Scrrrrrrrrrape! (What are my options?)-foto_no_exif-jpg

There it is folks. Took a right turn into a parking garage -- cut it too tight -- brick wall scraped it up pretty good.

I've gotten 3 quotes now from local and independent auto body shops. They all came in around the same price: ~$1,000.

I could spend it. But I'd rather not. So...

What if I didn't care about looks? What if all I cared about was preventing rust? (I live in Maryland. WINTER IS COMING.)

I have accident forgiveness. My deductible for collision is $500.

Before I take the plunge and just pay for it, I thought I would consult the best on the net.

What should I do?