I recently had a front end collision, hit an Explorer and the whole damage was pretty much above the bumper. The hood is damaged, the grill, the headlights, the bumper is cracked on some places and has a few pieces missing. The radiator, along with its support is pushed in but not leaking.
The insurance totaled the car, and I bought it back from them with the idea of fixing it, because I think it is not really a big deal.
My question is about the radiator support. I checked it and it seems like it is a whole frame with top and bottom arm and vertical beams all welded together and this whole frame is welded to the main frame. How should I fix it? Someone told me they will try to straighten it only, but I'm afraid that it never will be as it was, and I'l have problems attaching the headlights etc. Also the radiator support if I buy it aftermarket ( because I don;t think it make sense to try to get it from a junk yard), how easy will it be to replace it with all these welding points?
The hood will be used from a junk yard (i dont trust aftermarket ones), the headlights, the grill and the bumper too.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Here area some pics (sorry for the handicapped link but I;m still not allowed to post links and pics - just remove the spaces around the dots):
www . smugmug . com/gallery/15388351_HoLTA#1151644478_PrFEA
The insurance totaled the car, and I bought it back from them with the idea of fixing it, because I think it is not really a big deal.
My question is about the radiator support. I checked it and it seems like it is a whole frame with top and bottom arm and vertical beams all welded together and this whole frame is welded to the main frame. How should I fix it? Someone told me they will try to straighten it only, but I'm afraid that it never will be as it was, and I'l have problems attaching the headlights etc. Also the radiator support if I buy it aftermarket ( because I don;t think it make sense to try to get it from a junk yard), how easy will it be to replace it with all these welding points?
The hood will be used from a junk yard (i dont trust aftermarket ones), the headlights, the grill and the bumper too.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Here area some pics (sorry for the handicapped link but I;m still not allowed to post links and pics - just remove the spaces around the dots):
www . smugmug . com/gallery/15388351_HoLTA#1151644478_PrFEA