Okay I've got a 93 Civic Coupe and it's been in a front end accident. From what the people I'm buying it off of have told me there is no frame damage. And That was one of my main concerns until i went to go look at it. When i got there, there was the obvious it needs atleast a new drivers side fender and the front drivers side lights, a hood, and more than likely a bumper cover. My main concern is still the frame damage, but I noticed the drivers side front wheel looks to be at an angle and i was wondering what I would have to do to fix that.Also the fender is rubbing that same wheel or atleast it looks like it is.It pulls to the right when you let go of the steeringwheel if that says anything. They said it needs an alignment, does that sound right? Also if there is any kind of front end frame damage would that be fixable? What other stuff should I look for as far as things that should be replaced? Another thing is the drivers side door glass popped out of the track, how would I fix that? The door still opens fine, just the window isn't lined up anymore. Roughly how much should I be looking at money wise to replace pretty much all the body panels on the front end and replace the air bag and any sensors for the air bags that are needed? I'd be doing the work myself so shop costs don't really matter to me. Also do I need to replace the airbag sensor since the air bag blew? Sorry for such a long post just alot of issues I'm curious about. Thanks all.

 

have you bought this car yet? i would get it checked out for frame damange, because you probally dont want a car with frame damange, you will run into all sorts of problems. Ran a car fax on the car yet?

 

I havent paid anything for it yet, I'm thinking I'm buying it within a week. He said his dad's friend that does colision repair on cars looked at it and said there was no frame damage and it would be about $800 for him fix all the damage. The guy i'm buying it off of is a friend of a good friend of mine. The only part that may be the frame that looks bent at all to me was right around where the front edge of the fender attaches to the frame right around where the light would mount. Is that a realy integral part? It didn't really look to be as the metal was very thin. This was just going to be a cheap project car for me to turn into a daily driver before next year. The car still drives as is, he took me out for a ride in it, the only thing that seemed a miss was that the wheel would turn to the right pretty far if you let go of the steering wheel. However my old autoshop teacher in highschool rebuilds wrecked cars including ones with frame damage so i could probably get him to do it for a pretty decent price if I got in over my head.

 

Oh and is there a way I could check for frame damage?I looked atit today and nothing seemedto be bentand I didn't see anycracks, but that was just looking at it with the hood off, and it was kinda dark so I could have missed something. Especially since I don't know what to look for ona civic as far as what and where the frame is.I'm pretty good around a car, just new to honda's so all advice is very helpful.

 

Well i know i was going to buy a car, then ran a car fax and it listed that it had been in a front end collision, and the head lights were off, and i never got it offically looked at, but many people said does this car have frame damange? just from how the lights and front bumper looked. but there was no visual damange on the frame other then some parts looking repainted. You can look for parts of the frame that look freshpainted, maybe has been ground down and pulled, parts very close to the frame that have been replaced, really no SURE way. You may be able to find a shop that would look at it and be able to tell you. I personally would NEVER buy a car with frame damange, i would not feel like i was driving a safe car.

 

Well I know this one was in a front end collision, it's basically accident fresh, still with dented fenders, hood and all. Only thing he said he did to the car since the accident was change the i think it was upper(but could have been lower)control arm on the front drivers side, because the old one was mangled up pretty bad. Which he showed me the old one and it waspretty bent up, but thin metal so it's not exactly hard to bend it with an impact like an accident would cause.He said he did it himself so that would probably explain why it needs an alignment, might even explain why the one wheel is currently sitting at an angle. But I don't know, I'm not really a body expert, I'm more in the mechanicals of an engine. But I want to expand my knowledge and this car seemed like a good way to do that. Maybe I'll kidnap a friend of mine that works at a body shop and have him give me his opinion about it on my day off if it's possible. I really do want this car because it looks like a good base for a project, but the possibility for frame damage does concern me a little, Even though it is repairable, the idea doesn't exactly sound fun to me. I'd rather it just be a I buy a bunch of new parts and take the old ones off then put the new good ones on kind of thing like I had to do with my 89 hatchback.

 

I didn't see any freshly painted parts or anything inside the engine compartment as far as frame members are concerned. The car has pretty much been parked since the accident with him only driving it every once in a while to make sure everything stays good with it mechanically. I've got a good feeling about the car, but part of me is constantly nervous about the frame. Oh and about not feeling safe in a car with frame damage, I think I'd feel more safe in this car knowing it had repaired frame damage(if that is the case). Than I do in my 89 hatch which I don't think has even been in a real accident, just a few dented body panel, and in need of an alignment, but that whole car just feels like it wants to slide off the road everytime I take a left turn at speed.

I just really hope the frame isn't messed up at all. that would make everything alot easier.

 

If you really want to know, take it to a shop and get it looked at. But my question is, is this car worth going through all of this?

 

well for the price it makes a good project base and he's willing to deliver it for me so I don't need to worry about transportation. I'm gonna try to call him tomorrow to ask the few last minute questions I left out. Like if the title is even clear, because if it's a salvage title then the deals off regardless because I don't want to have to deal with the whole inspection process. And if he can hook me up with the guy that said he'd fix it for $700 or $800 just incase I decide I don't want to do it.

 

Here are some pics of the car as it sits. The previous owner is hooking me up with the guy that said he would fix it allfor $800 and convieniently Someone offered me $750 for my 89'Civichatchback DX so coming up with $50 is very doable since I've got that much in my pocket right now.

[IMG]local://upfiles/27458/99410DE8415D49789930E5E481FD2C0D.jpg[/IMG]