Body work - collision repair question

[Fastfish]

Howdy Folks,

Wife just crashed up my Tacoma truck from black Ice accident. She is fine. Truck has broken door glass, winshield and pushed in corner of roof. Right front fender is also wiped out. No collision insurance. Body shop says not worth fixing without replacing entire cab but none are available. Don't some shops replace (section welded in) damaged A Pillar, roof skin and glass? Why is it so difficult to get this type of repair done. Your comments will help me decide to try repairing it myself or not. Thank you PS. Diagonal frame measurements indicate no frame damage

 

[sberry]

They don't do it as its too expensive and no one wants to pay 85 an hour for someone to pound new dents and refinish this old truck.
Get some pics if you want to ask here but a big hammer is usually a good start BEFORE getting out the torch, see how much of it comes back.

 

[shawnspeed]

probably matchboxed the cab, and since it is not square now, you have no reference to where square was, so when you go to weld on the "new" donor top , aligning it will be difficult at best...not impossible, but it will take lots of time...time cost money, and money on a new cab will be cheaper than the repair...JMO

 

[creativecars]

To make it safe and get it back to pre-accident condition will take lots of work as indicated above. There are some guys that will scab it together, but I would not recommend it. Bolting on a different cab is the easiest way to make sure everything is correct. At least without lots of time on a frame machine.

 

[tcianci]

Another thing to remember is that modern automobiles have special alloy steels and construction that is required to maintain the crash worthiness of the vehicle, if the guy who repairs this does it in an un approved way, he is opening himself up to a liability issue. The approved way in many instances is to replace the damaged stuff.

 

[sberry]

There is nothing wrong with scab a cab but this isn't free either, neither is a donor etc. The vehicle already wasn't worth carrying collision on.
Someone will gladly do it but not without a fist full of 100's to the point it would be cheaper to replace the truck.

 

[creativecars]

There is nothing wrong with scab a cab but this isn't free either, neither is a donor etc.

I've seen people try to do it with out pulling it first. Always leaked some where because it was not straight. I have no problems with using a good donor, but it still takes as much work, maybe more to put in a used A post. If you don't pull on the old parts, you will surely screw up the new/used parts your trying to put on.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

What year/mileage is the truck? Post some pics. I did heavy collision for 11 years.

 

[justanengineer]

Why bother repairing the cab when a replacement in near-perfect condition and likely the color you need is readily available for a few hundred bucks salvage? Tacomas arent anything rare or special, and more are crashed everyday so the parts are readily available. What am I missing?

 

[pmiranda]

Money-wise, better off parting it out and replacing it.
If you really want to learn body work the hard way you could practice on it and see how you do. Still probably cheaper and faster to take some classes at your local community college and junk the truck.
I feel your pain... I had a car get totaled earlier this year and didn't have anywhere to keep it as nonrunning for long enough to fix it.

 

[Squankum]

In addition to everything said above, not only is it work, when its done, it needs to line up with a windshield properly, which leaves little room for error?

 

[shawnspeed]

The other thing to consider, at least here in Michigan, is a replacement cab immediately gets you an assembled title, lowering the value of the vehicle...failing to do this here will get you some jail time...vin on the cab must match the vin on the frame.

 

[T_R]

I can't believe there are no used cabs available for a Tacoma.

Go on car-part.com

Find a used cab, put it on and you are done.

 

[ChevyEFI]

If you had no collision, it's probably old. If it's in MA, it's probably rusty. Does it need done perfectly or is it a DD not worth the investment repair? Think it over.

If it's not rusty and you want to keep it, find someone who can pull the roof out, do some metal shrinking or slide hammer work and make it good.

It's tough to find someone to do it for two reasons. You and your wife probably live in a retail world. In other words, if I know where to get **** done quick and cheap, I know where to look in south Phoenix. It seems you may not be of similar savvy. Reason number two is most people don't keep a few grand around to fix their car. Therefore people with collision coverage are better customers because their insurance carrier pays the bill. So, it's easier to find a shop doing insurance work happily at book rates, instead of the alternative.

 

[Blue]

Why bother repairing the cab when a replacement in near-perfect condition and likely the color you need is readily available for a few hundred bucks salvage? Tacomas arent anything rare or special, and more are crashed everyday so the parts are readily available. What am I missing?

Few hundred bucks? Got a link?

 

[countryroad82]

Another thing to remember is that modern automobiles have special alloy steels and construction that is required to maintain the crash worthiness of the vehicle, if the guy who repairs this does it in an un approved way, he is opening himself up to a liability issue. The approved way in many instances is to replace the damaged stuff.

I was just getting ready to make this reply. It comes down to a liability issue. Let's say they piece the cab back together, then later let's say you get in another accident and let's say the repair fails and gets someone hurt. It can come back onto the shop because technically in lawyertalk they can be held responsible for their repair failing. In my shop I'm pretty picky about accepting certain repairs. While I have repaired structures, frames, and safety equipment I proceed with caution because I basically have people's lives at stake when I make such repairs. But also as said it can be a nightmare getting the thing to seal correctly depending on the damage.

 

[justanengineer]

Few hundred bucks? Got a link?

The yards in this area all get ~$2-500 for cabs depending on condition, same price as beds. Indypicapart is one of my less favorite bc their vehicles are kinda beat and their inventory *****, but their website shows prices which generally reflect this.

http://indypicapart.com/indianapolis/part-prices/

 

[maxpower_hd]

Around here Tacoma and older Pick up parts can be very hard to come by. They get picked way before you ever even see it in the yard. I know. I have owned Toyota trucks for about 12 years. My current one is a 1992 and has a rusty frame I plan on cutting, welding and patching back into service because I cannot find a frame. You can find entire trucks however. And cabs are usually in good shape for some reason.

I don't know what year yours is but if the frame is good and it is an older truck you may very well be able to find one with a bad frame but everything else you need for $1000-$2000. More if it is newer.

 

[Fastfish]

Orginal poster here. True I am in MA BUT I got this truck in South Carolina. Before I registered it in MA I power washed the underside. Painted the frame inside and out with rust bullet, and green phosphate paint. Primed all the welds before with rust encapsulator and then after it dried completely, sprayed the **** out of everything with fluid film 2x. So I am looking to fix it and use it. Biggest question is now will I do it my self or find a shop to do it. Thanks for all replies. Any one have a Junk Taco 95-2004 that I can get (cut out) a drivers side A Pillar from?