I got this little Toyota at the insurance total auction. We buy cars there for parts and as fixer-uppers, and I decided to get this for a winter beater instead of driving my new Mustang in the snow all winter.
It didn’t have damage to the unibody, the radiator didn’t crack and it was still holding A/C coolant, so I decided to bid. It started and the engine sounded fine. Got it for about $600.
After removing the bumper and soft parts, I found the radiator support was pushed in about 2 inches on the right. Pulled it straight with a come along and massaged it into position with a 5 pound rubber deadblow mallet. The hood was actually the hardest repair. Most people would just replace it, but that’s for rich folks. I was able to straighten the hood by applying pressure to the hood with a 2×4 placed beneath several points below it. It took about 2 hours but I got it 99% perfect. I did manage to spider the paint on the left where it creased, but turned out rather well. I chose not to paint the bumper as that costs money too, and I figured it was just gong to wind up getting scuffed when it hit something anyway. I got the parts for the nose on eGay and the local boneyard and managed to keep the whole project under $1100.
