frame straightening

[73mach1]

I need to take my car and have the frame straightened,and I was wondering what I should be looking for in a body shop. I'm having troubles getting the pass. door to line up and I know it's been wrecked a few times because I bought it off one of my buddies. I think the back is knocked out after measuring the frame rails. I live in a small town so there's no state of the art body shops. I'm a little nervous about this so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated thanks.

 

[Qcode351mach]

I need to take my car and have the frame straightened,and I was wondering what I should be looking for in a body shop. I'm having troubles getting the pass. door to line up and I know it's been wrecked a few times because I bought it off one of my buddies. I think the back is knocked out after measuring the frame rails. I live in a small town so there's no state of the art body shops. I'm a little nervous about this so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated thanks.

Jay..what & where did you measure ? & where is the misalignment problem with the door..At the bare minimum..you need a shop with a frame machine & a universal measuring system..I-car certified techs or shop would be a plus...do you have the frame spec chart for the car? With out that, any measuring you did dosn't really mean anything.. I posted up a bunch of advice for patcon in this thread starts on page 3 http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-trunk-rehab?page=3on how to measure the unibody you can do the same just to really check. I have over 25 years in the a/b biz..There has to be a competent shop somewhere close to where live..Post up some pics of where you think the damage is & your area where your located & I will see if I can help

Scott

Check out my vids here..http://www.saturdaymorninggarage.com

 

[73mach1]

Scott, thanks for replying i was hoping you would see this. I do have a shop manual and I used the alignment points for the frame and it was not square. I will try and take some pictures tomorrow my son has my camera and won't be back til late tonight.I did read your post to patcon as I'm about to replace my trunk, but I want to know everthing is straight before I start.I had saved that thread so I could follow your advice when I was ready.I think two of the shops are I-Car certified, I'll go talk to them. Again,thanks for replying this is the only thing on my car that has made me a little uneasy.

 

[Qcode351mach]

Scott, thanks for replying i was hoping you would see this. I do have a shop manual and I used the alignment points for the frame and it was not square. I will try and take some pictures tomorrow my son has my camera and won't be back til late tonight.I did read your post to patcon as I'm about to replace my trunk, but I want to know everthing is straight before I start.I had saved that thread so I could follow your advice when I was ready.I think two of the shops are I-Car certified, I'll go talk to them. Again,thanks for replying this is the only thing on my car that has made me a little uneasy.

No problem Jay ! I did a quick search of shops in your area & quite a few that do nice work (they have web sites, popped up) So they are out there..When you check the shops ask to see the frame machine & look at jobs they have done in the past (they should have photos for customers to view) Also ask what their warrenty is..In my shop I guarented my work for as long as you owned the car ! To give you a rough Idea of cost in my neck of the woods (N.east) it's $250 to set up, measure & diagnose Then $50.00 to $75.00 per hour for repair plus materials..Here's some pics of hard hit bmw we did set up on the frame machine..being pulled...Then done.

Scott

 

[URUGUAYAN_FASTBACK]

Hey Scott!! How are you!?? i was checking this thread and as always, trying to figure all the information you´re giving up... I was wondering... isn´t another alternative to do this kind of frame work?.. I mean, without going into a professional shop, if you try to fix that at home with more "talent" than tools.... Is there any tricks and home made tools you can use??

Maybe not for this case but most of us, in some point of our lifes are gonna be facing this kind of problems with old cars... As you know, i have my 70 coupé (still didn´t do much work but i did the comparation tool that you suggested somewhere VERY USEFUL) that has a bad repair crash and i will fix it myself... Maybe a lot of us are going that way sometime...

We, overseas people don´t have access to this frame machines and if we do, they don´t have the right measurements for classic mustangs that are extremely rare here... Some friends told me the had they frames aligned in professional shops and the work was not great... they charge 2000+ dollars and it just doesn´t worth it most of the times...

I´ve red almost all of your posts and i know you can virtually disamble all the unibody and redo it again in your garagge so, maybe it would be nice to make a statement on how we all can check and fix at least, minor misalignments at our own garagges...

Hey Jay, it would be a lot of help if you start to document your problems by pics

Good luck!

 

[Qcode351mach]

Hey Scott!! How are you!?? i was checking this thread and as always, trying to figure all the information you´re giving up... I was wondering... isn´t another alternative to do this kind of frame work?.. I mean, without going into a professional shop, if you try to fix that at home with more "talent" than tools.... Is there any tricks and home made tools you can use??

Maybe not for this case but most of us, in some point of our lifes are gonna be facing this kind of problems with old cars... As you know, i have my 70 coupé (still didn´t do much work but i did the comparation tool that you suggested somewhere VERY USEFUL) that has a bad repair crash and i will fix it myself... Maybe a lot of us are going that way sometime...

We, overseas people don´t have access to this frame machines and if we do, they don´t have the right measurements for classic mustangs that are extremely rare here... Some friends told me the had they frames aligned in professional shops and the work was not great... they charge 2000+ dollars and it just doesn´t worth it most of the times...

