Well, I’m hesitant to make another “worth fixing” thread but I’m really hoping to draw from the pool of knowledge and experience here on this one. I purchased this car for my son and it was subsequently wrecked and totaled by the insurance company. Due to the fact that it was a pristine car (although nothing special), I bought it back from the insurance company for cheap as I couldn't let it get stripped and destroyed any further, at least until I knew I was done with it.

I’ve had it in storage in the meantime while trying to decide what to do with it…sell it as a parts car or possibly have it fixed. I’ve removed all the bolt-on items in an effort to evaluate the extent of the damage which is roughly as follows: front sheet metal (maybe with the exception of the driver’s fender), front core support, passenger wheel well pushed back, AC box on firewall side is broken, passenger lower A-arm, sway bar and obviously all the incidental stuff.

The doors open/close perfectly. The T-tops didn’t break and miraculously , not even the leading edges of the doors had the paint chipped on them. The engine runs fine, at least for the very short time I started it due to the radiator being removed from damage. The airbag in the steering wheel even deployed properly, so the steering wheel is no bueno.

I’ve seen others on here with similar damage that had frame shops straighten the front end as much as possible and then cut off/weld-on a front clip from a donor car. I’m no stranger to major repairs on classics but if anyone has experience with such a repair on a Third Gen, I’d like to hear about it. I know it’s cheaper to buy a car already done but this one has some sentimental value and, as stated, if it wasn’t truly in excellent condition otherwise, it would’ve been long gone already.

Also, if anyone knows a source or has a car with a nice donor clip, let me know. Thanks in advance for any guidance.

 

It's probably fixable, but I would not attempt it even for sentimental reasons. That damage is significant enough I would worry about going to all the work of fixing it only to find more structural damage/bending that wasn't visible.

 

The buckling in the cowl that cracked the windshield is pretty bad. The passenger strut mount sheet metal area would also be a pretty critical spot to correct. You would most likely have to have it pulled on a frame machine, cut the entire front off and graft a new one on from a donor car. Not really worth it for an RS that doesn't seem to have any sentimental value to you. It does look very clean despite the damage. I think your best bet would be to buy a roller in good condition and swap everything over to it.

 

If you got time and money I think you can try to fix it.

Have it pulled the best it can, bang some things back into place, throw metal on it and drive it.


I wouldn't go for full on restore for a base V6 / no options car though. Just a saved machine to drive and have a little fun in with t tops off.... .


I did it for my old camry. Had a shop evaluate / pull it and I did the rest. this looks a bit worse though...wasn't perfect but dove fine for like 6 more years.


so id check with a shop on the bare minimum to get r done then decide from there. its a nice clean car though

 

I'd part it out. I completely understand the sentimental value but even if fixed you've lost the structural integrity of the nose of that car. You'll be deep into the thousands just to get the car "straight". Bail now unless you've won the lotto.

 

 

my eyes are playing tricks on me, could have sworn the OP said that it doesn’t have that much sentimental value lol

i definitely get the sentimental thing

 

No problem, I just figured I'd set the thread straight on Gmachine's sentimentality regarding the car.

Which, while the subject is fresh, I'll toss my in;

Although I collect lots of vintage objects, I do not become sentimentally attached to any one inanimate object. It's all just, , , stuff, , possessions, and easily replaceable if one chooses to spend the required cash.

Sentimentality is for the people in our lives, the things we can't easily replace .....

 

That's a pretty good hit, you could try and pull all that out but if I'm seeing things correctly, you may have further damage down the floorpans to.
could make a track car out of it but there's good parts there