What a B-Day! >:( RIP skeeter; may you live again.

[skeeters_keeper]

so first the good...
i turned 18 today! made it this far w/o any accidents or tickets. i was happy. got a new toolbox set from my dad and some tools and stuff; very cool its a toolbox set withe the bottom and top things. craftsman; i've been wanting one like that for a while.
I got my new aspire auto rotors in the mail from Karl yeasterday; was exited wanted to get them on soon and get those brakes working 100% right. even w/ the old rotors/pads it stopped better than stock breaks tho...

the bad....


My first accident. :evil: :evil: :evil: :x :x on my birthday! 'cmon! and i just finished doing all this work on the car! i only have one pic of it with the aspire swap done.... i've been planing on taking it up into the mountains or something and getting some nice pix for the calendar or if not just for myself. didn't happen ;( ;(
here is my only good pic:


any way long story short an SUV pulled out infront of me and i hit it around the rear quarter panel. messed it up a lil but not bad. i was on the brakes hard but wasn't good enough to stop.. skeeter sprayed radiator fluid all around and the front clip is well messed up. drove it home (like 10mi or so) anyway; made it like a chump

Any way i can replace the front' clip? i would need new fenders/ bumper/etc as well. the frame itself is quite bent on the front. i'm sure if the insurance saw it they would total the car. not sure how were going to handel it yet. I'm working on a line on another festiva tho; its been sitting in a neighbors yard all summer (was driving around in the spring) if all it needs is an engine i'll swap skeeters heart over into that one if he'll sell it and then if you think i can get a new front clip on skeeter i'll try to do that and put a B6 in it. thats what i really wanted to do to skeeter anyway...

any input would be much welcome goodnight all....

[Tim]

It looks like it's worth salvaging.

You can hammer the damage out and reinforce the frame (I have had a Festiva that was put back together after an accident).

Then it's B6 time!

Sorry that had to happen on your birthday, now what will you go clubbing in?

[packrat427]

WOW , Thats too bad
Sorry that had to happen , with all of your knowledge , I know it will live and will be better .
If you hurry you can still have it done for OhioIV

[5.0zone]

Bummer! I've been keeping track of all the work you've been doing to skeeter. Sad to see this happen. Hope the other Festiva works out. I'd send you the front clip off my parts car if it weren't for the fact it was totaled in a hail storm. Keep us updated.

[HappyMom]

Happy belated "La Mult Ani" (hope I spelled that right)

Good look on getting skeeter and/or your new aquisition, up and running

[skeeters_keeper]

Happy belated "La Mult Ani" (hope I spelled that right)

Do you speak romanian or was that an internet translation? and yes, its spelled right Multumesc foarte mult (Thank you very much)!!!!

And thanks for the encuragement guys; if you think its possible to get it back on the road thats what i'll try!! I'll take the fenders off later today (unless my dad thinks we need them on for insurance?) and see how bad things really look.

now i have class...

[miami man]

i think i have a very good front driverside fender for you and the same color light blue. i could never figure how to ship those so it is still in the basement.

[wrestler3025]

You can save it!! I'm sure you can work with the insurance people, so that they don't total out your car. My car was damaged pretty bad last week when we caught the tail end of hurricane Ernesto. A 100 pound limb broke off of the tree and fell on my 94GT and my 92 Festive. The limb shattered the rear glass, ruined the hatch, put a few dents in the roof and quarter panels and a dent in the front fender. They were on the border of totaling my car, and it doesn't have the damage that yours does. Just get what you can from the insurance company and do the rest yourself. We have faith in you :wink:

[muscle_Car1]

:shock: Sorry about the accident. Even more so cause of the b-day involement

[skeeters_keeper]

right now it looks like the insurace ppl are going to go into a draw, and each company would have to pay for its own client. exept of course that i only have liability, so they won't cover anything. but it also means rates won't go up, and they shouldn't total the car (b/c they won't even look at it)... at least thats what i'm thinking. as for now i still havn't taken anything off to see hwo bad it is just incase the insurance ppl do have to look at it. when i get home from school this afternoon i need to call them and i hope to know more after that.
I hate not being able to do anything to it. walking past it is so sad, i'm like "i want to fix you!!!"... just can't yet ;( and yeasterday i watched CARS again, i love that movie but it made me sad b/c i wanted to drive my car... lol. i so need to get a life :p most people would be like "its only a festiva".. not 2 me tho..... bleh

miami man, thank you for the offer. i assume your in FL? If i end up needing new fenders i may get back to you on taht one
thank you everyone!

-nate

[neanderpaul]

doh!

Man! That's just wrong. After all the swaps and TLC, and on your bday, and you are such a nice guy!!! Argg! I'd have some stuff for you if the city hadn't pushed me around. Man I am sorry. More importantly you are OK. I hope that whichever route you take (repair or transplant) goes well. I'm sure with your attitude and skills you will pull it off big time. How is school going?
carbonvmax

[neanderpaul]

frame

You know looking again at the pics I wouldn't be surprised if the frame was OK. Do you still have that extra hood from me? If so you might just need a front bumper and 2 fenders. I found about 5 festivas I can tell you about. I cant believe your grille didn't crack!!!??? Call me. Good luck
Carbonvmax

[skeeters_keeper]

i know!! the grill isn't cracked; iwas surprised. its quite crooked though. i'm sure the frame is bet in the front. the rad is back agains the engine; i will need to at least replace the rad and bang out the front of the frame. but since it drove OK home i think that as long as i can bang it out it should be fine. the stearing wheal is about half a turn off (when your going straight its pointed upand down). idn what caused this...

i do still have that extra hood! and idn if i will need the whole bumper support yet or not, i may just need a bumper cover, but i doubt it. the headlights are also both OK!!!!! turn signal and side marker light needs replaced (now i can test my theory on DIY clear corners at least). not sure what else, but i hope not much.

I'll call you this afternoon after i get done taking ot the insurance!

thanks

[25Horseplay]

I have marker and turn signal lights, PM me your address and they are on the way FREE! ccasion1: ccasion4: I think you need to post a complete list of parts needed and see what can be rounded up.

[skeeters_keeper]

OK, after talking to the insurance people today i'm thinking its going to come at a "draw"; my rates shouldn't go up but i will not get any money from anyone.
I'm tierd and I have been planing on going to an airshow for a while now tomorow so i need to sleap but after talking to the insurance ppl and getting permission to begin working on the car i went out and took off the grill, fenders, and started removing the bumper cover. basically just trying to get an idea of how bad the damage is. here are some pix:
Pass side frame. see how it has a bend in it and its buckeled a little?

Radiator pushed back and core support bent, as well as drivers side fender/frame:

Pass side frame again:

Drivers frame:

Head on shot. I was looking at it and thinking the whole front of the car looked crooked. when my dad got home i said "stand infront of the car and tell me what looks crooked"... he said what i had been thinking, it looks as if the whole front of teh car shifted a bit to the right (pass) side. Anyone know if this can be fixed on a frame machine or how should i go about this?


The best thing (so far) about this wreak is that it put my $50 paint job to a REAL test!!:

The only place paint came off even the factory primer came off (i painted right ontop of factory color). THAT STUFF STICKS!!. even on the bumper the only place the paint is missing/chipped is right where there was contact, and i used no additives/anything to prepare the surface exept mineral spirits. i'm still planing on that write-up when i get the time..

well then you very much to all who are helping please let me know what you think the best stategy in reparing this will be as far as you can tell from the pix! If i get this done intime for OH4 i will do my absolute best to be there; i owe you all tons!

thanks again,