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Re-evaluation Time

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
"The shockwave likely carried on much further into the car ".
That really has me concerned. To paraphrase a guy whose name escapes me at the moment. I don't know what I don't know.
Furthermore, when the deck lid was raised and the inertia switch reset, I was not in a position to see anything inside the trunk. Personally, I'd much rather look at pictures posted by Bob instead of going through thousands of images looking for an appropriate pic.

Bill
 

65beam

Donation Time
"The shockwave likely carried on much further into the car ".
That really has me concerned. To paraphrase a guy whose name escapes me at the moment. I don't know what I don't know.
Furthermore, when the deck lid was raised and the inertia switch reset, I was not in a position to see anything inside the trunk. Personally, I'd much rather look at pictures posted by Bob instead of going through thousands of images looking for an appropriate pic.

Bill[/QUOT
Bill,
There is a group that have nothing positive to say and until someone that has repaired Sunbeams and knows what to look for gets to look at the car you'll find their lack of knowledge will allow them to continue speculation of what is wrong with your car. I hope the photos gave you some insight as to how the cars were constructed.
 

Warren

Bronze Level Sponsor
I've never seen a picture of a pentaliner or even a dozer in any of the shop pictures. Some of us used to chain stuff to trees, then went to trade schools.
Looking at a series of pictures without any before only showing during and after is somewhat helpful but the proof in the pudding is seeing impact damage and then reversing the stresses in the same direction that they were put on the car. Dale A. sends his cars out to a full fledged going concern that straightens unibody cars. There are few that'll even roll a Sunbeam on to the rack, that is another big problem. I could go back to the inertia switch debacle but I hesitate to give moderator lessons we're big boys here.. I'm just glad you had one and I'm more glad that the car didn't turn into a Pinto.
 

65beam

Donation Time
Before and after photos of my car. I have lots of photos of the in between. Keep in mind that I did a few 360's on ice and hit two trees with this car way back in March of 1970. FYI, Doug had a rack for pulling frame rails, etc for these cars. 100_0465.JPG 100_0467.JPG 107_1000.JPG
 
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Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Hey Bob, dontcha know those creases will iron out? Never mind what put them there.:D

Warren, what's this about an inertia switch debacle? I seem to have missed it.
Bill
 

65beam

Donation Time
Hey Bob, dontcha know those creases will iron out? Never mind what put them there.:D

Warren, what's this about an inertia switch debacle? I seem to have missed it.
Bill
Bill,
The wrinkles got ironed out. We were at the Mid Ohio races this past weekend and a TR owner from Pittsburgh was talking to Jean about the RHD Harrington while I was getting in the fastback and he mentioned to her that the doors made for easy entrance into the car for an old guy. She agreed with him and said she remembers when I jumped over the door of the series 4 and slid down into the seat but it now takes 5 minutes for me to get in it. That's my wife!
 

Mike O'D

Gold Level Sponsor
Bob,

What was the turnout like at Mid Ohio? If the weather forecast for Saturday would have been better, I would have driven down. I hadn't finished installing the soft top and didn't want to chance running into some rain.

Mike
 

65beam

Donation Time
Bob,

What was the turnout like at Mid Ohio? If the weather forecast for Saturday would have been better, I would have driven down. I hadn't finished installing the soft top and didn't want to chance running into some rain.

Mike
There was rain Friday afternoon / evening but no rain Saturday. We set up the E Z Up on the hill over looking Thunder Valley / Carousel area and spent some time in the hospitality tower at the end of the back straight. Spectator turn out was sparse but I can't remember seeing the pits as full as they were. The Trans Am and a couple open wheel series were also being run plus the SVRA and the Kastner cup race for TR's.. I think every Formula Vee in the country was there. The pace car was in the carousel and the back cars were coming thru Thunder Valley.Teams were set up on every square inch of the black top area and the field area for pits was full from where the building where the school cars are parked to the fence along the entrance road and stretched up the hill past the building where they rent golf carts. The number of race teams looked like there was more than when the Run Offs were there.
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
The insurance adjuster contacted Doug and was able to declare the car was repairable for $5,000 and provided his estimate. The 4th body shop I contacted was interested in the job and asked me to take the car to them. The manager looked the car over for about five minutes, declared the car totaled, but said he would do an inspection and send an itemized report to the adjuster. So it looks like I'll be getting the car and a payout of + or - $10,000 (more than likely -) and buy a shell to rebuild.

The shock wave went all the way through the car, popping open the seams between the fenders and the panel the windshield rest on. I had melted the lead out of them and filled them with body putty. I also picked up a very irritating engine squeak.

