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Restore the bent radiator support


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navaraj
New User

Jan 6, 2015, 9:26 PM

Post #1 of 9 (3449 views)
Restore the bent radiator support Sign In

Few days back I hit a truck with my Toyota Solara 2003 SLE V6 coupe. I hit the hitch on the truck's rear and the hitch pushed through the grille and bent the radiator support of my car. The radiator broke and the coolant drained. I took it to the body shop and the quote that I got exceeds the current worth of my car. I just graduated and I am broke. I am planning to rent few equipments and do it by myself. i need to pull the radiator support back to its original position and replace the radiator with an used one. I am little afraid that I will mess up the cooling system and damage the engine. The engine is fine and the car still works but with no cooling system the engine runs hot. I am expecting some help regarding the parts diagram of the cooling system for this particular toyota model. And also suggestions regarding how to pull out the radiator support frame to its original position, will be highly appreciated. Please help me out!!



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jan 6, 2015, 11:04 PM

Post #2 of 9 (3438 views)
Re: Restore the bent radiator support Sign In

This isn't my trade and never was but you can't help but be involved with the auto body biz and the repair side do mix.


This looks fixable to me but would be written up as a total loss. It's hard to know just how to pull and what you can and can't use to push/pull against.


Hood is gone and some small stuff. Radiator support is probably welded in at ends so not so easy to just bolt one in if you did get just that part. Look for a used same car not hit from the front that you can pick your own parts from for all the small crap you might need and cooling system parts OR find a body shop tech that will take this on as side work to just get the thing bent back straight to accept the parts needed.


Any which way it will take some money. IMO it could be made safe and functional again unless by running it now you've also added engine damage from overheating it's just time to give up cost wise. The fixed mess wouldn't look like nothing happened and that costs a lot of time = money to finish off the paint and cosmetics that could be done later if you just need it legally running again just leave it in primer or wrong color whole parts for now.


I don't mean hack it all up just do what it takes to make it back in place for new or used replacement parts and skip the cosmetics for now this probably wouldn't be all that hard but no clue how much you can do or need total help with either,


T



navaraj
New User

Jan 6, 2015, 11:12 PM

Post #3 of 9 (3434 views)
Re: Restore the bent radiator support Sign In

Thanks Mr. Greenleaf,

I will try to follow your suggestions and will keep you updated


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jan 6, 2015, 11:24 PM

Post #4 of 9 (3432 views)
Re: Restore the bent radiator support Sign In

Sorry to carry on as I do all over this place. Looked again. If you are any kind of handy you can pull that out leaving it just as it is. A pro showed ME a ton on this crap and have fixed up cars that bad that I got for a song.


You are "rewinding" the video on how it got bent if you will. Pull back they way it got pushed in - get it? Pro tools make this real easy and there are measuring marks/places so you know how far. Still easier to be right there but have used bottle jacks, chains, come alongs, (pulling cable things) wood blocks and good string and a sharpie to measure. Helps to have a real strong tree or something on level area and room to play and try. You could also make it tons worse if wrong moves so suggest someone who has the real idea of bending this back. Leave the parts on for now. A/C is gone for now too but you can mess with that later too as it's not the engine cooling system at all but part of what you need to put back and properly too.


All that or as already said ask if a shop has a new person who wants this off shop time if one will allow that for you for money no doubt but not a finished up pretty everywhere job just legal and safe again is what I'm thinking.


Other: If no help no tools or space and way too short of money sell this off as a fixable wreck that runs and see what you can get towards another something to get around till you can completely get a better vehicle,


T



navaraj
New User

Jan 6, 2015, 11:32 PM

Post #5 of 9 (3427 views)
Re: Restore the bent radiator support Sign In

I was thinking exactly the same...i am gonna rent some tools from the autozone and give it a try to pull back the support...at least to the extent that it can hold another radiator intact...all I need is the cooling system to work for now. Thanks again for your suggestions.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jan 7, 2015, 12:02 AM

Post #6 of 9 (3422 views)
Re: Restore the bent radiator support Sign In

Get tools anyplace. Scissor jacks, bottle jacks, wood blocks or steel scrap and so on. Measure things from a known part and so on. Chain stronger than the body and know where and how to attach - lots of odds and ends to get it in a shape back to accept parts,


T



nickwarner
Veteran / Moderator
nickwarner profile image

Jan 11, 2015, 11:20 AM

Post #7 of 9 (3373 views)
Re: Restore the bent radiator support Sign In

I don't think tools from Autozone are going to cut it here. If this was in my bay I would go to a salvage yard and cut the top section from the inside edge of the one fender to the other and weld it into your car. Could be done with a 110v MIG machine and a competent welder that can line up the dimensions correctly. The lower support doesn't appear wrecked, and with a boneyard hood, radiator and cooling fan you could piece this back together. Problem is you don't seem to have the tools, knowledge or money to do this one.

Even if you pull the old support back out the metal is so crumpled and distorted I doubt you could ever use it again. Would never line up on your hood.


Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

Jan 12, 2015, 5:33 AM

Post #8 of 9 (3360 views)
Re: Restore the bent radiator support Sign In

I don't think Autozone rents out portapowers.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jan 12, 2015, 9:18 AM

Post #9 of 9 (3354 views)
Re: Restore the bent radiator support Sign In

Or frame machines



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