1996 RS Coupe Camaro Project/Fix
#1
09-01-2014, 06:25 PM
1996 RS Coupe Camaro Project/Fix
Hi all,
My name is Jonathan and on the 28th of August I was involved in an accident with a curb and concrete wall in a front end collision. The car is not totaled thanks to how low the car sits to the ground and how high the curb was (car sits like 4.7 inches or something off of the ground and the curb was about 5.5-6")
By the time i hit the wall i was maybe going a max of 15-20 mph.
Car still runs! Just broke da rims and de tires lol.
What I would like to know is if my car is fixable, the only damage to it is the front end. The steering is iffy because i hit a curb (but i am informed this is easily fixed due to the fact that nothing is broken)
My concerns are is the frame being bent too far in order for the car to actually go down the road straight. From my knowledge, as far as the actual bumper of the car goes, all you need is for the holes to line up in order to bolt it to the car. (if this is incorrect please inform me lol so i dont end up mucking the car up further)
I love this car and if it is fixable within price reason (meaning if i dont have to put more into the car than what it is worth) I want to do it, as well as some engine/performance tuning (any recommendations would be awesome, I would love to make it faster and cooler looking because everything was stock, i need a new bumper, bumper plate, rims, tires and lights. So why not go all out?)
All and any help would be appreciated greatly!
Please help and thank you for your time!
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/pro3xytiz...kwFZU_Fj46RHSa
Link is for the pictures
My name is Jonathan and on the 28th of August I was involved in an accident with a curb and concrete wall in a front end collision. The car is not totaled thanks to how low the car sits to the ground and how high the curb was (car sits like 4.7 inches or something off of the ground and the curb was about 5.5-6")
By the time i hit the wall i was maybe going a max of 15-20 mph.
Car still runs! Just broke da rims and de tires lol.
What I would like to know is if my car is fixable, the only damage to it is the front end. The steering is iffy because i hit a curb (but i am informed this is easily fixed due to the fact that nothing is broken)
My concerns are is the frame being bent too far in order for the car to actually go down the road straight. From my knowledge, as far as the actual bumper of the car goes, all you need is for the holes to line up in order to bolt it to the car. (if this is incorrect please inform me lol so i dont end up mucking the car up further)
I love this car and if it is fixable within price reason (meaning if i dont have to put more into the car than what it is worth) I want to do it, as well as some engine/performance tuning (any recommendations would be awesome, I would love to make it faster and cooler looking because everything was stock, i need a new bumper, bumper plate, rims, tires and lights. So why not go all out?)
All and any help would be appreciated greatly!
Please help and thank you for your time!
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/pro3xytiz...kwFZU_Fj46RHSa
Link is for the pictures
#3
09-01-2014, 08:45 PM
Anything can be fixed. There is no such thing as an unfixable car. A totaled car is simply a car that costs more to fix then the car is worth.
Example 1: a 2014 Z28 hits a telephone pole at 50 miles per hour. If does $35,000 worth of damage including a week on the frame straightening machine. Car is repaired.
Example 2: a 1994 base model Camaro side swipes a fence post going 10 MPH and gets a deep scrape all the way along the passengers side. Between the body work and the paint matching issue the estimate is $4000. The car is a total loss. AKA totaled
If that was my car, first step would be to take it to a front end alignment shop. If they can dial it back in to alignment then nothing is tweeked too far. I have seen curbs do serious damage to steering components and to what those components mount to. It can also bend the frame. For the price of an alignment you can see what you are working with. Are you dealing with just comedic issues or are there real problem.
You can check the frame itself by cross measurement if you are handy just search cross measuring a frame on Google. For what you can buy a good solid body for I would not put a lot of money in repairing one. I see 96-02 3800s selling under $1,000 with bad motors.
Example 1: a 2014 Z28 hits a telephone pole at 50 miles per hour. If does $35,000 worth of damage including a week on the frame straightening machine. Car is repaired.
Example 2: a 1994 base model Camaro side swipes a fence post going 10 MPH and gets a deep scrape all the way along the passengers side. Between the body work and the paint matching issue the estimate is $4000. The car is a total loss. AKA totaled
If that was my car, first step would be to take it to a front end alignment shop. If they can dial it back in to alignment then nothing is tweeked too far. I have seen curbs do serious damage to steering components and to what those components mount to. It can also bend the frame. For the price of an alignment you can see what you are working with. Are you dealing with just comedic issues or are there real problem.
You can check the frame itself by cross measurement if you are handy just search cross measuring a frame on Google. For what you can buy a good solid body for I would not put a lot of money in repairing one. I see 96-02 3800s selling under $1,000 with bad motors.
Last edited by Gorn; 09-01-2014 at 08:56 PM.
#4
09-02-2014, 06:25 AM
Anything can be fixed. There is no such thing as an unfixable car. A totaled car is simply a car that costs more to fix then the car is worth.
Example 1: a 2014 Z28 hits a telephone pole at 50 miles per hour. If does $35,000 worth of damage including a week on the frame straightening machine. Car is repaired.
Example 2: a 1994 base model Camaro side swipes a fence post going 10 MPH and gets a deep scrape all the way along the passengers side. Between the body work and the paint matching issue the estimate is $4000. The car is a total loss. AKA totaled
If that was my car, first step would be to take it to a front end alignment shop. If they can dial it back in to alignment then nothing is tweeked too far. I have seen curbs do serious damage to steering components and to what those components mount to. It can also bend the frame. For the price of an alignment you can see what you are working with. Are you dealing with just comedic issues or are there real problem.
You can check the frame itself by cross measurement if you are handy just search cross measuring a frame on Google. For what you can buy a good solid body for I would not put a lot of money in repairing one. I see 96-02 3800s selling under $1,000 with bad motors.
Example 1: a 2014 Z28 hits a telephone pole at 50 miles per hour. If does $35,000 worth of damage including a week on the frame straightening machine. Car is repaired.
Example 2: a 1994 base model Camaro side swipes a fence post going 10 MPH and gets a deep scrape all the way along the passengers side. Between the body work and the paint matching issue the estimate is $4000. The car is a total loss. AKA totaled
If that was my car, first step would be to take it to a front end alignment shop. If they can dial it back in to alignment then nothing is tweeked too far. I have seen curbs do serious damage to steering components and to what those components mount to. It can also bend the frame. For the price of an alignment you can see what you are working with. Are you dealing with just comedic issues or are there real problem.
You can check the frame itself by cross measurement if you are handy just search cross measuring a frame on Google. For what you can buy a good solid body for I would not put a lot of money in repairing one. I see 96-02 3800s selling under $1,000 with bad motors.
I love this car and emotionally it would be hard to let it go if I had to. Thank you for your help man.
as far as the updating/upgrading, do you think it's worth it?
#5
09-06-2014, 06:54 AM
Step one is to make sure everthing is up to date. plugs, wires, PCV valve, fuel filter.
IMO the best bang for the upgrade buck on a 96 3800 is headers and exhaust. The factory manifolds are crap, even GM agreed because in 1999 they redesigned them to be more header like. Next a Cold Air Intake with better flow. After that is will be give and take. You could add 1.6 rockers or even a CAM but this stuff will cost you Gas mileage.
1.6 rockers arms will wake the motor a Cam tends to push the power band into higher RPMs so if this is a daily drive you want to think about that. The cam will make more power at 5000 RPMs but it may have less power when you try to pass someone on te highway (assuming you did not want drop into 3rd gear to pass them) .
Once you done the hardware then you want to get a tune. I think you only real option for tuning is a local place. If they know what they are doing they will install a 97 PCM and tune that. The 96's have some issues. PCMS for less use to do a mail order tune but has stopped doing the 96s.
IMO the best bang for the upgrade buck on a 96 3800 is headers and exhaust. The factory manifolds are crap, even GM agreed because in 1999 they redesigned them to be more header like. Next a Cold Air Intake with better flow. After that is will be give and take. You could add 1.6 rockers or even a CAM but this stuff will cost you Gas mileage.
1.6 rockers arms will wake the motor a Cam tends to push the power band into higher RPMs so if this is a daily drive you want to think about that. The cam will make more power at 5000 RPMs but it may have less power when you try to pass someone on te highway (assuming you did not want drop into 3rd gear to pass them) .
Once you done the hardware then you want to get a tune. I think you only real option for tuning is a local place. If they know what they are doing they will install a 97 PCM and tune that. The 96's have some issues. PCMS for less use to do a mail order tune but has stopped doing the 96s.
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