Please say this can be fixed. The door is crunched but the coolant tubes aren’t damaged, none of the other panel gaps are bad. I look in the engine bay and nothing looks mis-aligned. This car is my baby

UGH. So sorry man...

Does it drive straight? Door still open?

Might need a new door, (window?) door skin, quarter panel...paint....

Looks like you have some major damage to right rear suspension. you won't know until you strip it apart. sleek

Hopefully You are OK! Does the guy that hit you have insurance? If not do you have full coverage? Insurance will probably want to total the car but if the person who hit you has full coverage hold their feet to fire for the repair. Wheel looks a bit out. Good luck.

My fear is the entire rear pillar is pushed inward. The area behind the door is major structural support.

[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 10-24-2023).]

quote Originally posted by TheDigitalAlchemist: UGH. So sorry man... Does it drive straight? Door still open? Might need a new door, (window?) door skin, quarter panel...paint....

Door doesn’t open. Apparently the car hit mine twice as it knocked my wheel around and it’s not straight so it doesn’t drive straight. Window shattered. I’d be ok with this if I can get a new door, skins, the frame isn’t too bad and can be fixed, and paint. Suspension/axle stuff isn’t serious.

quote Originally posted by sdgdf: Please say this can be fixed. The door is crunched but the coolant tubes aren’t damaged, none of the other panel gaps are bad. I look in the engine bay and nothing looks mis-aligned. This car is my baby

Do you carry classic car insurance? Safe to say unless you have a large agreed value then the car will be a total loss. Anything is fixable but looking at this the pillar is pushed in. It was enough to push door in and pop the interior trim off.


You always have the ability to retain if it does total, and I believe in your state you have the right to hire an independent appraiser to argue the value of your vehicle since it would not fall under a standard valuation.

[This message has been edited by Phirewire (edited 10-24-2023).]

That really sucks.
Sorry to see that.

quote Originally posted by IMSA GT: My fear is the entire rear pillar is pushed inward. The area behind the door is major structural support.

I got the door open. I can open and close it. Here’s what it looks like underneath:

In your photo, look how the passenger side seatbelt is wedged between the seat and the pillar. I don't think your seat should be sitting against the pillar. Compare that gap to the driver side seat and I think you may be pushed in on the passenger side.

Edit to add......unless it's just the angle of the photo.

Here's a comparison.

[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 10-25-2023).]

quote Originally posted by IMSA GT: In your photo, look how the passenger side seatbelt is wedged between the seat and the pillar. I don't think your seat should be sitting against the pillar. Compare that gap to the driver side seat and I think you may be pushed in on the passenger side. Edit to add......unless it's just the angle of the photo.

Yeah that part of it with the pin for the door is crumpled a bit and pushing that trim piece in, into the seat.

I think until you pull the panels, we are all just guessing at how bad the damage is. Hopefully it can be fixed. Pull the panels and post some pics

It's sad when our little cars get banged into. Take your incedent to the extreme: You can find a non running example and swap everything on to it since your issue is a frame issue. See what's in your area on facebook marketplace. I know it would be inconvenient but maybe you can find one with a n option or two that you wanted but didn't have and make lemonade out of these lemons.

Anything can be fixed, its just a matter of cost.

It will definitely be totaled that unless you have a high value classic car insurance like previously stated, insurance like Hagerty lets you name your own value to insure for. Its fixable but you will have to cut out that whole pillar and have a parts car replacement welded in. There's no straightening that back out while retaining rigidity. See how waffled it is next to the door latch pin...

I'm really sorry to see it get crunched! This will be a long journey to get it fixed unfortunatly

[This message has been edited by RichLo1 (edited 10-25-2023).]

I hav seen a few Fieros that had similar damage and are on the road due to a B-pillar replacement.

It can and has been done.

quote cam-a-lot: I think until you pull the panels, we are all just guessing at how bad the damage is.

The Fiero used an innovative metal unibody skeleton with a plastic skin. To Me, I bet your frame is damaged....

After you pull all the panels, find a Qualified Frame Straightening Expert if you want to repair the frame.

My opinion is the same as in this thread below: "It is not worth it to straighten a bent frame / there are plenty of rust-free frames available."

Fiero Crash- frame straighting by Drychel (10-05-2013)
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/130477.html

BTW - In around 1987, I 'flipped' my second Fiero which I had full coverage. The insurance didn't total the car BUT the total shop bill was $11k! The car never was 'right' so I traded the car on my '88 GT.....

------------------
Original Owner of a Silver '88 GT
Under 'Production Refurbishment' @ 136k Miles

[This message has been edited by Vintage-Nut (edited 10-25-2023).]

Hope you had Dash Cam etc to prove who hit who... Even front only D-cam can proves you didn't hit them w/o showing the hit.
In many places if you can prove you got hit, Medical & car damage Cost is on other I-co even when you have "State Minimum" insurance.

Any think can be fixed, sorry but very likely No.

Because is dark pic to start & black parts, I adjusted Contrast & Brightness to see....


