PDA

View Full Version : Any hope of repairing B-pillar body damage?


Desert Stallion
01-18-2006, 11:01 PM
Cliff Note's version, a while back we picked up an '89 Grand Am, 2.5L, it's your basic econo car but it serves its purpose.

A couple months after buying it, the significant other's older brother asked to borrow it for 'a couple weeks' after his Civic was totalled in a freeway accident where he got rearended by a 16 year old in his parents' car.

Anyway, he has the GA a week and gets it t-boned while pulling out of a parking lot, passenger side between the wheel well and door, pushes the B-pillar in and reshapes the wheel mount.

http://tinypic.com/m7uedx

I work miracles and the car's driving again in a week with a new axle beam assembly and some prying on the passenger side door to get it to open again.

So now it's 6 or 7 months later, he's just now gotten around to getting a new car for himself and gotten the GA back to us.

So, any hope of pulling that pillar back out myself? The car cost $500, and I'm NOT putting five grand into body work. I'm fair with body work, pulled out panels and smoothed/shaved emblems/door handles, but this is certainly more than I've tackled personally.

I'm thinking come-along anchored to something abreast the car and pulling the pillar out with various lengths of backing material pressing against the pillar on the inside. :D

Dargasonus
01-20-2006, 10:27 AM
take it to a body shop if your bro's paying for it :D

92CamaroRS
01-20-2006, 10:37 AM
by the time you get that panel straight enough to smooth it out with body filler it will be destroyed, its gonna need a new quarter.

92CamaroRS
01-20-2006, 10:39 AM
Originally posted by 92CamaroRS
by the time you get that panel straight enough to smooth it out with body filler it will be destroyed, its gonna need a new quarter.

Rough estimate to get it repaired would be about $1000-1500 using used parts.

Desert Stallion
01-20-2006, 02:06 PM
Thanks guys. No one's paying for anything unfortunately. The sig other's bro's insurance paid for the other driver's car (which they totalled, Grand Am-1/Cavalier-0), and he gave us a couple hundred for parts to get the car back on the road so that he could go on driving it for the next 5 months, and now I'd really rather not have anything to do with him.

Ah well, such is life. Might be time to brush up on my body panel welding skills. Any idea where the best place to cut that panel loose is? ;)

92CamaroRS
01-20-2006, 05:30 PM
Originally posted by Desert Stallion
Thanks guys. No one's paying for anything unfortunately. The sig other's bro's insurance paid for the other driver's car (which they totalled, Grand Am-1/Cavalier-0), and he gave us a couple hundred for parts to get the car back on the road so that he could go on driving it for the next 5 months, and now I'd really rather not have anything to do with him.

Ah well, such is life. Might be time to brush up on my body panel welding skills. Any idea where the best place to cut that panel loose is? ;)


At the pinch welds.

red hornet
03-17-2006, 12:01 PM
I was changing my oil today and noticed my frame, raised unibody panels were dented under front floor pans.Is this how the dealership raises cars I don't know if its cause the customer doesn't see this or thats the way they jack them.Im really upset,Can this weaken the frame causing rustetc.Thank's,Mike

Trigga-T
03-22-2006, 11:21 PM
if you do cut it make sure you dont cut to close to the o-rings. stay like 6" away from it.