Fix or Rebuild?

#41

Yeah but you left, and they are “building” it up in the Southeast now. My buddy is finding out the joys of replacing the oil pan gasket on his 944 this week.

#42

I am proud of the job they are doing down there but the Spec E30 family bond can’t be beat and that is nationwide, not just in one region.

#43

Always run your spare!

It is weight where you want it

The crumple zone was designed for it to be there.

I would pull the damn thing out with trees and come-alongs, get some tension on it and beat with a hammer.

As Turbo said, apply stickers…I think the Hall’s have
a car with the rear 1/4 made of duct tape…

Seriously paste it back together and get back out there

Fix it for real over next winter. Where are you located?

Al
[hide][/hide]

#44

To me it looks like a good frame guy could pull that out without much trouble. They will weld tabs where ever they need to grab and just pull. After I wrecked the front of my old ITS car (Chuck B’s old car) I was about to start pulling off fenders and stuff. Before I did I had my frame guy stop by and he said don’t touch it. He pulled it all back out no problem. The good frame guys also end up doing the cutting and welding if needed. I am thinking for less then half your estimate you can have it straight again and then rattle can it with an off the shelf color that is close.

I am in Ashland, (eastern) KY if you need a hillbilly top notch frame guy there is one here.

#45

Hey Al, I’m in the Raleigh area. Next on my hit list is talking to Massey’s in Burlington. I hear they do a lot of roundy-round car work. I’ll talk to them about pulling it out as opposed to replacing the ass end.

#46

Okay, I threw some figures together on a estimating program using that exact car and the labor times for panel replacement including a new rear frame rail section. Not including parts (because it sounds like you can get used stuff pretty easily) the labor WITH PAINT only comes to $2775. That’s to set up and pull the rear body on a frame rack, cut off and replace the rear qtr panel and rear body panel, fix the trunk floor and replace the rt frame rail aft of the suspension mounts. I never, EVER write to replace a trunk floor until the thing’s been pulled because I’ve found they frequently can be saved. Remember too, I deal with restoring cars to perfect condition; a race car doesn’t need the trunk floor to look brand spankin’ new. If your roll cage is welded in you’ll need to buy another…the cost of which will be at least half of what repairing that car would be. I think this could be saved. The repair shop needs to understand it only needs to be straight and strong. We’re not worried about resale value on these things.

OT: I felt the same way about running the spare, but had to pull mine because I’m otherwise too overweight. Everyone is welcome to inspect my car at the next event and tell me where I can remove additional weight, because I sure can’t come up with any.
:huh:

#47

i believe long road racing uses a place called rocky’s autobody or something like that to do their cars and cages, might be worth investigating. they should grok the definition of “race car quality” repair.

#48

David, thanks for that info! That’s very good to know. My roll cage attachment points are foreward of the rear bulkhead:

Jason, Rocky’s was the other place I talked to besides Maaco. He was telling me $4k. He works on racecars, but I think he has a pretty high standard even so:

http://www.rockysautobodyracing.com/gallery.html

#49

[quote=“FARTBREF” post=64713]Always run your spare!

It is weight where you want it

The crumple zone was designed for it to be there.[/quote]
I don’t really buy the spare/crush zone thing. When I had my wreck at RA a couple of years ago I had a spare in the well. Afterwards the spare tire well had almost completely separated from the trunk floor with no damage to the well. Only one spot weld was still holding the well to what was left of the trunk floor.

#50

Yes, Rocky does have a pretty high standard…potential buyers of my blue spec e30 will note the Rocky’s sticker on the 1/4 panel/…not a wreck repair but a paint job…

Will be passing thru Raleigh tomorrow, I think Tower has a hammer over there…I have a come along, got any tree’s??

Al

PS, has anyone mentioned the beertech first race curse???

#51

[quote=“FARTBREF” post=64731]

PS, has anyone mentioned the beertech first race curse???[/quote]

Nope, nobody ever mentioned it! Do tell!

