FNG looking for some advice

[epw111]

Good morning All. Obviously new to the forums here but have been watching them for awhile. Looks like lots of good folks around here, hopefully I can get some advice on a '96 Im thinking about buying. Thing is the vehicle was involved in an accident but seems to only have non-frame, bumper and grille damage so much so that the original bumper and grille were destroyed. I have a picture of the front end and was wondering if anyone could give me an idea of wether or not a straight OEM bumper/grille replacement would work for me or if Im missing more stuff on the front end then it seems.

Thanks!

Erich

 

[MStudt]

There's something else bent there. You can see the support to the bottom of the radiator looks to be a bit bent. I'd also check the radiator core support since the passenger side of the radiator looks a bit smashed. All these parts can be had for pretty cheap. Also, looks like the passenger side is pinched somewhere. The corner marker has a nice size gap on the bottom where it meats the headlight, and is pretty snug up top. Perfect candidate for a Tacoma front clip if you like that look.

 

[epw111]

Thanks for the reply! Exactly what I'm looking for and great catch by the way. The guy selling it told me yesterday that he already replaced the right fender and radiator support, forgot to add that to the first post.

 

[MStudt]

I'm assuming it was hit on the passenger side. There's a bent tab for the frame too, but can't see anything that would stop me from buying it.

 

[epw111]

I would love to do the Tacoma Front clip, my wallet on the other hand not so much. At this point, Im just looking to potentially buy and return it to what it was hopefully with just some straight bolt/clip on parts for the bumper/grille/trims and look to mod more in the future.

 

[MojaveMadMan]

I would seriously consider a new core support, it can be a used junk yard one too. That thing looks like it has some tweak to it and you are gunna end up pulling all of your hair out trying to get the 20 things that bolt onto it straight. Just easier to replace it with a new one and be on your way.

I would also give the fenders a good look over. A lot of the time the force gets pushed into the finders and you can find some tweaks or bows in places. They aren't hard bends or dents, but if you look down the straight surfaces you may see some damage...

If you do that you have at least 80% of what you need for the conversion...

- Core support
- Fenders
- Grill
- Bumper
- Corner lights

All you would need for the conversion is a hood and head lights... might be worth the couple bucks, just sayin. The good thing either way is this is all bolt on stuff and just takes time and patients to get it all lined up right. If you find a junk yard that has an entact 4runner or tacoma front end that would honestly be best, you get factory steel instead of cheap re-manned parts and you can take all the hardware you need!

 

[epw111]

I would seriously consider a new core support, it can be a used junk yard one too. That thing looks like it has some tweak to it and you are gunna end up pulling all of your hair out trying to get the 20 things that bolt onto it straight. Just easier to replace it with a new one and be on your way.

I would also give the fenders a good look over. A lot of the time the force gets pushed into the finders and you can find some tweaks or bows in places. They aren't hard bends or dents, but if you look down the straight surfaces you may see some damage...

If you do that you have at least 80% of what you need for the conversion...

- Core support
- Fenders
- Grill
- Bumper
- Corner lights

All you would need for the conversion is a hood and head lights... might be worth the couple bucks, just sayin. The good thing either way is this is all bolt on stuff and just takes time and patients to get it all lined up right. If you find a junk yard that has an entact 4runner or tacoma front end that would honestly be best, you get factory steel instead of cheap re-manned parts and you can take all the hardware you need!

Thanks! That is some great info on the conversion and what to look for on the truck. I know there are more specific threads around here on it, but seeing it that simply is good for me. Almost makes it most sensible to do that conversion if I can find the stuff at this point. I just talked to the seller, local mechanic, and he is gonna get a bumper and grille to install but its looking like a good project to convert. The price is right so I may have to pull the trigger. Thanks again for the info.

 

[epw111]

Just a bit more advice requested here. Any thoughts on the below pics? Im going down to drive it tomorrow but any thoughts on what you might see in these pics would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Brique]

Could be a trick of the light, but the headlights seem mismatched. Passenger side looks like its from a later model (99-02 maybe), and the driver side looks more like the older 96 headlight.

Also, might be hard to test drive without wheels or a driveshaft - at least it looks to me like the rear driveshaft is missing.

