Yesterday day, I skidded into a snow bank going about 25 mph around a curve. (Seems to be some crummy luck. When the roads are clear, I take the same curve at about 35 just fine. It was above freezing, and the roads seemed fine, and I still slowed down to 25 just in case... sucks, right after I hit the bank and got stuck literally 6 cars zipped by on the same stretch of road going as fast or faster than me and were fine...) I figured it'd be okay, just in some snow so I contacted a friend grabbed a tow rope and got myself pulled out.

Turns out the tib isn't okay and it bent a strut and cv road. (passenger side) The snow bank was some icy hardened snow, so it also damaged the front bumper cover, fender, hood, headlight and corner... I hit it pretty much at full speed, one of those you turn the wheel and you notice that nothing happens, and you apply the brakes and of course still nothing happens... BAM.

Now its a 97 FX with a salvage title, were it in good shape probably only get $2,000 for it. It was in a past accident that *may* have bent the frame. When I took it in for alignment, the shop told me they couldn't aligning normally and they said the frame possibly is torqued and needs to be pulled. The car was pulling heavy to the right, and after they worked on it the best they could, it still pulled to the right, but not nearly as bad.

So the air bags are popped from before, the headlights aren't in the best of shape, the hood, bumper cover, fender need work... left side fender has a scrape from before. In essence the entire front end cosmetics need to be replaced. Just in used parts it'll probably run $500+ before paint... Now thats just the cosmetics... the frame might need to be pulled and I need to replace a strut and cv shaft. I can get the strut for about $40 and the cv shaft for about $40 (Quoted if I supplied the parts, about 1.5 hours of labor, so another $100) Then the car would need to be realigned again, and if still needs another cambolt just to make the alignment semi right, it'll run $240. Plus the AC doesn't work, haven't had the time/resources to have it looked at yet... and some other random problems with the car... (leaky window, broken fender liners, windshield fluid pumps broken, CD player over heats, broken bolt in captive rotor, etc.)

I was thinking that before I put in another $300-450 for a patch fix in a car that has a bunch of other problems, I have to ask is it worth it? For the most part I'm willing to put in the work hours myself, to me its fun, but I know that changing a cv shaft on a jacked up car, on unlevel ground outside probably will be much more trouble than its worth.

Should I part out the RD1? Honestly I'd just save everything away and try and find an RD2 that I could get cheaply...

How much could I get for the parts? Pretty much everything is OEM... Quick list is:

Intake Manifold
Throttle Body
TPS
MAF
Fuel Rail w/ injectors
Radiator
Radiator Fan
Obx Header
2.5 3-chamber magnaflow muffler w/ oval tip
2.5 magnaflow cat
HVAC controls
RD1 Dash, + surrounds
Random Buttons from the Interior
Interior panels, etc.
Tail lights
Head lights (damaged, but very functional)
Corners
Doors
Engine w/ Auto Tranny w/ 80k mileage

And misc. pieces.

I'd keep the 1.8 camshaft and ecu that I have for myself in hopes that I could apply them to a RD2.

Let me know what you guys think

 

The OEM parts are WORTH only what someone is willing to pay you for them. Unfortunately, you'll only sell them if someone is in need of the part. You'd probably end up sitting on the parts for MONTHS if not a year waiting for someone to be in need of the part.

My un-professional, completely biased opinion is that you sell whatever you can, keep the cam and any upgradeable parts, and apply them to a white 2000 Veilside when you purchase it from my signature.

 

Thats true... I'd end up removing any useful parts and send the rest of it to the scrap yard and sell the remaining parts over time, but I'd try to price them to move.

I'd hope to get about 750 or even just 500 for everything on the car. What I see is that to get the car up to its full value, I'll need to put into the car what its worth... If I part out the car, I can get something out of it and put money towards a vehicle with much less problems. And if there are problems, I'll have a spare-part inventory to take care of it.

Thats the thought anyways... oh and I have a near complete RD2 dash as well that I was planning to convert to...

 

I could have you covered on the strut/spring assembly and the air bags if you wanted it functioning. Otherwise just part it out. Let me know either way because Ill want some parts.

 

if it were me, i would take off what might be sellable (if that's a word) and get a car in better shape. if you do end up parting it out, i could really use some parts. i'd be interested in the obx header and maybe the tails also if they're stock.