Honda Car Forum

Is the radiator support a "weld-in" assembly on a 1997 Acura Integra LS
Hatchback?

"Mark F." <reply2group@nospam.com> wrote in news:460a730b$0$28097
$4c368faf@roadrunner.com:

> Is the radiator support a "weld-in" assembly on a 1997 Acura Integra LS
> Hatchback?
>
>
>
>


Yes.

Only some Civics had a bolt-in support.

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

"Tegger" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in message
news:Xns9901717363B15tegger@207.14.116.130...
> "Mark F." <reply2group@nospam.com> wrote in news:460a730b$0$28097
> $4c368faf@roadrunner.com:
>
>> Is the radiator support a "weld-in" assembly on a 1997 Acura Integra LS
>> Hatchback?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> Yes.
>
> Only some Civics had a bolt-in support.
>
> --
> Tegger
>
> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
> www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Thanks. I thought so. After I posted this I removed one fender and pulled
off most of the front end. It looks like the spot welds could easily be
drilled out and the new part spotted in or mig welded where the spot welds
are located.

Mark

"Mark F." <reply2group@nospam.com> wrote in
news:460a9814$0$18845$4c368faf@roadrunner.com:

>
> "Tegger" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in message
> news:Xns9901717363B15tegger@207.14.116.130...
>> "Mark F." <reply2group@nospam.com> wrote in news:460a730b$0$28097
>> $4c368faf@roadrunner.com:
>>
>>> Is the radiator support a "weld-in" assembly on a 1997 Acura Integra
>>> LS Hatchback?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> Yes.
>>
>> Only some Civics had a bolt-in support.
>>
>
>
>
> Thanks. I thought so. After I posted this I removed one fender and
> pulled off most of the front end. It looks like the spot welds could
> easily be drilled out and the new part spotted in or mig welded where
> the spot welds are located.
>


Are you repairing body damage?

If so, I'd strongly advise you go to a wrecking yard, find an Integra
without front-end damage, and take copious measurements from that BEFORE
you take your rad support off.

You may also want to temporarily weld in a cross-brace to the inner fender
tops, to prevent the fender tops from trying to flex inwards once the
support's been removed. If that dimension is still good, that is.

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

"Tegger" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in message
news:Xns99018344D383Btegger@207.14.116.130...
> "Mark F." <reply2group@nospam.com> wrote in
> news:460a9814$0$18845$4c368faf@roadrunner.com:
>
> Are you repairing body damage?
>
> If so, I'd strongly advise you go to a wrecking yard, find an Integra
> without front-end damage, and take copious measurements from that BEFORE
> you take your rad support off.
>
> You may also want to temporarily weld in a cross-brace to the inner fender
> tops, to prevent the fender tops from trying to flex inwards once the
> support's been removed. If that dimension is still good, that is.
>
> --
> Tegger
>

Yes and the passenger side took the worst of it. It was a very low speed
impact however. The condenser core and the radiator are fine. Also the frame
member where the bumper bolts on is also ok. The very top of the radiator
support from midline to the passenger side was pushed back about 4-6 inches.
The upper connection point where the radiator support meets the quarter
panel is pushed in.


P.S. Some of the links on your site are broken.

Mark

"Mark F." <reply2group@nospam.com> wrote in
news:460aaa07$0$28129$4c368faf@roadrunner.com:

>
> "Tegger" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in message
> news:Xns99018344D383Btegger@207.14.116.130...
>> "Mark F." <reply2group@nospam.com> wrote in
>> news:460a9814$0$18845$4c368faf@roadrunner.com:
>>
>> Are you repairing body damage?
>>
>> If so, I'd strongly advise you go to a wrecking yard, find an Integra
>> without front-end damage, and take copious measurements from that
>> BEFORE you take your rad support off.
>>
>> You may also want to temporarily weld in a cross-brace to the inner
>> fender tops, to prevent the fender tops from trying to flex inwards
>> once the support's been removed. If that dimension is still good,
>> that is.
>>
>>
>>
>
> Yes and the passenger side took the worst of it. It was a very low
> speed impact however. The condenser core and the radiator are fine.
> Also the frame member where the bumper bolts on is also ok. The very
> top of the radiator support from midline to the passenger side was
> pushed back about 4-6 inches. The upper connection point where the
> radiator support meets the quarter panel is pushed in.



You would be astonished to find out how little it takes to throw
absolutely everything totally out of whack.

And you'd never know, until you tear your hair out for days trying to
get stuff to line up like it did before the damage. It will be
reeeeallly close, but not quite there. The more measurements you get
from an undamaged car, the better.


>
>
> P.S. Some of the links on your site are broken.
>



Yeah, I know. Haven't got around to fixing them all yet. Sorry about
that.


--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

"Tegger" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in message
news:Xns99018D079646Btegger@207.14.116.130...
>
> You would be astonished to find out how little it takes to throw
> absolutely everything totally out of whack.
>
> And you'd never know, until you tear your hair out for days trying to
> get stuff to line up like it did before the damage. It will be
> reeeeallly close, but not quite there. The more measurements you get
> from an undamaged car, the better.
>
>
>
> Yeah, I know. Haven't got around to fixing them all yet. Sorry about
> that.
>
>
> --
> Tegger
>

I threw a page together to show you the damage.
http://home.austin.rr.com/mchp/index.html


Mark

"Mark F." <reply2group@nospam.com> wrote in news:460ac223$0$24791
$4c368faf@roadrunner.com:

>
> "Tegger" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in message
> news:Xns99018D079646Btegger@207.14.116.130...
>>
>> You would be astonished to find out how little it takes to throw
>> absolutely everything totally out of whack.
>>
>> And you'd never know, until you tear your hair out for days trying to
>> get stuff to line up like it did before the damage. It will be
>> reeeeallly close, but not quite there. The more measurements you get
>> from an undamaged car, the better.
>>
>>
>>
>> Yeah, I know. Haven't got around to fixing them all yet. Sorry about
>> that.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> I threw a page together to show you the damage.
> http://home.austin.rr.com/mchp/index.html
>
>


It doesn't look like much, but I certainly hope you're able to get
everything lined up the way it was before. You may have a maddening fight
on your hands here even just to get it close. So much stuff gets distored
in a collision, and most of it you can't see until you try to line all the
new and old stuff up.

And if you use aftermarket body parts, you can _completely_ forget about
factory-fresh panel alignment.

Good luck.


--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/