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Got A Car To Repair -

By Bikeman982, January 19, 2008

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Bikeman982

Today I picked up a neighbor's car and put it into my garage.

It is a 1997 Corolla (white), with only 87,000 miles.

He wants me to repair the front end damage.

The man's daughter drove it into something that was hit just above the front bumper.

The hood, passenger's side fender, radiator and A/C condenser, etc. were damaged.

Has anyone ever replaced the radiator support brace?

i have not replaced one, but it can be done 2 ways....the right way and the easy way.

both ways start with cutting out the damaged part by removing the spot welds, then the correct way is to install the new part with spot welds while the easy way is to bolt it into place using the holes from the original spot welds. if you're bolting you need to use bolts that fit TIGHT and crank them down all the way tight, they HAVE to be grade 8 or metric grade 10 otherwise they'll snap before they're tight enough. if theres any room around the bolts the part can move and shift and actually affect the straightness of the cars frame! you'll want to install some bracing across the engine before you remove the part so that the frame stays straight when you install/align the new part.

Bikeman982

Here's some pictures -

I started taking the front end apart, removed bumper, lights, etc.

Top radiator support is bent, bottom seems fine.

I removed the right fender. Hood will be removed.

I plan on changing the hood, fender, A/C condenser and fan, Radiator and fan, and radiator support brace - just the top.

I think I can drill out the old support brace and bolt a replacement in.

K_Watson

Links are not working.

Bikeman982

Links are not working.

I don't know what was wrong with them.

 

I deleted and then reloaded them, so give it another try.

Today I went to the local junkyard and found a 1996 Corolla.

I paid $282.13 and took the front end.

That included hood, bumper, both fenders, all front lights, etc.

I also cut (with a hacksaw) the upper radiator support.

They don't allow power tools inside the junkyard and cutting it out was what I could do.

My plan is to cut the bad one out of the project car and bolt the junkyard support to the car.

Included in the front end parts was the radiator (and fan) and the A/C condenser (and fan).

I also have the front grille, and the bumper styrofoam and brace. A lot for the money.

The problem is the car was red and the fenders and hood have to be painted white.

I may spray paint them myself (won't be professional, but will look better than red).

I will let you know how it turns out. It was raining today and getting the parts was in the rain.

Putting it all together may have to wait for dryer weather. We shall see.

More to follow.

Painting really isn't that tough to do. It most likely won't be a professional looking job but should certainly suffice for an old car that most likley is only needed for reliable transportation. A lot of guys paint the whole side of the car if painting the nose so that the paint matches. White is one of the easier colors but there are a lot of shades of white.

BE CAREFUL.....know what you are spraying because a lot of paints today are deadly...one time and your lungs are damaged forever. It's just not worth the risk. Even a decent respirator is not good enough for many of the paints and solvents today. I think most shops use fesh air systems now.

Jay in MA

Links are not working.

I don't know what was wrong with them.

 

I deleted and then reloaded them, so give it another try.

Today I went to the local junkyard and found a 1996 Corolla.

I paid $282.13 and took the front end.

That included hood, bumper, both fenders, all front lights, etc.

I also cut (with a hacksaw) the upper radiator support.

They don't allow power tools inside the junkyard and cutting it out was what I could do.

My plan is to cut the bad one out of the project car and bolt the junkyard support to the car.

Included in the front end parts was the radiator (and fan) and the A/C condenser (and fan).

I also have the front grille, and the bumper styrofoam and brace. A lot for the money.

The problem is the car was red and the fenders and hood have to be painted white.

I may spray paint them myself (won't be professional, but will look better than red.

I will let you know how it turns out. It was raining today and getting the parts was in the rain.

Putting it all together may have to wait for dryer weather. We shall see.

More to follow.

Bikeman982

Here is the right front fender (red) that I plan to paint white to match the car -

The hood is also from the same donor car and will also be painted.

I plan to use some cans of spray paint available at the local auto parts store.

I just spray the parts outside - with good ventilation and I don't breathe the fumes.

I did work on the car today and cut the old upper radiator brace off and bolted on the one from the junkyard.

I also installed the A/C condenser and fan, radiator and fan, and a few more front end parts - such as bumper reinforcements.

Tomorrow I will paint the fender and install it.

If I have time, I will also do the hood and then put the bumper on.

