[lessonsinspeed]

Last night was not the best. My roommate and I drove up a twisty mountain road last night for fun. Both cars were running great (he drives a 300zx), and made it up fine.
The view:

On the way back down I started to kick his a*s (as his tires and brakes started to go). No problems until the very last turn out, which had been washed over during the last rains and was covered in dirt and gravel. I realized this about half way through the turn, at which point I hit the stuff and found myself sliding in the opposite direction I was intending on going. To make a long story short:

To top things off, I found out I didn't put collision on the car, so I'm just flat out out of a car. Today this is all hitting home (first accident), and its starting to make it it hard to look for another car (hint, anyone in Arizona selling a crx, let me know). On the bright side, I'm back in school in 3 days so I don't desperately need one...

-Joel

 

[jfrolang]

I say fix it, especially if you were gonna look into spending 2 grand or so on another CRX. I don't think the repair bill will run quite that high. I've dealt with a similar collision before.

 

[Dodo]

yeah, it doesnt look that bad. Fix it. If you do it yourself, you'll save most of the money.

 

[downest]

If the frame isn't bent... maybe it's time for an SiR front!

BTW did you break your tofu?

 

[lessonsinspeed]

I say fix it, especially if you were gonna look into spending 2 grand or so on another CRX. I don't think the repair bill will run quite that high. I've dealt with a similar collision before.

I pondered it, but it looks to me like the frame is bent badly on the passenger side:

If nothing else I still have the wheels and tires, the deck, the swaybar, and hopefully some undamaged Teins.

 

[SETI20]

BTW did you break your tofu?

Hilarious, even tho unappropriate.

Disassemble the front end. Even the headlight frame you can order from majestic honda and replace. Looks fixable.

 

[Dodo]

If the frame is bent, just take it to a body shop and have them pull the frame back to shape. It shouldnt cost that mush since there not replacing everything on it. Bring it so all they have to do it bend the frame back, that means everything off the front end. If you were closer, i could get you a killer deal.

 

[jmart]

Sucks man, but I feel your pain. I did a very similar thing, but I hit ice at 80 in a decreasing radius turn. Oh well, live and learn and at least no one was hurt.

I pondered it, but it looks to me like the frame is bent badly on the passenger side:

Okay, what you need to look at are the frame rails lower down under the battery tray and back to the firewall. That sheet metal up top can be bent back into place, or just replaced all together. Check out your suspension, especially on the pass side, and take some measurements around the frame to see if it seems close to level and square and whatnot. If it is, then you should prob just fix it. The overall body damage doesn't seem that bad. But you will prob be looking at a new/fixed inner fender, new outer fender, new radiator support forn bumper and hood. Is that cheaper than a new crx?

 

[Laure]

Joel, so sorry about your accident! I hope you don't give up on the car right away. I'd take it to a body shop and have them evaluate how badly the frame is bent; they can probably pull it straight.

I thought Factory Paint & Body on Dodge did a good job on my car. Ask for Joe Diaz; good guy. If you tell them that saving money is a priority, maybe they can work with you to get cheap parts and leave part of the job for you to do yourself. (maybe they could just straighten the frame & you could do the other labor yourself, for example)

I saw a white 2nd gen Si with a for-sale sign, parked on the street ... unfortunately I don't remember the street, but it was within a few blocks north of Speedway, between Tucson & Country Club. Don't know if it's still available. Probably cheaper to fix yours, though.

Good luck.

 

[ComposiMo]

"Lessons In Speed"...... hehe.. sorry, that just made me chuckle a bit

Gotta look at the bright side of everything man. Nothing you do will undo it, you just have to deal with what you have as good as you can. I say roll that by a body shop, and get a estimate just to straighten the frame back out, and maybe tack weld it a few more times. Then, once they do that, get the SiR front... maybe hand that off to the m to fit and make better. Its not that bad looking though. Definitely at least find out repair costs before just buyijng another chassis.

 

[mattminerDOTcom]

my car was crunhced in a similair fashion and my body guy advised me to find another shell.

[email protected]

 

[mattminerDOTcom]

snap, i just realize dthe link!

civic hatch + tein colovers =

CRX + tein coilovers =

CURSED!

 

[downest]

...I hit ice at 80 in a decreasing radius turn.

OK, I take back my comment about you being smart!

Don't they teach physics at MIT?

Normal Boston driving... Storrow Drive I think...

 

[ryan_long_01]

If it was me, I'd probably try to find a clean high-mileage car or shell, swap parts over, and part out the wrecked car. You can get a shell (or car with a high-mileage stock engine) for dirt cheap, you can swap all your parts over to it, and then you make money back by parting out everything on the wrecked car. It all depends on the repair estimates and a million other things, but that's what I would lean toward if the cost of getting it back into shape was going to be high.

 

[FooFighter]

I see crx's on ebay without engines for $500 or less...
That comes with full int so it would also give you some spare parts to play with...

 

[Laure]

Joel, I just ran across one for you!

Black 91 Si, B16A, $2500 OBO, intersection of Copper & Plumer, call Ryan, 982-1002.

Looked pretty good over all; couple of trim pieces missing.

 

[Savage]

oh man that sucks but at least no one was hurt and everything is replaceable right. so just see this as a learning experiance and a new beggining for your crx.

 

[lessonsinspeed]

Laure, thanks for the number. I talked to the guy, I'm going to check it out tomorrow. I'm trying to look at one other one as well, so hopefully that will work out.

I'm going to trailer the car down to a body shop to get an opinion there, but the more and more I look at it, the more and more I'm worried about it not being repaired (hatch having some problems closing right).
Updates:

 

[jfrolang]

Hmm. The damage visible in that last pic might be enough to 'total' that chassis. How fast were you going when you hit the wall?