Good source for salvaged body parts in Puget Sound area?

You have maybe a 1% chance of finding a paint-matching front. Most total-loss junkyard vehicles are front-end collisions. Those that aren't have the front end pieces sell quickly to rebuilders. What do you mean by "smashed"? If it is just caved in, you can often times get in from behind and pop it back out. The plastic will still have some deformation, but at least it won't look like hell.

 

check your local body shop. they have lines to salvage parts. now whether you can buy from them i do not know. i do know you will not get the good price the body shop gets but when i had a repairs done on mine, the body shop actually referenced 3 different regional salvage yards to get the parts. one was in Spanaway. now i ended getting the parts i needed from place in Idaho.

 

This is the best search link I have found for parts for ANY car.
http://www.car-part.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi
I entered your zip code and found a front bumper cover for a bit over $100, 27 miles away at Tacoma...I did not search for a rear one....good luck gang. This was the search I tried to get 3 good 15s at one place and one more at another...with TPMS on them for my winter tires.

 

there are several ways to compare the two vehicles and i chose one way, the actual cost of the "fuel" it takes. obviously if i had a need to drive 600 miles in 10 hours (guessing i would have to drive 70 mph to average that so couldnt do it since i dont go faster than 65 mph UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES unless i am coasting downhill... )

speaking of long trips. the Prius went to Salem for the weekend and i stayed home with the Leaf. now am i restricted to what i can do because i dont have an "out of town" option? well no, not really. i did go out of town to Tacoma, but that is only 25 miles plus i grabbed a charge while i was there.

mind you, part of the great disparity in cost on a per mile basis is the amount of free charging options i have. now, i suppose you will penalize me for that as well?? or would you rather just take the "free one?" in a BOGO offer.

either way, if you think i am trying to point out how much better an option the Leaf is...well then you would be right. problem with this world is my having to point it out. its too bad we just cant figure it out on our own.

now, am i advocating getting rid of the Prius and going only with a Leaf?? well, if that is case, why do i still have the Prius?

answer to that is easy; its still the best option at the best price to cover my needs.

P.S. i try to build up the Prius as much as possible which is why i left out maintenance costs which is much more lop sided than the per mile transportation cost imbalance

 

I hope you are getting a good one. Good luck.