Teggy takes a Direct Impact -- Moderate damage

[MetroMPG]

That bites. Are you sure the replacement wouldn't work as-is? I bet it will - they may just have to use some extra adhesive goo to allow for the wow in that A pillar.

[Gary Palmer]

As has been noted, you could take it to a body shop and have them straighten it for you.

Alternatively, you can use a large tree, or similar and a come-a-long with a chain. If you need to pull the ripple out, you need to get a grip on the sheet metal and pull it back in the exact direction it was hit from. You can use a pair of vice grips or something like that to get a grip on the edge of the sheet metal. In a auto shop they have a clamp type of device that is basically two heavy pieces of metal with a heavy bolt to clamp them together and a large enough hole to either put the hook into, or a chain through.

If your not concerned with look's, though, I'd check with a class shop. The front window glass is almost always attached with a polyurethane based adhesive, which makes it so their is a larger amount of tolerance in the sheet metal.

If you pull the sheet metal, you need a reference of some kind. You could probably make one from a piece of bailing wire, measured from a weld point on the pillar, to a point which is common on both sides of the car, like a rear door jam, or something. Then you just need to do a relative adjustment to the side that was hit.

Pretty amazing damage, for a chunk of ICE. Glad you were able to dodge it and not take it through the windshield.

[rh77]

Originally Posted by Gary Palmer

As has been noted, you could take it to a body shop and have them straighten it for you.

A windshield repair shop said that it was too twisted-up to place a new piece of glass, so I was referred to the body shop. We've kept full coverage on the 'Teg, so insurance was receptive to going to a body shop for an estimate. I'll probably get to the shop tomorrow for an estimate.

What a dumb way to damage a car! I can see losing control and hitting a tree, or rear-ending someone, but the ice was angry that day folks. Later-on yesterday, I went to check the mail, slid backward on the sidwalk and cracked my head on the ice. I'm fine, but my neck's sore. Honestly. I should've taken up ice hockey instead of hypermiling.

RH77

[rh77]

Well, I'm back from the body shop. Estimate = $1700. If the insurance company goes with it, then it should be as good as new. But geez, that's expensive. The plan is to straighten/fabricate the "uni-panel" (basically the rear fender that extends as one piece into the A-Pillar cover) and the roof into spec to allow proper placement of the windshield. These are tolerances that I couldn't even begin to measure and fix myself, but Gary you have a good point. It's my wife's ins. policy -- unsure about the exact amount but probably $500 deductable (ouch) which is the cost of the windshield alone -- and better than a series of car payments. I'm hoping to get a couple more years or at least 70,000 miles out the car before something "major-mechanical" goes wrong.

But if the engine goes, it might make a good swap project (but at 130K, it seems to be in perfect shape). The auto-trans is what I'm worried the most about. Just trying to predict the future, but if it fails catastrophically, I'd probably keep it as a project vehicle, and maybe get a older Civic Hybrid Manual if I can find one, for a daily driver. Or even just something used with great FE potential, and a manual gearbox. I desperately miss making my own decisions relating to gear change.

If it goes through, she goes for surgery on the 29th.

Thanks to everyone with the ideas and support. I'd really like to have the ability to fix it myself with the techniques noted, but with a $500 windshield at stake, if I screw-up once, thats a thousand bucks + time and effort.

Metro - I looked into the adhesive idea as it looked very plausible, but the twisting of the pillar from the impact would have required precise shims and lots of sealant, which may not have provided the flexibility the car needs as it slightly twists and bends over bumps -- the rubber molding is said to provide the cushion for the windscreen glass.

JanGeo- Best advice that I've gotten. Lots of folks that I've talked to have had "UFOs" coming at their car and came away without damage -- keeping space is great idea. The problem is that I was 'driving with load' up a hill and vehicles were passing at about 10 mph more than my speed (2-lanes each way). When I'm out on the Interstate (3-4 lanes each way), I just stay the heck out the way. It's a good lesson learned -- a couple years ago, a truck lost a flat piece of metal it was carrying, which was thrown into a car, killing the woman who was driving.

Carlos- I'd love to alter the airflow, but I already have a low Cd with the hatchback design, and the boattail would need to start at the rear bumper. It's a good idea, but airflow isn't a concern as much as engine/drivetrain efficiency and driving skill practice. I'd love a mast and sail with the winds we get here though! Statistically windier than Chicago

Anyways, it's still just a stupid way to wreck a car, and that's what I have to get over.

RH77

[Gary Palmer]

Well it sounds to me like it was an alround win for the ice. Glad to hear that all you got out of your slip and fall was a sore neck and a head oop's.

Since you still have liability, if the insurance will cover the expense, then I agree with your assesement, I wouldn't fool with trying anything to DIY. With the cost of glass as high as it is, if something isn't quite right, it's a pretty pricy way to test.

Although you have as many miles on the Integra, as you do, I would not be at all surprized if you can go another 100,000, with that transmission. I don't know what is different in Honda's, but I know people who have gotten 300,000 out of them and they were still running.

You figure that chunk of ice could cause that much damage, it's very fortunate it wasn't aimed any closer towards you, than it was. From that perspective $500 is pretty inexpensive and way less painful

[Silveredwings]

just joining late to the party. That's an amazing event (holy sheet), I didn't think it would do that kinda damage.

[rh77]

Originally Posted by Silveredwings

(holy sheet)

Thanks man -- that actually brought some much needed humor to the situation!

I can still picture it -- it looked like a slow-motion kite catching the wind, then bickety-bam! It had to have been 1/2-inch in thickness. On the panel above the door, you can clearly see an indentation line where the edge struck, but the roof took most of the crushing forces after it broke-up. I can't describe the sound -- almost like hitting a huge pothole but x10 and from the top.

RH77

[Silveredwings]

My wife had one of those hit her 97 Odyssey a few years ago. It hit the windshield dead center but luckily it hit flat instead of edge-on: no damage but now I know how it could've been.

All the best to you.

[GasSavers_Ryland]

if your insurance will pay for it being put on a frame straightener, then unless there is something really wrong with the car, go for it! if you want to fix it your self and pocket the money, then I would get some solid bar clamps, and a chunk of hard wood 4x4 about 6-8 feet long, clamp it on to your "A" piller, after poping the windshild out, straighten the piller, then use it as a leaver, and straighten the rest of the car.

[rh77]

Originally Posted by Ryland

if your insurance will pay for it being put on a frame straightener, then unless there is something really wrong with the car, go for it! if you want to fix it your self and pocket the money, then I would get some solid bar clamps, and a chunk of hard wood 4x4 about 6-8 feet long, clamp it on to your "A" piller, after poping the windshild out, straighten the piller, then use it as a leaver, and straighten the rest of the car.

I considered this, but anymore, many insurance companies require an estimate and direct payment to one of their approved body shops -- as in this case. We get so much hail here in the summer that this car has all of its panels pulled, pounded, and re-painted at least twice before. My old Civic Si got hit 3 times. It's odd to those not used to it -- but they have "Drive-Thru" claim centers for hail damage: pull in, a rep with a laptop looks over the hail damage, punches it all in, and sets-up an appointment with the shop of your choice with a dollar amount already setup. Word of advice: paintless dent removal isn't all it's cracked-up to be. Go for the full panel fix and repaint -- it helps resale tremendously.

Honestly, until I have a 3rd car as a "backup", I don't feel comfortable doing major repairs on the daily driver. That won't stop me from experimenting though

RH77