Has this car been hit?
09-19-2017, 10:29 AM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Has this car been hit?
Was under the front end of the car last night and this panel join caught my eye.
Photo taken from center of car looking at passenger side near where the AC bits in front of the AC radiator are.
Looks a bit funky there to my eyes.
Photo taken from center of car looking at passenger side near where the AC bits in front of the AC radiator are.
Looks a bit funky there to my eyes.
09-19-2017, 01:09 PM
#2
Chronic Tool Dropper
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Tom --
That's the front tow-eye socket on the left side lower in your picture, at the front of the frame "horn" such as it is. If that tow-eye has been used and some angular forces applied, it would easily explain the local distortion. The "new" paint or nail polish there at the seam under the bracket is interesting, but the metal shape underneath looks OK. Possible overspray on the vertical member there, or just dirt washed off by water that passed up through the grill? Unless there's more serious paintwork there I wouldn't worry much. A good bit of cleaning there might tell you more. Meanwhile, the dirt and crud layers look very consistent, again pointing away from any serious damage and repair. To my untrained eye anyway.
Is this a California car? Maybe lived near the beach?
That's the front tow-eye socket on the left side lower in your picture, at the front of the frame "horn" such as it is. If that tow-eye has been used and some angular forces applied, it would easily explain the local distortion. The "new" paint or nail polish there at the seam under the bracket is interesting, but the metal shape underneath looks OK. Possible overspray on the vertical member there, or just dirt washed off by water that passed up through the grill? Unless there's more serious paintwork there I wouldn't worry much. A good bit of cleaning there might tell you more. Meanwhile, the dirt and crud layers look very consistent, again pointing away from any serious damage and repair. To my untrained eye anyway.
Is this a California car? Maybe lived near the beach?
09-19-2017, 02:36 PM
#3
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Tom --
That's the front tow-eye socket on the left side lower in your picture, at the front of the frame "horn" such as it is. If that tow-eye has been used and some angular forces applied, it would easily explain the local distortion. The "new" paint or nail polish there at the seam under the bracket is interesting, but the metal shape underneath looks OK. Possible overspray on the vertical member there, or just dirt washed off by water that passed up through the grill? Unless there's more serious paintwork there I wouldn't worry much. A good bit of cleaning there might tell you more. Meanwhile, the dirt and crud layers look very consistent, again pointing away from any serious damage and repair. To my untrained eye anyway.
Is this a California car? Maybe lived near the beach?
That's the front tow-eye socket on the left side lower in your picture, at the front of the frame "horn" such as it is. If that tow-eye has been used and some angular forces applied, it would easily explain the local distortion. The "new" paint or nail polish there at the seam under the bracket is interesting, but the metal shape underneath looks OK. Possible overspray on the vertical member there, or just dirt washed off by water that passed up through the grill? Unless there's more serious paintwork there I wouldn't worry much. A good bit of cleaning there might tell you more. Meanwhile, the dirt and crud layers look very consistent, again pointing away from any serious damage and repair. To my untrained eye anyway.
Is this a California car? Maybe lived near the beach?
This is the one that has been putting up an electrical fight, slept outside in a side yard in SoCal for 17 years.
I appreciate the eyes, untrained or otherwise, on it!
Thank you.
09-19-2017, 06:06 PM
#4
Chronic Tool Dropper
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My somewhat limited SoCal experience is only 45 years. So not quite a native. In that time it seemed that folks seemed to keep a garage full of things-stuff-junk, and the cars would sit outside. A couple hundred bucks (on the best Saturday) of garage sale detritus safely inside, multi-$thousands in rolling assets out in the weather. The reasoning always escaped me. Kid next door in Glendale always left is SL500 in the driveway even though there was room inside, so folks who drove by would immediately know his station. It was leased and he was always behind on payments, but no way would he drive anything less than a Mercedes. We lived on a rather secluded private gated street, making me wonder who was trying to impress.
Maybe the PO of your car was trying to impress the neighbors with the cars he'd tossed aside. Makes you wonder.
Maybe the PO of your car was trying to impress the neighbors with the cars he'd tossed aside. Makes you wonder.
09-19-2017, 06:44 PM
#5
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
My somewhat limited SoCal experience is only 45 years. So not quite a native. In that time it seemed that folks seemed to keep a garage full of things-stuff-junk, and the cars would sit outside. A couple hundred bucks (on the best Saturday) of garage sale detritus safely inside, multi-$thousands in rolling assets out in the weather. The reasoning always escaped me. Kid next door in Glendale always left is SL500 in the driveway even though there was room inside, so folks who drove by would immediately know his station. It was leased and he was always behind on payments, but no way would he drive anything less than a Mercedes. We lived on a rather secluded private gated street, making me wonder who was trying to impress.
Maybe the PO of your car was trying to impress the neighbors with the cars he'd tossed aside. Makes you wonder.
Maybe the PO of your car was trying to impress the neighbors with the cars he'd tossed aside. Makes you wonder.
45 yrs kind of qualifies as native in my book. Ha.