The damage is massive. At first sight it looks not that bad, but in reality it's a disaster. The Merc Sprinter done credit to it's name. With ramming speed it hit the rear axle and pushed me on the other site to a concrete block. That finished my tiger off. Luckily, the axle gave way and absorbed the most energy, but the fixing points, bumper, backpanel, skirts, everything is gone.
I've rented a trailer and with me mate Jos and his Chevy pickup we took it to a small body shop. A kind of shop where they take pride in their work and don't ask a fortune. Thursday we will measure the car, but I'm not very optimistic. I feel like crying, and I am. Everyone tells me I'm lucky, and with no injuries I am, but it doesn't feel like it. What will happen next? I don't know. I keep you updated on these pages. Meanwhile, drive safe everyone.
Babysteps. Nothing more I'm afraid. Spare parts are not even that expensive. 200 pounds for an axle, bumper, skirts etc., if coming from a scrap yard. That is hopefull. I also saw a second hand Tigra with airco, abs, double airbags and a small driveable damage for a reasonable price. So, all options are still open.
Nine o'clock sharp, I began to dismantle the tiger myself. The guy from the bodyshop hates it, and I can save quite a bit of money with it. About one the jobs done, and now it gets clear what the real damage is. Strangely, the side where the Merc hit me is not so bad as it looks, but the site that doesn't look so bad is even worse! The platform curled op, the chassis is broken on several places.
But I choose to repair the car. An other car if far more expensive, and then I can start all over again. This sounds crazy but I always have a kind of bond with a car, it's not something dead. And the guy from the bodyshop in not so disapointed. In his beautyfull Amsterdan accent:"We make something beautiful of it!"
Push and shove. The tiger is on the repair bench to get the chassis in line. I removed the bend rear axle. Then we compare the measures with the data from OPEL so we can see when the car is as it should be. To me it's a bit weird. I still got the feeling that it will not be ok when I see this. The panneling is already ordered. Let the madness begin!
Sometimes your in luck, and sometimes not. The rearaxle from the Nova mark I is not the same. And thats a shame, 'cose it was fitted with Astra GSI brakedisks. So, back to the scrap yard, and pulled an axle from a Corsa and fitted that. Meanwhile, when we remove the rearpanels, which was once done as a insurence job when a Volvo 850 hit my tiger 2 years ago, that this was such a terrible job that there was a lot more damage then we thought. The metal where the filler cap should be is all rusted away, and most of the spot welds are done half, or not at all. The whole side of the car just broke off and thats why the floor of the car was so damaged. And no coating and sealing on the inside, even the dust from the grinding was still under the carpets, just rusting its wat through the car!
But it gets worse. From the factory there's little done in the rustprevention department. The inside box beams have only got one layer of primer, and under the springseats who are welded on them nothing at all. Everything is decayed. So we decide that we weld new beams and seats onto the car, because this will not last 6 months. The original steering wheel also has to go. Due to my 4 point harness I didn't even got close to the wheel, so why an airbag?
Nice detail, the steering wheel is (offcourse) Sparco and it's called Corsa!
Tiger in chains! In order to get the rear side in a straight line with the rest, chains are attached on either side of the car so they can pull it back in place. By opening the beams you can see how they rust, as the spring seats. Check these parts once and a while!
Removing the old decals is a terrible job. This takes many hours. Mirrors removed, door cards removed, it gets worse and worse!
Rock bottom
The outside panel is gone too. This is really sad. It only gets worse and worse. I stripped the back and removed the wing. The inside panel is beeing replaced, it was totally gone. New beams and springseats and we made a new piece where the filler cap will go. From now on we are going upwards!
Work in progress!
Now we are getting somewhere. Inside panel is beautyfull in place, the outside panel is in a special primer painted, and we drilled tiny holes for the special plugweld. This will become very strong!
We build this Tigra on Rock'n'Roll!
There. The paneling is done. Now all dirt and dust will have to be removed so the primer can get on the car.The edges and welds will be sealed of and then.......
Coloring.
Pfeew! Now I was getting a bit impatience. The paintings done. We used conventional paint, not the soft waterbased. This in much harder. 2 layes of paint, 4 layers of lacquer. The inside of the beams and all hollow spaces are soaked in Waxoyl and everything is rust prevented. The paint job looks amazing!
So, guys from Floor & Co., thanx a lot for a job well done!
Tigra on the move.
Exactly 2 months after the crash it's time: the doctor says that the tiger may go home. It's the end of fase I. Now it's my turn completely. Rebuilding. Time for a good plan. On purpose, I didn't make a deadline, because then you get hasty and then things are not done properly. But, there is a lot to do. Gastank, brakelines, cables and wires, the interior, mirrors, brakedisks on the rear axle, newe car design etc. etc.
I'm afraid that I will be on my bicycle for a while!
I would like to thank:
- Floor's body shop for an amazing job
- Jos for transporting my poor tiger
- Ap & Pi for using his car, and hope you help me get the doors together again?
- Iwan for donating his skirts
- Dad, for all the taxirides with his van
A big very thank you to all!!
So, whats next? Check rebuild fase I!