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My newest project

RapidRabbit

Well-Known Member
Donator
Nothing fun or exciting.

Mom had a little accident last week. She's 70 and this is her first accident ever. So she pretty shook up and upset. Otherwise she's fine.

She lost a battle with a truck and it's trailer hitch.

The insurance company totaled the vehicle because of it's age, but she has a crazy attachment to this car.

It still runs and drives but no coolant so it was towed to my house.

I have most of the front end from that parts car I bought for her a few years back. So the main issue is digging in and seeing if any structural damage was done.

Most likely I'll pull all the broken crap off and sell it as a rebuildable with all the parts to someone else. Not sure I want her back in it.

We bought her a new used car, but she doesn't want to drive it.
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Seeing the pics I don't think there is any structural damage. Mainly because the crashboxes are still intact. Main damage occured just above the front bumper. Probably the noise of the car dove beneath the trucks rear bumper when she applied the brakes hoping avoiding an accident.
But pictures don't tell everything. So a certified person at the car can tell you the status .

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That's exactly it. The truck was higher than her bumper so it went above the bumper.

There's almost no damage to the bumper except for a scrape on the top below the grill.

The fenders are perfectly fine. Air bags didn't deploy.

Three radiator core support is bent in but it's a bolt on piece so I'll pull that and the radiator and fans so I can look behind it.

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I'm with Bruno on it being purely cosmetic damage. All the structure looks fine even the upper core support. The radiator took the brunt of it. You might even get lucky and find a similar colored one that got totaled from the rear you could steal all the painted parts needed (hood, grill surround and bumper cover). Check out the online junkyard search sources.
 
Those area is going to need to be straightened out on both sides. It's bent a bit back from the radiator support bending.

One I get it striped down I'll have my neighbor take a look at it. He owns a body shop.
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I'm with Bruno on it being purely cosmetic damage. All the structure looks fine even the upper core support. The radiator took the brunt of it. You might even get lucky and find a similar colored one that got totaled from the rear you could steal all the painted parts needed (hood, grill surround and bumper cover). Check out the online junkyard search sources.
I have a matching colored hood, fenders, front bumper on my garage from the parts car I bought her. I even have the headlights and the electric fans and airbox.

I just need the radiator and support bracket as well as the AC bits and some new hoses.


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Those area is going to need to be straightened out on both sides. It's bent a bit back from the radiator support bending.

One I get it striped down I'll have my neighbor take a look at it. He owns a body shop.
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If the bend (which was next to impossible to see from that first pic) is limited to just that center piece, as it appears, you can be pretty confident there is no real structural stuff to be concerned about. As damage/accidents go this one is pretty minor. Seems you should be able to fix it up fairly easily. How did you handle it with the insurance company in terms of how the title will read. Will it now be classified as having a salvage title? If that's the case, document thoroughly with pictures all the damage and repairs. Will be invaluable when you go to resell it later.
 
If the bend (which was next to impossible to see from that first pic) is limited to just that center piece, as it appears, you can be pretty confident there is no real structural stuff to be concerned about. As damage/accidents go this one is pretty minor. Seems you should be able to fix it up fairly easily. How did you handle it with the insurance company in terms of how the title will read. Will it now be classified as having a salvage title? If that's the case, document thoroughly with pictures all the damage and repairs. Will be invaluable when you go to resell it later.
The insurance company paid out as a total Loss, but since it is more than 8 years old in Wisconsin it will still be a clean title. No salvage or rebuilt title.

I "bought it back" for $380 deducted from the insurance pay out. Still titled in my mom's name for now with the original title.

I will be very upfront with pictures and info if we sell it. Not trying to hide that it was damaged.

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Gave it a quick wash to clean it up and tucked it into the garage. I now have 5 cars in there. It sat at copart for over a week and it was filthy.

The car is otherwise in fantastic shape. Garage kept and babied by my mom.

It's an 03 DeVille with 140,000 miles on it.
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Nice looking car. Why not give it back to her repaired?

My mom had been driving a supercharged '99 Buick Regal up until late 2000. She loved that car. Refused to get anything new. Then some uninsured illegal sideswiped her merging onto the expressway at speed. Messed up her passenger side and sent her into a truck on the driver's side for more damage. She was fine, the car was drivable but had serious cosmetic damage on both sides. Obviously, the insurance company totaled it. I never saw her so angry. Something about that car made it mean the world to her. She eventually bought a new car but to this day she still talks about that one. Could be your mom has the same attachment to hers.
 
We might give it back to her. We bought her a different car that she's wanted but not sure she'll get used to it. I just didn't want her to be without a car until I can get it fixed.

My work schedule sucks. So not when I'll get it done.

She cries when we talk about this car. Very attached to it. I just want to make sure everything is right before she drives it again.

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Its very normal that older people are attached so much on certain things.
Its something they feel secure and save. Its hard for them so many things are changing. Same things is waiting for us too !!!!
So , repaire that car ASAP. !!

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I had an actual day off today. Spent it in the garage.

Put new struts and brakes on my wife DD.

Then I had a few more hours to to work on the caddy.

Pulled the radiator, fans, hood, and misc broken bits. Ac is still charged so I can't pull the condenser yet.

Then put the spare hood on it and a grill I picked up at salvage yard. The headlights I had already also.

It's still bent up under the hood but at least it looks like a car again.

The circled area, where the radiator core support bolts on, is bent back.

That'll need to be pulled I guess.
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Mom will be very happy !!!
Very nice job.
To mount all those radiators , maybe its best to dissamble the front bumper and brace beneath it. Makes assembling easier I guess.
Well done !!!

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Actually Cadillac made it very easy to replace the radiator in the DeVille.

The top brace unbolts and all the bolts for the radiator and fans are up top. Then it just slides up.

I will probably be swapping out the bumper cover anyway though. I have a spare one in the basement.

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