Not my proudest moment, but I totalled the kmaro last weekend. Turns out the frame is slightly twisted and bent approx 1/2". i was hit in the left front. The steering i believe is off a tooth and everything from the front "axle"/spindles is bent, moving the radiator, bumper, etc over to the right about 1/2".
I've heard many people say i can fix it with a "come along" and a torch, but i don't like that idea.
Any ideas, buyers, recommendations?

Pics @ http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2117465

Are there measurements i can take to make sure it's straight if i do attempt to fix it myself. If so, where can i get them, what do measure from ... i have no idea where to go.
I can do all the mechanical work to fix it and i can paint alright, but i don't know what to do.

 

clean rollers are cheap, swap parts to a new chassis, or put it on a frame machine

 

Thats not a wreck. Thats a ding

Take it to a real body shop and put in on a frame machine, then to the alignment shop.

My car was hit worse than that 15 years ago. It has spent the last 5 years as my primary road race track day car. It handles great.

If you have insurace... USE IT.

 

I'm still planning on fixing it, it really isn't that bad. I was curious if there was an "easy" way to fix it or someway that i can be absolutely sure it's straight if i fix it myself. I know some people back home that could possibly straighten it for cheap, but thats 250 miles away.

thanks

 

LOL Maybe that's a "ding" on average considering how many severely banged up 3rd gens there are, but that is not something you can fix yourself. A frame rack is going to cot at least $300 just to jig the car up. If the rest of of the paint and body on the car was perfect it might be worth fixing, but since 3rd gens are the cheapest of the cheap since they are so common I agree to get another straight donor car and swap over.

 

Your car looks pretty nice. A good body shop should be able to fix that with ease. That is no total!!

Find a good body shop with a good frame rack and they will be able to straighten that out with ease!

 

that's what i said, but my insurance company claimed $3500 -$4000 in damages

 

a fender, bumper, hood, partial core support, headlight bucket assembly, and a frame pull, plus $2000-$3000 worth of labor?
A decent shop will pull it back square for around $250.

Did you have full/decent coverage? If so them tell them to have it fixed or replace it. Same milage/condition/etc. - My bird suffered much worse from a guy pulling out in front of me. They we're gonna total it until it told them I wouldn't accept money, I wanted it replaced....this was in around 2000, try finding a fully loaded 89 gta vert with under 40k (at the time). It's amazing how quickly they decided that I could have it fixed at the shop I wanted it to go to.

 

yes, I have full coverage, and I'm working on seeing what it'll cost. i have some friends in the body shop business (with a frame rack), so I'm giving 'em a call tonight. I thought it was a bit pricey, but I see things as COST, not full price (labor and all) b/c I'm used to getting things at cost. People at local parts stores know me and where I work, so when i get quoted prices, they seem outrageous. BUT I haven't ever had to pay labor for repairs.

Yea, my dad had a similar situation with an insurance company, and they tried to give him the shaft. They didn't know that he had an indepandant look at it and give him an honest quote.

 

The end result is that I'm taking the payout and paying off the car, .. yea i know i should've done that already but i was broke at the time. The insurance company isn't totalling it, but it's a "total loss". I bought the car back and am going to see if i can get the frame straightened as soon as i can get home (to a body shop i trust). It's just negative progress on the project, but it'll get done, some day.