My sister got in an accident

[buckethead]

So, my sister, who owns a Cutlass Supreme sedan, got into an accident the other night. She was pulling out of work and thought the guy coming toward her was slowing down to turn... he wasn't. He ended up smashing the front left fender pretty bad, but she could still drive it (at first anyways). The funny thing is, he was driving an explorer and it had waaay more damage than the cutlass, so much that he couldn't drive it.

 

Now she lives in Mass, so i don't know what it looks like, but here's the description. The left fender is beat up really bad. There is no damage to the front bumper, or to the hood, just the fender. The hood still closes fine. There is some underlying mechanical damage. I guess when she's driving down the street going straight, the steering wheel isn't straight and i guess it's making some "funny noises". The battery is messed up and has now lost all charge. She can't even jumpstart the car now, so i figured she cracked the battery. Right now she's broke as a joke so she can't afford to go put tons of money in it to get it back to working condition.

 

The good news is, that i'm going up there christmas eve to spend christmas and newyears with the family. I told her that I'd take a look at it and if it wasn't too bad, I'd go to the junkyard and get the parts to fix it. I'm hoping there's no frame damage. I figured since the hood still closes flush that frame damage was unlikely, but i'm not sure about that. I really have to see it first hand because my sister can't describe things worth a shit. If the inner fender well is messed up, i think that'd be a tough thing to handle, especially in only one week. the other concern is the steering and suspension being messed up. Does anyone know what the problem might be and how much it might cost to fix?

[95 3-4]

I would say something frame related is messed up if the steering wheel is all discombobulated

 

I base my opinion on the fact that most autos that been in accidents that only have body damage and not frame damage drive the exact same was as they did b4 the tins got all bent up

[terryk2003]

the strut may have gotten bent in the accident...that would cause the steering wheel to be off...if it smashed the fender...i'd say the wheel took a pretty good hit too...so, be sure to look that strut over well...i'd guess its bent...

[Crimson Fury Z]

as for the battery, make sure that wedge that holds it in place isnt broke/gone. my friend's 88 formula didnt have one and the post(s) wold hit metal and ground out. also check the battery wires and the wires going to the alt.

[gp90se]

where in mass, I should be around most of this weekend if ya local, Im in newton, drop me a PM.

[buckethead]

Well, I finally got more of the story from my sister. I guess she can actually see that on the opposite side of the car the fender is bent out of place. So there has got to be some definite frame damage. I'm sure it's gonna cost well over 2,000 to fix so it's totaled. She brought it in to a body shop but they don't do any mechanic work. She asked how much just to fix the body and they said that bare minimum would be $1200. Meanwhile there's another Cutlass Supreme SL sedan at the same shop with 100k miles and in great shape for sale for $1500.

 

 

Soooooo, i think i'll tell her to try and sell her car as a parts car. If any of you are interested let me know. It's a 90 Cutlass sedan with only about 66,000 miles. I'll post more info when I get up there and have a chance to look it over.

[White93z34]

hmm i was gona say that she may have gotten smacked near the computer, but thats on the pass side. and no wireing harnas really run around the drivers fender aside of the headlight harnas.

 

i mean it sounds like something is bent a little, i'd wager that the exploder smacked the strut prety nicely too so that may need replaceing, as well as the control arm could be cooked. i mean you could just get a new fender and call it a day and just live with the upper mounting area being a little bent i'd say take it to an alignment shop and have them analise it and they will be able to tell you how bad anything may be bent. and its really hard to find a good colision shop that does mechanical work too. get the alternator tested, who knows why it bay e bad or if it is, but just check it over prety throughly.