Found a bumper for you

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/143101194590

I'm wondering if it might be best to use that 'buy a breaker' scheme Copart run - depending on the parts needed stripping something for everything I need plus interior parts etc to resell might be the cheapest option. High mileage non running car with a smashed back end would be ideal.

I watched a Cat B sell, it was about same year as your one and it went for £350. Do you really need that much?

Well I need a bonnet for sure and the hinges, possibly one wing, the slam panel definitely and probably 2 if not 3 of the radiators, maybe a fan, the crash bars upper and lower & foam block that goes across the upper one, all the various parts that attach to the bumper - trim, grille etc, 3 wheel caps - just the stuff I can see from the photos and I imagine some of the hoses up front are damaged. If we take the panel & rad set for 250 and a bumper for 150 on ebay, there would still be more to get. On the other hand if I part one (red if possible) and pull everything off including doors, interior, dash electrics and all the rest it might even pay for itself. Couple of people advertising cars being broken on ebay too.

You’ll likely buy a bumper with all the bits on already and you may well find some of the bits in the car. You often do. Radiator is about £35, A/C condenser about £45, reinforcement bars about £35 each that’s if you can’t get them all as one. I have a grille you can have, wheel caps are only a few quid. It takes quite a while to get everything useful off of a breaker car and you have to do it there, at copart.

Very quick arrival report.

Bonnet: toast
Driver wing: probably repairable with a combination of dent removal & filling
Passenger wing: extremely minor damage to the front fitting edge and a small paint crack in the right angle - pair of pliers and a touchup pen

Slam panel & bumper bar things: toast
Support rails behind slam: box sections look straight but the flange the panel bolts to is slightly bent on the passenger side, it looks like this plate deformed slightly but I can't see any reason it wouldn't straighten up - will all need measuring when the panel comes off.

Smaller radiator: toast
Larger radiator: might be ok!
Other radiator (intercooler?): very likely ok
Fan: maybe ok - gets stiff at part of the rotation
Interior: A+
Coolant is low, oil is low, saw some blue smoke when it started which is a downer, seemed to clear after 15-20 seconds. Upside it works well enough that it was driven from the flatbed onto the driveway so at least 1st and reverse are good.

So.. what was delivery cost in the end?

system11 said:

Very quick arrival report.

Bonnet: toast
Driver wing: probably repairable with a combination of dent removal & filling
Passenger wing: extremely minor damage to the front fitting edge and a small paint crack in the right angle - pair of pliers and a touchup pen

Slam panel & bumper bar things: toast
Support rails behind slam: box sections look straight but the flange the panel bolts to is slightly bent on the passenger side, it looks like this plate deformed slightly but I can't see any reason it wouldn't straighten up - will all need measuring when the panel comes off.

Smaller radiator: toast
Larger radiator: might be ok!
Other radiator (intercooler?): very likely ok
Fan: maybe ok - gets stiff at part of the rotation
Interior: A+
Coolant is low, oil is low, saw some blue smoke when it started which is a downer, seemed to clear after 15-20 seconds. Upside it works well enough that it was driven from the flatbed onto the driveway so at least 1st and reverse are good.

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Sounds like an average one of mine. I just bought a front panel on eBay for £40, it was brand new and had a slight bend in the top right by the headlight. Fitted and a quick whack with a mallet and it was straight. You can often pick up bargains like that.

I also bought a rad for £36, have used them before and they are fine.

Fans are plentiful second hand but are quite expensive new.

If you want to change the wing see this video of mine.

[ame]https://youtu.be/YEKTDmtCfbo[/ame]

It’s in Manchester but bargain price bonnet in red.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/292948712541

varesecrazy said:

So.. what was delivery cost in the end?

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£141, they don't appear to have damaged in any further than it was at Copart, used Shiply - £31 up front and £110 in cash on delivery, picked up when they said and called me 30 minutes away - no complaints, user on there was "cro221".

typecastboy said:

If you want to change the wing see this video of mine.

https://youtu.be/YEKTDmtCfbo

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I'd actually watched that and gave it a thumbs up when I was researching taking on a front end project, thanks!

