Specifically, the core support. This Saturday morning I am headed about 100 miles north of Phoenix to a salvage yard that has an 89 Galant with zero front end damage about to go to the crusher. I'm snagging the hood, fenders, and core support off it. $250, maybe less if they like the set of Talon TSi wheels I'm bringing with me.

My concern is that I've never done this before. From the looks of my own car, I suspect I can drill out some spot welds where the nose/core meets the fender wells, but I'm worried about a dead drill battery. Should I see about borrowing a spare drill and maybe a cordless sazwall before I head up there? 100 miles from home with a dead drill is no place to be.

Has anyone done this before? I will see what it takes to get the mangled one off 195 before I go, but if anyone has any tips or suggestions, I would appreciate it.

Looking forward to having 195 back on the road before the Shootout (and painting up a mock WRC Galant hood to hang on the garage wall). Thanks as always!

PM turbowop/Mark, he seems to have a good bit of experience with the Galant noses and rebuilds....

Where is the car located Brian? I might be able to make sure you have all the toosl you need depending on where you are headed.

Car is located in Chino Valley, about 20 miles north of Prescott. I know a couple people up that way too - David Rodgers, Brent Elzey, and Roger Hull - so I'm considering getting in tough with them to see if they'd be down.

I'll also drop a line to the Wop and see if he's got any suggestions.

If that those guys aren't available let me know. I have family in Prectott area that would be willing to lend tools if need be.

It's been a while since I've pulled spot welds on something, but I remember it being rather time consuming. I'd just take a sawzall and cut behind the part you want. Take it home and take your sweet time drilling out all the spot welds and separating.

Appreciate the info, Barnes. Since the car is scheduled to meet the crusher within a week or so and the front clip is pretty much useless after this, why not just cut it out. Think a cordless sawzall could handle that on a single charge? Think they'll cut it for me?

Grab some extra batteries for the sawzall just in case. Sorry I couldn't be more help via PM. The damage to 503 was pretty minimal compared to what you're dealing with. About the only part I actually replaced was the bumper. Everything else was pulled out straight by a body guy as a side job.

Good blades are more important than good batteries. If you have the front fender off and a new blade for each side it would be an easy job with a good cordless sawzall.

Quoting BarnesMobile:
I'd just take a sawzall and cut behind the part you want. Take it home and take your sweet time drilling out all the spot welds and separating.



Good advice! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/applause.gif

Have you determined for sure that the front support structure is indeed the same from an 89 to a vr4? The sheetmetal will interchange, but I'm a little concerned that the radiator support and front unibody box sections that the bumper mounts to may be different. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

For expediencies sake, I would unbolt the fenders and hood, and cut right in front of the strut towers, leaving everything else bolted to the front structure. They will probably charge you less than if you bring up the bumper, a/c condensor, wiring, head lights etc as seperate items.

Undo the powersteering hoses at the rack, the a/c hoses at the compressor and firewall, and tape/plug the ends closed.

Do NOT cut the brake lines. Remove them intact, and save them for an abs delete kit for yourself, or sell it to make back soemthing on your time/investement.

Just whack the wiring harness, up by the firewall. It's not worth your time to fawk with trying to get it all in one piece. You can splice in what you need.

A plan "b" is to cut the windshield pillars, and then through the floor in front of the front seats and grab the whole kit/kat and caboodle. They may charge you ~50 more, but it's quicker, easier, safer, and you get the column, dash and all other kinds of goodies.

I would bring extra batteries and blades for your sawzall, and maybe the charger as well. Many places will let you plug in your extra battery.

You should also, most definately, bring heavy duty gloves and eye protection.

Talking up the yard owner, and maybe showing them pics of your damaged car car shows how commited you to saving your car. Asking and listening to their advice will usually bring the price down, as they feel sorry for us boneheads that don't know what we're doing, and when to say when. It will also ensure that you get the job done in the time alloted, as most yard guys have been in your shoes at one point or another, and will really try to make it happen for you.

Get there early and get on it hard before it gets hot.

One thing I do a lot when I'm buying bulk at a yard I don't ordinarily frequent is to buy lunch for anyone who directly helps me. Treating the yard people with respect pays great dividends, and they will be way more inclined to go out of their way to help you today, as well as remember you, and be that much more helpfull the next time.

The last time I had to cut a Porsche clip on the road, I ended making some good friends, and scoring the parts for the job I was doing significantly cheaper than they quoted me over the phone, (and they even threw in a bunch of extra goodies for my own car, and a Carrera emblem for my toolbox. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

All for the cost of ~$25 at kfc, and a twelve pack. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

With my personal experience & IIRC I think the front clip of the two cars have a different nose. I know for a fact that the crossmember is in a different spot between an AWD Galant & FWD Galant, but I cant seem to remember if there's holes for the crossmember bolts to attach to.


