[jimvw57]

Thought I would start a thread about the process of putting my car back on the road.

Background:

As most of you know, I bought this gem from a member who was at the point where they needed a larger car and it had been sitting fort a while collecting problems. I was able to get it working enough to drive it home and fix the problems it had and was using it as a daily driver to work and back for a few months until a fellow driver was coming towards me and started flashing his lights. This was about midnight and t Needless to say, the car did it's job protecting me and the deer did a few flips and ended up dead in the ditch. Temporarily blinded me just at the moment when a good size deer jumped out from the ditch.

The policeman following the other car saw me hit and said I went up in the air about a foot or two and figured I was done for. He turned around and I was out of the car messing with the hood. There was no place to put the hood back on and it was dragging by the strap when I pulled over to the side of the road.


The officer said he would get a tow truck, and since there was no fluids leaking , I declined and said I would just drive it home (about 25 miles) I had only one headlight but I said I would be OK. About 20 miles down the road I saw the same policeman issuing a ticket and he saw me and waved smiling. i gave him the beep beep and kept going. Got home with no problems watching the temp gauge and all the vitals ia my ScangaugeII.

I ended up parking it in the back yard when I found out my insurance didn't cover hitting a deer and the estimate to fix the car came to over $3,000..


About a month later I found an ad on Ebay for a front end crash rebuild kit for $699 (plus shipping) and got it with shipping for around $1000... Parts got parked on the front porch until weather warmed up and I could work on the car.




Today, after I finished fixing my other car (well, a few days ago) I moved the smart out of the back yard, (should have done it before the ground thawed) and moved it up to my neighbor's driveway. Plan is to change it with the kid's cop car in the garage and start unbolting damaged parts and see what I got. Car was sinking in the mud, left front tire was low on air, and the battery had gone dead. Luckily I left the doors unlocked.



Got a few ruts to fill in and ad to wash the mud out of the wheel wells and undercarriage .

 

[chieftmc]

Good luck my friend.
Thanks for documenting your journey

 

[Rustedwrench]

Easy fix.

1. Remove broken parts.

2. Install replacement parts.

Done.

 

[jimvw57]

You forgot about the part where my knees don't work, and the replacement parts are the wrong color, and probably missing half of the mounting screws

 

[Miss Mercedes]

That's what duct tape is for.

 

[Rustedwrench]

You forgot about the part where my knees don't work, and the replacement parts are the wrong color, and probably missing half of the mounting screws

Well, I am sorry the replacement parts for your knees are the wrong color and missing screws, but fixin' cars ain't for sissies. :laugh:

 

[jimvw57]

Yup, I was trying for the gold plated ones but...

Pulled a few chunks off the car, of course you know the antenna mast snapped right off, don't they always... and there are a lot of missing screws because what they thread into is just plain gone. Headlights are off, piece under windshield is off, top of fenders are lose, just gotta pull the rockers and remove the bottom fender bolts, and across the front bottom and (whats left of the front clip) is off. A/C condenser looks to have a bow to it,but like I said, it isn't leaking...

 

[jimvw57]

it is looking like I will need to find some torx screws of various sizes as there are a lot of them that are missing along with the plastic they were screwed to. Anyone know offhand if they have them at an Ace hardware? or do I need to find a fastener specialty shop??

 

[stevenjb]

Perhaps Auto Zone or MBPartsExpress, Ace hardware would have drywall anchors

 

[jimvw57]

Got a bit more done before I had Grandson Duty.



couple of more pins and it should be ready to come off and start bolting on the new stuff! Trying to have it back together by next week! we will see about how much snow we end up with 40 degrees outside right now.

I did have trouble removing the wiper arms , I removed the nut and the arms don't want to come off the shafts. The plastic surrounding them was all broken so I just continued but I am thinking they will have to come off when I start putting things together.

The black plastic heater intake will also have to be replaced as there is very little left of it.

 

[mildensmart]

To remove the wiper arms you need the "tool" http://www.autozone.com/test-scan-a...ol/oem-windshield-wiper-arm-puller/191681_0_0

or something like it. Been there, done that. Got one on ebay.

 

[sokoloff]

To remove the wiper arms you need the "tool" http://www.autozone.com/test-scan-a...ol/oem-windshield-wiper-arm-puller/191681_0_0

or something like it. Been there, done that. Got one on ebay.

