Thanks, that's what I was wanting to hear. And from O.L.T. the man too!

 

@ 133k it'll run FOREVER and for $2600??? I'll put a two foot wide smile face sticker over the damn hole.

 

So is it a salvage title?

The problem isn't owning the car and driving it around.
The problem is transferring title and your state safety inspections...

I'd say...
If they want $2600? Give them $2000 or $2200 cash and take the car. (epecially if it's a salvage title). Because you will still have to take it to the DMV or inspection station to get a reconstructed title. I don't know what your state is like but you might want to print out the pictures and ask your mechanic if he thinks they will let you title and drive it on the streets.

- Get the $400 door I showed you (already the same color)
- Take off the old door (strip it and sell the parts on classifieds section, door **** interior $25, door **** exterior $40, big window glass $50, small window glass $20, window motor $50, locking mechanism $10, etc...) Maybe you can get $100 or more for the parts you sell off the old door. Oh and those are just estimated prices, I donno how much these parts are really worth haha.
- Take body filler and fill in the hole in the body (if it's gonna be a daily beater and you really don't give a crap then who cares..)


But if you want that main damage fixed I think it will be somewhere around $2,000+ just to fix, not including the door... That's structure damage, that holds the car together, if you don't get it fixed right; the weight of the roof will make the crumples increase and increase over time then the roof is gonna start sagging in the back corner; then you'll have problems closing the door correctly and your tire might start rubbing the fender and this and that.... So yeah, over time more problems might come as a result of that. Also you have to watch out for RUST! SAND all that down and paint it, even with rattle can primer will help to prevent rust, YOU DON'T WANT THAT TO RUST BECAUSE IT'LL KILL THE CAR.

 

They don't bang that part of the unibody out, they just find a parts car and cut it out then weld the new section of the wheel well in. It's actually really easy. Since there is not a HUGE amount of damage that COULD be pulled, but most shops just cut and weld since it takes like half an hour to replace the whole side if they really wanted to. Just drop new skin in and tack it up.

 

It is NOT a salvage title. I've found a couple more door options for near 200 as well. Same color.

 

Oh yeah that's good, yeah definitely local will be cheaper because shipping on a door is gonna be $$$

 

Yep there is nothing to bang out, they have to cut out the new section and weld it in. Not only is the time and labor expensive, but the part is gonna be expensive too because have to locate a parts car that someone is willing to chop that part out of..

But it's not easy, at a really good shop they have to hold the roof up in that back corner and keep the same specs/measurements from factory. Even right now as the car sits the specs aren't right.. so when they weld the new piece in the roof/car alignment has to be set so stuff doesn't shift around. That's how the dealership does it too, because the same thing happened to my xgf's bmw but hers was also the center column too. But they repaired it so it is 100% EXACT same as stock. But you can probably take it to some shifty bodyshop and they'll do it cheaper, chop the old piece out and weld the new piece in there for cheap (still probably around $2000).

 

For that price I would go for it. Its just going to be your dd anyways.

 

Exactly my thinking. I'm going to be picking it up this week.

 

I don't doubt you living in Philadelphia. In Illinois he has MANY more GOOD body shops than chop shops. The part is an easy one to find, and a cheap one to cut out.... $75-100 max for the chunk from a bone yard, and $200-300 labor for the tack. He can do paint anywhere he wants. $200 for the door for a total of about $750 for a clean patch job and door without re-spraying the whole area, just the patched spot and sand then blending the tape lines in. Not a big deal, but in Philadelphia.... I wouldn't let anyone touch my car that didn't get top dollar, too many chop shops.

This being a DD and a cheap pick up, I'd totally do it that way with no guilt.

 

I donno if you can get that part for that cheap at a junkyard. Any junkyard that has it knows that not many junkyards have these cars and they would rather hold off and sell the whole side structure to someone with a more serious wreck for more money...

For example, I needed a rain channel thing for the car roof. I saw 2 IS300's in the junk yard, and BOTH had the part I need. I asked them if I can have one of the channel plastic pieces and even offered them $100 for the one because it was also white. But they said NO because they are keeping the roof's to sell as a whole.. That's the mentality of a lot of junkyards they are in business to make big sales not nickle and dimes.

If you can find a junk yard to cut that little piece off for under $100 then that's awesome!




Yep this would be a great DD.
If OP doesn't get it I totally will

 

Hehe, this is why I've held of on specific details. I didn't want anyone swooping in to claim it.
The deal is already in process and we are just wait on the owner to receive the title in the mail from his parents so that we can make the transaction.

Thanks you everyone, for the advice.

 

Bro, you talking bout the moulding trim? the strip that covers the drip channel? same color as the car? I think list price on that is like $80 at the dealer. New. Park Place Lexus has it on their site for $63ish plus shipping.

 

Yeah I know, actually I think it's even cheaper than that. I even see them on here occasionally when people are parting out their cars, but most people want like $60 for it, and I haven't bit yet because that's about the same price as a new one from lexus dealership.

But when I was at that junk yard I kinda got caught up in the moment, I was standing right there looking at the piece I needed, already painted white, sitting right in front of me. I was just trying to get them to budge on their non-willingness to sell by offering them more than it's worth, and that didn't even work..

I just have a feeling they are gonna be the same way with that piece of the body. Because they can sell a rolling chassis for a good amount, or sell that right side structure or even the whole rear end of the car. Taking a small chunk out for a measly $100 I don't see that happening when it's going to potentially block them from getting a bigger sale. But I guess ya never know till you try...

 

yea lots of junkyards work this way, for example if they have a motor from an is300 and you need the cylinder head, then the motor would pretty much be useless to the junkyard if they sold you the cylinder head, so instead they sell the unit as a whole.