This may interest a lot of you (Crash repair work)

[andycorsasport]

Not really sure where to post this, its car related, but not Clio related. Anyway here goes.

Thought id bung a few pics up of a ""little" job ive been doing at work recently. Its a friend of the managers, bought as a write off to repair and go back on the road. Its a 08 plate Corsa Breeze.

How the car turned up for me:

As you can see, both chassis legs are bent to f**k

Also you can see the passenger inner wing is fuubarred

Drivers side leg, bent to f**k, but saveable

Passenger leg, too far gone to save.

So i pulled drivers leg over, with help of a brace to tweak the front of it that little more

All straight

Passenger leg again

As you can see ive now removed the inner wing, i have also had to strip a lot more off the car to do the next process, subframe, passenger suspension, brake pipes and ABS unit.

Now time to cut off the passenger chassis leg

Cut off the end:

Inside view

Then remove it all back to the bulk head - NOT easy:

Outside view

Thats as far as i have got so far, ill get more pics along the way

Any questions ill try get them answered

 

[Paddy_g46]

Do you specialise in crash repair then or do other stuff aswell?

 

[andycorsasport]

Specialize in crash repairs, but also do other work, paint work, custom paint work, rust removals, services etc.

 

[Deeg]

Unless you're doing this for next to nothing (or your boss is), how can there be any value in repairing something like that?

I could kind of understand it if it were a high value car, but that's not really worth that much surely, even if it were a straight up car?

 

[andycorsasport]

Well its a 2 year old Corsa, its all about saving money aint it really. We use damaged cars and repair them as our loan cars, we have an 09 Plate Fiat Panda, which was repaired beggining of this year, so it was 1 year old, had 2k on the clock, and was bought, repaired, painted all finished for £1,900. I know Pandas arent particually expensive to buy brand new, but you couldnt find a 1 year old Panda with 2k, for less than £2000.

 

[Deeg]

Well its a 2 year old Corsa, its all about saving money aint it really. We use damaged cars and repair them as our loan cars, we have an 09 Plate Fiat Panda, which was repaired beggining of this year, so it was 1 year old, had 2k on the clock, and was bought, repaired, painted all finished for £1,900. I know Pandas arent particually expensive to buy brand new, but you couldnt find a 1 year old Panda with 2k, for less than £2000.

Plus whatever was paid for the car in the first place.

 

[Daniel]

Well its a 2 year old Corsa, its all about saving money aint it really. We use damaged cars and repair them as our loan cars, we have an 09 Plate Fiat Panda, which was repaired beggining of this year, so it was 1 year old, had 2k on the clock, and was bought, repaired, painted all finished for £1,900. I know Pandas arent particually expensive to buy brand new, but you couldnt find a 1 year old Panda with 2k, for less than £2000.

Plus whatever was paid for the car in the first place.

Getting slow in your old age kid??

 

[andycorsasport]

No that included the price of the car too.

 

[andycorsasport]

Beat me too it Daniel

 

[Josh@Renparts]

Unless you're doing this for next to nothing (or your boss is), how can there be any value in repairing something like that?

I could kind of understand it if it were a high value car, but that's not really worth that much surely, even if it were a straight up car?

Yes your right, and the whole salvage repair industry is wrong and don't make any money. People still reshell new shape clios etc and make a good margin.

 

[Padso]

is a new chassis leg something you buy off the shelf or does it come from another broken one?

 

[Dunn]

Interessting maybe a project thread?

different none the less

 

[Deeg]

Getting slow in your old age kid??

No that included the price of the car too.

My misunderstanding.

Yes your right, and the whole salvage repair industry is wrong and don't make any money. People still reshell new shape clios etc and make a good margin.

I think I actually asked questions, I didn't say you couldn't make money, I asked how it was possible with the amount of work that must be needed.

But thanks for your input.

 

[Topgeartom]

I love stuff like this, really interesting.

Whats the business called? I might want some bodywork doing in the near future. PM me if you dont want to say here.

 

[andycorsasport]

is a new chassis leg something you buy off the shelf or does it come from another broken one?

Typically they can be bought new, but the guy who owns this car, also owns a scrapyard, so this particular car is having a chassis leg from another car put in. Which is the same as a new one really, just obviously hasnt cost him anything, where as a new one would have.

 

[fUbAr]

nice thread.

Just out of interest, when you pulled the OS chassis leg over do you have a jig for it... or just pull it until it's what you consider straight?

 

[Slammed172]

Well its a 2 year old Corsa, its all about saving money aint it really. We use damaged cars and repair them as our loan cars, we have an 09 Plate Fiat Panda, which was repaired beggining of this year, so it was 1 year old, had 2k on the clock, and was bought, repaired, painted all finished for £1,900. I know Pandas arent particually expensive to buy brand new, but you couldnt find a 1 year old Panda with 2k, for less than £2000.

Hope the customer's know that ! I can't say i'd want to drive a bent car, IMO.

My old boss used to do this with every car he bought. Never bought a new car, always a write off.

I miss working in a bodyshop, tbh.

 

[coxy777]

Hope the customer's know that ! I can't say i'd want to drive a bent car, IMO.

My old boss used to do this with every car he bought. Never bought a new car, always a write off.

I miss working in a bodyshop, tbh.

Ever driven one?

 

[Gaz.]

You'd be surprised how many 2nd hand cars have been bent & repaired without insurance knowing. Every one I've had has had some sort of none recorded bump when you start taking body panels off, and you wouldn't tell from driving them.

 

[jenic]

You'd be surprised how many 2nd hand cars have been bent & repaired without insurance knowing. Every one I've had has had some sort of none recorded bump when you start taking body panels off, and you wouldn't tell from driving them.

