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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Mustang / December 2004bent chassis
I recently hit some ice, slid off the road and hit a rock. The chassis is damaged under the passenger side door hinge mount. The passenger door doesn't close properly. The door comes to rest about 2 centimeters off the body at the front, it is against the roof and the back is bent inward. This is the only observable damage. The door itself is fine, it's just in a wacky position. However, at more than 15 mph, the car requires a lot of driver input to stay in a lane. I am looking at two options. I could take it to a shop to get straightened out. My concern with this is that it will be rather costly and that the car will never track properly. My second option is to get a 4 cylinder car and just move my drivetrain, suspension, interior, etc. over to that car. I am rather happy with, and have a lot of money invested in my current setup. There just happens to be a '92 four cylinder with a descent body for sale for $500 near me. The only problem with this option is that, unless I cut out my Capri's rear fenders and weld them on the new car, I won't have a Capri anymore. Advice anyone? Jim S. '82 Mutant Get it straightened. > I recently hit some ice, slid off the road and hit a rock. The chassis is > damaged under the passenger side door hinge mount. The passenger door [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Jim S. > '82 Mutant Seconded. Joe Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC > Get it straightened. > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] >> Jim S. >> '82 Mutant Why do you suggest straightening? It seems like getting it fixed will be costly, and I won't know if it'll come out right until after I pay for it. The effort and time of swapping stuff over really isn't an issue. I've taken my car apart so many times and customized it so much that pulling the drivetrain isn't a big deal to me. The only reason I don't just go the swap route is because I prefer the looks of the Capri to a 92 Mustang. > Seconded. > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] >>> Jim S. >>> '82 Mutant > Why do you suggest straightening? I had my LX straightened and it came out perfect. Drives as true as the day I drove it off the lot. > It seems like getting it fixed will be costly, and I won't know if > it'll come out right until after I pay for it. It's like any other repair - if it's not right you can insist they correct it. These days, they have lasers and whatnot that can line up a frame (or unibody in the Mustang's case) perfectly. > The effort and time of swapping stuff over really isn't an issue. > I've > taken my car apart so many times and customized it so much that > pulling the drivetrain isn't a big deal to me. The only reason I > don't just go the swap route is because I prefer the looks of the > Capri to a 92 Mustang. Well Jim, it sounds like you've made up your mind to do the swap anyway. So if looks is an issue, just swap all the Capri stuff into the Mustang. Of course, you're right about the fenders, but you have three choices: Swap without the fenders and drive a Mustang, get the Capri straightened, or find a donor Capri. Good luck with whatever you do. Joe Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC >> Seconded. >> [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] >>>> Jim S. >>>> '82 Mutant You're still driving this thing???? It's not often you get to meet someone actually trying for a Darwin award. The car is obviously unsafe... how many folks you gonna kill before you realize it??? >I recently hit some ice, slid off the road and hit a rock. The chassis is >damaged under the passenger side door hinge mount. The passenger door [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Jim S. > '82 Mutant I'm not still driving it. I only drove it home. I didn't leave idle speed except to see if the car was still straight. Even then it was only to about 20 mph for about 5 seconds. It was less than 2 miles on lightly trafficked 25mph road. I didn't feel like walking or waiting for the AAA guy in single digit temperatures. Had it been a long or high speed drive, I never would have driven it. Even if I didn't kill anyone else, I would have frozen to death myself given the huge gap between the body and door. > You're still driving this thing???? It's not often you get to meet someone > actually trying for a Darwin award. [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] >> Jim S. >> '82 Mutant Good.... bear inmind that unibody cars can be dificult to get right. Without seeing the car, it's tough to say but it does sound "less than desirable". Truth be told, if it was mine, it would have reached the end of it's road....... Good frame shops with state of the art equipment can get them close, but they never seem the same.... > I'm not still driving it. I only drove it home. I didn't leave idle speed > except to see if the car was still straight. Even then it was only to [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] >>> Jim S. >>> '82 Mutant What you said about how, "they never seem the same," is what I've always heard. It's what concerns me. I've spent quite a lot of money getting the suspension the way I like it. I'd be very upset if I paid a shop to fix it, only to have the car wiggle and wander with no remedy. > Good.... bear inmind that unibody cars can be dificult to get right. > Without seeing the car, it's tough to say but it does sound "less than [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] >>>> Jim S. >>>> '82 Mutant Well, I have to chime in. I absolutely destroyed the front end of my old 88 Mustang. Complete structure rebuild plus frame straightening needed. Merl's frame and wheel in OKC did it for me. Of course, new shocks and struts went in, and I got new rims and tires. After the alignment, I SWEAR it drove better