2001 SLE (PROJECT REBUILD)

[repinS]

We understand that it was fixed according to state requirements - and according to what you've said, the requirements are pretty lax. Yes, you passed, but it doesn't make the car SAFE. Why are you surprised at everyone's reactions? We've been saying this all along.

Don't have to check for frame damage? What's the point of a safety inspection then?

nope just :

"vehicle's brakes, lights, turn signals, steering mechanism, horn, mirrors, windshield wipers, tires, wheels, exhaust
system, glass or fuel tank "

O and for the STATE to MAKE MONEY

and yes i see them pass " the troppers " . a kit car that was basically two differnt cars welded toghter . a rear clip and front clip fron two differnt cars cut in half and welded back toghther . lol it was a trip

[vogie01]

Even if you passed the state inspection you are still not going to be able to put full coverage insurance on the vehicle. If someone gets hurt as a result of the lack of work put into rebuilding what is essentially apart of the crumple zone, then you are going to be on the hook for every cost.

I personally think that is was a terrible idea to put this rebuild out on the net to be saved FOREVER so someone might be able to dig this up and show the job you did and use this thread against you.

I recommend that you DO NOT sell this vehicle. I can only imagine the liability factor that comes into play on this if someone bought it and got hurt major in an accident and you did not disclose the extent/type of repair done.

Do not get to mad at the other members. As you stated, this is a COMMUNITY and the job of fellow community members is to watch out, help, and warn others about what they are doing. You might see it as hating on your work, but I see it as others having a general concern for you and others safety.

[00Beast]

There's a difference between putting something back together, and fixing it correctly and safely. You managed to get the fender and the hood to line up, but you did not fix the structure properly. What you should've done is cut the bent parts out of your "parts" car, and had them welded in by someone experienced. Yes, it would've cost money, but it's gonna cost a LOT of money when you have to pay out of pocket for your buddy's doctor bills when your insurance denies your claim because of an improper repair.

[SPLLOUDER]

I will never buy another bonneville that is this messed up again . unless i plan on repairing it properly .

i made a bad decision buying the car sight unseen and basically Put all my eggs in one basket . ( all the money i had set aside for a Personal 2000-2005 SLE or SSEI ) . [Sold My 1994 Z28 ] , but have Some Money aside for next Project and a lot Parts for sale or use for next one .

.Its kinda been all i been thinking about is this dam car and how its not perfect . but i just wanted to show how nice it some what came out .

trust me it just felt like i was the Horse . Getting beating again .

Just wanted to show off my hard work . whether its right or wrong .

[Merrillspontiac]

What good is that hard work if you cant drive it? Take it to a body shop and see what they say.

[repinS]

Well, if you paid $735 for the car, depending on how much you have into it now, you could stand a chance of making money on a part out...

[SPLLOUDER]

Second , I never said i would plan on selling it . I just striped one Bonnie . i will strip this one when i get my Dream SSEI or never Wrecked SLE .

this is just like a temporily car . and i have not drived it yet all i/m waiting on is the clean title to come back in mail . takes up to 30-60 day's more .

All i did is get it inspected buy the MOHP . which i pulled into there Garage . They Escorted me to a waiting room and . 20 Mins later he said i was good to go . and gave me the pass form . Then i drove it for the fiorst time , to the local firestone which does safty inspections . I always take my other cars there for last resort because they fail for any little thing .

They had 3-4 guys with flash lights looking at the damage . and all they said was ....

Was you told the car was wrecked before you bought it ?

I said yes i bought it like that .

and handed me the pass form .

As far as insurance i only get state minimum requirements on all my cars .

cost me like $335 per 6 months for 2 cars .

they gave me a quote of $485 for all 3 adding this car .

My record is crystal clean IDK no wrecks ever

[SPLLOUDER]

What good is that hard work if you cant drive it? Take it to a body shop and see what they say.

When i had the windshield fixed i took it to a loacl body shop .

They fixed my windshield . and i asked them to look at it .

I took off the fender too . because at the time the passenger door would not open without hiting the fender . So i took it off so the person doing the windshield can open both front doors .

They looks at it and said it could be fixed a lot better . Yes

but i asked them what where the down side to a damage fender rail support .

Only thing that came out of his mouth is that i would never get the fender and hood no where close to lining up again .

and with ANY car that has a Hard impact no only is that bent . basically the WHOLE CARS SUB FRAME is out of whack and the car will never be the same .

. So basicly i talked to him , like if i would just replaced the fender rail like haro did and he quoted me $500 to weld it back in .

he said that would work for fixing the fendor and hood aligment . But still have to put it on a Frame Machine and Check the Entire car .

because on hard hit's , he said other parts of the car can bend and move not just where the main impact is .


so its like why bother anymore just see if it passe's inspection and it did .

[repinS]

Your windshield guy isn't wrong, but he (and you) also didn't think about the safety and liability ramifications that your fix would have. Your $335 per 6 months is pretty much useless because as soon as your insurance company finds out the kind of repair you did, they'll cover you for jack squat. We're not even getting into the possibility of injuring you or your passengers.

If you're not worried about that, you're being terribly short-sighted.

[SPLLOUDER]

Your windshield guy isn't wrong, but he (and you) also didn't think about the safety and liability ramifications that your fix would have. Your $335 per 6 months is pretty much useless because as soon as your insurance company finds out the kind of repair you did, they'll cover you for jack squat. We're not even getting into the possibility of injuring you or your passengers.

If you're not worried about that, you're being terribly short-sighted.

trust me i hear Ya !

But thats only a what if scenario ( if anyone ever gets hurt or in a accident) . ill probably only put a few thousand miles on this car before i get another one .

I just found a nice 2000 SLE for $1000 on craigslist . no start due to electrical .

[repinS]

That's still a lot more risk than most here are willing to take.

[MattStrike]

Honestly, guys, as long as the steel is still there the crash performance vs. stock is a moot point (yes, it will be different, I'm not arguing that). This is not a frame rail we are talking about here and this was not a 'hard hit' by any means. The core support and upper support through the fender are meant for structural rigidity not crash performance. As long as steel is still there, it will still absorb engery during the collision. (things to think about: cold working, mass moment of inertia, cross-section profile, etc). You're claim that a 1 inch variation in one corner is having a huge effect on crash performance, when the variation across the whole body at the assembly plant at as much as 10mm doesn't make the difference between 4 and 5-star ratings.

A hard hit would be hitting a deer at 70 in a Cavalier. Where the frame bends and the doors can't open and you have to crawl out of the trunk.

This car is safer than the 50% of the vehicles on this forum suffering from rust.

@ OP: Weld 4 bars along the corners of the bent fender rail to the core support, to beef it up. Problem: Solved.

[ga93sle]

I personally don't see that fender brace absorbing any kind of hit. Yes, the subframe will absorb some, but what if it hits a truck or an SUV, and the impact is way above the subframe? I view the fender brace like if you stood on a soda can. It holds your weight fine, but if you put the slightest dent in it, it crumples.

[SPLLOUDER]

Well i found a unwrecked SLE like i wanted looks like this car well just be on back burner . probaly wont even be driven . IDK well see

[SPLLOUDER]

Update ! This has been a great car ! I have put about 15 K miles on this car in almost 3 years now . I drove this ting long enuoff to say I feel this car is safe for me to drive.