Frustrating Bodywork!!! Helllppp!!

[91celicaFB]

Hey yall, Im really frustrated tonight. Well, thers a mechanic/body-repairsman in my apartment complex that i just moved into. Well, i saw him fix up another car pretty good so i was like what the hell.
Well, my car was wrecked. Its really not that bad. The lights were just pushed in.
Well, The damn radiator core support was damaged. Now, i bought the whole radiator support cutout from a salvage yard. I though i would only have to relpace the top part the lights bolted onto. Well this is the frustrating part...
I took my fenders, bumper and hood and shitt all off... the guy says that hes going to have to put the WHOLE cut out i have in. This means that me, or someone has to take out the radiator, condensor and whatever else may be upfront OUT! Honestly, this is too much to be done at your apartment garage. Now i have a pieced out front end and no one to fix it. Im pretty sure he cant doit so imma have to bolt everything back on tomorrow and find somplace to fix it without me loosing all my money.
ANY suggestions??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
I cant sleep~ I dunno what to do or how to doit!?

Help!

[Dober89]

Take it to a shop and see if they cant just pull the rad support back out?? Frame machines are magical

[91celicaFB]

Yea, im going to have to do that even if i replace the radiator support becuase when i took the fenders off i discovered that that metal under the fender had a ripple/wrinkle in it and it needs to be pulled. The major problem is money... I work at a amusement/game room company and with all the newbies/teens, my hours suck. I mean, if i could, i would take it to maaco or someplace high end. Toyota maybe. But im trying to get it fixed at some lil shop. I tried doing it myself but...
w/b plz

[Dober89]

Got any pics of it?? When my celica got banged up the frame shop wouldnt even pull it because the frame rail was wrinkled and said its not safe once you pull it out. I think he might have been trying to get me to spend 1500 on a new frame rail so I just kept driving it.

Got any pics of your car??? You can do wonders with a hammer and a truck. My dads car got rear ended and I just hooked the back upto a truck and pulled it back out. Then after some massaging to the quarter panel with a big ass hammer I got the taillight back in and its still driving today.

[91celicaFB]

hey, its real late now and i have cop neighboors so i cant go out ther and snap pics. I'll get em soon.~
lol

[TRAILDUSTER79]

OK, now it all depends on how bad the damage is to what you will need to have done. If nothing is ripped int he radiator support, you can fix it yourself as the other one suggested. otherwise you will have to have welding done. Just make sure that one you pull it out, and hammer & dolly the ripples out, that everything lines back up. It is a lot of work that has to be done, but well worth it. it sucks to put it back together and go only to find out that the car looks a lil funny.......once all is lined up and tightend, make sure that the gap between the fenders/ doors, fenders/ hood are equal all around, thay will tell you if you have the sheet metal lined right. the rest is fairly easy once you get all that done. DO NOT GOTO MACCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY ARE BUTCHERS. I HAVE HAD TO FIX WAY TO MUCH OF THERE SO CALLED BODY WORK.....



Now for the frame rail damage on the other car.....TAKE IT TO A QUALITY SHOP AND THE FRAME MECHANICS CAN FIX IT WITHOUT THE SO CALLED WEEKENING OF THE FRAME, A REAL CERTIFIED FRAME TECHNICIAN WILL KNOW THIS....

IF EITHER OF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.....I AM A BODY AND PAINT TECH.

[91celicaFB]

hey, this pro body shop manager told me he would weld in the new rad. core support for 275. That includes taking out the radiator and condensor, welding, and putting back together. Imma give him the new hood, he mite as well put that on to help him line up the support. The rad support i got has the lights already on it, so all i need to do is put the invader 2 bumper on it and get it painted whenever!
SOUNDS GOOD??

[TRAILDUSTER79]

Yep You Did Get A Good Deal. Just Make Sure When You Get It Painted That It Is All Done At The Same Time Or There Might Be Some Difference In Color Due To Different Temp And Humidity.....key Factor In Painting....

[91celicaFB]

hey, i took it to him today to see if the deal is still valid as it was givin to me a while back. He said he would doit. I felt good about it untill he said "It aint gonna be perfect for that price but we'll get it straight." This kinda put me in an ill mood cuz i didnt tell him about the wrinkle i had discovered when i had pulled it apart myself! What if he ignores the ripple and it comes out to be crooked, thats bad. Or what if he just uses a frame machine and pulls it out for the same price.. I'll be happy!!
OR EVEN WORSE, what if he straightens it and charges me a lotta $$$$!!!
Im pretty sure they do a good job becuase they had albums in the waiting area that had some screwed up cars they fixed. They even cut a monte carlo in half and put a new rear end !
What should i do? should i just let him discover and solve the ripple problem. it dont look like a big deal but i DO want it PERFECT!
??help??

[TRAILDUSTER79]

OK, WHEN YOU TAKE IT TOO HIM to have it done. Ask him to fix it the right way so that everything lines up. You will pay a lil money since it all has to be welded in and lined/pulled. But, it will be done right. it is better to spend good money once than it is to waste it many times trying to get it fixed over and over again. If it is a major shop they might not let you in the area to help out, but smaller shops, if you talk to them with respect, will alllow you to help out a lil to learn about the process (which will usualy help you save a lil money since you are doing some of the labor). Just be honest about the damage, they will find it anyway and regardeless nothing is for free.

[91celicaFB]

HEYY,
Good news and bad..... Good mostly though! OOkay, i actually listened to my dad today and took it to his friends body shop and the guy said everything fixed and installed... painted too....for 500!!!
Thats take everything off, paint, pull the frame out a lil, align the fenders, paint, sand down the fiberglass bodykit bumper, seal it, and paint it!
So, this is the whole summary... INstall radiator support, pull frame, install hood, install lights, bumper, and paint it all!
Sounds good? Includes the paint cost and all. Im supplying the hood, bumper, lights, and support. So 1000 gets the front end perfect along with a body kit.

[TRAILDUSTER79]

Good For You, At Least You Know It Wil Le Done Right The First Time. The Way It Should Be

[91celicaFB]

Lol i got excited... but does it sound good??

[TRAILDUSTER79]

Yes It Does Sound Good. For The Work That Has To Be Done. That Is A Real Good Price, If You Like You Can Goto Toyota Later After It Is Done And Ask Them, Then You Can Have Your Heart-a-tak

[Dober89]

Let us know how it works out.

How about some before and after pics too??