Car Repairs and Pimping

I experienced a rear-end collision in late April that left my Infiniti's liftgate shut-in, the cargo area damaged, and the rear bumper body panel shot to oblivion. The body shop (Lisle Auto Plaza Body Works, and Vince in particular) was spectacularly prompt and provided some of the best customer service I've experienced in 12 years of day-to-day driving.

Although it took almost three weeks to repair the damage, thankfully, I only had to pay a deductible for what ended up costing well over $9,000. Did I forget to mention the guilty party was uninsured? The woman behind me was insured but not accountable since her car had come to a complete stop. In my rear end apparently? Anyway...

the rear-ending accident damage

The funny part of the matter is that I had just made an order earlier that day, the day of the accident, for two air deflectors to add to my car's hood and moon roof. For some unexpected reason, there was some sort of delay in the shipping of the deflectors to the dealership parts department, so they didn't make their way to me until after the car had been repaired. How do you like 'em apples?

While my car was in the body shop, my father very generously (and corageously) loaned me his "boat" Lincoln MKX. The car is extremely comfortable, and very well equipped to the brim, however, the acceleration and braking are exactly why I got rid of my Mercury Milan, but multiplied by three. The Lincoln is a very heavy vehicle that could definitely be the perfect vehicle for some (like my dad), and an antagonistic driving experience for others--like me! After thanking him profusely for the use of his car, I mentioned to him what I didn't like about the bulky vehicle, mostly just being an amplification of my old Mercury Milan.

After the air deflector installation

He confessed that he was also tired of the acceleration and braking, and especially, the bad visibility when backing up (I didn't experience this last point, as I was even able to parallel park in busy Naperville), and had been mulling over whether he wanted to buy another Mercedes like my mom's (GLK 350 fully loaded). He's still mulling over which one he wants to get, however, is leaning towards the mid-level SUV (ML 350)...that's another hefty vehicle in my opinion. This supposed next purchase would account for the third Mercedes SUV he's purchased in the span of five years (!).

Meanwhile, I simply cannot step off cloud nine right now, as I am still very infatuated with my Infiniti and wouldn't trade it for the world. Even though it is a second hand vehicle, and even now since it is a post-accident vehicle! I especially like the sporty look the new air deflectors provide. The reason I had them installed is: the hood was getting dinged and scratched from road debris, and the moon roof was creating noticeable drag and fuel inefficiency when it was open.

Ever fall in love with the car your driving? It's a great feeling, even if others may not always agree.