After that will be the headlights and corner lights and grille (also needs painting).

I will need to fill the coolant, ATF and also check the oil.

I need to get a battery before the car can be started up.

I got an inside rear view mirror from the junkyard and was going to install it, in place of the broken one.

I tried swapping just the mirror portion and got it out ok, but putting it into the other holder it cracked.

I guess next time at the junkyard I will get another. I have done just a glass (mirror portion) swap before.

More to follow.

Bikeman982

I went to another junkyard today looking for the bumper support bracket, but didn't find one.

The one I have is usable, but has a slight bend in it.

I also bought some spray paint and will paint the parts when it gets a little drier outside.

I did fill up the fluids today and started looking for a battery.

I can get an Energizer (120 months) for $70 - is that a good deal??

I went to another junkyard today looking for the bumper support bracket, but didn't find one.The one I have is usable, but has a slight bend in it.

 

I also bought some spray paint and will paint the parts when it gets a little drier outside.

I did fill up the fluids today and started looking fo a battery.

I can get an Energizer (120 months) for $70 - is that a good deal??

 

While you are at the junkyard, see if they will sell you a battery.....usually around $10 to $15.

Bike,

Sounds like you got a pretty good deal on the parts at the boneyard.

I didnt realize that the rad support was welded in. Just took apart a pathfinder. the rad support was bolted in with 12 bolts. VERY easy removal.

regarding paint, a "cheap" option would be to sand it down, prime it, paint the underside & jams (since that's extra), then take it to a discount paint place like macco.

not sure if you want to spend the extra $200 to get it painted by them.

have fun!

tdk.

Bikeman982

Seventh generation Corolla radiator supports are welded on.

Some people drill out the spot welds to remove them and then bolt the new one on.

I just used a hacksaw and cut it off and then bolted it on with existing holes.

It seems to be tight (especially after A/C parts were put in place).

The owner came by today and stated that he was pleasantly surprised that it came out so good (so far).

The local junkyard sells batteries for $16.00, but I want one that is new.

You never know what you will get at the junkyard and how long it will last.

They may look good, but only last for a short time.

I bought some spray paint and painted the grille and the fender myself.

I plan to also paint the hood. I thought about having a paint shop do the work, but it is not necessary.

The owner didn't care what color the parts were and I can do an adequate job.

I will post some pictures when I finish them.

My plan is to paint, sand, paint again and repeat several times.

The last coat will be the actual paint color and then several coats of clear coating.

The hood will also undergo my paint method.

Bikeman982

Today I got a battery from my friend who works at Midas and I tried to start the car.

See my other post for the result.

I also put another coat of paint on the grille and fender.

I would do more, but it is raining and cold outside.

I keep the grille and fender in the house, bring it outside, paint it, then bring it back inside to dry.

Bikeman982

Weather is not raining today, although at 53 degrees, it is a little cold for painting.

I have cleaned the hood and prepped it for paint.

I will put another coat on the grille and the fender and a first coat on the hood.

More to follow.

I bought some spray paint and painted the grille and the fender myself.I plan to also paint the hood. I thought about having a paint shop do the work, but it is not necessary.

 

The owner didn't care what color the parts were and I can do an adequate job.

I will post some pictures when I finish them.

My plan is to paint, sand, paint again and repeat several times.

The last coat will be the actual paint color and then several coats of clear coating.

The hood will also undergo my paint method.

Sounds good. I'm not a paint shop guy, but in my humble experience of painting my last several cars (I haven't painted my current car, but will this summer), be sure your primer is a light color [usually light grey] if you are not going to sand and are going to paint over a primer that is itself over an existing top coat. Dark primers make the top coats look dark, and it takes many many more layers of a light top coat to cover a dark primer and to ultimately match the surrounding original paint.

Bikeman982

I bought some spray paint and painted the grille and the fender myself.I plan to also paint the hood. I thought about having a paint shop do the work, but it is not necessary.

 

The owner didn't care what color the parts were and I can do an adequate job.

I will post some pictures when I finish them.

My plan is to paint, sand, paint again and repeat several times.

The last coat will be the actual paint color and then several coats of clear coating.

The hood will also undergo my paint method.

