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hsv_babe
Fully Licenced
269 Posts
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 Posted - 15 May 2010 : 09:41:23 AM
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Hey guys I dunno if I told anyone about when I brought my new berlina It had been smashed. Well I have had a whole lot of problems with my front end lining up (bonnet, headlight). My wiper motor recently went on me (decided to wipe my blades across the bonnet before it finally gave) and picked up a new mech and motor to change over. Took the bonnet off, was all good until trying the arm off the drivers side. The bonnet hinge wouldnt go down at all so tried to put the bonnet back on and fix the problem (bonnet was sitting up closer to the windscreen) but to no avail. Decided to take it to a place in Ballarat called MPXtreme. The guy came out and had a look and informed me that my front end is out by nearly a inch from what its hit. Gave me a quote of $200 to put it on the rack and straighten it (radiator support is smushed as well) or $500 to put on rack and well as repair dents in front end and respray areas. Is this a good price???? My mate's mate offered to replace my radiator support (with a vs one will it fit?) and get my darling ex boyf to repaint for 250. What should I do, go with a professional or the mate??? Is this a big job and can it be stuffed up? Thanks guys
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I'd gladly push my holden than drive a bloody ford! |
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Mechknight73
National Driver
1001 Posts
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Posted - 15 May 2010 : 11:13:33 AM
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From the sounds of it, just replacing the radiator support may not fix the structural damage. To get a straight answer (pardon the pun) about just how much structural damage there is, take off your front guards and bumper. If all the bent bits are up the front, then just change the bent bits up the front.
As for whether the radiator support from a VS will fit a VN, from what I know about them (I worked for Holden dealers when the VS was brand new) it looks like the same unit. Same mounts for the headlights, same bolt patterns on the front guard. Run a tape measure over it to be sure, but the VN-VS seem to have the same relationship to each other that the HQ-WB Kingswoods had to each other; same basic car updated, and most of those parts interchange.
If it does need to go on the rack, I would say get a pro. If it's something that only needs a hammer and a piece of 4x2 to fix, get your mates to do it.
$500 to do all that looks fairly reasonable though. My HZ was suffering from the one thing all HQ-WBs get, the sagging crossmember. Bear in mind, that to straighten it, the front crossmember has to go on the rack. Including some new parts and a wheel alignment, that cost me $350. What he may have to do with your front end is potentially a lot more work. Welding, painting, sourcing replacement parts, and getting the front end straight again. I would find out just how bad the damage is, then ask the panelbeater what he thinks is damaged, Then tell him what you know. See if his answer changes |
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hsv_babe
Fully Licenced
269 Posts
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Posted - 15 May 2010 : 6:50:22 PM
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| Well from what i've looked at it seems to be the radiator support (will try to post some pics as its quite bad or I can email them if anyone wants to see) is pretty busted down the front (passenger side of the radiator) there is a crease in the top of the radiator support it looks twisted in one spot, same on the top of the passenger side front guard (where the bolts run down) the grill lines up fine but the headlight sits slightly behind the grill, drivers side it all fine, the z bar is slightly bent (will going on the rack fix this as well?) the bonnet isnt lining up and thats about all i have found so far, the guy i took it to didnt pull anything off the car he just looked at it and gave me the quote (does that mean he has to stick to that price?) |
I'd gladly push my holden than drive a bloody ford! |
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dryVN
Fully Licenced
228 Posts
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Posted - 15 May 2010 : 8:57:52 PM
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Hi , sometimes you can bang the support out with a sledge hammer to get it close.
The other option is with a large chain or snatch strap , wrapped around the radiator support at points (lined up with the naked eye)
wrap it round a large tree.
Then very slowly and carefully drive the car in reverse while someones checking heaps of times for alignment.
This a is great method when done with patience and could save you some bucks. |
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Mechknight73
National Driver
1001 Posts
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Posted - 16 May 2010 : 12:27:40 AM
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You have to be pretty careful in straightening out a car with chain and post, or with a sledgehammer.
With quotes, to get them to stick to a quoted price, you have to make them write it down. Some panelbeaters deliberately overquote a little to give themselves breathing room, some underquote, and some are just crooks.
A body rack will pull any part needed straight. Depending on the strength of the rams, it could be something like a radiator support panel, right through to the entire front end. If you let the panelbeater do it, he's obliged to do it properly, and has the heavy machinery to do it with precision. Some racks even have laser alignment tools these days. |
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hsv_babe
Fully Licenced
269 Posts
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Posted - 16 May 2010 : 08:48:42 AM
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| Thanks for the sugguestion dryvn but like Mechknight said a panel beater needs to do it properly, plus with it being unreg it will need to go thru a roadworthy, and in vic they pick the **** outta stuff life like that. Plus i dont think a sledge hammer will fix it bud its pretty screwed!!!! |
I'd gladly push my holden than drive a bloody ford! |
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dryVN
Fully Licenced
228 Posts
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Posted - 16 May 2010 : 2:38:08 PM
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I think i took too many bush mechanic classes while i was off me tree.
The quote sounds good for a panel shop.
Yeah Vic roads can be a bit picky sometimes , but its for every ones safety out there.
most of the time your at the mercy of the RW mechanic , cause the last 3 cars i've had Vic roads has not even checked.
$500 would also buy you a clapped out donor car , just great for the whole front end. |
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Mechknight73
National Driver
1001 Posts
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Posted - 16 May 2010 : 3:37:59 PM
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| Assuming you've got the room for a donor car, that opens the possibilities for a lot of things; transmission to be reconditioned; if the gearbox on the project car or daily drive is on the way out, you now have one "lying around" you can overhaul at your leisure. Same goes for all the other parts you want to salvage. Seats knackered? rip the ones out of the junker, have them retrimmed, and put them in when you want. And of course, if you wanted to do a really wild engine, you can take as much time as you want to get it just how you want, and you have the harness etc. to run it out of a car. You could even do some "experimental painting;" do a quickie respray on the junker, just so you know how it looks before anyone so much as puts sandpaper to the panels. |
Edited by - Mechknight73 on 16 May 2010 3:40:22 PM |
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hsv_babe
Fully Licenced
269 Posts
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Posted - 16 May 2010 : 7:29:06 PM
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| Yeah I'd do that but there is nothing wrong with the rest of the car its near perfect for its age, i did have a spare radiator support off the old vn but its now smashed up as well lol think i might just go with the pro's for this one lol |
I'd gladly push my holden than drive a bloody ford! |
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Mechknight73
National Driver
1001 Posts
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Posted - 16 May 2010 : 11:28:14 PM
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| You've done well to get one in that kind of condition. Mine is almost in that condition, save for the usual rust in the tailgate and worn out paint in places. Will have to replace the bonnet some time, but serves well as a "stealth ship;" can get around virtually unnoticed. |
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