Hi everyone---first time posting here. Been scouring this website all day trying to figure something out---hopefully someone can help. My son has a 1996 Honda Accord that he just had a little fender bender in on the ice in Minnesota. His front corner, passenger side, hit another car and the front bumper is pushed in and over to the right. No damage to the hood the way it looks. The front passenger fender also needs to be fixed and the windshield busted upon air bag depolyment. I will attach some pictures but my main question is there a website that shows behind the front bumper cover? I looked at some diagram pictures and ordered a Haynes manual today. I paid about $2500 for this car about 6 months ago and it only has 90,000 miles on it and he doesn't have the money to buy a different car---plus, the engine is barely broken in. I am assuming bumper stays maybe bent, I need a new bumper cover, new front headlight, new side light, etc. Anything else you can tell me to help out? Maybe a youtube video or something that gives me an idea of how much this MAY cost to fix by myself? I can turn a wrench pretty well but never had one of these apart. I really more or less make it driveable and it doesn't need to be mint.

 

Majestic Honda you can look up parts with breakdown of components.

Honda Automotive Parts

Search online for a Honda Accord Factory Service Manual in pdf. Can find them pretty easily, it will have all the info you need.

 

Probably a TL.

Looks like side sway. I would have it put on a frame machine and see how straight it is.

You can't hang new sheet metal on a bent car and hope it ever looks right again.

Depends on how much of you want to fix.

Personally I think I would just make it safe and operational. There is probably minimum 1500 to 2000 in damages if you do all the work short of paint.

Oh I forgot about the airbag deployment... double it.

Yeah just make it good enough to drive and safe, but you are still probably going to be up there. The lights and SRS are the expensive parts.

 

So, if I do this myself and sort parts from a junk yard, it will be in that $1500 range? I know what you are saying about the frame and hanging parts on it---it's like putting lipstick on a pig right? If you have heard that old joke? Anyway---the lights I see aren't all that expensive---$40 for the headlight and about that for the parking lights. I have read on this site that you can take it to a body shop and have them check it out. For all of the parts I have found--and for what I think it needs, I am in that $500 price range right now. I am taking it apart Saturday and seeing what I need. I will most likely post a pic and get ideas.

Like the post above said--I just want it safe and operational---it is a teenagers car and I don't need it to look like new. I hate to get rid of it with an engine that only has 90K miles and runs like a top. The interior is very nice as well.

More thoughts?

 

You can get salvage yard parts cheap. The main question is how much the internal body work has been moved. Looks like it has. But let's say you get lucky and only external body parts are involved, and you pull your own, then $500 should cover all that with some to spare. The paint will be whatever you want it to be. If you don't get lucky, well you will have some decisions to make.

 

what do you mean by "internal" body work? Are you saying frame? It was a slow moving accident--maybe 10mph. If you are talking frame, can I get a body shop to fix that part? If you are not talking frame---what are you talking about and what would you give as an estimate to fix?

 

What I mean is that fixing the front fenders is no problem. They just bolt on. As does the bumper, lights, and all of the outer parts. But, they bolt to the inner fenders and if these have been pushed over, then all that has to be aligned to make it look like anything. You won't know until you get in there and have a look. Or you can just do the best you can, make sure it is safe, and let you son drive it until he can get something better. Honda fenders are very light metal. I once bent a spare fender that I was using temporarily just by pushing on it with my hands when I was installing it on the car. So, like I said, you really won't know how bad it is until you get in there and have a look.

 

ok, that makes total sense. Thank you very much for explaining that. In the end, all I want is to fix this car so it is safe. Too early to total it--engine is good.

 

New/junk yard air bag(s) and srs computer/control unit need to be added to the list.

 

I know it is not perfect and never will be--but I am going to get by with about $700 spent on this accident. I had quotes of $3000 plus. Not bad considering I sourced a lot of parts from the salvage yard as well as Ebay. Half of that $700 was spent at the body shop on the frame rack just getting it straight enough so I could bolt everything back on again. I still am waiting for the grill and a couple of side marker lights. I also need to put in the windshield that was busted by the airbags but that is all included in the $700 total price.

 

Looks good for a $700 frame must not have been too far out. Looks like a driver.