Help - Unsquishing a GMC Jimmy

[AndyL]

Well picked up a new project... 05 Jimmy with 150k - had a run in with a guard rail. Picked it up for scrap $ Thinking cheap beater to sit at work 5 days a week.

Runs and drives good - tracks arrow straight, hands off, forward and reverse.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i277/cgyreefer/IMG_20160113_131238_zpsdwsauazw.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i277/cgyreefer/IMG_20160113_125558_zpsvfvzraii.jpg

So I'm thinking some heat and straightening for the drivers side bumper mount...

But - I didn't really want to replace the rad support - think I could pull it / beat it straight enough? (Planning to do a pnp run for new front bumper, headlights and fender)

Thoughts?

[carson blocks]

I'd be tempted to grab the rad support and frame extension / bumper mount if it's a separate piece. It's sometimes less effort and brain damage to fix it right than to try to bolt good shit to bent shit.

[spike98]

Originally posted by carson blocks
I'd be tempted to grab the rad support and frame extension / bumper mount if it's a separate piece. It's sometimes less effort and brain damage to fix it right than to try to bolt good shit to bent shit.

Its not that bad to replace a rad support. Fixed a older ram 50 back in my late teens. You will spend less time replacing it than you will heating and pulling and hammering to get it straightish only to put it together and have gaps uneven everywhere.

[78si]

I might have parts for you. It's an older jimmy but some stuff should work.

[AndyL]

Bumper mounts are welded so those are getting straightened, not replaced.

Just concerned swapping it I loose almost all my references for panel alignment (and this era of gm it wasn't great anyway) - and the work starts to snowball into a much bigger project for little more reward. It's going to be a cheap beater vehicle that's probably only going to be kept for a year or two... Only needs a 20/20 repair - good enough 20' away or at 20mph... As long as I can get the drivers side headlight aimed - we're good basically.

[MrSector9]

go to pick n pull or find a scrap truck on kijiji someone is parting out and just cut out that piece of frame, weld in and done. WAY easier and better repair then attempting to straighten that.

Couple minutes with a sawzall and sometime welding, I do see an issue if you do not have a welder but I would imagine someone on here would do it for free/cheap.

[RealJimmyJames]

Yes, pick up something that has blown it's engine. Faster, better, cheaper. Hell, you may be able to find something with all the front end body panels as well, that would save you a hell of a lot of trouble.

There are seven this morning on kijiji for under a thousand dollars, and one as low as $200 with a blown head gasket.

[AndyL]

Yeah nothing in the right color / parts for under 4k in Alberta. And I'm already getting grief from the condo about it - adding another would be bad mmmkay ;)

And there's little point if its not all the right parts and color - otherwise its still cheaper an pnp.

[carson blocks]

Check car-part.com too, it searches all wreckers, and you can find the colour you need in a location that's convenient etc.