Mark's Stealth: We Can Rebuild!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 5:17 pm

A couple pics of her all torn down. He already has the replacement hood, fender and bumper and some other parts including radiator, A/C condenser and fan from an '04, so when she's done I'll have the older style grill on an 08. Sweet!

A couple of the parts like the radiator brace are bent but can be straightened out Ok. The strut is bent but from what he can tell the rest of the parts are fine. Might be done as early as later next week, but probably not till the following week. I'm Stoked!

vibrologist · Post by **vibrologist** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:43 pm

That's great!
Since the strut has been bent there may also be some hidden damage to the control arm. It may not show until you drive it. Even then it will work out on the bottom line.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Thu Feb 19, 2015 5:08 am

He's going to take it to Big-O or somewhere for the strut and let them know to check for other issues, and an alignment. But I'll still be keeping an eye on the tire wear for a while after as well.

trb · Post by **trb** » Thu Feb 19, 2015 2:26 pm

Once you peel away all the outer damaged sheet metal, it does not look too bad. Great deal that you can keep it on the road. Good luck on it!

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:34 am

Mark wrote:A couple pics of her all torn down. He already has the replacement hood, fender and bumper and some other parts including radiator, A/C condenser and fan from an '04, so when she's done I'll have the older style grill on an 08. Sweet!

Nice progress so far. I totally agree with making it look like the 03-04 Vibes! The best looking noses of all Vibes in my opinion! Keep us posted and great to see it coming along at a good pace.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:51 am

Yay! Glad to see Stealth being fixed up already! I can't wait to see the 03-04 grilles installed!

tpollauf wrote:I totally agree with making it look like the 03-04 Vibes! The best looking noses of all Vibes in my opinion!

Except 09-10 GTs of course

!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 4:05 pm

vibenvy wrote:I can't wait to see the 03-04 grilles installed!

Me either!

Went by the shop today, not much has changed since last pics. He's cut away most of the braces and is ready to patch in the new brace. He still thinks he'll have it done next week.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 4:43 pm

Here's the new fender, not attached yet but mounted to check fit, etc.

The new radiator brace is cut and almost ready to weld in.

The "new" grill/bumper, sitting behind the old one.

Coming along good. He thinks next week, I think a week or two longer depending how he feels. I'm not in a big hurry, but also can't wait to see it all put back together.

vibrologist · Post by **vibrologist** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 7:56 pm

You are making progress. Cool.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 4:44 pm

A couple new pics. Getting everything fitted prior or welding braces, etc. in place. Everything is lined up pretty well, the hood opens easily and the passenger door isn't rubbing the fender. He thinks he'll be painting this weekend and it'll be done early next week.

KITT222 · Post by **KITT222** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 6:24 pm

Very nice! Are your headlights both chrome so they match? Or do you want to go to the 03/04's black bezel lights? Either way, the chromes don't look bad with the 03/04 bumper.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Fri Mar 13, 2015 12:48 pm

I definitely prefer the 2003-2004 front end. Can't wait to see pictures of everything painted!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri Apr 17, 2015 3:27 pm

It's been a while, been very slow going. He's got all the internal parts back on and got the paint today. He's planning on painting the jams tomorrow and getting the body parts on tomorrow or Sunday. I've been hearing "end of next week" for almost two months now, but it's looking like maybe end of next week. Still needs to get a new strut and alignment too, but he might get that done before he paints, just so some tire store guy doesn't mess up the new paint. I'm very patient with him, he's fighting cancer and I give him all the business I can.

vibrologist · Post by **vibrologist** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 6:26 am

All the best wishes to your mechanic. He needs friends like you, Mark.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 3:59 pm

Thanks. I'm not the only one, there have been dozens of people throwing him small jobs. A lot of times it's just easier for him to work on those first, depending how he's feeling that day, which is a big part of why mine keeps getting pushed back. But I've also made it really clear that I have an extra vehicle and I don't mind waiting.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Sun Apr 19, 2015 12:59 pm

I'm sure he appreciates your patience with him. It's just too bad more people in this world aren't that patient.

