The Z26 you all wanted to see

[Cam2363]

Man, sorry to see that. The fact is, stuff like this is going to happen if the car gets driven, and if it isn't driven then it isn't really a car and isn't worth owning, IMO. So don't feel too bad... Just fix her right.

If you are delayed at all on fixing the body-work, at least make sure you protect the surface from exposure. My 'old' '95 Z still has Plasti-dip removable spray-paint on the quart-panel, the paint had been burned off in an arsonists' fire some years ago. I don't see any indication of rust on my car so far, and when you do finally peel that stuff off (I may have left it on too long now, but my right quarter is also crushed in pretty badly from a previous owner's mishap, so the whole thing needs to be redone) it leaves a nice, clean surface, even takes a lot of dirt and loose paint with it too, helping to make a paintable surface available. Good luck taking care of that (still) beautiful Beretta!

Thanks! It's only going to be 2 weeks, and from what I understand, the car has the galvanized body panels for rust protection. I do plan to just color it in with a paint pen as I did it in some spots and it looked 10 times better. I plan to start that over my Easter break, and fix the LIMG again while paint is drying. Gonna be a fun few days

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[Cam2363]

Rear ended somebody today. I cant win with this car. Now I need parts

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[Mkweaver1958]

Sorry to see that!
I guess the saving grace is..... it's still fixable.

[Cam2363]

Sorry to see that!
I guess the saving grace is..... it's still fixable.

Thank you! It is fixable from what I see. I just need to get a new hood lmao. Thought about just rolling without a hood for a few days.

[Rettax3]

Just make sure the hood is latching securely if you are going to keep driving it. Or you will likely be buying a new windshield too... Will you try to fix the driver's side fender, or replace that too? Black (if non-metallic, like yours) is the EASIEST to paint-match, but it does show flaws the worst. All years and sub-model Berettas used the same hoods and fenders, so at least you aren't needing something 'exotic', like the Z04 body-parts (GTZ and Z-26 only bumper-covers). You might need a new hood-latch too, and support bracket (the structure that holds the latch mechanism and extends to the lower radiator core-support). Good luck.

[Cam2363]

Just make sure the hood is latching securely if you are going to keep driving it. Or you will likely be buying a new windshield too... Will you try to fix the driver's side fender, or replace that too? Black (if non-metallic, like yours) is the EASIEST to paint-match, but it does show flaws the worst. All years and sub-model Berettas used the same hoods and fenders, so at least you aren't needing something 'exotic', like the Z04 body-parts (GTZ and Z-26 only bumper-covers). You might need a new hood-latch too, and support bracket (the structure that holds the latch mechanism and extends to the lower radiator core-support). Good luck.

Thanks. Definetly need all of that. Its pretty bad. The car is black, so it shouldt be too bad. I think its GM Code 58555 or something like that for the paint.

[Cam2363]

Over the past couple days I've been working to get it back together, and last night was when it was finished. The hood is only temporary until I can get the good one fixed, or get this one repainted properly(whichever is cheaper). I also have a brand new headlight coming in the mail so they will match better.

Rettax3 also has a new grill for me, so that will also probably get replaced in the future too.

Also, even though she will never see it, I want to thank the owner of the junkyard who let me get all of these parts for free whenever I wanted. If it wasnt for her, the car would not be back together. Atleast not without a ton of glue, zipties and duck tape[emoji23]

It was so nice to drive it again after almost a week, which is nothing to some of you guys. I also plan to start doing more mods to it now as it isnt the perfect car is was before.

Still also need to fix the oil leak. That is a task for Easter break.


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[Mkweaver1958]

Already looks a lot better!

[Cam2363]

Already looks a lot better!

I know! If it wasnt for the hood and the light, you would have never known is was in an accident that bad just a week ago

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[Rettax3]

The hood is only temporary until I can get the good one fixed, or get this one repainted properly(whichever is cheaper).

Glad to see the front-end stayed straight. I've seen some that got hit just enough to break some spot-welds and deform the sheet-metal of the 'frame'. My '92 G/A ('N' Body, but still was identical to the Berettas at least forward of the strut-towers) had hit a tree so hard the window regulators had buckled from the door-glass not wanting to stop with the car. That poor thing was mangled from strut-towers forward, but even before I replaced everything (including frame) up-front, it still drove okay once I replaced the mechanical components it needed. I've also seen a Beretta that looked nearly perfect until you got underneath, then you could see a shoddy attempt to fix the framework that had obviously been damaged by a low-to-mid speed impact, similar to yours. You never can tell how they will come out of something like this until you strip it down and examine everything.

The hood is only temporary until I can get the good one fixed, or get this one repainted properly(whichever is cheaper).

If you mean the original hood, don't even think about having it fixed -no one will touch it, it has buckled at the forward crumple-zone points, as it should have. It is structurally unsound, and not worth fixing, and either hood would be looking at paint anyway...

[Cam2363]

The hood is only temporary until I can get the good one fixed, or get this one repainted properly(whichever is cheaper).

