I haven't posted here often, but I wanted to share a project I will be taking on in the coming month or two. My Accord was almost totalled, the front bumper and a headlight were sheared off because my daughter pulled out in rush hour traffic. Part of the unibody was bent pretty badly as to where the radiator fans touch the manifold cover. It still runs great though, I just can't legally drive it.

I'm taking around 200 bucks and doing a backyard mechanic on it. I know I want the car to be perfect like it was, I put so much time and effort into it since I got it three-four years ago. I did the basic suspension, intake, muffler, plugs and wires deal. But now, I have a house and can't afford a proper body shop to fix it.

So get this, I'm taking a tow chain, wrapping it around one side of the bar on top of/in front of the radiator at a time, wrapping the other side of the tow chain around a tree and driving backwards at a slow pace to bend it back in place. I plan on taking the old bumper, and literally bolting it back onto the body. All I need are headlights and wiring harnesses and bumper lights. The hood will get a beat down from mr sledgehammer and a coat of primer, it will be held in place via hood pins. The window will of course be a proper fix.

Here's a before and after pic.




I feel so bad letting my baby go like this, but I have a newer and better ride I need to focus on, let alone paying utilities and bills and the like. Once it's fixed, I'm going to drive the snot out of it until my fiancee gets herself a car of her own, then I'm giving the Honda away

 

the structural integrity of the frame is what saved the driver from serious injury.

since you're attempting to repair the frame, it might not take a 2nd impact so well. I'd take this into heavy consideration before attemting to fix it.

 

I never thought about that. Shoot, that's important. Maybe I'll just do this as a temp-fix right now until I save up to get it done right.

 

i need to replace this pulley, what pulley is it, a/c, water pump, power steering?

 

Power steering

 

Thanks, the temp fix is almost done, and it's coming along a lot better than I had imagined. I'll grab a power steering pulley tomorrow.

 

goodluck, post pics of the progress :thumbup:

 

I am waiting on the power steering pulley, headlight assembly, bumper light housing, and wire/bulb harnesses. I drove the car up and down my street at speed and the thing was straight as an arrow, running great and leaking no fluids. Worked on the frame for the first day, did some wiring on the second day, third day slapped the bumper on and re-mounted the existing headlight housing.





During these shenanigans me and my fiancee agreed to have a serperation, so I'm giving her the Honda after it's done so she can have a car to go to work until she gets her own car. I will no longer be a Honda owner but I have to keep my Mitsubishi for myself, I owe too much on it and I don't want her to assume the big payments.

 

The pic is what me and my neighbor had accomplished in a few days. The new healight came in, and we scraped up enough money to have a mechanic finish up the job, he'll bang the rest out good, install a new pulley, mount the headlights corrently, replace the headlight wiring and relays, and mount the bumper properly. We're going to be dropping off the Honda this weekend, I'll take more pics after he's done with it.