Thanks much for all of the replies.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whoops
With it being a 94, unless you don't have any other choice, I'd scrap that and go buy something to replace it. By the time you get any work done on it by a body shop, your going to have more money into it than it will be worth.
If you don't have any other choice, you could get by, just fine, by removing the hood, grill, drivers fender, radiator. Then you can probably just move the front support back out enough, with a scissor jack between the support and the front strut. You don't have to get that support back to perfect shape, you just need to get it moved back out enough to get a replacement fender, hood, grill and radiator to align so it can be attached. Of course this presumes that it is not busted loose, or broken. If it is, you can braze it in, most likely and it will be fine.
Good luck with it, or whatever you do.
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It's not my only choice, I'm currently using the back-up - a third gen. 99 Escort SE 4-door sedan - 2.0L SOHC & 5-speed MT. The alternate backup is a third gen. 99 ZX2 Sport (Escort) coup - 2.0L DOHC & 4-speed AT. The spare parts car is a second gen. (same as SW) 93 Escort LX Hatchback - 1.9L & 5-speed MT.
Wouldn't consider repair except:
- It's ideal for my newspaper contract haul route 60k per year.
- I know it's maintenance and repair history for the last 60k miles.
(It's got 200k on it now but engine only uses 1/8 quart every 3k.)
- It's a low population area here so used car choices are very limited.
Probably 3-9 months to locate another Escort Wagon within 300-500 mile radius.
- Already have lot's of known good used parts from the '93.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Christ
You can remove that thing and put the new one in by yourself, no need for a body shop. You'll need a drill and a spot-weld bit.
Then, when you go to put the new one back in, you can just drill the spotwelds through, and place Stainless steel rivets through the holes. I had to do this on a friend's CRX.
The added benefit is that if you ever do a Motor swap, or anything else, you'll be able to easily remove the front end of the car and pull the engine out the front.
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Don't really have a shop. Live in a old fashioned small town hotel - on street parking only. Could commute 25 miles one-way to unheated shed to work on car. Will do at least some of the work myself.
Thanks for the mention of the spot-weld bit, knew they existed but hadn't thought of that yet. Thanks also for the thought on the rivets. If I do the whole thing my self, I'll either do that or tack weld nuts in place and put it together with 1/4" fine thread grade 8 bolts.
The deer didn't go to waste. Varmints have finished a good deal of it already. Didn't pick it up because no place to butcher it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lunarhighway
is there any real structural damage or is it just bodywork an the radiator support? my main concerne would be that the structure that supports the fender and the front suspension are hit... wich might mess with your wheel alignment and could cause you to loose a few mpg's... if the holes for the new fender don't line up with thee original ones that might be the case
btw if the damage to the radiator support is not to great you might be able to just bend it back into place without getting a new piece.... of course at the bodyshop they might have a hydrolic tool for that, but the radiator frame is not that sturdy you wouldn't be able to do it with a big lever.
if things aren't perfecly where they where the lights won't perfecly align with the fender and bumper but with a little work you could get things to an acceptable level again. than again if you're going to have the windshield fixed you might just as well have the rest done by a pro as well
all in all it doesn't look that bad really although i can imagine someones pretty mad at a dead dear right now.
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Don't believe at this point that there is any damage that will affect stearing or alignment. Fender(s) have to come off according to body shop guy for access to the single body panel that connect right and left half of car front; acts as upper and lower radiator support and surface to mount headlights on. There is a ding in the drivers side fender and a previously existing ding in the passenger side fender - but a couple of smacks with a dead blow mallet (while they are off) will fix them good enough. There is a tear in the metal of the upper radiator support (really all part of the single panel). Will make a decision when I get as far as disassembling.
The main sticking point at the moment is that it quit running while driving it off the flat-bed trailer. Kind of bumpy coming down so I assumed it was the inertial safety switch. Battery was drained - had to jump it for 15 min to start and drive up on trailer. Jumped it again to come off trailer. (Think it was drained because mercury switch for engine compartment light was tiggering intermittently?) Put charged battery in today and found inertial safety switch had not triggered. Checked for spark and it's there. Can't hear the fuel pump with the key in the run position - so it's probably a fuel issue. Waiting for a call back now from Ford service department to verify continuity of inertial switch is as it should be - three wires going to and three contacts on the initial saftey switch.
I agree that the BMW didn't hit a deer - not even a little fawn - the fur is from a fox or some such - maybe a dog of some sort?