I´ve red almost all of your posts and i know you can virtually disamble all the unibody and redo it again in your garagge so, maybe it would be nice to make a statement on how we all can check and fix at least, minor misalignments at our own garagges...

Hey Jay, it would be a lot of help if you start to document your problems by pics

Good luck!

Damien...It all really depends how damaged the frame or unibody is..When I first started I made pulls on a car with a come alonghttp://www.mytoolstore.com/app/ez2000.html#15002 wrapped around a tree or for pushing we used jacks & porta powershttp://www.toolprice.com/c=p5YrieQXNo6beDXmYwx2SJ1Tk/product/1418U/10-Ton-Porta-Power.html & sometimes a combo of both..It can be done..But for heavy damage there's really no way I know of without a frame machine to clamp the car to so it dosn't move when pulling. As I said,post up some pics of the damage on the 70 & I will let you know what I think.

Scott

 

[PAPPY HAROLD]

DAMIEN: YOUR RIGHT, THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WAYS. FIRST AS SCOTT SAID IT DEPENDS ON THE SEVERITY OF THE DAMAGE AS TO HOW HARD YOU HAVE TO THINK. FIRST, ALWAYS LOOK AT THE DAMAGE AND TRY TO FIGURE HOW IT GOT THERE. IN OTHER WORDS IF THE FRT END IS PUSHED TO THE RIGHT, IT MUST HAVE BEEN HIT IN THE LEFT, BUT WHERE THATS THE THINKING. I USE THIS EXAMPLE BECAUSE MINE WAS THAT WAY. SO I FOUND SOME CONSTANT POINTS AND MEASURED FOR SQUARE FROM THESE. EXAMPLE: FRAME RAIL AT THE INTERSECT OF THE FIREWALL, THEN UP TO THE STRUT ROD CROSSMEMBER AND FRAME INTERSECT. THIS GAVE ME A VERY CLOSE DEMENTION TO USE. MINE WASNT TO BAD SO I PUT A 4 TON PORTA POWER FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SHOCK TOWER AT THE ENGINE MOUNT UP TO THE OPPISITE CORNER OF THE CROSSMEMBER IN FRT. APPLY PRESSURE AND HOLD,LET IT HAVE TIME TO WORK, AND TAPPING FAIRLY HARD WITH A HAMMER HELPS. DONT BEND IT BUT HIT HARD ENOUGH TO HELP THE MOLECULES OFTHE METAL REARRANGE. THIS IS A SIMPLE PROBLEM BUT AN IDEA OF WHAT I THINK YOUR ASKING. FOR PULLING WE HAD A SIMPLE TOOL CALLED A DAMAGE DOZER. YOU COULD PUT IT UNDER THE CAR AND TIE IT AT THE BACK AND PULL TO THE FRT. OR THE OTHER WAY AS NEEDED. ON AN ANGLE OR FROM THE SIDE. I HAVE ONE THAT I BUILT YEARS AGO AND STILL USE IT. I,LL TRY TO TAKE PIC OF IT. IF YOUR INTERESTED. PROBABLY COST ME 30 OR 40 BUCKS WHEN I BUILT IT

 

[Patcon]

Jay,

If you need the dimension sheet that Scott uses for frame alignment, PM me your email and I will forward it on to you...

Charles

 

[URUGUAYAN_FASTBACK]

Hey Scott!! How are you!?? i was checking this thread and as always, trying to figure all the information you´re giving up... I was wondering... isn´t another alternative to do this kind of frame work?.. I mean, without going into a professional shop, if you try to fix that at home with more "talent" than tools.... Is there any tricks and home made tools you can use??

Maybe not for this case but most of us, in some point of our lifes are gonna be facing this kind of problems with old cars... As you know, i have my 70 coupé (still didn´t do much work but i did the comparation tool that you suggested somewhere VERY USEFUL) that has a bad repair crash and i will fix it myself... Maybe a lot of us are going that way sometime...

We, overseas people don´t have access to this frame machines and if we do, they don´t have the right measurements for classic mustangs that are extremely rare here... Some friends told me the had they frames aligned in professional shops and the work was not great... they charge 2000+ dollars and it just doesn´t worth it most of the times...

I´ve red almost all of your posts and i know you can virtually disamble all the unibody and redo it again in your garagge so, maybe it would be nice to make a statement on how we all can check and fix at least, minor misalignments at our own garagges...

Hey Jay, it would be a lot of help if you start to document your problems by pics

Good luck!

Damien...It all really depends how damaged the frame or unibody is..When I first started I made pulls on a car with a come alonghttp://www.mytoolstore.com/app/ez2000.html#15002 wrapped around a tree or for pushing we used jacks & porta powershttp://www.toolprice.com/c=p5YrieQXNo6beDXmYwx2SJ1Tk/product/1418U/10-Ton-Porta-Power.html & sometimes a combo of both..It can be done..But for heavy damage there's really no way I know of without a frame machine to clamp the car to so it dosn't move when pulling. As I said,post up some pics of the damage on the 70 & I will let you know what I think.

