out.

 

I actually just polished most of it out, but there are a few parts where it went into the paint too deep. I also just checked with my local Honda dealership and they said the front grill would only be $41.00. Since it's cheaper than I had expected I may just replace that and not worry about the scratches. I'll post up a pic tomorrow.