In Short: B pillar is F'd & most I-co's Will Often "Total" the car. Isn't like some fool hit me recently & damage plastic panels then I-co paid very little. In general, I-co looks @ "Book value" (Example: NADA Guides) @ damage > X% of that = Total. In NADA books, most cars > 25 years value Max is ~ $2000-4000.

Longer terms
B pillar & likely "Rocker Panel" steel is pushed in.
RP is structural & can affect other "frame" sections attach to it. Need to look under the car to see how bad.
B pillar pushed is likely bent part of the roof too.

That's before adding need a new Door & other Plastic parts & Paint work.

Many Body Shops won't touch 20 year old cars let alone Fiero & most > 25 year old cars. For 1 often Can't get parts to fix them + dealing w/ rust etc causing more work.
Isn't a DIY project even if can find another car to cut out needed panels.

If/When you sign off "Total" doc's the I-co owns it. You can buy it back but can't drive it in many places because have Salvage or related Title & "Canceled" current registration & tag. (Note that in Some States you can Transfer the tag to replacement vehicle & need right forms filled out before signing the "Total" to do this & You Remove the Tag(s).)
"Total" then Fix for any reason in many places means big headaches to get the car on the road again. Many states have Special Inspection involving State Police etc. that go way beyond other inspection or states w/o safety inspection.
Mean often you get the Total back as Parts Car.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 10-25-2023).]

Dude, I'm so sorry.

My guess like others, is that insurance will try to total it. I didn't see anywhere anything that you said about insurance (theirs, or yours). Is the car covered? The value of the car will not be much, particularly since it's modified and their insurance company will probably try to low-ball you because of it. If you really want them to fix your car, you're going to have to get a lawyer.

That said, you could take the totalled pay-out, and fix the car yourself. If you can dismantle most of the car's body panels that affect that area, you can take it to a body shop and they can straighten out the frame for you (with little disassembly work). And then you can re-assemble it. The quarter panel can be fixed, but you'll need a new door, door skin, and lower rear quarter.

I had similar damage, and was able to fix it myself. You can too... but you'll want to get the most out of insurance that you possibly can, and just be careful about how or when it gets totalled.


Note: I had a car get "totalled" by insurance, and was paid out. But they never officially registered it as totalled because I had the car towed back to my house. It was a 1997 Grand Am SE. Similar damage... a T-Bone. I can do a vin search, and it still shows the car as A-OK and perfect. Even more odd... after I stripped it of everything valuable and sold a bunch of stuff on eBay, I had it hauled off to a local junkyard, which required the title, and it still never got registered as "totalled." I checked 5 years ago, and it was still listed as a good car with a clean vehicle history... lol.

When you have "Standard" Car Insurance from 90%+ of companies & that is "Full Coverage" or just Collision added, Your I-co will do about same as I said above. Worse, You have to Pay all Deductibles out of your pocket. Most w/ "State Minimum" car insurance & many others have No Collision or Very High Deductibles like $1000+ & Can't or Won't make a Claim.

Other Car I-co will do the same based on "book value" but they pay you/shop in full & why you need to claim w/ them & any video can help here.
(Example: A Front only dash cam shows you're doing nothing when hit even if doesn't show them hitting you in the video. If state/city has highway cams, cops and I-co's can likely access that too.)

No "Mod(s)" in/on a car will change that. (Depending on Mods/"Upgrades" & the crash at the time may even hurt you but likely doesn't apply this time.)
IOW The I-co's mostly don't give a crap when people burn Thousand$ on paint jobs or anything else & think will get more money after a wreck.

Only when you have "agree value" insurance policies from companies doing those may pay more then "book." Even then May "Total" the car.

I'm sorry to say, but it looks totalled to me. The B-pillar is bent and pushed in and as others have said, that's a major structural member. I'm pretty sure that the rest of the frame is way out of kilter. Repairs will never make it right.

Here's a suggestion for you. Settle with the insurance company at a price where you can keep the car. Use the what you get in settlementto buy a solid 2-dr coupe similar to yours. Swap the parts from your wrecked car to the "new" car. That way you wind up with a car as good as or better than what you have now. (I'd hate to see that 3800 installation wind up in a P-n-P or Row 52.)

quote Originally posted by theogre: When you have "Standard" Car Insurance from 90%+ of companies & that is "Full Coverage" or just Collision added, Your I-co will do about same as I said above. Worse, You have to Pay all Deductibles out of your pocket. Most w/ "State Minimum" car insurance & many others have No Collision or Very High Deductibles like $1000+ & Can't or Won't make a Claim. Other Car I-co will do the same based on "book value" but they pay you/shop in full & why you need to claim w/ them & any video can help here. (Example: A Front only dash cam shows you're doing nothing when hit even if doesn't show them hitting you in the video. If state/city has highway cams, cops and I-co's can likely access that too.) No "Mod(s)" in/on a car will change that. (Depending on Mods/"Upgrades" & the crash at the time may even hurt you but likely doesn't apply this time.) IOW The I-co's mostly don't give a crap when people burn Thousand$ on paint jobs or anything else & think will get more money after a wreck. Only when you have "agree value" insurance policies from companies doing those may pay more then "book." Even then May "Total" the car.

