Possible salvage purchase- 2004 Pontiac Vibe

[GON]

Have all the parts for the car except the hood and the front bumper skin. Surprisingly, the front bumper skin may be usable.

Found the hood and front bumper in gray in New Mexico. I will be working in Arizona and Colorado next week, thinking about swinging down and grabbing the hood and skin from the New Mexico salvage yard, and dropping the parts in my Daughter's garage in Denver (sure she will be thrilled). Parts are super simple to install. Pick a part is 50 percent off this weekend, so I purchased and installed a temporary hood for now. Hood costs $30.

Need to install the replacement radiator, radiator fan, condenser, and bumper crash bar. Bend out the radiator support, and inner fender liners. Probably could have the car road worthy in four hours, but am not in a hurry. I was supposed to replace a 2002 F350 fuel pump this weekend, and my focus was in trying to get the bed bolts free- this project was not planned.

Later this morning will purchaser a Daytona 10 Ton Professional Hydraulic Body Repair Kit, using the 25 percent off coupon. It should greatly help in some pushing and pulling. I used the Uhaul safety chain to do basic pulling out of the bumper crash bar yesterday taking the car off the trailer. The crash bar was sitting into the condenser. It is now three inches away. I want to get the bent crash bar straightened prior to removal and replacement of the bar.

Although I am using a used radiator, radiator fan, and condesor I am struggling with this. New parts are super inexpensive for this vehicle, but I have the used parts ready to go so I will use them.

 

[joekingcorvette]

Nice car and super easy to repair and as you stated parts are inexpensive. I would try to find some factory aluminum wheels for it from a salvage yard too as long as you are rooting around.

 

[GON]

Little mid day update. Using a hydraulic pull back ram for the first time in my life. Wish I would have discovered these years ago. About $50 at harbor freight, but the hydraulic pump is not included.

Purchased the Daytona hydraulic body repair kit after reading it can push and pull. Price $349, before 25 percent off coupon. Discovered it can only push, so had to go buy the pull back ram. I am going to keep it, as it does have the pump.

More to follow.

 

[PimTac]

That parking lot looks familiar. I don’t want to give away your secret work area.

 

[GON]

That parking lot looks familiar. I don’t want to give away your secret work area.

The Pontiac is at home and in a safe place.

 

[Owen Lucas]

You are working faster than most body shops I know!

 

[GON]

You are working faster than most body shops I know!

OL,

That is... Might be working faster than most body shops, but not nearly as efficient nor effective.... And maybe working with that ram I might have caused unessaery damage.

 

[SatinSilver]

The 05 Matrix I had also came with rusty wheels even though everything else looked great. You may want to respray them so that little detail doesn't have her reject it. One of the guys on here gave me a bunch of tips on that project. I think I still have the instructions somewhere.

 

[PandaBear]

Used radiator... I don't know if Matrix / Vibe is the same as Corolla but I remember they typically last 160k miles for Civic / Integra / Corolla in my area. If you are giving this car to your DIL, personally I would just get a new one. I remember my "new" radiators were like $120-150 about 10 years ago. Maybe you get lucky if you see a like new one off pick-n-pull, maybe you got the original one from when the car was new so it would not last long, wish you the best. To me used radiator is only good for a car I'm fixing to flip.

I would replace that metal bumper beam instead of just "pull" it back as it has already crushed. It won't absorb the same impact again in another crash, and it really is a safety concern. Again, to me it is ok if I'm just flipping the car, not if my DIL, son, grand children are in it.

 

[GON]

Hasty update.

Pulled out the condenser and radiator. Found three non OEM hose clamps, never nice to see. I will go back and look at the carfax to see what work may have been done the upper radiator hose clamp was replaced, and the clamps from one of the transmission cooling lines. Makes no sense.

The end of the right frame rail has a small kink in it. I went to push it out. My brand new Daytona(Harbor Freight) 10 ton hydraulic jack quit after a few pumps. I suspect the pump needs fluid, but I will have to finish this another time.....