I just heard back from Rocky again. We talked about the number he quoted me, which was for somebody’s E30 that recently had the exact same thing done. It had some other factors, though, which drove the price up. If I can come up with the parts, my cost will be significantly less. Enough so that it makes a lot of sense to have him fix it.

So now to find a donor for the rear end.

Steve has graciously offered one up, but it will run me $400 in gas and 14 hours to get to Atlanta and back. There’s a $250 shell for sale in Charlotte… but it’s a convertible. I’m wondering if that would work?

There’s a running car (no title) for $800 in Winston Salem. That might not be bad to stock up on spare parts. Will scrap yards take the remains of the shell after I cut off the back end without a title?

#52

I was thinking replace the whole quarter panel by drilling out the spot welds and melting the braze at the top of c pillar. That obviously can’t be done with the convertible. If you cut the back half of the quarter off extending forward of the back of the window and butt welded a seam I would be surprised if it lined up with the convertible model, but it’s possible. I would call you’re body shop again and ask before buying a convertible.

#53

$800 is a lot for a car w/o a title unless it’s nicer than most “no title” cars. If you’ve got the time to part it out tho, you’ll be able to scavenge the car for every useful part and still enough stuff to break even on the $800.

Contact Jim Pantas. He may well have a shell.

#54

[quote=“FARTBREF” post=64731]Yes, Rocky does have a pretty high standard…potential buyers of my blue spec e30 will note the Rocky’s sticker on the 1/4 panel/…not a wreck repair but a paint job…

Will be passing thru Raleigh tomorrow, I think Tower has a hammer over there…I have a come along, got any tree’s??

Al

PS, has anyone mentioned the beertech first race curse???[/quote]
beer, ping pong, and race talk at my place thu afternoon/evening?

#55

[quote=“juliancates” post=64733][quote=“FARTBREF” post=64731]

PS, has anyone mentioned the beertech first race curse???[/quote]

Nope, nobody ever mentioned it! Do tell!

I just heard back from Rocky again. We talked about the number he quoted me, which was for somebody’s E30 that recently had the exact same thing done. It had some other factors, though, which drove the price up. If I can come up with the parts, my cost will be significantly less. Enough so that it makes a lot of sense to have him fix it.

So now to find a donor for the rear end.

Steve has graciously offered one up, but it will run me $400 in gas and 14 hours to get to Atlanta and back. There’s a $250 shell for sale in Charlotte… but it’s a convertible. I’m wondering if that would work?

There’s a running car (no title) for $800 in Winston Salem. That might not be bad to stock up on spare parts. Will scrap yards take the remains of the shell after I cut off the back end without a title?[/quote]

two other possible options for a shell are bret luter in clayton and shadetree garage in north raleigh

#56

A conv quarter panel won’t work. I also wouldn’t pay $800 for a car without a title. They can be real trouble to get rid of unless you chop them into little bits. Troll the tow yards in your area; you may find one that’s abandoned they’d be willing to sell you. Also foreign car shops for that car that wasn’t worth fixing someone left there. My local guy has an “is” he’s wanting to get rid of (which reminds me, if anyone in proximity to southern PA is looking for a car…).

#57

No pressure Julian, but my 2 door shell also has doors, a hood, front fenders, and a bumper that could come in handy for, ummmm, future needs. And I have the title to make getting rid of the carcass a little easier.

#58

I got several shells…really, and can deliver whatever you need to Rocky as I am located at Vir, have a white shell that is close to going to the scrpaer, I can have Rocky tell me exactly how/where to cut. parts free, just the labor to cut and deliver

Al

#59

beertech curse…cars wrecked first weekend, happened to Jones and Scott MC I believe…not sure how JP came out…also affected their LeMons efforts…

Al

#60

[quote=“FARTBREF” post=64765]beertech curse…cars wrecked first weekend, happened to Jones and Scott MC I believe…not sure how JP came out…also affected their LeMons efforts…

Al[/quote]

Well hopefully I’ve got that out of my system now!

I’ll send you a PM about the shell… THANKS!