Expert: Mike Potter - 1/5/2008

Question
I have a 96 f150 its the fith one of the assembly line and it was customized from the factory. A hit and run smashed up the front of my truck and almost all the replacement parts i buy dont fit. ford and some body shops told me they should fit but no. where might i get the right parts or help on my situation.

Thanks

Answer
Even aftermarket parts that are CAPA certified, sometimes do not fit right. OEM parts from Ford is your best bet. Did the ford dealer do the work? If so, they should have used OEM parts. If the parts they put on do not fit, then you may have been ripped off. Factory custom jobs usually consist of a special trim package, not any special sheet metal. OEM parts are usually quite bit more expensive than Aftermarket parts, so you may have gotten a raw deal from the insurance company too.