mellow65 Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Ok as some may know I just bought an 89 touring wagon. I bought it out at an insurance auction because of some nose damage. I didn't get a chance to go look at it before hand I had to rely on my friend that has the membership to the place to give me the thumbs up or thumbs down. Well for the hell of it I got it. Couldn't see it go the junk yard with a set of pugs and for the fact it was a touring wagon. So I spent the day tearing the front off and seeing what kind of repairs I can do. Well after hours of pulling with a come along, then moving to a chain wrapped through the frame and driving it backwards not much was fixed. The front is FUBAR. So here is my question, does anyone think they can fix this or am I doomed to parting it out. I am not an autobody guy, and really the thought of it kind of scares me. The only thing me and my friend came up with what we could do was cut the front off a car that has a good core support and try to fit it to this one, witch I don't think I have the skills to do. So here is where I am at, would anyone with body skills want to bring a touring wagon back to life? It's that or I part it out and scrap the car. From the front of the motor on the body to the back of the car is really clean and strait. I even started it up for a little bit after I got the fan unstuck from the radiator. Any input would help. Here are some pictures of the car today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 holy crap, I would jump at that in a heartbeat, if you weren't so far away. The front clip is about all that is worth two bits on my car, heh.. I could remove all the GL-10 bits other than the digidash and the sunroof and find a way to install them, and I would have a spare engine.. but there is NO way I could make that happen with 3,500 miles in between. However, have you thought about the possibility of picking up a cheapo harbor freight hydraulic set and using hydraulic rams and spreaders to try tweaking it? I can't *really* see the extent of the damage, but come-a-longs and chains are not what auto body people use, they use hydraulics.. Just figured I would drop the idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted May 27, 2007 Author Share Posted May 27, 2007 However, have you thought about the possibility of picking up a cheapo harbor freight hydraulic set and using hydraulic rams and spreaders to try tweaking it? I can't *really* see the extent of the damage, but come-a-longs and chains are not what auto body people use, they use hydraulics.. Just figured I would drop the idea. I know the auto guys dont use that kind of stuff. But it's all that i had at my disposal and I wasn't about to go buy a full set of body stuff when i hate doing body stuff. its hard to see in the photo, but the bottom core support is twisted back and so you couldn't even mount a radiator if you wanted to. and in the third photo you can kind of make out where it folded back on its self. and that bent in part is keeping the front headlight area from getting close to strait. maybe i will through it up in the for sale section just to see if anyone would want to bother. But I have a sad feeling that it will end up being parted out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 well damm - closer than daeron, but still too far away, or i'd be all over it too! just my two cents...find a donor that has a good front end, cut off the damaged portion, cut off the donor at the same points, weld in the donor front and off ya go! just be sure that the body hasnt been tweeked too far out of whack - otherwise alignment might be impossible... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 As someone who actually has training and experience in autobody(both with professional tools and chains and like) It is far from FUBAR. Just FU. The professional fix would definately be to drill out the spotwelds of the affected panels and remove them. Then weld in new panels. Autobody shops wouldn't do any major stretching on this type of unibody car. Mabye just a little to alingg stuff to accept the new panels. Mellow I take it a task like that is beyond you right now so here's what I recommend. Keep at it slowly and methodically moving the metal back into shape. Don't try for big moves all at once. Rather try to apply force in the oppostie order that the collapse/accident happened. Looks like the headligh area needs to come upwards and be flattened out. For a radiator support you could fashion a crosspiece out of angle iron. Remember new sheetmetal is going to be covering the whole thing so it doesn't need to be perfect underneath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Looks like you could bolt a piece of angle iron to the driver side upper fender mount holes. Then use it as a lever(possibly with a big pipe over the end) to lift that supprt upwards. Hammering on the folded parts of the radiator wall/headlight ares while levering it up will help[ it relieve stress and flatten out. I would try fashioning something you can bolt into the bumper mount holes. Something you can bolt into the mount and then attach a chain to it and a tree and try back up slowly. Back up till there is force pulling on the chain. Set the E-brake, leaving tension then get out and hammer with tapping motion on the bottom of that beam the bumper bolts too. Then get back in and give it a few more chain tugs. The metal has to be reshaped gradually. Duplicating the forces that bent it originally in reverse order bit by bit. You can do it. I mean this is not going to be a show and shine ride anyway right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75subie Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 you could peice on a new rad support with sheet metal screws, i`ve done that a few times. just make sure you overlap the older one at least a couple inches. you also could just get this one straight enough to bolt in a radiator, lights, and fender, and get the hood closed. remember, mounting holes can always be redrilled and washers can always be added to raise them. sledge hammers are always good. just depends on how nice you want the car to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petersubaru Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Not being a body man I would grab this car in a heart beat..I replaced the same parts on my 86 about 12yrs ago..my insurance company paid to have the metal aligned and the front cross member (where the headlights fasten onto) welded up...after that it was simply putting it back together..a little twicking here an there with patience..then paint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Gloyale has the right approach to this, pretty much what I learned in class. Be nice to have it on a rack tho. I had a 84 turbo wagon that was just like this. Concrete jersey barrier at 45mph. It fubared the battery tray and the crumple zone was compressed some. Lots of hammering while pressure is applied is the way to pull the metal back. You might need to use the angle iron piece for a new core support, but that would just make it better than original, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykingcrab Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 (1)Find a donor car. (2)Get a dewalt cordless sawsall or portable torches.