The front end of my poor 1998 Integra has been used and abused. I bought the car before Carfax could tell you its history, or I'd have known that it got into a front end collision that nearly totalled it out. I always wondered why the radiator support was a little bowed and why none of the bolt holes for the fascia lined up.

To add insult to injury, I got cutoff on 880 awhile back and readended some lady in a Jeep, which knocked all the paint off on corner, ruined one of the lights, and generally made the car look like ass. After buying a new fascia and hood, I looked deeper into it and found out about the last accident. I'm guessing the whole shebangabang has to be replaced.

How involved is replacing all of this? I went in for an estimate just to have the car painted and the fenders and quarterpanels straightened, and they wanted almost $3000... and that was with a hood, side mirrors and chinspoiler that didn't have to be touched, so I'd very much like to replace the radiator support and any sort of collision related foam or springs or whatever guts are in the front by myself. Is this going to be a cut and weld job or strictly screws... or would it be best to find a cheaper collision repair station?

 

Well, I hate to ask the question, but are you sure that the frame wasn't bent in that front-end collison? Before committing to a plan of action, I'd want to be sure that the frame is true.

If the frame needs straightening, then you've got to weigh the cost of that repair against the value of the car. Worst case scenario, it may be cheaper in the long run to buy another DC with a straight chassis.

I'm not a big fan of DIY frame repair. h: But OTOH, I don't know the scale of the repair either. :happysad:

 

I don't have any sort of uneven tirewear or anything that would suggest that the frame is out of alignment. Other than the cosmetic fascia damage, the only damage I can tell is that front bracket that the radiator sits in, is rolled under like being hit under the chin.