Delays...

Sorry I haven't been able to post any pics of the new head going on the engine yet. My son managed to wreck the car THE DAY BEFORE THE HEAD GASKET ARRIVED!!!!!!

I settled the claim with Insurance and they gave me a nice check to cover repairs. Once I get the car RUNNING again, I'll get back to installing that head and set up a nice web page with pics.

There's pictures of the damage posted at http://www.robaldo.com/CarWreck if anyone wants to check it out...

Lance.

I'm surprised the insurance company didn't try to call it totaled and give you a check for a fraction of what the car is worth.

Yeah, I was surprised too!

The very first thing the adjuster said to me once he saw the car was "Oh, we're not going to total this car".

Then he asked me if I had a good parts catalog with prices.
I presented him several from the usual Mustang supply houses and we went through them together finding all the parts that will need replacing, and a few parts that were questionable.

Then he totalled it up and cut me a check on the spot. He allowed for shipping, sales tax, and for a professional body shop to do all the work. I plan on doing all of the work myself, then turn it over to a pro for paint & the minor dings & such that will still be there.

All in all a very pleasant experience in what would otherwise be a very unpleasant situation.

Lance.

Insurance man must have been a car nut himself.

Check the windshield pillars right where they join the roof by the top corners of the windshield. Any evidence of bulging/bending/flaring out or paint cracking at that point on either side? In my experience that is the best indicator of if the unibody got tweaked at all.

Good idea, I checked the windshield pillars as soon as I got home from work.
There's definitely no VISIBLE bulges or twists.
If the unibody got tweaked, it wasn't bad at all.

It looks like the "only" damage is to the hood, both fenders, both front fender aprons, the radiator support, radiator, condenser, grill assembly, bumper & brackets, valence, stone guard, headlight assemblies, & the water pump.

It certainly could have been worse!

Another spot I found was the transmission tunnel at the firewall, make sure there aren't any ripples or creases. Run your hand around it from the firewall to maybe four inches back. If there are ripples there will usually have a corresponding dent in the roof of the car from the "tweak", it'll look like someone slammed their palm down, very subtle dent. This was from a rear-end collision but I guess it could occur from the front also?


Ron

Sorry about the wreck but at least it looks like you'll make out in the end.

SUCKS!

what did he hit, looks like the back of a lowered flatbed.

Believe it or not, that's the impression of a 2000 Mustang's rear end in the grillwork of my son's 66 coupe.