Roady Damage - Rig! Rig! Rig!

As many of you read an 18-wheeler threw a tire tread at my car the other night on the way home from Dallas. It smashed my grill, pushed the middle part of the air-dam under the bumper up and tore two of the three bolts out that hold the passenger side air dam piece on.

So I climbed under the front of the car (yes I know it's dirty under there...) and re-attached the right and center air dam pieces. Two of the mounting spots on the right side were broken out, so I had to modify and re-mount that item a little further to the right...so there is a gap between the center and right pieces, but it is what it is! The tire did put a big scratch in the paint of the bumper just above the right piece, but it does not show a lot from above.

On the center piece I had to use some angle brackets to get it to hang down again.

I ended up taking off the grill and I glued it all back together. It came out amazingly well all things considered. The only damage that really jumps out is the chunk missing on the bottom edge, which I'm guessing is laying off I-35 up in Temple now.

Didn't take before pics, but here's what she looks like now. Still need to replace the grill, but it's no longer in two pieces and the lower air dam is not dragging the ground.

Fun-Fun! There is never a dull moment in life is there?

-Mike








Have a gap here now, but there was no other good way to mount this:


The grill looks TONS better!




But could do nothing about this missing piece...

Rig! Rig! Rig! Bananaphone!

I'm surprised that you don't have a spare grille stashed. It seems like a part that is likely to get broken.

Hey Mike,it could have been a lot worse.Now on to more important problems.Is that rust
I see on that bracket of the bumper cover?And did you put a white blanket on the cement
to lay on?Let me guess its an old blanket that was no good due to a low thread count and
it matches your paint job.
I bet you saw all kinds of dirty spots under there that need Mikes special touch.
Just Kidding Bud
Jim Gordon

That's not rust, it's dirt! Dirt I say! (you're going to give me a complex!).

I have not layed my fat self on my back and detailed under there.....yet, but those pics may motivate me to do it.

I'm really wishing I'd at least shot some Armour All on that air dam before I took the pics, but was in a rush.

Such fun!

-Mike

Nick Danger wrote:

Rig! Rig! Rig! Bananaphone!

I'm surprised that you don't have a spare grille stashed. It seems like a part that is likely to get broken.

Oh believe me I'm going to nab any good ones I see at the yards now!!

Took this pic on one of my Dallas yard runs. I'm just "kinda" kicking myself now!!!

Flasheroo wrote:

Hey Mike,it could have been a lot worse.Now on to more important problems.Is that rust
I see on that bracket of the bumper cover?And did you put a white blanket on the cement
to lay on?Let me guess its an old blanket that was no good due to a low thread count and
it matches your paint job.
I bet you saw all kinds of dirty spots under there that need Mikes special touch.
Just Kidding Bud
Jim Gordon

That was a light blue blanket...just looks white. Used it to lay on while my wife wasn't watching!

Somtime in the car's past before I bought it, it'd had a battery leak or blow. There was a lot of peeled paint and acid staining on that side of the car that I spend hours cleaning up as best I could.. and lots of that rust staining like you see on that bumper cover mount. Still not "right", but passable.

"Still Passable" for who'certainly not you Mike.Remember Mike who else needs a grill.
Still looks like RUST to me!!!!!!!!!
M H O
Jim Gordon