Repairing a very damaged BMW

[raymond.harper]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU6LU-DXiCo I did watch this in some wonder. A very damaged BMW unrepairable I would have thought, crushed chassis rails, buckled roof, creased floor and windcreen surround damaged but the chap even with his hairy back puts it all back together. A machine may have put the car together but a human can fix it.

[srhutch]

Watched a few of this guys videos. Very talented, but I have my doubts if these really should be repaired. He has replaced Roofs cutting all the pillars. Cut and shut springs to mind.

But the fact he posts them up I assume he has nothing to hide.

[TitanTim]

I never see the point in repairing such badly damaged cars, I find it quite frightening really that a family could be riding around in something like that

Tim.

[Marlon]

Amazing craftsmanship, but I would worry about the rigidity of the subframe after all that pulling back into shape

[TitanTim]

Amazing craftsmanship, but I would worry about the rigidity of the subframe after all that pulling back into shape

No doubt the guy can make a car look like a car again but who knows what the structural integrity is like. I'm never keen on damaged repaired cars where the structure has been seriously compromised, I just wouldn't risk it as an ownership proposition. To the unsuspecting person buying that car, if it looks ok then it must be ok. Proof of the pudding is if it was involved in another accident, I imagine it would just disintegrate.

Tim.

[Tcochrane92]

I'm an automotive engineer and I would honestly not drive this car... once the material has gone into plastic deformation (changed shape), its internal structure changes and effectively weakens.
Imagine bending a piece of aluminium until it snaps. Then bend it again a few more times - it's not nearly as strong as it originally was.
Yes, the original piece was plastically deformed into that shape (depending on manufacturing process), but it was designed to be that way - with a lot of thought gone into it.

This guy is just pulling and bashing at the metal to make it look OK. In fact, every piece he manipulates is weakened by everything he does to it

Just my two cents

[sticky]

Lithuania, I think, not western Europe. Baltic States is cheaper for them to import split/damaged and parts to assemble. Apparently the import tax on cars varies depending on what you bring in. The car re-built over there means less tax.

[MACK]

I'm an automotive engineer and I would honestly not drive this car... once the material has gone into plastic deformation (changed shape), its internal structure changes and effectively weakens.
Imagine bending a piece of aluminium until it snaps. Then bend it again a few more times - it's not nearly as strong as it originally was.
Yes, the original piece was plastically deformed into that shape (depending on manufacturing process), but it was designed to be that way - with a lot of thought gone into it.

This guy is just pulling and bashing at the metal to make it look OK. In fact, every piece he manipulates is weakened by everything he does to it

Just my two cents

+1
I think this totally sums it up for me. Its not a question of can it be fixed, the guys obviously skilled. Its clearly a question of should it be fixed.

[Grumpyowl]

I'm an automotive engineer and I would honestly not drive this car... once the material has gone into plastic deformation (changed shape), its internal structure changes and effectively weakens.
Imagine bending a piece of aluminium until it snaps. Then bend it again a few more times - it's not nearly as strong as it originally was.
Yes, the original piece was plastically deformed into that shape (depending on manufacturing process), but it was designed to be that way - with a lot of thought gone into it.

This guy is just pulling and bashing at the metal to make it look OK. In fact, every piece he manipulates is weakened by everything he does to it

Just my two cents

+1
I think this totally sums it up for me. Its not a question of can it be fixed, the guys obviously skilled. Its clearly a question of should it be fixed.

Agree, very interesting to see his skills but-
I wouldn't like to think my kids were driving around in that

[john-e89]

Be interesting to see how it faired on a crash test bed. I'm sure it would drive ok but should it be in a crash I doubt very much it would stand up well. As said if I remember correctly from physics class in school the molecular structure will have changed and you simply cannot return it to how it was, plus all that cutting out and re-welding, looks like a death trap to me and no way would I drive the bloody thing. Totally agree with those that said yes it can be done but should it? Scrap the thing.

[TitanTim]

I'm guessing these repaired cars are sold in countries where the owner wouldn't necessary have a hope in hells chance of affording a new or secondhand motor and the thought of owning a BMW albeight a potential death trap would be a dream come true.

Tim.

[cj10jeeper]

Skilled metal worker, but as others have said the structural integrity is seriously compromised

I'm sure in it's next accident it would fold up like a paper bag and not absorb the forces

Not something I'd like to head off down the motorway in

[sticky]

Skilled metal worker, but as others have said the structural integrity is seriously compromised

I'm sure in it's next accident it would fold up like a paper bag and not absorb the forces

Not something I'd like to head off down the motorway in

+1

[shawna]

Have you seen the ones of the 7 series?

A literally textbook cut and shut???

[sticky]

Have you seen the ones of the 7 series?

A literally textbook cut and shut???

Cut and shunt more like. All in the name of greed