S197'S Are Obsolete Already, Got Schooled Today!

[lincolnmatthews]

I will try and keep this short? So I buy an 07 GT and did notice the paint didn't match great on the fenders to the doors. So a year later I decided to get it repaired and re-painted. The local Ford dealer's body shop educated me today! First the drivers side frame rail got hit hard enough to move it back and up that an earlier repair was only about to get one bolt for the bumper to stay on. It's badly twisted anyway.
So guess what the front frame rails are no longer available from Ford! For a car that was produced from 05-014! Ford has a repair procedure where you cut off the old frame by the shock tower apron and weld in a new frame rail (which of course isn't available).
He also said that legally he couldn't try to bend it back because that would require heat which isn't allowed anymore because it will weaken the steel! It has to be cut back behind the "crumple zone", which requires the removal of the engine! These are basically a throw away cars now with just a minor collision. I had no idea these cars (as with probably most cars of this era and newer ones) were built this way.
I may just have it painted so I'm happier with the car, and forget about the frame issues.
I would recommend anyone thinking about these cars to have it inspected at a good body shop before you buy it, (especially off EBay). Makes me wonder when the 2015++ Mustang's become obsolete!
It's kind of sad as love the body style of the early S197's
So much for keeping this short, thanks.

 

[Ret]

That is disappointing. I've had three S-197 and fortunately never gone through anything like that. That's, truly sad as we buy and drive these things because we get a lot of enjoyment and something like this just rips it out from under you.

 

[Blue03Cobra]

Could you not use that same frame rail off a junkyard car? Just in the Baton Rouge area "Bring Your Own Tools" pick-n-pull parts, there are six S197s. They made a LOT of them, so there's that.

 

[JC SSP]

Same thing happened to my 06’ GT convertible. Lady in a new Mercedes ran the red light and clipped the right front nose. No air bag deployed and I thought it would be an easy repair.

My body shop guy said he could fix it but that right frame rail pushed back would cost $$$$. State Farm totaled the car (I pulled all the good parts off and returned to stock).

With the full coverage insurance check I went and bought my Son a new VW Jetta R-Line and so far so good.

I am not a body or chassis expert but it appears when newer cars get wrecked they just crumple-up. Might be a safety feature?

 

[lincolnmatthews]

Yes that's possible, there was a used pass side for $100 on EBay yesterday. Driver's side are harder to find. The frame rail is almost 4 ft long and ends under your feet. But you only use about 2ft of it, but it has to be cut off near the shock tower. Which wouldn't be that big of deal except that the engine has to come out. It's to big of project for me anymore (I'm pushing 70), and it's way to costly to have it done (at least for me). I paid top dollar for the car and can't justify this cost, that's why it doesn't take much to total these cars.
I'm taking it to another shop today who knows maybe this small shop owner will bend it back for me on his frame rack, (I'm not to concerned about weakening it). Maybe for a cash job he will repair it? If not I have a 4-post lift and maybe try to chain it down and see if I can bend back a bit to get another bolt in it. I think I may be able to bend it down but can't see how I could ever pull it out. My car just loss 1/2 it's value I would guess, oh well it's my fault!
A little story from the Ford dealer's body shop manager (who was a great guy). He said a guy bought a new Maverick pickup for about $39k and got hit lightly in the rear, but he had a tow hitch on it so the hitch tweaked the frame which I think he said it went all the forward under the cab or so? It only had 3200 miles and the insurance totaled it. Apparently the guy was driving it with not even any visible damage. No wonder our insurance is so high! POS new vehicles!

 

[Forty61]

"They don't make them like they used to" rings true on this.. I have mixed feelings, the newest S197 is over a decade old at this point, I don't think it's reasonable to expect them to be making the parts anymore but at the same time it sucks that modern cars are so much more involved to fix and keep on the road. And we as the end users are blamed for the waste when we can't keep them on the road.

 

[JC SSP]

This was the damage done to my 06' GT. Beautiful car in Tungsten Grey and Parchment interior.

I thought it was repairable but no such luck.

The car had extensive suspension work and chassis bracing, my body guy said that saved it from more damage... My kids and the dog walked away without a scratch, so the horse did what it was supposed to do...

 

[lincolnmatthews]

Hey JC sorry about your loss, but as long as the frame isn't damaged I think it's rebuildable. CJ Pony lists a pair of OEM Ford front fenders for $612, hood is expensive unless you go fiberglass. Anyway it's a thought. It doesn't look like there is any frame damage by the looks of the bumper, anyway good luck man.
Regarding my car I had up on my hoist today, actually my frame can be saved IMO. Only one flange corner has been pushed back, but with the bumper off one can hammer back the flanges to get 3 bolts back in probably 4 which would be a heck of a lot better than the one that's in there now. So looks like I may go ahead with this project or tear the front end off myself and pound it out. I feel a lot better now!
The idiots that did the repair, they ought to have there "due be be carefuls" cut off!

 

[Juice]

Cannot pull these cars on a frame jig. The metal tears.

 

[StockishS197]

Unfortunate truth is that this isn’t an issue specific to the S197s. Most if not all repairs like this for a car out of mainstream production will require a sacrificial car to start with, hence the many part out distributors.

If you want it to be safe and legal, you will need to find a donor car and have a good shop to set it straight again.

Also, +1 to always, always, always get a PPI done and get under the car to check for frame (or other unforeseen) issues.

 

[lincolnmatthews]

I lifted my car yesterday on my lift to get a view from underneath. The frame rail has 4 bolts to the bumper bracing, currently only 1bolt in it. I can easily hammer 2 of the flanges back to position (with the bumper off). This would give 3 bolts more than enough. Might even get lucky on the 4th. I think I came thru this very fortunate, I think the 1st body shop over reacted only looking from the top side and seeing only the one bad flange and assuming the whole rail was bad.
I plan on saving and fixing this car, she deserves it!
I recommend checking out your car yourself don't take the word of just one body shop!

 

[Recon]

Ford doesn’t care about the Mustang. I’m dealing with part issues for my GT. I’m with an independent auto repair shop and we know the people in the parts department. I have two of their personal phone numbers. They tell me every time I want something for my cars, that ford doesn’t give a crap about the mustangs. Heck my 20+ year old, at the time, Silverado; I could get quite a lot of parts still from the dealer. But my GT, needing some clutch parts and the usual blend air door actuator. Obsolete at the dealer. Thankfully, some of the stuff is available online that’s genuine motorcraft parts.
But as others have said. You’re best bet is to find a donor car to chop up to fix your car.

 

[lincolnmatthews]

Boy was I wrong, about just bending the flanges back! No way in #$@@ it's hardened steel! I'm did find a body shop who said they can use heat to pull it out, etc. It will weaken it of course but I don't care. I pulled the bumper and inspected it, it's a mess. I did end up getting 3 bolts total in the crushed side at least it's safe enough to drive. It runs additives so well with no hood shake or vibration, I should just drive it and enjoy it (and save probably $5k). I would be so upside down in this car!