OK Mini Roundabout + Taxi = Injured pregnant wife and crushed Volvo 340 front

I am ok replacing the:

Bonnet
Lights
Headlight Wipers
Radiator (3 months old grrrr)
Bumper
Bumper Trumpets
Grille
Replacement fan

Advice please on

Welding new front valance
Plating wing corners next to new front valance

and to top it all off

Vandals bricked the tailgate of the car and tried to pinch stuff (caught em at it)

So now new tailgate to boot

thanks to North West Auto Teaders

Any advice appreciated


John,

Sorry to hear of your accident, I hope you and your wife are both alright. Welcome to the forum. I am actually going to have to attempt the same replacement at some point, so what info you find would be useful. When you say front valance, do you mean the lower part, under the bumper, or the whole front panel, between the wings, inlcuding light mounts everything? Maybe pictures of the areas would help, as I'm a little unsure on which bits you mean when you say plating the wing corners to the new front valance. Is this the front section under the bonnet between the wings? If so, that was my concern also. Are you intending on welding it yourself? As I was going to either draft in my Uncle, who is an ace welder, or my Dad, who is well experienced. So pictures of work in progress could be very useful for future attempts.

Unlucky with the vandalism as well, did you manage to get anything done about them? And North West Auto Traders if I'm thinking of the right people are excellent, very helpful indeed.

Best of luck.
Pete

with that much damage, i think your best bet would be to split a car with some other damage to it, and get the parts you need. definately much cheaper than any oteher option..

If you bond with a car it is worth a lot of time and money to fix.
I must admit I would just replace a car inless I had owned it a long time.

Dai

I must be mad with my plans to repair my GLT, but it was the first GLT I drove, it's taken me a lot of places and has a lot of memories attached to it. However, I know the car, it was well maintained, certain things I'd fixed, knowing they'd not need doing again etc. Plus, if I repair things properly, rust proof it, it should last a long time. Any normal person would just scrap it.........
Pete

Thats just it Pete!!! I just replaced the full sill on mine recently and now know it will last and last. Once i have replaced the wings and one door, she will be like 99% rust free and mechanically sound so thats the reason i'm spending money on it!!!
After all you all saw the pics of mine from the front when my uncle repaired the old beast!!!!
Cheers Adam

And with all the mods you've done on yours Adam it is well worth spending money on, as swapping them over would take a while! I could find another GLT, infact, I've enough here, but saving another that I know is worth it in my eyes. But I'm developing plans that it won't be a straight forward restoration anymore, could turn into something different, but it will be back on the road!
Pete

Oh i see its like that is it? lol
Cheers Adam

Thanks all,

Yes it is the lower valance section - Bonnet stopped the rest

As to repairing her - its my wifes car, we were not at fault and my wife past her driving test in her, so scrapping is a no go (BIG TIME).

I will try to post piccy's of what I do and how I finally work out the best way to do it.

..... and yes I am going to do the welding myself.

After this I have the front lower valance on my '87 360 to do as well

Practice make perfect eh

good idea that , practice on the wifes car before you attempt your own LOL , good luck with the rebuild , hope the wife is ok , how long has she got to go b4 babys due ? we seem to have a few "mini maniacs "coming on the scene at the moment

Naturally do you think I want to mess my car up?, my valance was £5 more expensive

Baby, hmmm due on the 10th February (so midwife says!) but we will see

Ok cutting begins..........

Pics and info to follow soon