The other party is at fault. I don't have to pay deductible when its her insurance paying? I don't have comprehensive.

quote Originally posted by sdgdf: The other party is at fault. I don't have to pay deductible when its her insurance paying? I don't have comprehensive.

Correct, other I-co has to Pay Full for your Car damage or Total it, Medical for you & more. Even Rental Car if you need to get somewhere.

Before hiring a lawyer... Ask your agent or other rep from same company even when their not paying. They Total & seems way low $ or if have "problems" getting the other to pay for whatever before "signing" anything.
Once they pay & you accept by giving account # or whatever is often = to signing on paper.

Even when not paying, your I-co often has Open a case file w/ staff beyond your Agent until finally settle.

Note that While I use NADA as Example above... (Because public can see the site & has 5+ Decades of models covered.) The "Book Value" I-co's use can have way different numbers. I think most I-co's uses same "book" & your company may tell you if other I-co is way low.

Think even NADA & KBB actually have 2 "books" each... one for Public use, another for Dealers etc.

quote Originally posted by theogre: [QUOTE]Originally posted by sdgdf: Are the frames different between 84-87 and the 88s? Can my 88 parts bolt up to an earlier frame or do I need another 88?

Many 88 parts won't fit early models. Example: most to all of Suspension & Brake part & cradle w/o Major work. Even then you have an "upgraded" those years & not exactly = to 88.

"Replacing" a Frame very often need new Title & Registration etc because has own VIN but in many places can Transfer a Tag if needed/wanted not just Vanity & other Specially Tags. But If has "Hot Rod" "Antique" etc tag, must apply for them again but keep number until state say yes/no.

E2A---> Early years may "solve" some parts problems... Can still get most of 84-87 Suspension & Brake parts.

[/QUOTE]

I wasn’t implying trying to swap the ‘88 parts to another frame and title it as an ‘88. From what I know of the Georgia DMV, the car would have to be titled as the same year of the frame. What I’m suggesting is to use your good parts on another frame. If you can find on ‘88 frame, well and good. If not, use your parts to construct again. Don’t let the insurance company wind up with hard to find ‘88 parts or the 3800, wiring harness, etc.

Good luck, Mate. I hope you find a replacement

At a minimum, the B-pillar and rocker panels are shot. Need to check in front of the battery and inside the wheel well to see how far in the damage goes. The rear suspension has issues as well, possibly a buckled lateral link, bent long lateral link bolt, or a torn cradle to lateral link attachment at the cradle.

It might be best to find a low mile 88 4cyl car and plan to swap your parts to it with the insurance $. I would try to maximize the $$$ you can get for the damage w/o losing ownership of the car so you can buy another one and transfer the parts.

I have an 88' ttop chassis that needs a new home.

Currently has a modified Fejer 308 kit "sitting" on it...but not installed. Also have a N/A 3800 already mounted on the 88' cradle (not installed in chassis)

$3500 for the works.

HAGO!

Im sorry this happened to you.

Im going to be honest with you, she's borked bro. Best plan of action would be to find a nice donor, and move stuff over. I have a complete non running 88 for sale if you need a donor.

Holy crap dude! Just saw this. That just sucks. I'm happy that you didn't get hurt.

Yeah. Your door pillar is toast. Probably the rocker, too. It may be able to be pulled, but it'll never be "right".
John can likely replace it, but it'll be difficult. Probably spendy. And will probably take a while. He's pretty busy with stuff, and has some ongoing medical issues.
(And yeah... something in the suspension - or cradle - is bent. Likely one of the lateral/toe links, a strut, or the knuckle itself.)

I would be inclined to take what you can get from insurance, while retaining possession, and buy Sage's frame. Or another 88 frame.
Transplant all your goodies. (You were going to swap a tranny soon, anyway... right?)
None of your 88 stuff will fit an earlier car, without some work. The rear cradle is fairly easy. The front will take a good bit of work and fabrication.

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 10-26-2023).]

quote Originally posted by theogre: Many 88 parts won't fit early models. Example: most to all of Suspension & Brake part & cradle w/o Major work. Even then you have an "upgraded" those years & not exactly = to 88. "Replacing" a Frame very often need new Title & Registration etc because has own VIN but in many places can Transfer a Tag if needed/wanted not just Vanity & other Specially Tags. But If has "Hot Rod" "Antique" etc tag, must apply for them again but keep number until state say yes/no. E2A---> Early years may "solve" some parts problems... Can still get most of 84-87 Suspension & Brake parts.

Ok I thought so but got an idea in my head, of why GM would produce different frames and the increased cost involved so wasn't sure of how they changed how everything bolts up.

[This message has been edited by sdgdf (edited 10-26-2023).]