What is the costs to have your car pulled on a frame machine these days? More specific-Front lower crossmember is bent and it needs to be pulled out straight before it can be cut out and a new one welded in. (Im sure some of you do your own bodywork-How hard is this project to tackle if I decide to take it on myself?)

Just to make it road racing/autocross topic: It got bent when I spun off track and hit a wood stake/block in the ground.

 

Couple hundred bucks in cash money. Tell them you're really patient, and aren't in a rush. Say you'll pay in cash money if they'll keep it off the books

Warren

 

i would recommend that you pay a reputable shop with a laser guided chassis machine to do it.

i had an old s-10 that i slid into a curb and bent the frame. $300 cash and a day later, and it was "good as new". it will never be the same again, and likely will feel different. that's just my experience. don't do it yourself. i doubt you can get it within the hundredths of an inch a $30k+ machine can


[Modified by DOHC-DX, 3:29 PM 8/13/2002]

 

You just don't know enough scummy racers.

I've watched friends pull cars straight with a big *** truck, a big *** tree, and a bunch of chain

Warren

 

yeah, you can always go that route, but how accurate is that?

when my race car is going 90+ i'd rather spend the $300 to do it right and have peace of mind.

 

Okay, I went out to get some quotes today at several body shops. A couple of them ranged from $400-$600 cash money(This is with no painting, just welding and since it is a JDM core support, I am also supplying the part; so the charge is all labor). One shop flat out refused to do the work; something like "We can charge the insurance company more to do the same job" (There was more to it , he worded it differently but that is what I got out of it) What am I suppose to do?-Insurance fraud. There is such a thing as a deductible.

It seems like a very simple job. The front crossmember (lower part of the radiator support/part that you jack up) is bent and all needs to be done is cut it out and weld on a new one. Looks and sound just as simple. Maybe too simple and not worth it for the body shops to do the work unless I pay up the ***. (I would leave it this way but I need to jack up my car on the part and plus my radiator fan is slightly touching my header heat shield; other than that you cant tell anything is wrong)

Here is the cheapest quote breakdown. This guy didnt mention anything about a frame machine to straighten it out first than remove and replace.
1. Remove/Install frt bumper cover-Included
2. Remove/Install R headlight-1.4 labor hours (It only takes 10 minutes max)
3. Remove/Install L headlight-0.3 labor hours (Now this is more like it, but still like 20 minutes)
4. Check/Adjust headlights-0.4 labor hours (I can do this myself in 5 minutes)
5. Remove/Replace lwr front body tie bar assy-3.0 labor hours (I am supplying part)
6. Remove/Install Cooling radiator-1.4 labor hours (WTF-I dont have A/C or power steering, it is held on by two 10mm bolts and comes off in under a minute; 15 minutes top if they have to take it off from the hoses, but I am sure they wont; they will just let it hang on the hoses while they do the work)
7. Coolant $8.50 + tax
8. Hazardous waste disposal $3.00

It seems that even this cheapest quote is trying to hose me. What to do? The labor hours quoted was from a computer program "mitchell sevice" unless he tacked on the hours. But he is still cheaper than the other shops, although I dont really know the quality of his work as he left out the frame machine before cutting out the old one and replacing with the new. Any other suggestions you guys can give me. I would really appreciate it. Its not the cost that is really bothering me, its the way they came up with the price-The actual labor involved doesnt justify the costs.

 

oh $hit... i totally mis-understood your post. i thought you had bent the front chassis rail, not just the radiator support. i had the same problem with my hatch. then i bought it, the front radiator support was bent in from the previous owner rear-ending a truck with a hitch.

so, i proceeded to get out a "bottle" jack, put the base of it againt the front subframe, and the top on the radiator support. i then extended the jack, and pushed the front support back into place. granted, it's still not perfect, but its close enough to safely mount an integra radiator.

the best fix would obviously be to cut off the old one, and weld in a new one, just as you mentioned. if you have the part, just cut the old one off and get out the welder


[Modified by DOHC-DX, 12:50 PM 8/14/2002]

 

I paid $600 cash money to have: Frame pulled, a new bulkhead purchased and installed, and a new fender. (for a 94 Civic EX) The fender was NOT painted, but the bulkhead was. I put the car into a wall at about 60mph. (head-on) I stripped the fenders, hood, bumper cover, lights and radiator off before delivering it to the shop. It took some time, but it was worth it! Next best estimate was $1800!

Good Luck!

 

they are quoting me $600 on labor only. No painting and I am supplying the part. Its not even the complete bulkhead, just the bottom part of it.

 

Come down to ATL and go to our body shop if everything else fails. They are awesome and fix many racecars as the owner is a racer himself. Times like these I really do appreciate the fact that the couple of guys running the place are also really good friends of ours. Good luck with the repair.