Glad to see the front-end stayed straight. I've seen some that got hit just enough to break some spot-welds and deform the sheet-metal of the 'frame'. My '92 G/A ('N' Body, but still was identical to the Berettas at least forward of the strut-towers) had hit a tree so hard the window regulators had buckled from the door-glass not wanting to stop with the car. That poor thing was mangled from strut-towers forward, but even before I replaced everything (including frame) up-front, it still drove okay once I replaced the mechanical components it needed. I've also seen a Beretta that looked nearly perfect until you got underneath, then you could see a shoddy attempt to fix the framework that had obviously been damaged by a low-to-mid speed impact, similar to yours. You never can tell how they will come out of something like this until you strip it down and examine everything.

The hood is only temporary until I can get the good one fixed, or get this one repainted properly(whichever is cheaper).

If you mean the original hood, don't even think about having it fixed -no one will touch it, it has buckled at the forward crumple-zone points, as it should have. It is structurally unsound, and not worth fixing, and either hood would be looking at paint anyway...

Wow, crashes can do some crazy stuff to cars you would never thought possible lol.

And I was afraid of that. The thing is really dont want to wait more time to get the hood redone properly, I love driving the car and dont want to wait a week. I'm thinking maybe over Easter break getting it redone(assuming they can just do the hood and they dont need the whole car) as I need to fix the limg again so it wont be driving for a few days. But I'm not sure. I will have to figure this all out then.

Infact, if not Easter, probably the first week in July as I will be gone for a week and wont need the car.

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[Rettax3]

Sounds like a good plan. They should be able to paint the hood separately, especially since it is black. On my Z-24, I replaced the fenders with steel Z-3 vented (like gills) ones. They came pre-primered, and I know how to sand for paint-prep. I asked three different places how much to spray two primered, prepped, OFF THE CAR fenders, and was quoted something like $600 to about $1000, IIRC. I might have gotten a bid around $430 from Maaco -no thanks. And how much did Maaco charge to spray the whole car? Back then they offered cheapo deals like $230! I'm sure some of the expense was trying to color-match the GM Bright Red, and red is one of the two hardest colors to match correctly. I did NOT pay to have them done, instead I built a hot-box specifically for the fenders, including filtered air recirculation and a heat-lamp, they turned out okay with a mid-level PPG two-stage paint/clear-coat. Paint still mostly looks okay and is the better part of a decade old. I still have to do the SS hood I have on the car now too...

[Cam2363]

Sounds like a good plan. They should be able to paint the hood separately, especially since it is black. On my Z-24, I replaced the fenders with steel Z-3 vented (like gills) ones. They came pre-primered, and I know how to sand for paint-prep. I asked three different places how much to spray two primered, prepped, OFF THE CAR fenders, and was quoted something like $600 to about $1000, IIRC. I might have gotten a bid around $430 from Maaco -no thanks. And how much did Maaco charge to spray the whole car? Back then they offered cheapo deals like $230! I'm sure some of the expense was trying to color-match the GM Bright Red, and red is one of the two hardest colors to match correctly. I did NOT pay to have them done, instead I built a hot-box specifically for the fenders, including filtered air recirculation and a heat-lamp, they turned out okay with a mid-level PPG two-stage paint/clear-coat. Paint still mostly looks okay and is the better part of a decade old. I still have to do the SS hood I have on the car now too...

Wow that is expensive. I comnsidered having the car painted white as I love the white with red look and white is MUCH easier to maintain. No swirl marks, doesnt show scratches, doesnt turn bright yellow sitting outside for 2 hour in the spring, but I dont have the money to do that, but someday I would love to.

But if its going to be the same price or cheaper to paint the whole car, white might be a good option haha. But my car is a glossy black, so paint matching shouldn't be a big deal.

[Rettax3]

...White is the other hardest color to match, aside from maybe metallics. Just saying.

It might be better to find a clean white Beretta than respraying yours, changing colors well on a car is a lot more expensive than just repainting to original -think about door-jambs, underside of the hood, trunk, the engine-bay, etc. VERY hard to do well. That said, I am repainting my GTA Trans Am white, and it was originally Flame Red (similar to the Berettas' Cayenne Red), so... But then again, I am my own worst enemy.

[Cam2363]

...White is the other hardest color to match, aside from maybe metallics. Just saying.

It might be better to find a clean white Beretta than respraying yours, changing colors well on a car is a lot more expensive than just repainting to original -think about door-jambs, underside of the hood, trunk, the engine-bay, etc. VERY hard to do well. That said, I am repainting my GTA Trans Am white, and it was originally Flame Red (similar to the Berettas' Cayenne Red), so... But then again, I am my own worst enemy.

Haha I would go that route but i have no space or money. Plus my parents would kill me. I might just stick with the black.

Or maybe, cuz my hood is the problem, see what it would cost to get a clear hood. I think that would look cool. Until I get bored then regret my decision. But wheres the fun in that?

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