Long ago, I hit the driver-side front corner of my car while pulling out of a parking lot. A shop I knew somebody at fixed it up for me for cheap, as a favour, but asked me to not say they did it - because they had to cut some corners to make it affordable. Much later, I took my car to another shop to do some work, and the shop didn't want to work on it because they said that corner wasn't properly repaired, and they didn't want to be held responsible for it. I didn't know the specifics of what hadn't been done properly, and so I asked them what about it isn't done right. They didn't tell me the specifics, but said "just look at it" with the hood open. I still don't know what they meant. Based on the photos I've provided, does anybody here know? I can get more photos if they're wanted.

I'm getting my stock 1999 EM1 out from the tarp it's been under for years, to fix it up. And I have a chance to get parts from someone who's parting out their EM1 nearby. So, if I can get what's needed now, I want to do that.

In addition to photos of the driver-side corner, I've also uploaded a photo of the while engine bay, and the passenger-side corner, in case anything jumps out to anyone as something I should also get a part for when meeting up with this person parting-out their EM1.

 

Can you post some photos from the front and side with the hood shut?

 

I've taken the fender off to get some more photos.

Yes, I'll get photos of that after I put the fender back on.

 

Let me know if you mean something else.

FYI, the bumper cover is aftermarket and doesn't fit perfectly, and driver-side fender is aftermarket and used to fit perfectly, but became slightly bent when the car once rolled-off a jack when the wheel was being taken off, and the fender fell onto the wheel, preventing the car from hitting the ground, but bending the fender. I have an OEM bumper cover that needs painting, and will get and paint a new driver-side fender along with it.

 

Its always hard to tell from photos, and certain angles but i've circled a few things that jumped out at me.

This first photo the large circled area of your upper tie bar has def been "repaired" can see tooling marks still, chipped primer, and it should be for the most part smooth flat surfaces not all wavey and distorted. Top of the AC condenser looks messed up? Other circle was a clip that got painted over cause he was too lazy to undo it and tape it up properly.


This area where the impact meets the core/chassis looks to be bent/pushed in.



This one the hood adjuster looks like it's pointing out at 45 degree angle, should be facing more straight up, other circled area's look manipulated.



Would prob see more damage with the headlamp out of the way it's blocking quite a bit. Do you remember which parts were replaced in the first wreck?

 

Thanks for that. Interestingly, none of that seems to pertain to missing parts or structure, so I find it weird the second shop wouldn't have wanted to work on it because of that. Based on how they reacted, I thought that there's be something important structurally missing. I wonder if I took it to another shop and asked them to do it up right, what they'd do differently.

Too bad I didn't take the headlight off while I had the fender off. If I take it apart again soon, I'll get more photos.

 

Top tie bar does dictate a lot of front end alignment of panels and parts.. fenders, hood, latch, headlamps.. so it does provide some structure.

Looks like it should have got a new top tie bar, and if it looks like that on top, what's it look like underneath? Not even sure if you can get just an upper top tie bar, might only come welded on as part of the core support. Just my thoughts as an Autobody Tech.

 

Most shops today won't rework an area that's already been replaced or repaired. A second hit in the same spot totals the vehicle for this reason.

I have purchased a number of auction Hondas with R DOT VIN stickers on panels that got bent up in the accident that sent them to the auction.