Hello, I finally had my 1992 truck running like I wanted and someone rear ended me at a stop light and bent the frame where the bumber arms attach to the frame. The Honda Accord that hit me was in terrible shape but my truck just has the bumper and bent frame. They didn't have insurance and my insurance is likely going to consider it a complete loss. My question is does anyone know if the frame is repairable. The bend or buckle happened at the first bolt from the back of the frame, it actually buckled some. I just hate to have to have the truck classified as salvage when it runs and drives perfectly fine. I want to keep it forever so Im not worried about the resale value (except for the claim) but I put alot of work in to it and I would like to argue that its at least repairable. Is anyone familiar with this process in Texas?

 

Thats nothing to worry about. Pull the bed off and you can probably straighten that right out with a hammer and some c clamps. We just did this.
we just had the same thing happen to a nice 04 taco. The ends looked like yours. We straightened them out no problem.
The driver side frame rail was also tweaked up about 2 1/2" higher than the passenger side rail. I thought this might be the end of the truck but the local collision shop fixed it right up. Way cheaper than I would have expected too.

 

If insurance totals it... make sure you can buy it back... might have some play money to put into your truck.
looks VERY fixable.
sorry you got rear ended.

 

Great! Ya, it bent perfectly with the bumper, almost as though I could reverse the
point of impact with something and it be the same...thanks for the replies.

 

I forget what size steel it is but 15 years or so ago I found some square tubing that fit into the rear frame on my old 81 just perfectly to help beef up the rear bumper mount.

Good luck! I know insurance is a necessary evil but they sure can be a pain in the but to work with.

 

Great info thanks! These trucks are so great, I don't think they should be taken off the road. Sure, you gotta figure out the sensors and vacuum lines but theres nothing better than being able to take a Saturday to repair something on your own.

 

I'd weigh how much your insurance will pay after deductible vs having a salvaged title.

 

Why do you care about a "salvage title"? All that means is that an insurance company somewhere decided that what they would have to pay to bring a vehicle back to "new" condition was greater than what you could buy a comparable vehicle for. If you're looking at a 2019 F150, "salvage title" is an indication that you should ask about what the damage was and how it was repaired.

But "clean title" (the opposite of salvage title, I guess) certainly won't tell anyone that a certain vehicle "hasn't been damaged" in the prior 29 years! Carrying collision coverage on a vehicle that old doesn't make a lot of sense (given how little damage will lead to a "total," you don't get much for what it costs), so your average owner (not Gatz101) won't bother. Then, if the owner has a fixable accident, he'll get it fixed by a professional (or his unemployed brother-in-law), he won't have a "salvage" title, and he'll be free to sell it. Hoping the buyer doesn't look too closely. Seriously: whether or not a 1992 Toyota Pickup has a salvage title doesn't tell you anything about the real damage history.

Gatz101 paid for his insurance coverage ("against my advice"), so he ought to collect what he's entitled to. Fix it or not, depending on what it's going to cost and what result he wants. If he sells it, he'll explain that it was repaired, and show off the before and after pictures to prove what a good job was done. No one (who knows anything about titles) will care if it's "salvage."

 

I see your point but I only care about it because the past two owners took care of it enough not to get to this point. Its a pride thing and the work I put in to it. So do I have a choice to accept that my insurance considers the vehicle salvage or can I abandon the claim all together (losing the settlement)? I don't have collision on it, it s covered under uninsured underinsured motorist. I actually didn't know it was included with my minimum liability coverage.

 

Just found out...2400 settlement vs 6 and change, i chose to keep it.

 

after a couple of estimates (high price) I took a stab at it myself and all i needed to do was remove one bolt on one the damaged side to move the arm and bumper level, easy fix. If I had more of a shop I could reinforce it better but look wise its as it was before.

 

Well done... well done

 

 

Quite some time ago, heck, before I left Yuma, so 20+ years back, I got rear ended in my pickup by a Durango. It just bent the bumper's mounting arms, thankfully. I put a 4X4 on top of the bumper, broke out the oxy/acetaline setup. Heated the arm until it was red. Not a real bright red, but a nice BBQ coal red, and beat the heck out of the 4X4 with a BFH. Not only was that part, the beating with the BFH, effective, it was really satisfying.
Went right back into position perfectly.
My insurance wanted to total it, for a whopping $600.00. The body shop wanted $1200.00 to fix it. Not only did I fix it myself, but I pocketed a little chunk of change

Have fun!
Pat☺