Worst case scenario, I might be interested in the front raditor support since I need a new one for my Galant GSR.

-Shawn

Quoting toybreaker:

Have you determined for sure that the front support structure is indeed the same from an 89 to a vr4? The sheetmetal will interchange, but I'm a little concerned that the radiator support and front unibody box sections that the bumper mounts to may be different. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif


I based my decision on the 6th generation being 89-93. My buddy Ray, who's done a LOT of repairs and service on more than a couple GVR4 rally cars out here, is fairly confident that the core support should be the same across the generation, although Shawn's comment below regarding AWD/FWD gives me some concern.

I'm just taking the fenders, hood, and core support. Maybe that skinny trim between the headlights and bumper cover. That's it. I've got everything else I need, but it might be worth snagging the brake lines while I'm there. I did the hacksaw ABS delete and, while it works great, it's not as clean as I would like.

Thanks, John!

Quoting maroonmetallic:
With my personal experience & IIRC I think the front clip of the two cars have a different nose. I know for a fact that the crossmember is in a different spot between an AWD Galant & FWD Galant, but I cant seem to remember if there's holes for the crossmember bolts to attach to.


Worst case scenario, I might be interested in the front raditor support since I need a new one for my Galant GSR.


Appreciate the input, Shawn. If I can get a picture of the crossmember installed on 195 up tonight, you think you could let me know if it's different on your GSR before Friday? I'd appreciate it!

Hi all,

Have just been out to look outside under my e39a. the crossmsmber is the same as for the 2wd. it HAS got holes for the fwd bar that goes under the engine. I can post the pages from the body manual. I've posted most of the ones from the front of the car before.

Could you look and see if they have an extra one? rust free preferably.. i need one to the uk.

Cheers

Rich

here,

Link to body manual pages:

click,c2,&Words=&Searchpage=1&Limit=100&Main=410111&Search=true&where=bodysub&Name=1761&daterange=1&newerval=&newertype=&olderval=&oldertype=&bodyprev=#Post410292

Rich /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Quoting misterfixit:
Hi all,

Have just been out to look outside under my e39a. the crossmsmber is the same as for the 2wd. it HAS got holes for the fwd bar that goes under the engine. I can post the pages from the body manual. I've posted most of the ones from the front of the car before.

Could you look and see if they have an extra one? rust free preferably.. i need one to the uk.

Cheers

Rich



Rich,

Thanks a million for that confirmation. Means a lot to me. I suspect that the car I'm going to look at is a typical, rust-free, Arizona car and I'll see if I can convince the blokes to cut me a deal on it. My budget is super tight right now, but if it's a really nice cross member, I'll see what I can do for you, sir.

by cross member i mean the bit that goes in front of the radiator.. left to right under the headlights, part of the unibody. Hence if there's a second one i'll take that, but it looks ike you need the thats there on that car.

Did you look at the link?

Rich

My bad. Now I get you.

I will see if they have another one while I'm there.

Back from the yard...

Rich, sorry, sir, but this was the only Galant they had there. A shitton of MightyMaxes, but they were all 2.6L, save the one 2.0 which was missing the engine. I found out that local member preskitvr4 (he said it's spelled phonetically) frequents the yard, since his dad owns it. There were no other Galant front end bits to be had.

Dale, if you're reading this, nice to meet you and tell your dad thanks for me!

Michael, I got a phone call that V's parents were t-boned by some bitch in an Escalade that morning, so we didn't have time to see about the brake lines and whatnot. Had to hurry up and get things off the Galant, drop a set of Starion struts to a guy coordinating upgrades to them for a rally car in WV and get back home. Shoot Dale a PM through here and see if he might be able to snag them for you before they crush it?

And with all that out of the way, here's a couple pics of Ray (twincharged 1G guy) handling the "delicate" act of removing the nose of this "La Raza Edition" Galant. (The radiator fans were wired together all ghetto, including a house light switch to turn them on or off.)






I just got a job offer this morning, so I'm seriously considering bailing early and spending a week drilling spot welds on this new support. With the one off the car, I can get a better view of what needs to be drilled/cut where in order to affect the cleanest removal of the one on 195 and then get this one welded into place.

So stoked. Will update this thread with more info as I go along. Might as well keep this unibody replacement stuff in one place for future reference.

jus follow the mitsu instructions for pulling it down... even shows the welds...

Ric

Quoting DR1665:


Michael, I got a phone call that V's parents were t-boned by some bitch in an Escalade that morning, so we didn't have time to see about the brake lines and whatnot. Had to hurry up and get things off the Galant, drop a set of Starion struts to a guy coordinating upgrades to them for a rally car in WV and get back home. Shoot Dale a PM through here and see if he might be able to snag them for you before they crush it?




No problem man, family first. I'll see if he can score them if not then no big deal.