Expert: William Forster - 7/10/2006

Question
I was just T-boned in my stang and my passenger door was smashed into the interior, rear quarter panel was bent, front fender bent and a-pillar/windshield pillar has been bent slightly.  My buddy told me that if the a-pillar is damaged the car is totalled.  Me refusing to believe this asked my father who was in body work for years and he said that he fixed a-pillars all the time and that the hardest problem i would have is matching the door to the hinges.  If you can give an opinion even though you cannot see the damage, it would be appreciated.

Answer
First, yes, A pillars can be fixed on any vehicle. Should yours be fixed? A 1988 Mustang? It sounds like it was totally BLASTED in the side. I think that the cost to fix it will be staggering, far beyond the value of the vehicle. You will absolutely need professional help to get it all back together, and to have the door open and close properly. If you look at the car, I bet that it's been bent, front to rear, into a 1988 Ford Bananna. Its likely that the B pillar is also bent. I base that on the fact the Quarter is bent. I bet the rocker and the floor pan are bent, too.  This sounds like a MINIMUM 5,000.00 repair in a body shop. Find another car, strip this one for parts. Its gotta be easier and cheaper in the long run, unless this is some fabulous show car or its in amazingly good shape. Even then, I doubt its worth repairing.  Bill