Still looking forward to seeing the finished product

!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sat May 23, 2015 3:17 pm

Stopped by the shop today, Stealth is all put together and just got a new coat of paint this morning. He just needs to paint the matte black on the bottom panel, replace the strut and get it aligned.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Thu May 28, 2015 7:34 pm

She's all painted up. He's got both wheels off to measure both sides, looks like the lower control arm is bent and he should have a new one tomorrow. Might not need the strut replaced, but will know once the control arm is on.

You can tell from the pillars and doors that the paint hasn't been blended, but at this point I don't really care that much. It's salvage and will likely never be sold. I just want it back, especially now that's it's so close to done. The new paint will fade and eventually match the old.

A 2008 Stealth with a 2004 grill:

vibrologist · Post by **vibrologist** » Fri May 29, 2015 5:09 am

That looks like a very good repair. Perfect color matching is just about impossible even with computer analysis. He deserves a thumbs up.

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Fri May 29, 2015 9:00 am

vibrologist wrote:That looks like a very good repair. Perfect color matching is just about impossible even with computer analysis. He deserves a thumbs up.

x2 !

What about the wheel well cladding? Looks more of a brown than a gray. Maybe it too will eventually blend in with the other trim pieces. Either way it looks real good, especially with the retro nose job

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Fri May 29, 2015 2:24 pm

I agree! Looks good! I'm really digging the 2003-2004 front end

!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri May 29, 2015 5:30 pm

tpollauf wrote:
vibrologist wrote:That looks like a very good repair. Perfect color matching is just about impossible even with computer analysis. He deserves a thumbs up.
x2 ! What about the wheel well cladding? Looks more of a brown than a gray. Maybe it too will eventually blend in with the other trim pieces. Either way it looks real good, especially with the retro nose job

He tried really hard to match it, but nothing he did worked. I can either live with it (most likely) or have him paint the rest of the cladding to match.

trb · Post by **trb** » Sat May 30, 2015 10:00 am

All I can say is that it looks really good. Might not match perfectly, but that is to be expected on older cars. I don't know how my friend's shop matched the paint my son's car, but maybe it is because the original paint was still in great condition. They do an excellent job on all of their work though.

Hopefully you can get it back on the road soon!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sun Jun 07, 2015 5:38 am

Stopped by yesterday, it's all back together and looking almost good as new. It's going in Monday for alignment and then on Wednesday to get the A/C charged. He still wants to buff the new paint to blend it with the old a bit and maybe fix the lower panel mismatch if he can. That will depend on how he's feeling, though. I ok with how it is and don't want to wait, so if he's up to it this week great. If not maybe we can do it another day when he feels better. We'll see.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 5:15 pm

Picked her up this afternoon. He'd still like the buff it out a little to try to blend the color on the door/pillar and match the trim on the bumper, but I was ready to get it back. I'll drop it off one morning when he's feeling better. Or I'll let the sun take care of it over time. She runs great, no shakes or rattles or funny noises, A/C and everything else works fine. I'm very happy, and glad to get my baby back after four months.

Insurance paid me $7,900, and I bought it back for $1,470. Cost me $3,580 to get it fixed, including a few parts I picked up or bought myself. So I get to pocket almost 3 grand for my trouble, and I get a car that's good for another couple hundred thousand miles. Not bad.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 6:00 pm

Here's the front end, a 2008 with a 2004 grill. And yes, I have one chrome and one black headlight housing. I think I'll keep it that way, reminds me of my Belgian grandpa with one black and one blue eye.

vibrologist · Post by **vibrologist** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:28 pm

Good for you, Mark! And a black eye can happen, you know.....

csxt8058 · Post by **csxt8058** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 5:06 pm

Looks nice! Good to see you have it back again.

JR

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Sat Jun 27, 2015 6:40 pm

Glad to see you finally got it back! The two different headlights definitely make it unique

!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Thu Aug 25, 2016 6:12 pm

Yes, this is a really old thread. But Stealth got totaled and repaired again, this time by hail.

