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Maybe I missed it, but you haven’t actually determined that the frame is bent yet, correct? The radiator surround isn’t a big deal and most of that looks cosmetic. I’d be willing to bet the coolant leak is the radiator itself. It might be a touch early to say, but I agree that should be a pretty doable project, even if you have to farm it out.
Here is where I am at. The red lines seem right on with the diagrams in this thread (I used a simple tape measure to approximate). The yellow lines are not given dimensions on the diagrams but they do appear to be almost the exact same when you compare both sides. The only thing that keeps me searching for an issue is the headlight misalignment seen in the picture below. I cannot find another way for the headlight issue to occur if the area in the blue circle is not being pulled down. The longs that run from the wheel well to the area near the radiator look straight. Below are some picture (not so good) of those. Also the passenger headlight, when rotated by hand crashes into the washer fluid tank below. This also point to issues with blue circle area
And I do love the car but I don't think I have the time or resources to fix it. My best option would be for the frame to get fixed by a professional and then I can swap used parts on to it myself and have it painted by a professional. I don't have a garage or even a flat spot to sit the car on. I am going to try and track down the coolant leak right now. At that point I will know what approximately what used parts are needed. Ultimately I will probably find someone who wants to take on the project to take it off my hands.
Have you put a lot of money/time/parts into the car? If so, it might be worth it to take the check from the insurance company, buy the car back and have it fixed----if your goal is to find another 951, you will likely find that you will have to do the same amount of work all over again to get it up to snuff. Though a steady diet of insurance jobs help them to keep the doors open, most body shops prefer jobs where the customer is paying "out of pocket" instead of having to go back and forth with some faceless insurance company, so they might be willing to do the work for a slightly better price.
And yes, Lart will have all of the parts you need; I just had him drop-ship a right front fender to my body shop (thanks, Luis!).
don't fall for the body shop "I can fix that" I have straight unmolested shells for free, a 944 once the chassis is bent it CAN'T be fixed, they just want your money.
I am going to sell the car. What's a fair price? Pretty much stock with about 96k miles. Clutch and rear deal done at 91k miles. Head gasket, timing and balance belt, head resurfaced, exhaust leak fixed at 92k miles. Crank position sensors replaced earlier this month. Interior is clean. Minor dash cracking in normal location.
Known issues:
AC doesn't hold charge very long
Recently replaced the odometer gear but odometer currently doesnt work
I think it still has an exhaust leak
Reconsider Plan B, bolt-on fiberglass or carbon fiber panels, Google for images and sources. You could have them include black pigment in the resin, so the black color goes all the way through the part, and which then may not need painting. Carbon fiber absorbs radar, handy for driving through Balconies Heights.
You could install all this in an afternoon, or a weekend at worst, using simple hand tools such as 10 mm socket for the fender bolts...
I expect parts suppliers would discount prices and shipping if you bought fenders, hood, header, and bumper cover in a package deal. Dump the OEM pop-up headlights for fixed, with clear lenses. While you're at it, may as well get the vented versions of the header panel and hood. Your old right side fender and hood may be in good enough shape to sell, defraying some of the cost of new bolt-on parts.
All of this will save considerable weight, and probably leave you with with the lion's share of your insurance check unspent and so available for other stuff, such as boost control, etc.
This whole thing may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
PS: Your right side headlight cover may be misaligned because the brittle cast metal pivot(s) are broken. These have triangular fittings which bolt to the sheet metal (yours look straight and good in pics) and the bolt holes are oversized so there is ample space to adjust the fitment. In other words, this misaligned headlight cover may not be any big deal, especially if you choose to dump the OEM headlights and install clear fixed covers.
I am going to sell the car. What's a fair price? Pretty much stock with about 96k miles. Clutch and rear deal done at 91k miles. Head gasket, timing and balance belt, head resurfaced, exhaust leak fixed at 92k miles. Crank position sensors replaced earlier this month. Interior is clean. Minor dash cracking in normal location.
Known issues:
AC doesn't hold charge very long
Recently replaced the odometer gear but odometer currently doesnt work
I think it still has an exhaust leak
i guess the entire auto body industry's use of frame machines and car aligners is just a fantasy too...?
Not only could the car in the last pic be brought back, it was brought back with laser accuracy that is more "straight" than any car you have ever owned or parted....
i have extreme skepticism about our particular unibodies getting righted once they've gotten bent..
saw a beautiful Cobalt 968 in this same situation years ago in Tennessee.
it looked like the exact same damage as this. Body shop did all they could and couldn't straighten it.
The hood was still so far off when the car was fixed.
