jacumja

I don't have much experience with replacing body parts. But I also don't have much money after loosing my last 3rd Gen. Found this one for cheap. Apparently it was parked and a drunk hit it in the front. Owner says it was pushed up against and over the curb and then into a sign. Which looks believable based on the damage to the back. It was parked in a Apartment parking lot so the Drunk couldn't have been rolling that fast. My question marks are the following?

- That dent in the rear cargo door, can that be knocked back out?

- How about the one on the rear bumper?

- Obviously I need a new grill and front bumper. But looking at the truck from the passenger side photo what does that bumper bolt onto, the frame? If so what are the odds that the frame is messed up?

- Owner says it needs an alignment due to the front axle being pushed into the curb and over it.

The title is clean and the insurance cut em a check for $1100 parts and labor to fix. They kept the check and kept driving the truck. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

CJM

-Bumper is bolt on, easy fix. Buy a new one.
-Frame could be messed up, impossible to tell without looking at it. I doubt it as the frame is much stronger than bumper, but it is possible.
Dent in the cargo door is a weld on a stud and pull it out using a slide hammer. harbor freight has tools for this. Then all ya gotta do is bondo it and paint.
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MudHippy

- The bumper bolts to 2 brackets that are welded on top of the frame, and 2 lower bolts that go through threaded inserts welded on the inside of the front frame crossmember. Odds of being messed up? Pretty high(the brackets and frame parts right there are not very strong at all actually...2 words...crush zone). Nothing too hard to fix there though. Probably with a hammer, and maybe a drill. To bend the brackets back into shape, and/or to make the lower holes go all the way through so you use can longer bolts/nuts. I think that's the case atleast.

jacumja

I appreciate both answers and it appears I made a mistake. The truck was backed into the space up against the curb. Drunk hit it in the front and pushed the back of the truck up onto the curb and hit the sign with the rear. According to him his wifes been driving it fine for nearly 6 months which according to Carfax is when it was reported. He said the only issue is when you put the truck in reverse and turn the wheel while backing up you can hear a weird noise. Also the truck is 4x4 has 180k miles and he's wanting $1500 for it.

Daneums

There was a dent like that in my 3rd gen. I took all the panels off the rear door inside and pushed it out with my bare hands. Can barely even tell

nothingbetter

Don't use weld on studs for something like that. Thats for panels where you have no access to the backside.

On that rear hatch you should have full access to the inside of the panel. Use you hands, hammer and dolly, light use of a prybar and other means to push it out from the inside. Take you time, go slow, work from the outside of the dent into the middle. release the stress in the panel, do some shrinking and it should move the metal to a point where you can fill.

Thats a pretty decent dent that hits a major body line so it will be a good challenge for you.

Watch the crown on the body line! Thats going to give you your biggest head ache.

MudHippy

Wait...nobody is realizing the mistake made there? Excellent! Now I can delete it and none will be the wiser...he he he...

And just so you know, It would have been perfectly acceptable to call me out on it if you did. I was fully prepared to wear the crown of shame on that one.

jacumja

MudHippy I think all of us missed. Well guys I'd like to update this and say that the truck drives like its new. It came to Charlotte via Southern Cali. No rust, not even mud under it. The only rust is from light scratches on the body. The body damage is all just that, body parts. I can and should be able to get away with minor touch up paint. But since we have what appears to be a fair amount of guys with body experience and no real area for body work. I'm thinking I'll update this regularly and incorporate it into my later build thread. I'm not big on the color, as I'd love to have another black sport. But as pampered as this truck is I'd be dumb to let it go being that I got it for a total of $1700. That includes gas both way and paying a buddy to take me plus dinner at Jim and Nicks BBQ in Lake Wylie. I had a guy ask me about it yesterday and he offered me $2700 for it. I told him I'd think on it. This is the first one I've ever had where I felt like the transmission was new. It does not "hit" when you put it in gear, it shifts smooth like its new.

First question is this what Color is she? Seems hard to define with all the tannish colors toyota used on this series?