Cleaning up some FPO damage - Radiator Support vs. Jack

[shovel]

I'm straightening up my 94 little by little and one of the parts that bugs me is it looks like at some point in its history someone tried to lift up the car by its radiator support.

AC condenser doesn't leak but I still want to fix this, I'm not good at body work.

How would you go about it?

 

[ttocs]

well if ya really want to do it right you would take that one out, get a replacement and put it back in. Not sure what you abilities or the budget is though.

 

[shovel]

I saw that radiator core support assemblies are available - and affordable - but are they a bolt in sort of thing? I can unbolt/snap/bolt/etc stuff all day long. I can't weld.

 

[RAU03MACH]

Take out the condincer radiator
Heat it up torch pound it out

 

[RAU03MACH]

To remove it Its a bit of work

 

[ttocs]

I saw that radiator core support assemblies are available - and affordable - but are they a bolt in sort of thing? I can unbolt/snap/bolt/etc stuff all day long. I can't weld.

they are a weld in piece. They do make reproduction pieces but they are cheaper/thinner metal. If you really wanted to do it right you would find a stock replacement in good condition, but those are getting harder to come by easily anymore.

It looks like the one that is in there now would need some welding on it to get it back together. Might be time to learn if ya ever thought about it.

 

[shovel]

Might be time to learn if ya ever thought about it.

I'm a mediocre welder, where I live now isn't ideal for doing the work and I sold my equipment years ago. It would be cheaper to pay a body shop for their expertise and equipment than it would be to equip myself and run electricity over to the garage.


I think removing the plumbing and trying to straighten what's there is going to prove to be the lowest hanging fruit. This car is a driver not a show car but this bend is bothering me.

 

[cobrajeff96]

If you heat it, you weaken an already weak structure.

 

[RAU03MACH]

then you would need a professional welder to install the new one
i would take my chances just heat it up straighten it

 

[RAU03MACH]

welder down this way is 80 to a 120 bucks an hr

 

[ttocs]

I would not bother trying to just straighten it out. If you are not going to weld the parts that separated you are not going to make it any stronger, and you run the risk of messing it up more by either bending into a situation where it isn't straight anymore or just further weakening the structure. Do ya got a friend that has a welder and a favorite beer?

 

[cobrajeff96]

You could squeak by with just an hour of their time if you make sure all the prep work is done before they show up.

 

[ttocs]

absolutely it is not a big job. The worst part will just be being underneath it with all the sparks but it isn't a large area that needs it.