Bill
 

Warren

Bronze Level Sponsor
Unfortunate ,to be sure and nobody's put it on a rack on a perfectly level floor to check any of the factory dimensions.
That's exactly why I objected to someone's unrealistic show and tell of what the inner fender looks like.
okay now let's play with the adjuster and tell him all right great you fix the car for $5,000
Now let's talk about diminution of value to the car that was never wrecked before, look for another 2,500 on that as a ballpark. Then start rubbing your neck and complaining how it hurts. If you are there with him. Of course this will be after you take some upside down day glow paint and hit every ripple throughout the unibody and defy him to find any previous poor repairs.
 

65beam

Donation Time
Bill,
Doug and I were talking this afternoon and he heard from the adjuster and they talked about things in general. You should give Doug a call, get his e mail and send him some photos for him to look over.

Warren,
My show and tell photos are realistic and show the structure of the cars. They are a good showing of what a good Sunbeam body man can do to rebuild a car after a major collision or rust. I could give you a list of cars you may know that were put back together in the shop shown including the AF 4 Tiger. anything is possible.
 
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Warren

Bronze Level Sponsor
That's really great Bob . But no thanks . Sure that our OP could find somebody to fix the car, despite the rule of diminishing returns should he choose. I've seen some before pictures of AF4 and outside of horrible period modifications it didn't look like it needed life support.
You simply show the inside fender you didn't show that the car had major damage on the outside crumbling all the inside all the way into the boot floor. I get it you still have a bromance going with Doug Jennings, not that there's anything wrong with that. Possibly he could come out of retirement to save this Alpine.
 

65beam

Donation Time
That's really great Bob . But no thanks . Sure that our OP could find somebody to fix the car, despite the rule of diminishing returns should he choose. I've seen some before pictures of AF4 and outside of horrible period modifications it didn't look like it needed life support.
You simply show the inside fender you didn't show that the car had major damage on the outside crumbling all the inside all the way into the boot floor. I get it you still have a bromance going with Doug Jennings, not that there's anything wrong with that. Possibly he could come out of retirement to save this Alpine.
Warren,
Please don't speculate or assume. I hope Bill's car is repaired. He and his car are like the Eveready bunny. They just keep going and going. After all, anything can be repaired.
 

Warren

Bronze Level Sponsor
Kind of hard to not speculate or assume if somebody doesn't provide the facts saying look how bad my car was. We all hope Bill will be able to fix his car. But the real world not fictional advertising world of the Ever-ready bunny, guys have a really hard time just finding somebody to paint an old car let alone fix a unibody.
So many shops are production oriented nowadays and all that aren't want $95 an hour or more.. okay Bob you can have the last word on it because you obviously know everything since you watched Doug work on your cars and other's.
I was looking for the labor rates with the laughing man but this one will have to do.
 

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65beam

Donation Time
Kind of hard to not speculate or assume if somebody doesn't provide the facts saying look how bad my car was. We all hope Bill will be able to fix his car. But the real world not fictional advertising world of the Ever-ready bunny, guys have a really hard time just finding somebody to paint an old car let alone fix a unibody.
So many shops are production oriented nowadays and all that aren't want $95 an hour or more.. okay Bob you can have the last word on it because you obviously know everything since you watched Doug work on your cars and other's.
I was looking for the labor rates with the laughing man but this one will have to do.
Warren,
You live at least 2500 miles from me, have never seen my cars or have never met me! :p:p:p:p:p
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Bill will not be able to fix his car or have it fixed. The best he will be able to do is use it to build another shell into a close copy of his car. Doug has all the parts but the body men here are in agreement the damage is too extensive. Since they can look at the car and see evidence of damage in so many places, it messes with their minds to think about where else it might be found as the job progresses. The last guy freaked out when he discovered the wheelbase on the side that was hit is 1/2" longer than the other side. He was concerned what might distort as he tries to even up the measurements on a unibody. It is food for thought. I think that might be damage from before I bought the shell 20+ years ago, but we'll never know.

Bill
 

Alpine 1789

SAOCA President
Diamond Level Sponsor
I think that might be damage from before I bought the shell 20+ years ago, but we'll never know.
I guess the good news is still that you walked away unhurt and that if the damage preceded your ownership, the other guy's insurance will be covering it! I hope you can successfully transplant everything into a new shell. Your car is legendary in this community and it will be good to see it back on the road, even if it only shares some of its parts with the original.
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Don't know who will be paying for what. I do know the orange car was getting to be in need of refreshening. It does not seem reasonable to expect insurance to pay for that, so it is only fair that we ante up some dough for the rebuild. Getting a body from DanR. It looks good. Very good. Could stand a repaint, but overall needs less work than our old body.

Bill
 
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