It had all been for nothing......doors sort of opened. Sort of. then you drove it and you had to kick them to get em open again.
then they wouldn't close. there were still huge gaps all over the place. nightmare. a perfect rectangle was left a parallelogram.
i guess one body guy rules over another. i'm skeptical about that too. .
swap the parts into a good shell's about the 2nd best choice.
first choice is get the check and ship the car to Lart. They'll cut it up and every last damn thing will get used.
Either way, part this, and buy in on a whole car. it's efficient, cuz there's plenty of em around.
i'd get a 968. crazy i know. they're wicked less fuss and the computers actually work.
i have extreme skepticism about our particular unibodies getting righted once they've gotten bent..
Body shop did all they could and couldn't straighten it.
There's nothing "particular" that separates our cars into some exclusive class of unitized construction.
They are assembled from a hundred separate spot welded parts, reinforcements and panels.
The parts to make the necessary repairs are available and the procedure is explained in the shop manuals in more detail than most other make/models.
Porsche expected these kinds of repairs to be made.
If a car you witnessed that was repaired incorrectly, how could you (or the shop) say "they did all they could" when the published manual for "our particular unitbodies" lays out every possible measurement check to ensure that the work is within factory assembled specification, the same way that the factory welds it together....?
What you (and Lart) saw was some shady work, performed by someone not qualified to operate the equipment necessary to perform the task, and/or the ability to read a tram gauge.
I demonstrated an instance with a kinked frame, properly repaired, straight as any car that ever left the factory, still driving today, coupled with testimony by two other long standing RL members that had similar repairs.
You can have an opinion, but you can't have your own facts.
Forget about repairing that, collect the insurance and buy another. Even if it can be repaired why even bother spending thousands at a body shop, these are not exactly rare cars. A couple years ago I had two spares cars with perfect shells that nobody wanted and they eventually went to the crusher. I’m sure the regular breakers on here have shells aplenty for free if you want to go that route, but sometimes you need to let go and start fresh then build it better
Forget about repairing that, collect the insurance and buy another. Even if it can be repaired why even bother spending thousands at a body shop, these are not exactly rare cars. A couple years ago I had two spares cars with perfect shells that nobody wanted and they eventually went to the crusher. I’m sure the regular breakers on here have shells aplenty for free if you want to go that route, but sometimes you need to let go and start fresh then build it better
Pretty certain you know how many man hours it would take to R&R every last component transferred from one shell to another...?
I am on my second one, both race cars, so way less involved on the re-install, i.e., no carpet, abs, havac, wiring, etc., etc., etc.
If an owner doesn't have work space to perform a simple hit repair like the OP, the swapping of a tub is highly out of the question....
Pretty certain you know how many man hours it would take to R&R every last component transferred from one shell to another...?
I am on my second one, both race cars, so way less involved on the re-install, i.e., no carpet, abs, havac, wiring, etc., etc., etc.
If an owner doesn't have work space to perform a simple hit repair like the OP, the swapping of a tub is highly out of the question....
T
I don’t understand what your negativity is about, read my post, I primarily advised him to give it up, take the insurance and buy another one. I still think that’s his best option.
As for swapping the tub, maybe he does have the time and the space idk, it’s just an option that I passed on to the op. I didn’t address it to you or post it as a reply to your post and I never asked for your negative and derisory comments.
The post I copied, you made two separate statements about finding another shell...., which for all intents and purposes is a stripped body.
1) you had two shells and couldn't give them away
2) regular breaker have perfect shells "if you want to go that route"
So, you weren't exclusively just talking about calling the wrecker and buying a different car altogether, you hinted at viability of swapping out the "shell".
I replied that this is not so easy...,., way more man hours than the minuscule (by comparison) body work to fix this black '86.
My opinion is that I'm not the one being negative, to save the car would be positive, except for the party/s that gain from this users loss.
Lastly, a message posted is open for replies, put me on your ignore list if you are that easily offended.
T
Originally Posted by MAGK944
I don’t understand what your negativity is about, read my post, I primarily advised him to give it up, take the insurance and buy another one. I still think that’s his best option.
As for swapping the tub, maybe he does have the time and the space idk, it’s just an option that I passed on to the op. I didn’t address it to you or post it as a reply to your post and I never asked for your negative and derisory comments.
Since the OP got and checked the factory measurement of frame specs and found them OK, and since the hood and doors were not noted as binding or compromised in their travel, exactly what says the frame is damaged in any way?
The OP's insurance company reportedly says they'll sell the car with clear title, so presumably they don't see undue or disqualifying damage from a structural standpoint, but rather total the car from for economic reasons.
So, how did we leap to the conclusion that the whole body shell is faulty, rather than simple replacement of the header panel, one or both pop-up headlights, a fender, and bumper cover repair?
07-27-2018, 06:57 PM
, so that's what you think too....?