 

[loneryder]

Is that a 2.5 engine? They were pretty good engines.

 

[cptbarkey]

Is that a 2.5 engine? They were pretty good engines.

1.8 1zzfe, same as corolla. Its also an excellent engine with a few known issues but not many.

 

[jhs914]

I would replace that metal bumper beam instead of just "pull" it back as it has already crushed. It won't absorb the same impact again in another crash, and it really is a safety concern. Again, to me it is ok if I'm just flipping the car, not if my DIL, son, grand children are in it.

Gon stated earlier he has a replacement crash beam. He was pulling the damaged one out to make it easier to remove without doing further damage.

 

[twouvakind]

Gotta love the ingenuity, charge on Mike!

 

[paulo57509]

Hasty update.

Pulled out the condenser and radiator. Found three non OEM hose clamps, never nice to see. I will go back and look at the carfax to see what work may have been done the upper radiator hose clamp was replaced, and the clamps from one of the transmission cooling lines. Makes no sense.

The end of the right frame rail has a small kink in it. I went to push it out. My brand new Daytona(Harbor Freight) 10 ton hydraulic jack quit after a few pumps. I suspect the pump needs fluid, but I will have to finish this another time.....

View attachment 178369View attachment 178368

That looks like an underpad they use at the medical clinic....

 

[We're Metals]

Loving this thread, lots of projects

 

[Dadillac]

That looks like an underpad they use at the medical clinic....

Extra large wee wee pad for dogs.

Don

 

[02supercrew]

Hasty update.

Pulled out the condenser and radiator. Found three non OEM hose clamps, never nice to see. I will go back and look at the carfax to see what work may have been done the upper radiator hose clamp was replaced, and the clamps from one of the transmission cooling lines. Makes no sense.

The end of the right frame rail has a small kink in it. I went to push it out. My brand new Daytona(Harbor Freight) 10 ton hydraulic jack quit after a few pumps. I suspect the pump needs fluid, but I will have to finish this another time.....

View attachment 178369View attachment 178368

I hope you took measurements and centerlined the car in two planes using a laser at minimum. A tramgauge will help you evaluate if you’ve brought it back to square.

Then you can make pulls and work back to bringing everything using your marks on the car. Usually I’ll find the centerline on the roof or other parts of vehicle that are very far from the damage and bring that line forward with a laser on a tripod. Same for the horizontal axis. Usually you can use the strut towers for this if the OEM struts are in place.

With the tramgauge and the center lines, then you can find out how out of shape the front really is.

This guy does a good job of explaining.


Sorry to be negative but the puller you’re using, in the fashion shown, is only marginally effective. You’re transferring a lot of forces to the suspension of the damaged vehicle and stressing / bending otherwise good parts. To make effective pulls you need to be blocking and supporting the parts you don’t want to move in the opposite directions. Likely you’re just pulling the car or truck tires IE sliding the vehicle.

The puller pusher you’re using really is better for rear or internal body work in which you can use internal surfaces to push from or in a garage with sturdy places to anchor the car against for pulling.

Could you install floor pots in your garage? Then you can anchor and pull / push against?

SET#29 - 3 ANCHOR POTS COMBO DEAL AUTO BODY FLOOR 4 CHAIN SLOTS IN GROUND BOLTS | eBay

AUTO BODY FLOOR SYSTEM 3 ANCHOR POTS COMBO 4 SLOTS BOLTS. New design anchor pot bolts. 3 HEAVY DUTY ANCHOR POT. in the pictures not included . Either RED, BLUE, TURQUOISE, YELLOW, ORANGE, GOLD, SILVER, GRAY.

www.ebay.com

In my shop I have a dozer type of frame puller for my hobby salvage car repair. Even with it, I still have to use mounting points in my shop to secure the car against the direction I want to pull. I use heavy chains and cross brace for when correcting front end sway which I can see in your photo.