Bet a lot of them are done during delivery to the dealers when new too! Crash repaired before they are even registered.

 

[Turkish]

I think most people would be horrified some of the s**t that gets put back on the road. Over the years I've come across some real shockers, thankfully I've never had the misfortune of owning a previously bent car.

 

[kevin.s]

looks like you have a caroliner there if im not mistaken lol.

 

[coxy777]

I think most people would be horrified some of the s**t that gets put back on the road. Over the years I've come across some real shockers, thankfully I've never had the misfortune of owning a previously bent car.

+1, the amount of Cat Bs that manage to get back on the road is pretty shocking tbh.

 

[Slammed172]

Ever driven one?

Talking about write offs, and the write offs we used to pick up were on the flat bet and they were horrendous. So no i'd not want to drive one, no matter how good of a repair it has had. Clearly talking about chassis/suspension damage write offs, rather than ever panel keyed write off.

You'd be surprised how many 2nd hand cars have been bent & repaired without insurance knowing. Every one I've had has had some sort of none recorded bump when you start taking body panels off, and you wouldn't tell from driving them.

Oh clearly, but 95% of the time you can tell if you know what your looking for. But my definition for 'bent', was the above.

It was my job to pick up and deliver crash repaired cars so I quite obviously have driven those type of repairs.

 

[andycorsasport]

nice thread.

Just out of interest, when you pulled the OS chassis leg over do you have a jig for it... or just pull it until it's what you consider straight?

The Blue part its bolted to is the Jig Bed, basically line up parts to get measurements of the car, then measure the front by measurments on paper, hard to explain really.

I think most people would be horrified some of the s**t that gets put back on the road. Over the years I've come across some real shockers, thankfully I've never had the misfortune of owning a previously bent car.

My old Corsa was a Cat C (damage to drivers front), didnt bother me

looks like you have a caroliner there if im not mistaken lol.

Indeed it is mate, old skool style too

+1, the amount of Cat Bs that manage to get back on the road is pretty shocking tbh.

Cat B's are for Breaking only, they cant go back on the road. Only Cat C's with a VIC check, and Cat D's need no checks.

I now have more pics of this btw, will update tommorow, cause im knackerd lol. Have all the leg welded in, inner wing loosly fitted to check wings and bonnet fit, and its all ok. Only thing is the guy who owns it has a garage himself (just not capable of jig work), so they are painting it and re-fitting it, so i wont get so see the finished results

 

[Matt Cup]

Good work, keep the pictures coming

 

[Turkish]

My old Corsa was a Cat C (damage to drivers front), didnt bother me

and your point is? Regardless of your personal opinion or ownership history I personally would not want a car that's had a heavy impact at some point in its history regardless of how well it's alleged to have been repaired.

 

[Pearcy]

and your point is? Regardless of your personal opinion or ownership history I personally would not want a car that's had a heavy impact at some point in its history regardless of how well it's alleged to have been repaired.

I take it you only buy new cars then?

 

[andycorsasport]

I take it you only buy new cars then?

Like Jenic said on page 1, even new cars have bumps before being deliverd. 90% of people looking at cars wouldnt be able to tell if a car had been crash damaged at all.

 

[Turkish]

I take it you only buy new cars then?

I take it all used cars are crash damaged? No they aren't don't be so daft.

Like Jenic said on page 1, even new cars have bumps before being deliverd. 90% of people looking at cars wouldnt be able to tell if a car had been crash damaged at all.

Good job I know what I'm looking for then isn't it.

 

[sideways danny]

majority of the cars i've owned have been crash repairs. never bothered me in the slightenst

 

[mace¬]

I know nothing about this, but wouldn't 99% of accidents be put down to driver mistake rather than the state of the car or the disrepair they put the car into after buying?

 

[john.med]

nice little thread. keep it updated mate

 

[Sir_Dave]

lol at all the haters ... 99% of people on here wouldnt know if a car had been crash repaired anyway!!

 

[Slammed172]

To be fair, not talking about 99% of people on here. Talking about personal preference, and from working within the industry I'd have a good idea.

 

[Turkish]

And as we're going to throw around made up statistics I'd add that I wouldn't trust 99% of bodyshops to repair a matchbox car let alone a full sized one to an acceptable standard.

 

[Tunst]

I would drive a catagorised car but id like t see the before damage to see how much was repaired..

 

[coxy777]

Cat B's are for Breaking only, they cant go back on the road. Only Cat C's with a VIC check, and Cat D's need no checks.

I know this, but I HAVE seen Cat Bs on the road AFTER being VICd! Shocking tbh but some do get through.

People with the closed minded attitude of "I wont drive a bent car" are daft imo. I'd love to see if you could tell the difference between two identical cars (one repaired, one never crashed) slammed172. If the repair is good you'd be hard pushed to tell.
There have been 4 V70s in our family, 1 Cat C 1 Cat D and 2 never crashed. All drove and felt the same, the Cat D should have been a C anyway!

 

[Slammed172]

Ok send me a time and date

Good for you, like people have said there are plenty of categorised cars on the road, and I would not like to own/drive one thanks. But of course I'm daft to have that view.

 

[andycorsasport]

Ok ok stop bitching all of you lol.

UPDATE:

Chassis leg put into place freely

Welded in

Front beam tried on, perfect fit after some minor adjustment

Trial fit inner wing

Screwed on tempory

Trial fit outer section

Bonnet and wings tried on

Gaps somewhat near (bear in mind the wings and bonnet are non-genuine also)

Thats all from me folks, sealed it all up now, ill stick subframe and suspension on tommorow, then they are collecting it and finishing the rest.