(some places rent them). (3)mark your line. CUT INFRONT OF THE TOWERS ON THE DONER even though you probaly wont use it all. (4) cut from right in front of the strut tower straight down thru all layers,repeat other side. (5) take you clip home. (6)repeat the same steps on your wagon. it starts to get tricky here. on you wagon strip everything off and out of the way. (7)GLOYALe/TURBONE ARE ON IT.get a spot welding drill and find a seam with spot welds and drill them out. if you cant a seam, one that easily provides separation point were you need (I cant see without beeing there/same concept on all unibody) to the begining of the damaged area, you will mark and cut . (8) dont complicate it its pretty simple. (your damage is not a dangeous structural issue infront of the towers.) when you reattatch you can make some gussetts(1/8thx1 inch flat stock steel with 2 holes and nuts and bolts) to join and tempararily hold the joint together.do this at several spots. this will insure your ability to adjust before welding. (9) weld/braze and repaint.reasemble. you could massage alot and get it close as earlier suggested. it does work. a person would be surprised how much it can be manipulated. both small and large movements. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted May 27, 2007 Author Share Posted May 27, 2007 thanks everyone for the words of encouragement. I have all day and nothing to do so I will get out there and see what I can do. I don't want to send it off to the JY I want to keep a rare piece of subaru history. You know with my luck as soon as I got it all together, some bone head would smash me from behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonas Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 jeff spicoli:Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it. KILL LINCOLN! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZRX Doug Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 If you own rather than rent your home, consider sinking four (or more) tie-down points into the driveway or garage floor..this is the poor man's frame rack. Once the car is off its suspension and firmly chained down, your come-along will show a lot more muscle. A lot of potential pulling power is absorbed by suspension & tires..lose that factor and things will bend a tad easier. As the other guys said, apply tension in the direction opposite the original impact, and beat the snot out of it with a BFH while it's under tension. Your neighbors will love you.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 I don't do body work enough to ever warrant having 4 posts in my shop. I generally try to stay away from stuff that requires to much work. But it's a good idea. And maybe in my next house if I have some property, I would doing something like that. If you own rather than rent your home, consider sinking four (or more) tie-down points into the driveway or garage floor..this is the poor man's frame rack. Once the car is off its suspension and firmly chained down, your come-along will show a lot more muscle. A lot of potential pulling power is absorbed by suspension & tires..lose that factor and things will bend a tad easier. As the other guys said, apply tension in the direction opposite the original impact, and beat the snot out of it with a BFH while it's under tension.Your neighbors will love you.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 spent the day working on it, the saga continues here with pictures almost there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawlerdan Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 we can fix it man...hell weve done one way worse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 we can fix it man...hell weve done one way worse i dont doubt your guys skills, especially after see what you guys did with that rolled over impreza. But I'm trying to do it on the cheap. And what a real shop would cost would blow me out of the water on keeping it cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawlerdan Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 true, id front half it though-just a lil more work, waaaay better results in the long run Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 true, id front half it though-just a lil more work, waaaay better results in the long run Yeah im sure you could make it hot looking. But I'm not making a show princess, and as long as it doesn't look like a big pile of sh*t I'm cool with it. That and it's been awhile since i have gotten to "make it work". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawlerdan Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 well looks good so far, most of it will be covered up by new sheet meteal so it should be fine...good luck!! lemme know if you need help/parts, you know i got em! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 well looks good so far, most of it will be covered up by new sheet meteal so it should be fine...good luck!! lemme know if you need help/parts, you know i got em! im still going to pick up your lowest mileage wagon DR from you in the near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawlerdan Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 okay...that wagon you looked at i can let go for 500 now-169 k d/r and spfi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 okay...that wagon you looked at i can let go for 500 now-169 k d/r and spfi no no, im sorry, just the tranny i need, you had some up for sale awhile ago, you said you knew what they were from and you had a really low mileage one too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawlerdan Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 no no, im sorry, just the tranny i need, you had some up for sale awhile ago, you said you knew what they were from and you had a really low mileage one too.ya i know, just reminding yuo i have a whole car i have a d/r with 65k on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 ya i know, just reminding yuo i have a whole car i have a d/r with 65k on it dont need the wagon anymore. i got my touring wagon. well assuming all goes well on the front end of it. and holy crap that's some low miles there, and that came from a nonturbo wagon Yeah go ahead set that one aside for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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