Hit door

[regal]

I saw a Yaris the owners were considering selling. The driver hit black ice at a low speef spin, hit a guard rail, it punctured the door and the skin and the glass. The door opens and closes just fine.

Looks like a simple replacement door to me/paint job to me, the milage is low and meticulously maintained by a couple in their 40s.

I've seen it in the neighborhood since they bought it, unfortunately they had paid it off and didn't keep comphehensive insurance. Its a '08 coupe with 40k miles.

Are there any gotcha'has here? Seems pretty low risk for a pretty risk for a door change, Even if it went as far as a new door fame (the hit is about 8" above the bottom of the door), I can't help but wonder what the worst case scenario would be.

The current owner was told eventually it would be be totaled if it had comprehensive so they just want to get rid of it. ?

I reallly find it hard to imagine frame damage. Isn't there some sort of "new" door adjustment on these?

Thoughts? Everbody needs 2 Yaris's.

Thoughts?

[bairjo]

Regardless of the risk in buying it, you could buy it and always throw a snow plow on it...CTScott can provide detals on that!

[regal]

Originally Posted by bairjo

Regardless of the risk in buying it, you could buy it and always throw a snow plow on it...CTScott can provide detals on that!

No risk of the door frame splitting in two whlte plowig?

[CTScott]

If the door opens and closes OK, then it may just be the door. There is some play in the mounting holes for the door, so you can fairly easily make the adjustment when mounting the replacement. I have a good white door on hand, if you buy the car.

[regal]

My worry is a hairline crack in the unibody from that propagates, splits and totals, the car, I guess that sounds far fetched now that I ink of it.

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by regal

My worry is a hairline crack in the unibody from that propagates, splits and totals, the car, I guess that sounds far fetched now that I ink of it.

The subframe is made with multiple thin layers of steel, so a dent is far more likely than a crack.

[Type456]

Originally Posted by regal

Looks like a simple replacement door to me/paint job to me, the milage is low and meticulously maintained by a couple in their 40s.

......


Thoughts?

Damn, the way you phrased that, makes me feel old (since I am part of a couple in their 40's).

If it's just the door, its probably ok, but there are so many stresses on a car in a collision, you should have it checked out.

[regal]

Not much experience with modern unibody,

Originally Posted by CTScott

The subframe is made with multiple thin layers of steel, so a dent is far more likely than a crack.

Attachment 52811

Body shops can fix dents like this right?

I am used to the old adage unibody bent, crush it. I had a 84 civic with a similar bent door and I just swapped it out, didn'tven think of unibody damage, drove it 50k more miles.


I tempted to believe the local body shop guy just wants the car so he can yurn a healthly profit on it.





I guess I should have it checked out but the spot is so localized, more like a punxture that anything, he said he drove it straight hame and again the door open/shuts easily. He does want $2k.

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by regal

Not much experience with modern unibody, Body shops can fix dents like this right?

I am used to the old adage unibody bent, crush it. I had a 84 civic with a similar bent door and I just swapped it out, didn'tven think of unibody damage, drove it 50k more miles.


I tempted to believe the local body shop guy just wants the car so he can yurn a healthly profit on it.





I guess I should have it checked out but the spot is so localized, more like a punxture that anything, he said he drove it straight hame and again the door open/shuts easily. He does want $2k.

The fact that the door closes fine indicates that the door frame is intact, so I personally would not worry. The laminated metal construction makes cars much more flexible (as opposed to rigid members that crack), but more difficult to repair. If the door frame (i.e. A or B pillars) was visibly damaged or the rocker panel, then I would be concerned.

[regal]

Originally Posted by CTScott

The fact that the door closes fine indicates that the door frame is intact, so I personally would not worry. The laminated metal construction makes cars much more flexible (as opposed to rigid members that crack), but more difficult to repair. If the door frame (i.e. A or B pillars) was visibly damaged or the rocker panel, then I would be concerned.

the rocker is twisted a little, can a frame straightening shop straighten it up?

[regal]

This is what scares me, can a frame shop straighten something like this I? Its amazing the amount of damage a little hit can cause

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps27f1e7d0.jpg

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by regal

This is what scares me, can a frame shope straighten something like this I? Its amazing the amount of damage a little hit can cause

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps27f1e7d0.jpg

That's a tough one. There is no place externally to really grab that and tweak it back into shape. What does it look like from the side with the door closed?

[regal]

Checked it out under the sunlight. The "cracks" were just the white paint, there is a good sized dent under the pain but the fact that the door opens/closes cripsly tells so I took a chance and bought it.


I hate to scrap a 2009 with 50k miles and at least another 300k miles to go. As CTScott mentioned the toughest pat is going to finging a place to grap to pull he dent.

Where I live I know there are going to be a lot of local vulture's to fend off (Hey its tototaled : here's $200), but I am more optimistic than I was after the ice storm. Unfortunately I am not a unibody expert and a bit at the vultures mercy, however I've always gotten good advice here.

[regal]

This is the photo from outside the rocker as CTScott requested.

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps462508a6.jpg

I can't get ahold of an on probably because it is a Saturday and the weekend after the worst storm since Sandy (for our area.)

I am in no hurry so any advice is appreciated.

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by regal

This is the photo from outside the rocker as CTScott requested.

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps462508a6.jpg

I can't get ahold of an on probably because it is a Saturday and the weekend after the worst storm since Sandy (for our area.)

I am in no hurry so any advice is appreciated.

From the pic the rocker panel doesn't look bad. I would probably live with it as is.