Advice on getting body work done
03-12-08, 04:40 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Portland, ME
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Advice on getting body work done
First, I apologize in advance for the length and for probably not giving enough information.
I have an '84 rx-7 gsl. At the end of November I hit a telephone pole with it at about 15 mph, I think. I was trying to hard not to hit it to look at the speedo. I was going sideways when I hit it and it pushed the bumper off center and the curb popped the tire and pushed the suspension back a few inches on the passenger side. I took it to a bodyshop and they told me the frame rails were crumpled a bit behind the bumper and it tore the bumper mounts off when it was pushed over and gave me a rough estimate of about 3 maybe 4 thousand citing parts as a major cost. This seemed too high to be worth it since I originally bought it for $2000 so I decided not to fix it.
Of course, I cant bring myself to get rid of it. My question is, did I make the right decision? I was kind of depressed about the whole situation to think rationally and I don't know enough about body work to know whether or not it would be worth it to fix or try to sell it for parts and get a new one.
Mechanically its still fine and it was in great shape before the accident. Any and all advice would be much appreciated. Thank you.
I have an '84 rx-7 gsl. At the end of November I hit a telephone pole with it at about 15 mph, I think. I was trying to hard not to hit it to look at the speedo. I was going sideways when I hit it and it pushed the bumper off center and the curb popped the tire and pushed the suspension back a few inches on the passenger side. I took it to a bodyshop and they told me the frame rails were crumpled a bit behind the bumper and it tore the bumper mounts off when it was pushed over and gave me a rough estimate of about 3 maybe 4 thousand citing parts as a major cost. This seemed too high to be worth it since I originally bought it for $2000 so I decided not to fix it.
Of course, I cant bring myself to get rid of it. My question is, did I make the right decision? I was kind of depressed about the whole situation to think rationally and I don't know enough about body work to know whether or not it would be worth it to fix or try to sell it for parts and get a new one.
Mechanically its still fine and it was in great shape before the accident. Any and all advice would be much appreciated. Thank you.
03-12-08, 05:01 PM
#2
Rotary Enthusiast
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,079
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Strip it for spare parts and buy another one. The body work is not worth the value of some of the nicer ones on the market now.
Otherwise we need pics if you want some estimates.
Otherwise we need pics if you want some estimates.
03-12-08, 06:29 PM
#3
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Portland, ME
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks. I figured that was the case.
Here's a pic though, to give a rough idea.
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...1352edited.jpg
Here's a pic though, to give a rough idea.
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...1352edited.jpg
03-12-08, 07:01 PM
#4
djessence
ouch. If you have to pay someone to fix it, id say look for a decent condition roller. Becuase you basically just need a body right?
I know the p/o of mine clipped a truck with the rear quarter and pushed it in. Estimate was 1800. Said f'that and im gonna do it my self etc. YOur case however the bumper is pretty much fubar.
I know the p/o of mine clipped a truck with the rear quarter and pushed it in. Estimate was 1800. Said f'that and im gonna do it my self etc. YOur case however the bumper is pretty much fubar.
03-12-08, 08:48 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 338
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you have any body shop friends you could get it done cheap....but if you dont have anybody like that i would look for a roller or another running car. Good luck on it though...if you lived in texas i could get it fixed.
03-12-08, 09:08 PM
#6
Rotary Freak
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: SF BayArea
Posts: 2,815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That's too nice a car to junk out. And it's pretty easy to fix, too, especially if there's a nearby junkyard or Pick n Pull.
Start by pulling off the centerpiece sheet metal, about a half hour, and maybe both fenders, another hour. Treat the sheetmetal nicely so you don't scratch that nice Misty Blue.
The bumper skin looks OK, which is good because that reduces 'face' piece costs. The underlying structure should be cheap and easy to replace or fix.
The little bend in the centerpiece is easy to bend carefully back once the centerpiece is off the car. I've done 2 like that.
If you need to do any repainting you can get a color match at 'paintscratch.com' at $28 per rattlecan, but the Blue doesn't cover well so I get one can then find a close match at Home Depot or the autostore and then test to make sure they are compatible enough for me to paint one over the other.
Check over the bent understructure so that you know where it is bent, what ought to be replaced (shock mount, etc.). Take off anything that can be removed and ought to be replaced. You'll be able to get recycled parts at a JY someplace, even if they have to ship it to you. I even had a RF fender shipped for $10 a few years ago.
If the car is driveable, drive it to a frame alignment place to get a price on straightening.
