Auto body repair & detailing: 2000 Dodge Stratus Front Bumper Repair Question, paint damage, dodge stratus

Question
Hello!

Recently, my buddy decided to park behind me while I was pulling out of the driveway, and I ended up backing into the front of his 2000 Dodge Stratus.  There was some paint damage (about 5x8" on the front of the bumper) and two cracks, one on the lower left part of the bumper and one underneath the hood on the bumper.

I called around to get a ball park estimate on repair work, but most shops put me around 500-800 dollars for just repairing the original bumper and around 1500 to replace it.

My question is: If the cracks are pretty clean and no fiberglass plastic on the bumper is missing, would I have to replace the bumper?  Is there any cheap way to do this under a grand?

Please help; long story short, my parents paid my car insurance in a family deal but recently lost it when my father passed away, and we couldn't afford the payments.  I have to pay this out of my pocket and still keep affording college.  My buddy won't budge on the repairs, either.

M

Answer
M-
Get a written estimate from the shop of his choice. Ask him if he will consider a remanufactured cover or aftermarket cover to save some dollars. I would fall over if a cover replacement for this vehicle were more than $600-$700- even for OEM.
Good Luck- Mark