Big storm on 7/29 and they gave me the Vibe and a check for $6k, cost ~2k to fix including the busted windshield.

I'm now money ahead on this car, and I still have full coverage and a $500 deductible.

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Thu Aug 25, 2016 6:48 pm

Mark wrote:Yes, this is a really old thread. But Stealth got totaled and repaired again, this time by hail.

Big storm on 7/29 and they gave me the Vibe and a check for $6k, cost ~2k to fix including the busted windshield.

I'm now money ahead on this car, and I still have full coverage and a $500 deductible.

Any pics of the hail damage ??? Just how bad was it?

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Thu Aug 25, 2016 7:07 pm

Wasn't that bad I didn't think, but the State Farm adjuster couldn't find a new OEM hood for under $2500, so that added enough to total it. My body guy who did the last repair found a hood and rear hatch top at a junk yard, and fixed the roof and fenders. The windshield was bad enough that I paid $210 to replace it before the adjuster even called. So I got an additional check to cover that.

Sorry, didn't really take any pics.

The funniest part of this is that they also gave me $4200 to repair the '04 Frosty. And totaled the '08.

vibrologist · Post by **vibrologist** » Fri Aug 26, 2016 4:29 am

Well done, Mark!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri Mar 30, 2018 6:04 pm

Oops, it happened again.

Another red light runner. Damage doesn't look too bad but the frame is bent on the right front. I have to wait for the insurance adjuster but likely totaled for the third time. My body guy looked at it and thinks the frame can be pulled out, but I'm worried about always having alignment/tire wear issues. But it's bent in front of the drive, so might not matter. Hardest part will be finding the fender/bumper/hood/lights etc to put it all back. We'll see what happens. Have already found a few possible replacements. Also found one with good body and blown engine.

This Vibe may roll again.

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 6:55 am

MArk. This Vibe just may have nine lives !!!

This is an interesting saga that you've gone through although I wou;ldn't want to go through any of it myself. Current pics of the latest damage? I have faith & confidence in your body/frame man. Get'R'fixed and back on the road again!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Mon Apr 02, 2018 5:10 pm

Adjuster came by today to take a look, said the salvage would be about $900 so I'll wait to see what they come up with as a payoff.

The frame is bent, but it's just at the very front so it's not going to cause any drive-ability or tread wear issues. Not sure if it'll be worth pulling it out or not, guess that will be up to whether the parts can fit back on or not.

I haven't decided what to do with it yet. I saw a parter with a blown engine on Craigslist the other day, I could get something like that and use for parts or drop my engine/trans in. Or I could buy another Vibe. Or I could find something else newer.

I've never really looked at the 2nd gen Vib, the hatch glass was a no-go for me as well as a few other things. Maybe it's time to take a second look and see if I can find a good deal on 2010.

Someone familiar with both can maybe tell me why I'm missing out by not considering the 2nd Gen Vibe?

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Fri Apr 06, 2018 7:11 pm

Well, that certainly sucks Mark! I'll be keeping an eye on this to see what direction you end up taking...

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:26 pm

Other driver's insurance company called today and has accepted full liability. I should hear tomorrow what they want to offer for payoff/totaled/salvage values. Then I'll need to decide I guess. Maybe the third time it's totaled is the charm and I should just walk away. Last two collisions the airbags never deployed, so I don't have any idea if they even work.

In the meantime, while I try to arrive at that decision, I've found another used Vibe about 100 miles away that I think I'm buying. I'll know Friday one way or another. I might buy this one and then fix mine to keep as a "spare".

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:29 pm

Mark wrote:I might buy this one and then fix mine to keep as a "spare".

I really like that idea

As long as you have somewhere to park it

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:47 pm

I do actually. I have a POS 2000 Corolla that I keep as a spare car now, love to get rid of that oil-burner.

Here's a pic of Stealth now. Radiator brace and frame are bent. Need hood, fender, bumper, lights, etc. Finding the parts may be the hardest part.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dmt7Eu2uqnb3IgLI2

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri Apr 13, 2018 4:29 pm

Picked up the "new" 2005 base today. The seller had excellent service records and carfax, one owner car very clean and well maintained. I haven't verified the paint code yet but I'm pretty sure it's the Platinum Silver, 17" alloy wheels and the Moon 'n Tune package. Very sweet car.

