Long story short: I got into an accident and rear-ended a car in front of me. The damage is limited to the front piece, hood, and part of the passenger side fender. The engine still runs. My wife and I had plans to keep it as a parts car for another 1990 240 that we got afterwards, but now we're considering fixing this one since our other car died (1997 Dodge Grand Caravan, engine seized, that's another story for another time). After pulling off broken parts and attempting to get the fender off, I noticed that part of the inner body was crushed as well, and I'm having doubts about my ability to straighten it out. Here's the damage I'm talking about, partially un-smushed with pliers as I try to open things up to evaluate what's needed:


Driver side, for comparison:

The thing is, to get it back on the road, it'll have to be safety inspected, and I want to be sure that corner will be kosher for the inspection. If it's not doable with the tools I have, we're just going to go back to searching for a local beater to get me to work and back. The local Pick-N-Pull has two of that era 240 that aren't smushed, and all the parts I need will cost less than half of what we are willing to pay for an acceptable commuter vehicle.

 

That would total any 240 out there in the eyes of any insurance company. It's DIY fixable - but you will need some body work experience, tools, skill, a whole bunch of parts and a couple of weeks in your spare time. Then be willing to drive a multicolor car. To do it right some of those body parts need to be primed and painted on the edges before installation. Parts supply would be easiest from a good donor car that you have very little money in, for you will everything up front. I.m certain that right fender got pushed into the rf door also.

Sorry for your loss.

 

Thanks. The fender was not pushed into the door, by the way, just crushed in that corner. I don't have body work experience and just normal tools, and the most skill I have is whatever I've learned tinkering, but I have the will to try. Everything I need runs less than $500 at the Pick-N-Pull, while a decent running beater from Craigslist runs $2000 and upward.

I've gotten the fender off, and it wasn't too painful, so I'm confident I could get one back on in the same manner. The front piece is a different matter; the AC hose does not want to come off the AC condenser, which is the main thing holding back its removal. The AC hose across the top of the engine was simply cut out by a previous owner, so I'm not concerned about coolant being vented to the environment, but the vehicle at the Pick-N-Pull may be a different story.

If I can straighten out that one area, I can spray primer on it to inhibit rust, no problem. I'm just wondering if a rubber hammer and some wood blocks would be enough to accomplish the task just enough to pass inspection. If I can get it repaired enough, I'll be driving it into the ground rather than selling it anyway, so I'm the only one that will be concerned about it.

 

You need professional help. I am big on DIY but to get a decent result on this you need body shop work, and not just parts. Pliers and woodblocks and rubber hammers don't work that well on Volvos, the metal is thicker than on Jap cars. You need some spot welding too.

 

I agree, to be crazy enough to want to try this I probably do need professional help.
I just tried to bend a bit of it, and it's not budging. The inside shell is MUCH thicker than the outside. Well, at least now I know before I spent time and money pulling stuff off an old one.

Thanks for the advice everyone, this one's going back to being a parts car.