If the rim is pretty straight any tireshop can remount the popped tire.
Maybe you have to replace some parts. Like the rim, suspension members, tierods, etc. Go to the online FSM and maybe some parts places, like blackdragon.com, to see parts explosions, get the right names, and comparable prices.
Prepare a "WTB" for your NE classifieds section with a title something like this: "WTB-84GSL rightfront suspension parts, bumper mounts, etc."
Maybe you'll find someone closeby. If not, spread your net wider. You can always get good parts in California. There are a couple JYs up around sacramento that will ship. use your Google skills.
Learn where your local junkyards are. Some are Pick n Pull which require you to show up with tools so you can dismount your own parts. Good education on how to wrench your own car! Some will have the parts at the front desk when you arrive, but they're generally a little more expensive. use the telephone.
Most RX-7 owners, especially 1st gen guys, are cheap and helpful. Tell us your problems, work on your problems, and remember this: the brain is mightier than the wallet!
Is this car your DD, or do you have other transportation for a couple weeks?
Start by pulling off the centerpiece sheet metal, about a half hour, and maybe both fenders, another hour. Treat the sheetmetal nicely so you don't scratch that nice Misty Blue.
The bumper skin looks OK, which is good because that reduces 'face' piece costs. The underlying structure should be cheap and easy to replace or fix.
The little bend in the centerpiece is easy to bend carefully back once the centerpiece is off the car. I've done 2 like that.
If you need to do any repainting you can get a color match at 'paintscratch.com' at $28 per rattlecan, but the Blue doesn't cover well so I get one can then find a close match at Home Depot or the autostore and then test to make sure they are compatible enough for me to paint one over the other.
Check over the bent understructure so that you know where it is bent, what ought to be replaced (shock mount, etc.). Take off anything that can be removed and ought to be replaced. You'll be able to get recycled parts at a JY someplace, even if they have to ship it to you. I even had a RF fender shipped for $10 a few years ago.
If the car is driveable, drive it to a frame alignment place to get a price on straightening.
If the rim is pretty straight any tireshop can remount the popped tire.
Maybe you have to replace some parts. Like the rim, suspension members, tierods, etc. Go to the online FSM and maybe some parts places, like blackdragon.com, to see parts explosions, get the right names, and comparable prices.
Prepare a "WTB" for your NE classifieds section with a title something like this: "WTB-84GSL rightfront suspension parts, bumper mounts, etc."
Maybe you'll find someone closeby. If not, spread your net wider. You can always get good parts in California. There are a couple JYs up around sacramento that will ship. use your Google skills.
Learn where your local junkyards are. Some are Pick n Pull which require you to show up with tools so you can dismount your own parts. Good education on how to wrench your own car! Some will have the parts at the front desk when you arrive, but they're generally a little more expensive. use the telephone.
Most RX-7 owners, especially 1st gen guys, are cheap and helpful. Tell us your problems, work on your problems, and remember this: the brain is mightier than the wallet!
Is this car your DD, or do you have other transportation for a couple weeks?
03-12-08, 10:17 PM
#7
82, 83, 88, 82 RX-7again!
I am with bliffle!
It really doesn't look bad but damage can be deceiving - the fenders aren't hitting the doors? I would definitely pull that bumper off - all of about 15min being careful with wires and see how bad it looks.
Scott
It really doesn't look bad but damage can be deceiving - the fenders aren't hitting the doors? I would definitely pull that bumper off - all of about 15min being careful with wires and see how bad it looks.
Scott
Trending Topics
03-13-08, 06:32 AM
#8
Rotary Freak
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: SF BayArea
Posts: 2,815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The gaps around the hood metal look pretty good. Unless there's some hidden warping under the sheetmetal the biggest problem is probably replacing and aligning suspension parts and steering links.
It would be a shame to scrap such a nice car. My SE was worse when I adopted it. I once saved an 83GS that required much more body and mechanical work. It just takes a little time, some thinking and planning, and access to decent salvage parts. Once you get it mechanically sound and ready for painting and minor body work you can usually talk a bodyshop into finishing it for you at modest cost. Those guys love to see a good looking old car roll out of their shop and they'll almost always give a price break to an enthusiast who comes in with a non-insurance job. Sometimes I've paid with greenbacks so the shop has a choice of how to report it.
