2005 Forenza - Death and Rebirth

breach · 08-16-2009, 09:04 AM

Hey all!

First, I am not sure I put this in the best place, so please move it if that is true!

Well, I recently totaled my 05 Forenza a couple months back. After going through certain personal hell beside that, I finally landed on my feet though in a different state, so I can start doing something about it.

Luckily it was the other guy's fault mostly so I came out on top, and bought the car back on a salvage title for a whole $300.

I have decided to chronicle the rebuild, hopefully it will help some of you out with similar issues and see how this car is put together. Oddly I have had a hell of a time finding any kind of service manual for it, which I have since been told that they don't have to release them up to 6 years from the year it was made.

Once I got my baby towed to my new home I found she still ran and drove like nothing happened at all, and seem straight enough to try and fix.

Sites that helped

Suzuki Car Parts
eBay
FamilyCar

Here it goes!

Looks like a black eye doesnt it! You will notice the other gaping hole where the air box was ripped out in the crash.

Though it looks bad the radiator is not actually pushed into the engine at all

After some wrench time I got the bumper cover and grill off. You can see what is left of the reinforcement bar. Condenser and radiator are toast.

Foam and reinforcement beam gone. you can see the right bracket is pretty mangled.

One thing about this car that discouraged me immediately was that evidently this car was not meant to be taken apart, as the entire thing is spot welded together

But there is a special tool that will help me deal with that.

I have done more since these were taken, I will return with more soon! Got a lot of replacement parts on the way.

-Breach

Forenza Owner · 08-16-2009, 11:02 AM

Wow that Forenza took a beating. I'm sure it'll look good again once its been put together again.

jurupa · 08-17-2009, 02:30 AM

If you don't mind me asking what type of car hit you?

pitsnipe · 08-17-2009, 09:09 AM

be careful as damage like that can run the length of the car. new cars are designed to absorb damage with the entire car not just the bumper. you may not be able to tell its messed up untill you are going down the road at an angle or chewing up tires constantly no matter how many alignments you get

breach · 08-18-2009, 05:59 PM

@jurupa It was a 1998 BMW

@pitsnipe yes unfortunately that is a total possibility. I only hit doing about 30, and it seemed to take the impact pretty well considering. All the doors still open and close no problem, does not appear to be any suspension damage or deflection, but no guarantees there for sure. We will have to wait and see!

Alright, more to tell

This little fella is what is going to help me with the spot welds. Kind of like a little holesaw just for this purpose. I found it at a Napa, Im sure you can find them in any car part store with a bodywork section.

I found that that little tip on the spot weld cutter was not able to guide it, so it tended to walk violently the second the teeth started cutting into the metal. I pre drilled a small hole into each weld. After about 15 welds...

Off it came with a bit of muscle to break the last welds free.

Now we are gettin' somewhere!

After the rad support was off the radiator itself come out without much problem. As far as I can figure otherwise, the rad is put in before the engine so there is actually no way to get it in and out without dismantling part of the engine or removing it completely.

I got the new rad support, radiator, and fender today, more soon!

-Breach

tallkid · 08-19-2009, 12:13 AM

perfect time to put a turbo and huge radiator and intercooler in

mohnjanning · 08-23-2009, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tallkid

perfect time to put a turbo and huge radiator and intercooler in

shoot, just slap a new radiator on, mount some universal head lights, and drive it like that-- mad max style. this is an interesting view of the forenza, it's a simple car.

mohnjanning · 08-23-2009, 02:22 AM

might i suggest, if you're at all a fabricator, trashing the air box components and design a CAI since the front is off.

mohnjanning · 08-23-2009, 02:27 AM

also, this would be a good time to replace the timing belt, serpentine belt, or add the lightened UD pulley. too bad we all can't have this opportunity.

jurupa · 08-24-2009, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mohnjanning

shoot, just slap a new radiator on, mount some universal head lights, and drive it like that-- mad max style. this is an interesting view of the forenza, it's a simple car.

lol. I am not sure it is federally legal to drive without a front bumper. But ya our cars are simple, but we also use old tech that has for the most part been around for awhile so its pretty simple compare to todays engines.