Scott

Hey Scott!!! Sorry, i was on vacation and i´m reading this just now... Pics of my 70 are going to be published i hope.. today...

I didn´t go any further because i decided to order a brand new export brace to help me with the upper shock towers position...

The car has still the engine and suspension on and some minimal things are not so visible in pics, but i´ll try to document everything the best i can in order to get the best possible repair i can achieve...

Thanks and we´ll be in touch!

DAMIEN: YOUR RIGHT, THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WAYS. FIRST AS SCOTT SAID IT DEPENDS ON THE SEVERITY OF THE DAMAGE AS TO HOW HARD YOU HAVE TO THINK. FIRST, ALWAYS LOOK AT THE DAMAGE AND TRY TO FIGURE HOW IT GOT THERE. IN OTHER WORDS IF THE FRT END IS PUSHED TO THE RIGHT, IT MUST HAVE BEEN HIT IN THE LEFT, BUT WHERE THATS THE THINKING. I USE THIS EXAMPLE BECAUSE MINE WAS THAT WAY. SO I FOUND SOME CONSTANT POINTS AND MEASURED FOR SQUARE FROM THESE. EXAMPLE: FRAME RAIL AT THE INTERSECT OF THE FIREWALL, THEN UP TO THE STRUT ROD CROSSMEMBER AND FRAME INTERSECT. THIS GAVE ME A VERY CLOSE DEMENTION TO USE. MINE WASNT TO BAD SO I PUT A 4 TON PORTA POWER FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SHOCK TOWER AT THE ENGINE MOUNT UP TO THE OPPISITE CORNER OF THE CROSSMEMBER IN FRT. APPLY PRESSURE AND HOLD,LET IT HAVE TIME TO WORK, AND TAPPING FAIRLY HARD WITH A HAMMER HELPS. DONT BEND IT BUT HIT HARD ENOUGH TO HELP THE MOLECULES OFTHE METAL REARRANGE. THIS IS A SIMPLE PROBLEM BUT AN IDEA OF WHAT I THINK YOUR ASKING. FOR PULLING WE HAD A SIMPLE TOOL CALLED A DAMAGE DOZER. YOU COULD PUT IT UNDER THE CAR AND TIE IT AT THE BACK AND PULL TO THE FRT. OR THE OTHER WAY AS NEEDED. ON AN ANGLE OR FROM THE SIDE. I HAVE ONE THAT I BUILT YEARS AGO AND STILL USE IT. I,LL TRY TO TAKE PIC OF IT. IF YOUR INTERESTED. PROBABLY COST ME 30 OR 40 BUCKS WHEN I BUILT IT

Hi pappy!! Same as for Scott... Sorry I was on vacation and i just read this response now...

Pics are coming i hope today but i can tell you some things i have been figuring out just for observing the car and its damage...

1) the car crash was "professional" repaired before... I don´t know exactly the story of the car and its life but for what i can see, the front of the car was hit hard, moved big time and then pulled back to his position...

You can actually see some damage and marks by the pulling in a few places.

2) the problems are located in the upper part of the engine bay... I measured the frame rails and acording to the plan i´ve got, they are very very close to the original measurements.. (in the control measurements i took, i couldn´t find any error bigger than 1/4" down there...)

3) aprons aren´t too damaged and the radiator support is not thar awfull either BUT... the drivers side shock tower hitted the master cylinder hard... you actually can see the marks still unrepaired

4) for what i could analyze, the hit this car suffered was not agaist another car but, in my opinion, driver lost control of the car and somehow, the car jumped and landed with the nose in the pavement or somehow, fall of the road and recieved a big hit from the lower part, damaging most of all, the right position of the front chassis and every joint between the engine bay and the cowl area... That´s why the crash for example, didn´t touch the hood, didn´t spoiled big time the front aprons but the rear ones are worst....

I know.. PICS PICS PICS!!

 

[PAPPY HAROLD]

sounds like your judgement of the accident could be right on. I'll look for the pics, and already have one idea from your discription. Dont give up yet...

 

[URUGUAYAN_FASTBACK]

sounds like your judgement of the accident could be right on. I'll look for the pics, and already have one idea from your discription. Dont give up yet...

Not even close to give up my friend!! this will be fixed that´s for sure

Every metal sheet is still there... it may be twisted to some place not nice but if it was born some way, every little piece that´s not correct, for sure will be somehow

As a latin american workoholic, i can spend 200 hours in the same piece enjoing the work... So.. the harder the better

I love this 70 coupé... it is all original, factory and in good condition so... be sure it will be fixed as correct as my knowledge can do...

I hope i can take tonight, better pictures.. The car is a mess because it still have the engine and the hole suspenssion on, I pealed all the paint in the engine bay and now, i´m "curing" the superficial rust... (there´s A LOT of superficial rust) The acid i use turns the rust metal into black, so the engine bay looks like a dalmata dog

Well... I stop here!! let´s focuss this discussion on my 70 coupé thread in order not to use another friend post