It would be a shame to scrap such a nice car. My SE was worse when I adopted it. I once saved an 83GS that required much more body and mechanical work. It just takes a little time, some thinking and planning, and access to decent salvage parts. Once you get it mechanically sound and ready for painting and minor body work you can usually talk a bodyshop into finishing it for you at modest cost. Those guys love to see a good looking old car roll out of their shop and they'll almost always give a price break to an enthusiast who comes in with a non-insurance job. Sometimes I've paid with greenbacks so the shop has a choice of how to report it.
03-13-08, 09:38 PM
#9
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Portland, ME
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would love to get it fixed. It was my DD but I bought another car that turned out to need a bunch of work, too, actually. All mechanical, but very pricey. So, if my 7 is worth fixing I'm just goin to drive it and hope it holds out long enough.
As far as the gaps for fenders and hood, it all looks ok, but the hood needs a little more force to push close. I cant just drop it down from a couple inches to get it closed all the way. Other than that I don't know.
Downsides for me, tho, are I don't really have anywhere to work on it. I live in a rental community type place with a shared parking lot and, although I've worked on cars here before, I try to limit it to things I can do and clean up while everyones at work (I get a couple weekdays off each week). If its easy to get the bumper off I'll definitely try to get that done this monday when I'm off, since it couldn't hurt to try. It also ran fine after the accident but i forgot to start it for a couple weeks and now it wont start, battery is good but no lights or anything. So I'll have to get it running again as well.
After that I don't know. If I can get it running I might be able to find someplace so I can try to do some of the work myself and get it ready for a bodyshop to do what I can't, but I'm not sure.
I met a guy who offered to fix it up for me cheap, which I'd rather do than sell it as a parts car, but I don't know anything about him or what kind of work he does, so I'd rather take it to a shop if it means higher quality work or at least I know what I'm getting into. So if anyone knows of any good places to take my car to in the Portland, ME area let me know. The place I took it for the estimate does good work but they are pricey.
Thanks for all the responses, they have really helped me try and figure this out. I've had a hard time thinking about this rationally so it's good to hear from people who actually know what they're talking about
As far as the gaps for fenders and hood, it all looks ok, but the hood needs a little more force to push close. I cant just drop it down from a couple inches to get it closed all the way. Other than that I don't know.
Downsides for me, tho, are I don't really have anywhere to work on it. I live in a rental community type place with a shared parking lot and, although I've worked on cars here before, I try to limit it to things I can do and clean up while everyones at work (I get a couple weekdays off each week). If its easy to get the bumper off I'll definitely try to get that done this monday when I'm off, since it couldn't hurt to try. It also ran fine after the accident but i forgot to start it for a couple weeks and now it wont start, battery is good but no lights or anything. So I'll have to get it running again as well.
After that I don't know. If I can get it running I might be able to find someplace so I can try to do some of the work myself and get it ready for a bodyshop to do what I can't, but I'm not sure.
I met a guy who offered to fix it up for me cheap, which I'd rather do than sell it as a parts car, but I don't know anything about him or what kind of work he does, so I'd rather take it to a shop if it means higher quality work or at least I know what I'm getting into. So if anyone knows of any good places to take my car to in the Portland, ME area let me know. The place I took it for the estimate does good work but they are pricey.
Thanks for all the responses, they have really helped me try and figure this out. I've had a hard time thinking about this rationally so it's good to hear from people who actually know what they're talking about
03-13-08, 10:34 PM
#10
82, 83, 88, 82 RX-7again!
The bumper comes off with 2 bolts and connectors - take your time, no big deal. Find a bodyshop buddy that wants to moonlight - just fix the mechanical so you are legal and safe. Paint it when you get money. Always easier if you can find someone to help even if they aren't mechanically inclined although that helps.
Scott
Scott
03-13-08, 11:43 PM
#11
Rotary Freak
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: SF BayArea
Posts: 2,815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Get a car cover to put over it when you're not working on it.
Study the parts, research availability, and ask questions right here. The brain is a powerful instrument - use it.
Study the parts, research availability, and ask questions right here. The brain is a powerful instrument - use it.
03-14-08, 02:13 AM
#12
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It may seem a little far fetched, but take your car to a "Tractor Trailer" (semi) body repair specialist, they will have laser alignment tools to streighten any bent framework, they might even rent out some shop time to you if you do the work yourself.
It never hurts to ask and they'll have all the tools you could ever need.
It never hurts to ask and they'll have all the tools you could ever need.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
trickster
2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992)
25
07-01-23 04:40 PM
fastrx7man
3rd Generation Specific (1993-2002)
33
09-02-15 09:42 PM