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Old 01-30-2012, 10:04 AM   #19 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skyking View Post
There is a copart yard only a few miles from my home. This is so tempting. My wife would kill me if I brought another project home.
EDIT:
I look at the pics and I am not certain the motor did not sustain some damage there. It got jacked up pretty hard. Looks like it under ran a semi truck to cave that front crossmember so much.
What I have found over 30 years is from the front suspension forward the car is designed to collapse. The real strength is from the strut towers back.
I bought a 76 280 Z once as a parts car to fix a 77. The car had been clipped from the side and behind, like they were pulling out of a 45 degree road and got nailed. It ripped the front end completely off the car, and the engine and transmission were completely separated from the car and lying on the ground at the salvage auction.

This was in 1977.

Both engine and transmission were still good, they had not been directly impacted.

Based on that experience, what I see on that Leaf is mostly cosmetic damage. Remember it has no radiator or cooling system in the front end. Not sure about an AC condenser. The air bag on the drivers side deployed but not the passengers which messes up the whole dash in some cars. I could figure out the prices of most of the parts today and I get 25% off new Nissan parts, but I don't like to make them do all that work with no hope of a sale, kind of old fashioned that way.


That front cross member is actually what would normally be the radiator support, and it might even be plastic. The are on a lot of newer cars and are just bolted on. I do agree, it looks like it went under something and it may actually have no damage to the frame horns or front bumper reinforcement, just enough impact to light off the airbag (and only 1, not 2).

If that car was near me I would be all over it, and would probably go as high as $8k in price, maybe a little higher after I had my buddy look at it and we had a final repair cost within 10%. As you said, not right now but I will be watching for one on the east coast like a hawk. Northern Virginia and DC in particular.


regards
Mech

Last edited by user removed; 01-30-2012 at 10:12 AM..
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