Background: I was driving on highway at dark and ran directly over a deer carcass. The car is in surprisingly good shape, all damage is located under the car. It tore up four plastic underbody panels and dented the metal fuel tank insulator / cover on the driver side.

Replacing the plastic pieces is gonna be easy, what I am concerned about is the fuel tank insulator / cover. I don't appear to be leaking any fuel or fluids, but replacing this part might be what makes me decide to have insurance pay a shop to repair it versus me doing it myself. One shop said that they would need to remove the exhaust and the driveshaft in order to replace the cover. I seem to recall hearing horror stories about how easy the driveshaft can be to damage. I am not sure I want any old shop messing with the driveshaft.

My question: Does anyone have experience with replacing or the fuel tank or this metal cover? What parts need to be removed to replace the metal fuel insulator / cover? Also, anyone happen to know the part number for this?

I am also considering leaving the fuel tank cover alone and just fixing the plastic stuff. I think I can get the plastic pieces online for $500, Mazda dealer quoted me $750.

F189-56-14YD GUARD(L),MUD 56
F197-51-9K1B SKIRT(C),FRONT
F151-54-220D PANEL(L),WHEEL
F189-56-110C COVER,UNDER 56
??? Fuel Tank Insulator?

My car is a 2011 R3 that I bought new. No modifications. The car still looks fine from the outside, you have to put the car up on a lift to see any of the damage. I spent a few hours under neath it to clean out all of the deer guts and fur that splattered everywhere and I finally got the terrible rotting smell out of my car. I feel very lucky that the damage is mostly "cosmetic".

Thoughts?