Many of the McParts stores will loan you that tool.

Len
2014 EV

 

[jimvw57]

That would be what I need. ordered from Amazon for $10... be here Monday. With all the snow we got so far We will most likely be moving snow for a bit

 

[toaster]

Oh Jim!!!

Did you see this yet?? :wink:

http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/fo...ted-swap-thread-5091/index71.html#post1467706

~toaster

 

[jimvw57]

saw them when they were on Ebay for less money. I'd be looking at about 500 miles round trip to pick them up, plus purchase price, It would be cheaper to paint I'm afraid. Also I would end up with 3/4 of the panels left over.

Would be a nice deal for someone closer or that needs to refresh or change their panels!

Of course I am looking for the 2008 metallic red which is a little more orange than red in my opinion.

 

[jimvw57]

Got a box in the mail today, replacement antenna and mount all in one piece. Now I am afraid if I try to remove the mast from the base, it will break again. I think I can mount it after the fender is in place, (I hope so) otherwise I wil have to lift the whole front clip over the top of the antenna to put it in place.

Didn't get any work done today, had to shovel and play a bit with the Grandson. He loves to shovel snow, just not off the sidewalk. His Dad came home just in time to take over with the snowball fights and such.


no that is not his Dad in the picture

 

[mildensmart]

Yes it can be done. Just did the exact antenna replacement with the base attached. Just make sure you remove the screw at the base of the windshield under the hood that holds the fender. Pretty sure you know which one that is Jim.

 

[jimvw57]

No fenders on the car right now....almost no frame across the front, a few more pins and a screw or two and it will start going back together. it would have been done if i wasn't fighting sore knees... and a heated garage....

Then I will have to dig out the 3 spoke tires and rims that are under the snow right now in the back yard. I wasn't planning on dealing with the 12 inches of snow this weekend

 

[jimvw57]

got the puller for the windshield wipers and it doesn't fit inside the recess where the nut i. doing a little modifying to make it fit.

Also dug in a little deeper to get to the heater box that I need, and inside the new heater box was a brake reservoir, horn, and a bag of misc bolts and connectors.
I am finding damage to the a/c condenser, and the cooling fan mount so I think I will be draining radiator and a/c and replace it since I have new ones. Not worth taking the chance. And as long as it is torn down this far, might as well do it the right way instead of doing it twice.


I also have to say that the 'Kit" that I got off Ebay for this has had everything I have needed and finding the bag of bolts and such was an added bonus! Paid $700 for he parts (plus $300 for shipping)has been the best deal ever! with headlight assemblies at over $370 each, the rest was basically free! except for the color I couldn't be happier! I ca deal with the color later.

just wish my knees were a little more cooperative. I don't get much done before I have to quit because of the pain. The hard shell knee pads with gel inserts does help. it is all the getting up and down looking for parts and tools that gets to me.

Kind of bummed I have to drain coolant and A/C but it is what it is. (I will have to borrow a vacuum pump for the A/C when I get to refilling it) and have to read up on refilling the coolant, and burping the system. Good thing Evilution is around. (thanks Kane!)

 

[jimvw57]

The wiper puller I have will not fit. the depth of the puller is not deep enough to reach the center stud. I will have to find something different... I do have few gear pullers that might work since ther eis a bit of room around it with the front frame off..

I drained the coolant today, Picked u a couple of clamps to replace the ones that are on there as they are the 'one use only' type. and cracked open the a/c connection so it can slowly drain out. I checked and it was almost empty so I suspect the condenser is broken (thought so) I then carried the front frame with the radiator, condenser,fan, bumper, etc attached up to the garage, and I am worn out. i can tell it will make reassembly go a LOT faster as I was removing a lot of broken parts that are attached already to the front frame. Which is a good thing!!

I still think that when I added the cooling fan on the front of the radiator instead of replacing the stock fan was a good idea (on my 2009). removing the frame to get to the fan is a lot of work!

No pic today..


Looking a little closer and I think I got an earlier version front end... I have 3 separate lower grill parts, and the hood locks look to be the early design. so it looks like my car will be back to the way it should be for a 2008. Either way, the parts are still going on. they are talking a little bit of snow and cooler temps tomorrow so I may not get much done. I figure if I was moving at close to 100%, I would have this done in a day. Also found a replacement coolant overflow bottle in the box-o-parts!