Now I have to decide what to do with Stealth. I'm going to move the 2-deck console and power outlet that I pulled in a junk yard over to the 05, along with the WeatherTec mats. Then decide whether to let it go, repair it, or part it out. At this point I'm sort of leaning toward just saying goodbye to it. Two crashes and a hail storm so far, that may be enough. I'll wait and see what the insurance offer is before I decide, but maybe three is a charm.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Sat Apr 14, 2018 6:31 am

Happy to hear you've already gotten another Vibe, especially since it's the best color

! Post some pictures of it when you get a chance

!

runningslow · Post by **runningslow** » Mon Apr 16, 2018 11:01 am

Yes, an '05 Silver should be Platinum... like mine.

Sorry to hear that this car has been hit twice, but glad that you got another Vibe!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Mon Apr 16, 2018 5:13 pm

I spent a good part of Saturday morning moving stuff from Stealth to "Platty" lol. Back when I bought Stealth I found a double-deck console in an 04 at the local junk yard and took it along with the power outlet and harness, so I moved that over along with my WeatherTec mats, better wiper blades and other odds and ends.

Spent most of Saturday afternoon changing the oil, plugs and air filters, and cleaning the MAF and pcv. The oil was pretty new but was whatever Jiffy Lube put in, and I wanted Mobil-1 0w-30 and a NAPA Platinum filter (plus a baseline for my own maint log). The tranny fluid is pretty fresh and looks like new on the dipstick, so I'm going to leave it for now. PS fluid needs changed soon. The plugs were original and at 102k were ready to retire.

Today after work I got it insured, registered and licensed. I also got notice from the other insurance co that Stealth will be totaled but they didn't have the numbers yet. I'm leaning toward saying goodbye. I'm sorry Stealth, but I've moved on.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 5:45 pm

Well, looks like I'm rebuilding her one more time. Got the numbers finally, not as much as I would have liked but fair I guess. I had already resigned myself to saying goodbye, but then the salvage value came back at $930. So that kind of made it a no-brainer to keep and fix it.

Today I pulled most of the parts I'll probably need for <$300. Fender, hood, entire front brace including bumper, bumper cover w/fog light, headlight assembly, washer reservoir. Even scored a power outlet and harness for the console. I'll need a couple washer pumps and various odd and ends, but my body guy thinks it will be pretty simple to put it all back together for < $3000 total including salvage and parts.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sun Apr 29, 2018 6:53 am

Here's the new baby, with 30% VLT window film and vent shades installed.

I have had zero luck trying to link a pic from Google Photos, not sure why I can't just link an image url like I did with photobucket. Any tips and suggestions would be appreciated.

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Sun Apr 29, 2018 7:28 am

Hey Mark .... How does this look ???

Nice work again. Keep rebuilding her over & over & over

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sun Apr 29, 2018 10:44 am

Dammit, how'd you do that? From the page source it looks like you saved it to a different site?

But I should be able to link directly to a shared Google photo album, right?

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Sun Apr 29, 2018 8:48 pm

Mark wrote:From the page source it looks like you saved it to a different site?

Correct! I saved your image to my hard drive. Then uploaded that photo to a third party site (cardomain, photobucket, etc...) and then copy/pasted the image FROM THEIR SITE into the GenVibe "img" tab. I used to use cardomain but they went through major changes to where everybody lost photos, privileges, etc. so I found a different site from over in Europe that I use for hosting pics. Maybe others here can chime in on the Google thing. I'm not too familiar with what can/can't be done with their images.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri May 04, 2018 4:50 pm

My cost to rebuild this time will be ~$3700. That's salvage + parts + paint & labor. Still not bad for a 2008 w/110k, and I get to pocket about a grand. Body guy says he'll get it in Monday and be done later next week. We'll see.

And, I'll finally be a three-Vibe family.