wrecked car... trans toast? need advice pls

[carpetguy00]

This is my 1992 Honda accord, 2.2 automatic. I rearended a semi with it.
never will i own another car without ABS...

I know this is a Toyota forum, but you guys have been damn good so far, so im asking for a little advice....

I hit the truck going about 50mph. pushed the condenser/rad back to the motor mount. did a lot of damage, somehow, no damage to the suspension. it still starts.

at the scene of the accident, i was able to push it out of the road. i had put it in park, and to get it out of park i had to use the shift overide thing... next to the shifter, you stick a key in it and it allows you to shift from park.....

so i am wondering now, what condition the transmission might be in. When i wrecked my old 05 Taurus, going 45, it didnt damage the trans. but this car has more damage. and i have ordered a crapload of parts for it.

your opinions, please!

Lastly, if i had drove my camry that day, i would have stopped. i wood not have got hit in the face with an airbag, and i woodnt have a pissed gf.

[Handsonmaxima]

ive built a few 2nd gen integras, so i know the layout of the car. what im assuming in that your linkage in bent. also, was the car started when you tried to shift it out of park? Honda thinks of everything in their cars, so you never know what safety switch youve triggered, i would suggest you remove everything damaged, get a good look at what you need to fix. when i towed my gfs camry home i had to use the shift override because the battery was dead.

[carsrus]

Dude dont even waste your time and money trying to fix that in a 92. Its a lost cause. Part it out and call it a day.

The cable is probably messed up along with the linkage, especially since the trans is on that side.

ABS would not have prevented a rear ending. If anything it would have been worse since you would have traveled farther into it.

[ghettosled]

the transmission is probably fine. was the fuse panel in the engine compartment damaged? do your tail lights light when you hit the brake pedal?

[Handsonmaxima]

Originally Posted by carsrus

Dude dont even waste your time and money trying to fix that in a 92. Its a lost cause. Part it out and call it a day.

Or he could fix it for 100$ from a junkyard and call it a day? never owned a honda have you?
early 90s accords were the best honda would ever make. before they got pigfat and slow(er).

[pmesfun]

I would fix, like above, early Hondas are very reliable. My godfather has a 93 Accord 5-speed he bought new with over 300k miles with no problems at all.

[carsrus]

Originally Posted by Handsonmaxima

Or he could fix it for 100$ from a junkyard and call it a day? never owned a honda have you?
early 90s accords were the best honda would ever make. before they got pigfat and slow(er).

Thats way more then 100$ in parts. Just look at the rad support, that car is never gonna drive the way it should. Plus the amount of time to put into that would just be huge.

Any car can last however long you want it to. Parting it out would get a fair amount of money and there wouldent be the headache of having a botched car.

[Handsonmaxima]

Originally Posted by carsrus

Thats way more then 100$ in parts. Just look at the rad support, that car is never gonna drive the way it should. Plus the amount of time to put into that would just be huge.

Any car can last however long you want it to. Parting it out would get a fair amount of money and there wouldent be the headache of having a botched car.

Once again its painfully obvious you've never owned a honda. he can pick up a rad support from any 90s honda, ANY, bumper from a civic or an accord, headlights are a dime a dozen, the rad will be the most expensive part.
and im not sure what the rad support has to do with wheel alignment ,but i'm making a mental note never to own a car like that.
i've rammed my 540i into a wall at midohio going 65mph and rebuilt it with perfect alignment, so i have no idea why a smashed radiator will effect the way it drives.

i drove it home this way 3 hours.

[RichieRichJP]

I think what he's getting at is that the damage may almost exceed the value of the car. I agree, it could be almost more trouble than what it's worth, but if you knew how many total miles you'd get out of your car, it'd be easier to make a decision.
Something as old as that, I'm surprised if it wasn't totaled out. It's definitely fixable, but will require no less than $1000 to fix it. You have to source the radiator support, then have someone weld it (this isn't a cheap job), make sure it's aligned, get an alignment, new radiator, replaced whatever else is broken.
Or you can get ridiculously cheap; replace the support with an old frame from the junkyard, a used radiator that you don't know the condition of, and junkyard the rest of the parts.
IMO, not worth it.

[carpetguy00]

well, i bought the car 3 years ago with 99k on it, it has 137k on it now. the fuse panel in the engine bay was not damaged. basically, everything was pushed back right to the motor mount. the block is untouched. the battery was destroyed, and i havent replaced that yet. the salvage yards here are crazy. here is the parts ive bought:

new rad from ebay: 50 (salvage wanted 80!!)
new fender, ebay 56 (salvage wanted 90)
new headlite/turn sig, ebay 40 (salvage wanted 60)
hood, crossmember from salvage: 80
grille, airbox, rad hose, rad res. tank: 50
labor for my friend to fix this: 200 (i am helping of course)
all ebay items shipped for free

insurance did total it, gave 1900, thats keeping the car. valued it @ 2400... i paid 2500 for it 3 yrs ago.

the suspension was not touched. the radiator support we managed to pull back in place. the crossmember at top, where the hood latches down, we got from salvage. even tho i bought the damn car, it is my gf's and she wanted to keep and fix it. hoping to pocket some money. i know she isnt gonna be happy when she sees it, as it has a new black primed fender and a white hood. oh well. she refused to pay me back for the car as promised.. and the relationship is on life support anyways. our 5 yr anniversary is nov 1, and we sleep in separate rooms. so idk. she will have her effing car back.

my friend has 2 of every tool known to man, and he pulled the metal back pretty damn close. if it doesnt drive right, oh well, she never paid me for it, so i'll file any complaints she has in the NOT MY PROBLEM department....

not replacing the air bag. she will have to live with the SRS light.....

the transmission was an afterthought. boy, it wood suck to get all this shit on the car and the trans be screwed up. LOL.

just glad it wasnt my cam.

did i forget to mention her insurance company refused to pay for it? mine (progressive) paid her for this car she never paid for in the first place!)

[Handsonmaxima]

personally i would tell her to f*** off and go buy a sunfire. sounds like a good moment to ship her out the door. heres 1900 MY insurance company gave you. good luck.

anyway good luck man. since the battery is out thats why the trans wont shift. so theres that problem solved.

[mazdaverx7]

that car is a tough fix. looks more than just sheet metal. the cost to fix isn't bad, but add at least another $300 for paint and materials. its a parts car to me.

[gr91]

i would part it out then junk it! Im nowhere near to liking honda's but I understand about keeping your favorite car, with the 1900 you could buy another accord for sure! then you could part out this one or swap over the good parts like the interior, or some of the engine stuff, then part it out make money then sell it and get some more money
thats what i wouldve done,
it will never be the same! no matter what you do, you will always find something wrong, i remember when i smashed my sisters Mitsubishi Diamante,we got it fixed, but its like the shitiest car ever now!

[carpetguy00]

you are totally right about shipping her out the door. 6 more months of a lease i signed against my better judgement. ever heard the saying 'a hard dick has no conscious?'

and f*** paint, and f*** making it look perfect. it is gonna be a green car, with a white hood and black fender. dont rlly care too much. i kno she will be pissed when she finds out its 3 colors instead of one. but this 5 year relationship is over anyways. the only reason i havent sold my F150 is becuase i will need it to move me out. not her. she can figure that out.

the sheet metal prolly should have been cut out and welded back in. so its gonna look ultra shitt-e. once again not my prob. i will be sure to take pics when the car is done.... should be this weekend...

i wont be alone in my king size bed tonite, either. and it wont be her.