Volvo Community Forum. The Forums of the Volvo Owners Club

Forum Rules Volvo Owners Club About VOC Volvo Gallery Links Volvo History Volvo Press
Go Back   Volvo Owners Club Forum > "Technical Topics" > 700/900 Series General

Notices

700/900 Series General Forum for the Volvo 740, 760, 780, 940, 960 & S/V90 cars

Information
  • VOC Members: There is no login facility using your VOC membership number or the details from page 3 of the club magazine. You need to register in the normal way
  • AOL Customers: Make sure you check the 'Remember me' check box otherwise the AOL system may log you out during the session. This is a known issue with AOL.
  • AOL, Yahoo and Plus.net users. Forum owners such as us are finding that AOL, Yahoo and Plus.net are blocking a lot of email generated from forums. This may mean your registration activation and other emails will not get to you, or they may appear in your spam mailbox

Thread Informations

Front grill and headlights bent - how difficult to repair?

Views : 456

Replies : 4

Users Viewing This Thread :  

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old Jul 17th, 2018, 00:05   #1
Eyebrows123
Member
 

Last Online: Jan 15th, 2024 09:33
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Cambridge/Bristol
Default Front grill and headlights bent - how difficult to repair?

Hello all,

Unfortunately today someone reversed into the front of my car, it was a 4x4 so it went over the bumper and my grill took the impact. Car is a 1996 940 estate.

The damage as far as I can see is a cracked grill (which has broken it's plastic mounts) and the headlights appear to have been pushed back. I think the brackets behind them have been bent

Basically I was wondering how easy this was to repair? Could I take the headlights out and bend it back myself or is it going to be more serious and have to go to a body repair shop? As far as I can tell, the actual bumper (and abs stuff) is fine and virtually untouched
Eyebrows123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Jul 17th, 2018, 00:32   #2
Laird Scooby
Premier Member
 
Laird Scooby's Avatar
 

Last Online: Today 13:32
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Lakenheath
Default

There should be a couple of "sprung lolly sticks" holding the grille in, squeeze them and pull them out then pop the grille out. You should then be able to see the headlamp mountings and decide from there.

Don't forget that until you've had eyes on the actual damage, nobody on here can even guess what the damages are so can't really advise you on what to do to fix it.

If it was a non-starter we could go through a procedure, check this, check that and so on but with body damage it's how long is a piece of string!
__________________
Cheers
Dave

Next Door to Top-Gun with a Honda CR-V & S Type Jag Volvo gone but not forgotten........
Laird Scooby is online now   Reply With Quote
Old Jul 17th, 2018, 00:50   #3
Eyebrows123
Member
 

Last Online: Jan 15th, 2024 09:33
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Cambridge/Bristol
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Laird Scooby View Post
There should be a couple of "sprung lolly sticks" holding the grille in, squeeze them and pull them out then pop the grille out. You should then be able to see the headlamp mountings and decide from there.

Don't forget that until you've had eyes on the actual damage, nobody on here can even guess what the damages are so can't really advise you on what to do to fix it.

If it was a non-starter we could go through a procedure, check this, check that and so on but with body damage it's how long is a piece of string!
Yes that's fair enough, I can see your point!

I'll try get a couple of pictures but from what I can tell the bracket behind the headlamps (both the vertical ones and the horizontal ones with the bonnet clamps in then) have twisted backwards. So I guess it's headlamps out and try bend it. Grill cracked and fell off during the contact so at least it's been removed for me!

I'll try have a crack at it tomorrow evening and see if I can take some pictures. Having never really don't bodywork before I guess I'm concerned as to whether I should be bending the brackets back to "roughly right" or the nearest 1/10 mm!
Eyebrows123 is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Eyebrows123 For This Useful Post:
Old Jul 17th, 2018, 01:01   #4
Laird Scooby
Premier Member
 
Laird Scooby's Avatar
 

Last Online: Today 13:32
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Lakenheath
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eyebrows123 View Post
Yes that's fair enough, I can see your point!

I'll try get a couple of pictures but from what I can tell the bracket behind the headlamps (both the vertical ones and the horizontal ones with the bonnet clamps in then) have twisted backwards. So I guess it's headlamps out and try bend it. Grill cracked and fell off during the contact so at least it's been removed for me!

I'll try have a crack at it tomorrow evening and see if I can take some pictures. Having never really don't bodywork before I guess I'm concerned as to whether I should be bending the brackets back to "roughly right" or the nearest 1/10 mm!

Given that the brackets mount the headlamps and headlamp alignment is part of the MoT test, when you've repaired it you'll need to get the headlamps aligned or you'll be dazzling every poor victim coming the other way and probably not be able to see where you're going either!

First thing really has to be to evaluate what the damage is, there's nothing you can do until then. If the 940 headlamps are similar to the 760 there's a fair chance the headlamps will need replacing as those mount on lugs moulded on the side of the headlamp case. Might even need to renew the indicator/sidelight units as well, although they slide into place, the headlamps are bolted the metalwork the indicators slide into.

Shame you didn't get the reg of the vehicle that did the damage - is there CCTV where you were parked?
__________________
Cheers
Dave

Next Door to Top-Gun with a Honda CR-V & S Type Jag Volvo gone but not forgotten........
Laird Scooby is online now   Reply With Quote
Old Jul 17th, 2018, 02:04   #5
TonyS9
Premier Member
 

Last Online: Mar 4th, 2024 00:49
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Holywood
Default

There isn't much structure the holds up the lights inner and bonnet retention pin holes. I'd guess with a good hammer skill it could be straightened. or possibly cut out and used bits welded in.


+/- 1mm should be good enough, the lights will need alighnment though as Laird says.
TonyS9 is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to TonyS9 For This Useful Post:
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 14:19.


Powered by vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.