 

[AZ_Trails]

Could be a trick of the light, but the headlights seem mismatched. Passenger side looks like its from a later model (99-02 maybe), and the driver side looks more like the older 96 headlight.

Nope, the light isn't playing tricks. The headlights are definitely mismatched.

 

[epw111]

Could be a trick of the light, but the headlights seem mismatched. Passenger side looks like its from a later model (99-02 maybe), and the driver side looks more like the older 96 headlight.

Also, might be hard to test drive without wheels or a driveshaft - at least it looks to me like the rear driveshaft is missing.[/QUOT

Thanks for the info on the headlight. I thought something was weird there.

The truck is back together now and on the road. The seller has access to that lift and was working on some things when he snapped the pics.

 

[KidVermicious]

The core support is definitely tweaked, look at the angle above the passenger headlight - and if the core support is tweaked, it's a good bet the inner fender is too. Neither of those are bolt-on parts, you'll have to open up seams and cut spot welds and weld/bond the new bits on and do all sorts of fairly intensive body work. There's a reason insurance companies total these trucks - it's a lot of work to make it right, not just wrenching but massaging of sheet metal, which is much more an art than a science.

Not saying it can't be done, because it absolutely can. Just be ready for a lot more work than bolting up a new radiator and bumper. If the price is right, go for it.

 

[epw111]

The core support is definitely tweaked, look at the angle above the passenger headlight - and if the core support is tweaked, it's a good bet the inner fender is too. Neither of those are bolt-on parts, you'll have to open up seams and cut spot welds and weld/bond the new bits on and do all sorts of fairly intensive body work. There's a reason insurance companies total these trucks - it's a lot of work to make it right, not just wrenching but massaging of sheet metal, which is much more an art than a science.

Not saying it can't be done, because it absolutely can. Just be ready for a lot more work than bolting up a new radiator and bumper. If the price is right, go for it.

Thanks for the info! What would I be looking for in that area to tell if its tweaked? Im thinking it might be pretty evident but not entirely sure. Would it effect the daily drivability or is that pretty much an off road or cosmetic thing? Not that I wouldn't want it fixed, just wondering about how soon it would have to be.

 

[KidVermicious]

Thanks for the info! What would I be looking for in that area to tell if its tweaked? Im thinking it might be pretty evident but not entirely sure. Would it effect the daily drivability or is that pretty much an off road or cosmetic thing? Not that I wouldn't want it fixed, just wondering about how soon it would have to be.

When I rebuilt a salvage title 1st gen 4Runner, the only way I knew the inner fender had been tweaked was when I tried to replace the core support and it didn't line up. I fudged it together as best I could and the buyer didn't care anyway so it was all good. Depending on how badly the fender is bent, it could be nothing or it could cause cosmetic issues (like the hood and bumper not lining up) or it could affect the structural rigidity of the front of the truck, which could lead to catastrophy in a front or offset collision. I'm no expert, you'll have to use your best judgement after you actually see the damage.

Look at the inner fender closely. Look for wrinkles or creases or anything like that, and then compare to the drivers side fender to make sure. If there's visible damage, I'd plan on needing to replace the entire inner fender as well as the core support although if you're patient maybe you could stretch it out and massage it back into shape. If you can't see any bending, maybe you'll have gotten lucky?

 

[epw111]

When I rebuilt a salvage title 1st gen 4Runner, the only way I knew the inner fender had been tweaked was when I tried to replace the core support and it didn't line up. I fudged it together as best I could and the buyer didn't care anyway so it was all good. Depending on how badly the fender is bent, it could be nothing or it could cause cosmetic issues (like the hood and bumper not lining up) or it could affect the structural rigidity of the front of the truck, which could lead to catastrophy in a front or offset collision. I'm no expert, you'll have to use your best judgement after you actually see the damage.

Look at the inner fender closely. Look for wrinkles or creases or anything like that, and then compare to the drivers side fender to make sure. If there's visible damage, I'd plan on needing to replace the entire inner fender as well as the core support although if you're patient maybe you could stretch it out and massage it back into shape. If you can't see any bending, maybe you'll have gotten lucky?

Thanks! I hope the damage is not too bad but that info definitely gives me some stuff to look for.

This is what I am looking at from the outside, I can tell if that front quarter panel is too close to the door or not: