body work

[john utzinger]

hi larry. i have a 97 vette with some body work damage. i've allready got a used replacement bumper, driver side quarter panel, driver side exhaust, and energy absorber. my biggest problem is that the collision bar is bent at probably a 20 degee angle towards the front of the car, the bar is bent at the welds where it connects to the frame, everything else looks straight. i'm hoping that the absorber, collision bar, and exhaust took the brunt of the energy. my first ? is how can i tell if the frame is bent (god forbid!) the only body seem that is tight is the quarter panel to the door, plus a paint crack at the top of the door. 2nd, is the collision bar re-bendable? i know you can get a replacement bar from mid-america, but that requires cutting the old one off, and welding the new one in place. 3rd. do you know of a person or shop in se wisconsin that does body work? thank you!!:banghead:

[fatherlarry]

Welcome aboard John,

Sorry to hear about the damage to your C5. I believe the collision bar that you're referring to is the front upper cross member. It also has a cushion pad sort of like styrofoam which the bumper slides over. Is that what you're referring to? It seems, by your description, that the impact and damage is on the driver's side.

Let me ask you a few questions for clarification. Does the hood line up on each end of the fender? Or did it shift to the right side?

Does the left front wheel look like it's closer to the bottom of the rear of the left fender?

You also stated that the door was touching the rear quarter panel. In that case it seems a good possibility that the frame may be bent. Is the left front fender also touching the driver's side door and did the space on the passenger side where the door meets the fender open wider? That would indicate that the frame swayed over to the left from impact, pushed the hinge pillar back on the left side making it drop into the quarter panel. That would be another indication of chassis damage.

If you have never done this work before, I would definitely recommend taking it to a body shop, have them put it on their frame machine, and depending on the type of frame machine they have, they will set their gauges and be able to tell you how bad the damage is. Without seeing the car myself, your description could indicate frame damage, however, I would bring it to a professional, who without even putting it on the frame machine, may be able to tell if it's damaged and give you an estimate. I know you said that the frame looks straight, however, a trained eye is the only one that will notice any damage. You may think that its just the front upper cross member, and attempt to do the job yourself, but when you try to line everything up, you may run into more trouble than you think, and then you will have raised the cost factor of repairing it. Cutting the welds and re-welding with a mig needs expertise. I have seen a lot of non professionals weld sections or brackets and they could be hit off with a hammer with only a slight effort. All I am saying is that I don't know how much expertise you have in this area. If you don't have the experience, then I wouldn't cut the bars off or order any parts until you see someone. He may need that section in order to get a good pull on the frame, if it's bent. The new steel on the C5's are very strong and very hard to pull cold.

Also, I'm sorry, but I don't know of a body shop in your area. But like I tell everyone, check with the local Corvette Clubs in your area and the members should be able to lead you in the right direction, as to who in your area does the most Corvette work for a fair price, and who has state of the art equipment.

Good luck and let me know how you make out. Hope this helped.