Here is a picture of my daughters ‘09 ford escape limited that has 40 k mi on it from last year. I bought the car for her, with the deal being she would help with all the repairs and it would be hers free and clear when she went to college. The passenger frame rail took a good smack and it took some heavy duty pulling and BFH work to bring it back. I even purchased a donor parts car as it was far less expensive than buying the parts separately.

Hope I don’t come off as Debbie downer, just wanted to to make some points on the importance of measuring the axis and supporting the car.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I am anxious to see what the car looks like when it's completed. It's fun watching the progress on this car. I hope you are able to get it straight and back on the road. It's good that parts for this vehicle are fairly inexpensive and easy to locate.

 

[GON]

I hope you took measurements and centerlined the car in two planes using a laser at minimum. A tramgauge will help you evaluate if you’ve brought it back to square.

Then you can make pulls and work back to bringing everything using your marks on the car. Usually I’ll find the centerline on the roof or other parts of vehicle that are very far from the damage and bring that line forward with a laser on a tripod. Same for the horizontal axis. Usually you can use the strut towers for this if the OEM struts are in place.

With the tramgauge and the center lines, then you can find out how out of shape the front really is.

This guy does a good job of explaining.


Sorry to be negative but the puller you’re using, in the fashion shown, is only marginally effective. You’re transferring a lot of forces to the suspension of the damaged vehicle and stressing / bending otherwise good parts. To make effective pulls you need to be blocking and supporting the parts you don’t want to move in the opposite directions. Likely you’re just pulling the car or truck tires IE sliding the vehicle.

The puller pusher you’re using really is better for rear or internal body work in which you can use internal surfaces to push from or in a garage with sturdy places to anchor the car against for pulling.

Could you install floor pots in your garage? Then you can anchor and pull / push against?

SET#29 - 3 ANCHOR POTS COMBO DEAL AUTO BODY FLOOR 4 CHAIN SLOTS IN GROUND BOLTS | eBay

AUTO BODY FLOOR SYSTEM 3 ANCHOR POTS COMBO 4 SLOTS BOLTS. New design anchor pot bolts. 3 HEAVY DUTY ANCHOR POT. in the pictures not included . Either RED, BLUE, TURQUOISE, YELLOW, ORANGE, GOLD, SILVER, GRAY.

www.ebay.com

In my shop I have a dozer type of frame puller for my hobby salvage car repair. Even with it, I still have to use mounting points in my shop to secure the car against the direction I want to pull. I use heavy chains and cross brace for when correcting front end sway which I can see in your photo.

Here is a picture of my daughters ‘09 ford escape limited that has 40 k mi on it from last year. I bought the car for her, with the deal being she would help with all the repairs and it would be hers free and clear when she went to college. The passenger frame rail took a good smack and it took some heavy duty pulling and BFH work to bring it back. I even purchased a donor parts car as it was far less expensive than buying the parts separately.


View attachment 179673

Hope I don’t come off as Debbie downer, just wanted to to make some points on the importance of measuring the axis and supporting the car.

Thanks for the detailed reply. Lots of great/helpful information.

This is a Toyota Corolla. The same Corollas that run all over Afghanistan and Pakistan on unimproved roads 12-16 hours a day every day. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, these get into accidents, both single car and multiple car regularly. There are not frame straitening laser guided machines buttoning these Toyotas back together. Yet after repair after repair, they are back on the road for many, many years- even decades.

These are awesome basic/ crude machines that can take the worst beatings and keep on ticking. I am not looking for perfection in straitening a frame rail bumper mount. I am confident the work I am doing far exceeds what car flippers do, and likely exceed what many licensed body shops execute.

I commend you for the work you do, making this corolla perfect is not the mission. Juice isn't worth the squeeze. Having a nice and reliable car that will be street parked in an urban environment is the end-state.