Spitfire Accident with the '72 Spitfire

[dklawson]

My son had an accident with the '72 Spitfire yesterday. He looked up after checking the temperature gauge and found the car in front of him stopped. He slid into their rear bumper.

My wife and I went to see our son and the car yesterday evening. The plastic bumper over rider shells (that really cover the bonnet hinge points) are shattered and the weldments behind them (for the bonnet hinges) appear to be pushed back and up. The bumper is tweaked a bit as are the 1/4 valences (they look OK at the front but look pushed down in the back at the wheel well). The bonnet is pushed back just far enough to foul the doors. Of course, the front point of the bonnet itself is also dented in.

Over my son's Christmas break I plan to pull the bonnet out and straighten things a bit with the intention of more complete repairs when he is home for the summer. To get things started I need to have an idea what is "right" for the bonnet hinge weldments on the front of the frame. Are there any online sources you can point me to that show some of the frame dimensions and angles that will help me get things pulled/pushed back into position a bit?

Thanks,
Doug L.

 

[dklawson]

They say bad luck comes in three(s). I hope it is only two(s).

I got a call this morning that my younger son had a wreck in the family van on his way to school this a.m. So much for a calm and relaxing Christmas season. I was also looking forward to a couple of years with lower insurance rates. So much for that!

 

[BillyB62]

Doug,

Sorry to hear of your family's misfortunes. Remember though, any problem that can be fixed with money is a good problem.

 

[tinman58]

"Remember though, any problem that can be fixed with money is a good problem."
Tell that to the Government .

 

[trrdster2000]

Doug, if you have a frame problem, we have one here in Salisbury from a '79, great shape, about the only thing the metal thieves didn't take. It still has a junk hood on it that may have a bracket or two, if you need them. Oh, and two good 1/4 valences. If I can be of any help let me know.

Wayne

 

[dklawson]

WOW !!!! Thanks for the offer Wayne.

My son is coming home next week after exams. I will take a close look at the frame and other parts as soon as he gets home and get back in touch with you.

Again, thanks for the offer!

EDIT: Sorry, I was so overwhelmed by Wayne's offer that I forgot to mention that both boys are OK. My younger son showed me a cell phone picture of the van. It is worse than I expected. A quick check of NADA book values has me wondering if the insurance company will total it. We have only had a brief, file opening conversation with the insurance company so it will be several days before we know what is going to happen with the van.

 

[dklawson]

The person my son hit with the Spitfire is filing a medical claim so our repairs have been delayed due to the holidays and the insurance company's request to photograph our car. With only liability coverage on the Spitfire we could have refused their request and started repairs... but my son is adamant (and the Spitfire's damage bears out) that this was a very minor, low-speed collision. He wants to do all he can to dispute the medical claim. No one should have been hurt, certainly not to the degree the other party is claiming. Sorry... I digress.

With the photographs taken I removed the front bumper. 80% of the ugliness disappeared with the twisted and sprung bumper removed. The 1/4 valences are almost back in position, the bonnet opens and closes properly. Outwardly the only really noticeable damage is on the tip of the nose of the bonnet and the lack of overriders and a bumper.

For now I am going to pull things back into place, Bondo the nose, and paint the chipped area on the inside of the bonnet with rattle can spray. The outward Bondo work will get a similar treatment, perhaps in flat black paint to conceal the rushed nature of my work. My plan remains to carry out more attractive body repairs in the warmer temperatures of early summer.

Wayne, a guy about an hour south of me in Sanford may have a bonnet that I can use and with any luck that is the only part (other than a bumper and overiders) that I lack at the moment. Thank you VERY much for your offer but I MAY not need frame parts for this repair.

 

[trrdster2000]

Doug, sorry to hear a lawyer got to the other party, let your insurance company handle the whole thing and it will take stress off your family. Just figure that karma will take care of that kind of person, but some times a little bump can hit you the wrong way, so don't be upset if they can prove they are really hurt.
As for the car. great deal it can be fixed with no major damage, and you have someone close for a part if you need it. I was just glad to be in a position to help, can't always.
Keep us informed.

Wayne

 

[dklawson]

After our last car accident 8 years ago I increased our liability coverage for occasions such as this. We are not getting involved in the insurance side of things except to supply any supporting documentation requested.

Thanks again for your generous offer Wayne. I greatly appreciate it!

Merry Christmas to all on this board!

 

[dklawson]

My father-in-law, son, and I traveled about an hour from home yesterday to pick up a parts Spitfire. We paid the guy $100 for all he had which amounted to between 1/2 and 2/3 of a car. I was extremely happy to get the bonnet and a damaged but usable bumper. My son kept talking about building a second car. That is not going to happen as the tub was too far gone and other key parts were missing. I intend to let a friend of mine practice on the tub with his plasma cutter... saving the good pieces.

At this time I have pounded out the bonnet dent and applied a skim coat of Bondo. This weekend I am going to try and pull the LH bonnet hinge box weldment forward and down. With those tasks done the car should be good-to-go until I am ready to fit the bumper and perhaps the new/used bonnet this summer.

EDIT 12/29/13: I used a steel block inside the hinge pivot weldment, a come-along, and a big hammer to pull the hinge pivot weldment back into position. It's not perfect but it is almost exactly where it needs to be. With replacement overriders installed the car should look normal again.

 

[dklawson]

My son returns to college tomorrow and I have done what I could do quickly to get the Spitfire presentable until more complete repairs this summer. The picture below shows the before and after state of the car.

The original bumper was badly twisted and dented. The car now has the bumper from the parts car painted with Duplicolor Universal Chrome. It doesn't look chrome (looks like aluminum) but it is not rusty and painting allowed me to fill in the dents on the parts car bumper.

The frame horns pulled out OK and I painted them satin black since I do not have used overiders for the car. The satin black looks pretty good, leaving a normal appearance.

The bonnet dent has been pounded out but the bonnet has been hit before by previous owners. As such, the tip curls under a bit and wants to foul the bumper. I may fix that and repaint this bonnet... or I may fix the one on the parts car and swap bonnets this coming summer. Rattle can paint was used for the repair. It is not a perfect match but walking by the car you would not notice the mismatch.

Thanks again to all who offered help and support. The damage to my son's ego was a bigger issue and only time will repair that.

Doug L.

 

[Tr3aguy]

Nice Repair work....

 

[justin_mercier]

Looks good to me ! I like 'drivers' more than 'show cars' anyways, because they're more fun ! =)

 

[Firm]

Repair work looks excellent, and I agree that its nice to see a car that's being driven and enjoyed!

 

[dklawson]

This was a rushed repair suitable for getting a driver back on the road and my son is very happy to have his car back.

Thank you all for your compliments.