Sounds good. I'm not a paint shop guy, but in my humble experience of painting my last several cars (I haven't painted my current car, but will this summer), be sure your primer is a light color [usually light grey] if you are not going to sand and are going to paint over a primer that is itself over an existing top coat. Dark primers make the top coats look dark, and it takes many many more layers of a light top coat to cover a dark primer and to ultimately match the surrounding original paint.
Thanks,

 

I have found that it takes at least three coats of a light color to cover over a dark base.

I have painted the grille, front right fender and hood with three coats, so far and they look pretty good.

I plan on putting on one more coat, then the actual touch-up paint to match the cars actual color, then some clearcoating to protect it.

The parts seem to look good and they definitely will look better on the car when finished.

Are you planning on painting your entire car, or just parts of it??

Bikeman982

Weather is raining today, although at 52 degrees, it is a little cold for painting.

I have painted the hood and prepped it for more painting.

I will put another coat on the grille and the fender and another coat on the hood, after it stops raining (maybe tomorrow).

More to follow.

Bikeman982

Yesterday the weather was good for painting (50 degrees and sunny), so I put another coat on the grille, fender and hood.

I then applied the matching color to each and also a coat of clearcoat. I will probably add more clearcoat.

I would have done more today, but the rain has started again and it is not good for painting.

I did put the fender on the car and cleaned off the bumper. I started to put that on the car and also the grille.

I layed the hood on top, but need help to bolt it on and also align it correctly.

More to follow.

Bikeman982

I put the wheel well liner and the bottom splash guards on today and also received new corner lights from e-Bay.

I just need the headlights from e-Bay and the car should be good.

Hood and fenders are not totally aligned, but the hood does close tight.

There is a problem with the used RF fender - the front passenger door scrapes the edge when the door is opened and closed.

Not a big problem, but adjustment is needed.

I will put a couple more coats of clearcoat on the painted parts and put on headlights when they come.

Next problem will be to bypass the theft deterrent system to start the car.

More to follow.

Bikeman982

Pictures for an update -

Before (after bumper, grille, fender, radiator, A/C condenser, etc. removed).

After (after hood, grille, fender, radiator, A/C condenser, lights, etc. replaced).

Looking pretty good default_biggrin - pretty tough to get paint from a rattle can to look halfway decent on an item like the hood - kudos to you Bike. Little pieces are a easy to do, but to get enough coverage over a big piece is tough. Fortunantly the car was white - darker color or metallic would be a nightmare - as sometimes the color from two separate cans, even with the same paint code, will come out slightly different.

Great job, that looks very nice! I think the hood is a little bit whiter than the front quarter panel in the first pic, but with white that's almost impossible to match it perfectly. Well done. How does it run?

Bikeman982

The paint color was Super White II, and the hood and left front fender and grille were painted.

They don't exactly match, but from a distance (a few feet or so), it looks fine.

The car does not start (see another post), there is a theft deterrent system that I have to bypass.

The owner has lost the card that was used for starting.

I will have to look for the "brain-box?" and cut/splice the wires.

That is next on the list of things to do.

Should I have the owner take the car - as is - (I would tow it to his house - two blocks), or charge him to get it running??

It is really no use to him unless it runs and he has authorized me to cut/splice wires to get it started.

Anyone know how to bypass this system??

Bikeman982

Today I went to the local junkyard and got another hood release cable.

When I closed the hood on the car, it would not open.

I took the latch off (thru the grille) and opened it.

I looked at the old cable and it was frayed at the end.

Tomorrow I hope to put the junkyard cable on the car.

The owner of the car came by and he liked the look of the car and is happy with my work.

I still have to bypass the theft deterrent system and get the car started.

After the cable is changed and the car can be started - it is back to the owner - finished.

More to follow.

Bikeman982

Here are some pictures of my house and the 1997 and the 1995 Corolla.

The paint on the 1997 is not perfect, but at least it is white.

I called the owner and delivered his car - the 1997 is gone to his home.

Here are pictures of my house and also the 1997 and my 1995 "Project Car".

Bikeman982

I saw the owner of the 1997 car today and he waved as he drove his truck to his home.

I wonder if he is going to register and drive the 1997 Corlla?

He probably will have to pay back fees to the DMV, because it has not been registered for two years.

If he is willing to sell it, I would buy it (if it was cheap enough).

It is a nice car, with all the power stuff and also cruise control.

Anybody have a 1997??



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