Paint and Body Right Rear Frame Damage Help

NatsFan

New Member
Dec 30, 2016
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Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this forum but I can imagine that I will be visiting often now. I recently got my first car, a 1966 Mustang, back after it had been in storage for 20 years! I have been traveling with the military and the car stayed back at home.

Before the Mustang went into storage, it was hit in the right rear by another car. The impact was hard enough to put a small bend into the right rear frame rail and warp the right rear quarter panel.
Right Rear Damage.jpg
Right Rear Frame Damage with Hand.jpg
Right Rear Frame Damage.jpg
Right Rear Quarter Panel.jpg
Right Rear Well1.jpg


I'm looking for advice on how to best repair the damage to the frame and quarter panel. Also, if you have experience with this type of damage, could you also post the approximate cost to repair.

Please see attached photos.

Thank you all for the help.

Natsfan
 
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I can't give you a cost on it ,but a frame straightener will pull most of that out fairly easily .The rear valance and rear bumper will need replacing but that is cheap enough . Most of the damage in the quarter will straighten when the frame rail is pulled back in place . A body shop should be able to do it in no time at all ,if they have a straightener .
A friend gave me a Black Hawk straightener a few years ago and i have used it a couple of times ,it may be in the way because of the size but it made up for it being able to do my own repairs .
 
Thank you Horse Sence. It is good to hear that this should not be that big of a deal. This is really the biggest problem with the car.

Does anyone else know how much it should cost to pull this frame straight? I'm just looking for some rough estimates so that I know if the body shops are over charging.

Thanks!
Natsfan
 
The labor rate of frame pulling will vary from place to place. It could even vary from county to county. I definitely agree with horse sence, it should pull out very nice and shouldn't be a problem fixing it. When you get a estimate you will probably see setup and measure and a couple of hours for pulling it. The best thing to do is call or go into a body shop and show them pictures.
 
NatsFan - After studying the pictures, you can see that the crinkle in the frame rail is at the bottom of the U-channel. You can also see that the top edge of the fender is no longer straight. Both would tell me the frame rail was driven down on impact and is now lower at the rear on the passenger side compared to the frame rail on driver's side. Pulling that frame rail up and level will be critical to getting the car to sit correctly (since the rear spring shackle elevation must be identical). Maybe a shop can get away with pulling the gas tank and pulling the frame rail and trunk floor in one fell swoop. Worst case, right trunk floor replacement to straighten / level that frame rail.
 
It will straighten ,i have pulled worse than that. As long as no one beats on the quarter before the frame is pulled it will pull out ,as the rail straightens so will the outer quarter ,it kind of fun to watch the damage reverse its self .The frame straightener is set up with levels to match both sides the same
 
I'm an automotive Mechanic/electrician etc. I have 40 years experience in shops including my dad's place. I'm not a bodyman, but, if body shops in your area charge similar rates to what I'm accustomed to on the mechanical side, you should pay between 70 and not more than 100.00 per labor hour. If they're just pulling the frame with no finish work, there should be no parts or materials charges. These are my barometers to use in determining whether a shop (or tech) is honest or not.
After you get the estimate for the frame work, and it makes sense, you could then choose to have them finish it for an additional expense. A good shop will do what the customer asks for, as long as the customer doesn't ask for something that will potentially be unsafe. A good shop will also explain exactly what they plan to do before asking for signatures of approval. My Dad's shop rarely asked for signatures, most of our work was done for people we considered friends, on a handshake.

So, my advice is, don't go in exuding wariness, or mistrust. Instead, go into the shop expecting to be friends with the guys doing the work, If they're not friendly and genuine, and actually excited to fix a classic for a fair price, pick a different place.