Is this accident damage?

Passenger side:





Driver's Side:






Almost looks like its bowed out?



Painted 78 (other car) no such bow:

 

An 89 I looked at had a gts rear cover, so I looked real good for signs of how hard it was hit. I had to lift my 87 to prove to the owner that "they all look like that" wasn't true.

 

The car has had quite a life. 258,000 miles now. Bought it for 2k for a dd, which it has been flawless at, wrt reliability. Looks like the engine has been out. Clutch was replaced recently. This damage is a surprise as there is no other evidence.

 

Your car has been severely rearended and poorly repaired. The area you see with the zig zag indent is actually the frame. It is built into the unibody construction, but it is really a very distinct frame-like structure. I think you could take that car to one of those places where they have the equipment to hook onto it and pull it out where it belongs. That may even be done without the need for surface body repair unless the original repair shrunk the outer skin to get it back into some kind of visual condition.

Jerry Feather

 

It was probably rear ended Jerry. I don't think anyone tried to repair the area. It may have been nearly straight on at the back, requiring a bumper cover and some bumper shocks.

 

If that is the case, if you look closely at the wheel archs you will see that they are bowed out, maybe quite a bit. If so, when you have the frame pulled out where it ought to be they will be back where they belong.

Jerry Feather

 

None of the other evidence you are suggesting would be there is there. Strange.



Here is the passenger side again:



I think the car may have been smacked, but there is nothing other than this near the center and sides behind the kink

 

You aren't showing any pictures of the outside of the car.

Jerry Feather

 

I wonder how many cars there are out there with 250K miles that have not been tapped or even smacked a time or two. I know all my cars have been. My favorate was that in my '82, I would be stopped in the left turn lane behind some yo-yo waiting to make the turn and see yo-yos back up lights come on just before they backed into me. Happened two or three times. Never happened in any of my other cars, so my theory is that it had to do with the black color. I don't think you would have to hit the bumper shocks that hard to make something like this happen. The force has to go somewhere, right. As you have not expressed any concerns about the handling I would suggest trying to not let it bother you and moving on.

 

To my eyes the ding looks very localized, as though its been badly jacked on the edge. If it was a rear ender, I would expect the whole panel to be out of straight....As Karl says, if there are no ill effects, move on and ignore. Have you been able to follow it on the road to see if it tracks true when moving - ie, wheels seem to be in line on both sides, no crabbing etc?
jp 83 Euro S AT 53k

 

That's not where the kink is. Outside is straight.

 

That's what I thought when I first saw it, or like it slipped off a jack.

 

Is that bumper shock max-compressed?

 

It doesn't look like it from here. The rubber sheath seems not affected.

 

Yep, just checked one, you're right, looks good.