Not even worth trying the aircon with that condenser the way it is, but I had a quick fiddle with stuff in the car and it seems like everything not directly damaged by the crash is working. Previous owner had terrible taste in music, but the interior has been well looked after, nearly spotless seats and no wear.

typecastboy said:

It’s in Manchester but bargain price bonnet in red.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F292948712541

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Thanks, I have family there who could pick it up but it's a little too damaged - check picture 4, it's bent enough for a couple of inches flaking crack in the paint.

Oh yeah, didn’t see the last pic.

Those bracket kits for headlamps on ebay - do they all line up properly when fitted? I went out a moment ago as it's tipping it down to plastic sheet over the front of the car as best I could in the dark. When I locked the car the headlamp indicators lit. Had a quick test and the headlamps are still working perfectly. Copart say they empty them, but that car has 3/4 of a tank of petrol still in there too.

Oil level - the picture doesn't make much sense on the top of the dipstick - is it supposed to be half way up the thin part right at the end, and is it a 'check when cold' job? In this one the end of the stick definitely gets wet again, hard to say on the rest as it runs off so quickly. Downloaded an owners manual from the Fiat site.

Found a video on Youtube for condenser replacement and the owner was good enough to list every tool he needed for the job so I can grab the few bits I'm missing, almost certain I don't have any torx sockets or a clip remover for those big hose ones.

They line up perfectly. When you take the headlights out have a look at the base of each lug and you will see the screw holes. The repair lugs are solid and easy to fit. Copart don’t empty them. Car I just bought has a full tank. Always worth New oil and filters unless you have got the history of the car. If you have no manuals, call fiat and find out who supplied it new. You can then phone them and they will give you details of any history. Once you have the V5 the .gov website will allow you to see who did the mots and you can call them to see if they serviced the car too.

Condenser replacement is easy. Just those 4 small bolts and a hex socket to remove the pipe. Assuming as it’s broken that there’s no gas left in it?

As for the replacement panel bars, you should be able to get them secondhand for about £30-£40 each

Complete rad pack. Intercooler, condenser, rad, fan, front panel and bars £225 with free delivery.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/141874010413

Just seen it says diesel but it looks exactly the same as the twin air one.

You can also get a brand new painted to code bumper for £179 with free delivery. I’ve done this a couple of times without problem.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/192791866744

Thanks, putting all these on ebay watch and ordered some lamp kits. Are the strips either side of the numberplate removeable or bonded on? Mine are chrome, at least one and a half is.

I did ask one of those dismantlers about stuff but they wanted £1k + VAT for an 'entire front end' which seems like pretty poor deal compared to just buying a breaker on copart or individual parts from private sellers. I think I could get everything brand new for that price!

Tomorrow I need to pick up a couple of touchup paints, the windscreen pillars are both damaged where the bonnet was shunted up into them - slight dents which may or may not pull out but exposed metal, need to cover all of those on panels which are staying.

I'd forgotten about the whole V5 thing - thanks!

It can be a bit tricky to read the oil level in a twinair, especially with clean oil. I can't remember what the end of the plastic dipstick looks like, but the handbook should make it clear. I used to clean the dipstick, then insert it and screw down the cap, then unscrew it and look at the level.

The big chrome strips are held on with a two sided adhesive pad and by clips that clip in all the way round. If you get a screwdriver in at the top and gently prise, they will come out. Do it carefully and gradually orvthey will break. If you break any of the plastic tabs off you can bond it on. If you’re lucky, you may buy a bumper with them already on.

The thin ones are also stuck on with double sided pads but have a couple of poke through tabs with two fasteners which always seem to break when you take them off. Again, you can bond them on if the tabs do break. Fiat badge is just held in with a single nut.

Pillars usually do get damaged a bit. Sometimes a little dig, sometimes just a scratch. I usually touch up with a small brush.

Make sure you take all of the bumper end screw hole brackets off as replacement bumpers sometimes comecwith them removed. Same goes for the ones on the DRL mounts.

Yes I'm intending to strip any part removed of any parts on it which are usable - seems like hunting for a bumper in the right colour & trim would be worthwhile.

Is the lounge bumper different? Just saw two types of listing on ebay, one marked 'lounge model'