than it did before hand. These guys do tons of Corvettes and Mustangs. I was skeptical, but very impressed. I could find nothing to complain about with the way the car tracked or handled. It actually felt tighter than it did before, which I guess was caused by having a brand new structure in. So, my experience was good. Would I do it again? No, but then I don't have a Capri. If I had a Capri would I? Yes, they are getting hard to find. Don Manning > What you said about how, "they never seem the same," is what I've always > heard. It's what concerns me. [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > >>>> Jim S. > >>>> '82 Mutant I think a lot of the "they never seem the same." Is all in the head. If a good, proffesional shop can straighten and strengthen the frame (unibody) properly it should be as good as new if not better. > Well, I have to chime in. I absolutely destroyed the front end of my old > 88 [quoted text clipped - 86 lines] > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.809 / Virus Database: 551 - Release Date: 12/9/2004 That one word.... "IF".... right now I'm (STILL) waiting for our fabricator to finish a 69 RoadRunner. It's getting back-halfed, tubbed and a 12 point cage. Been waiting a long time and the bill is going to be nothing less than awe-inspiring. Talk to a door-slammer guy in our area and if they're going to have a wreck, they'd rather be in one of our fabricators cars. Good frame guys don't come cheap..... if Jim S takes this car to his local bondo shop, "never seem the same" will be more than just in his head. Don't forget that this car appears to be an 82..... at this point in time, it is just another old car.... we have no idea of what mother nature has dealt this piece and we have no idea of any other problems it may have. Mustang or not, how much money is appropriate to pump into a car we have not seen. >I think a lot of the "they never seem the same." Is all in the head. If a >good, proffesional shop can straighten and strengthen the frame (unibody) [quoted text clipped - 93 lines] >> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >> Version: 6.0.809 / Virus Database: 551 - Release Date: 12/9/2004 FWIW, my LX came out perfect after the shop straightened it. I was driving south, a moron was driving north on the same road and blew through a red left-turn light right in front of me. I t-boned her as she blew by. Bent the whole front end of the LX towards the passenger side by 4 or 5 inches. Frame shop lasered up the unibody and fixed it perfectly. This was six years ago and the car still rides beautifully today. Joe Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC > That one word.... "IF".... right now I'm (STILL) waiting for our > fabricator to finish a 69 RoadRunner. It's getting back-halfed, [quoted text clipped - 122 lines] >>> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >>> Version: 6.0.809 / Virus Database: 551 - Release Date: 12/9/2004 Thanks guys, I'm going to have the car towed up to a frame place to get an estimate. If the repair is going to be more than $700, I think I'll just do the swap. Jim S. '82 Mutant > FWIW, my LX came out perfect after the shop straightened it. I was > driving south, a moron was driving north on the same road and blew [quoted text clipped - 134 lines] >>>> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >>>> Version: 6.0.809 / Virus Database: 551 - Release Date: 12/9/2004 Depends on the condition of the car, otherwise... if there's little or no rust, shop around for a good straightener. They CAN get the car lined up better than SOME came off the line. But if there's a lot of rust or other damage, sell the parts. I wouldnt go to the trouble of swapping a bunch of 82 drivetrain and trim into a 92... It wouldnt be a Capri anymore even IF the rear sheet metal was the same...the real intrinsic value would be lost anyway. Believe me, I've done a lot of swap-ins and swap-outs ..and that's too much work for the satisfaction later  Signature- Yes, I'm a crusty old geezer curmudgeon.. deal with it! - True, part the car out and get something a little more modern. > Depends on the condition of the car, otherwise... if there's little or no > rust, shop around for a good straightener. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > much > work for the satisfaction later The car is perfect other than the damage I mentioned. I spent 2 years restoring and customizing the car. There is no rust. Aside from the body panels, nothing, not a fuel or brake line in the car is of '82 vintage. I have a built 93 5.0. a well built AOD, rear-end is 95 GT disc, 98 Cobra front brakes and lots more. The parts that are on it and the Capri look are the valuable things to me. I guess I just need to decide how much the Capri look is worth to me. > Depends on the condition of the car, otherwise... if there's little or no > rust, shop around for a good straightener. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > much > work for the satisfaction later > The car is perfect other than the damage I mentioned. I spent 2 years > restoring and customizing the car. There is no rust. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > I guess I just need to decide how much the Capri look is worth to me. Then you just answered your own question... get it straightened The CHASSIS is a Capri... If you weld the sheet metal onto a Mustang, the chassis is still a Mustang. Signature- Yes, I'm a crusty old geezer curmudgeon.. deal with it! - >> I guess I just need to decide how much the Capri look is worth to me. > > Then you just answered your own question... get it straightened > > The CHASSIS is a Capri... If you weld the sheet metal onto a Mustang, the > chassis is still a Mustang. And if one is going to cut and weld, wouldn't it be easier just to weld and/or bolt in donor bits under the car to replace what's bent? |
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