On a gen 3 that I have right now I may be up against the same thing I'm either going to try to bend the piece back into shape or cut it leaving just a little 2-in piece sticking out just above the headlight or whatever it goes and then a piece where it gets ready to turn into the core support piece that actually does come off and use some sheet metal screws to just zap that in place the unbent piece so careful marking and cutting is a good idea and then I squeeze on the pieces that are left in the car and spread the piece that I've removed from the other car and try to lay the straight piece on top of the two pieces I have cut to the right length and that I squeezed on so that it will lay over top of that and look decent then just shoot a sheet metal screw in the front and back of that joint at each end done I don't have a welder anymore to get out so there's that some people may have a small portable welder they can just tack the stuff in I don't do it that well and it makes a snotty mess all over the metal The sheet metal screws I use are so small you can about not see them so the repair looks like it's just not even there.
a friend of mine installed a body kit on his sons car and had to weld it in certain spots. He ended up renting a small welder from Lowe’s. from an engineering standpoint that’s safer than sheet metal screws I suppose. I’d rather beat this thing back into place but also would rather take a good settlement and just get a new 2023 Prius. Wish I could afford a hybrid Tundra. Ah well.
I thought about that and called around a few yards. No one had the parts in the same color in this area. Rockauto has that part factory primed but I don’t know how to weld. It's called the “tie down extension”
Actually in this area where you're working the small sheet metal screws and the piece dropped over a folded piece will be all the strength you'll ever need It's a pretty weak area anyway none of this car can take much of a anything in the front end It's all plastic and very thin sheet metal even compared with the last generation of the same model no comparison I can bend the generation 3 with my bare hands let alone smack it with a pair of channel lock pliers I'll destroy most of the car but that's just the way they're made.
I was able to bend the radiator support tie rod back. Got a new headlamp and fender. Fender has a hybrid plug-in sign on it instead of hybrid so will need to figure out how to swap them. Looks like the hood hinge got messed up and a clip holding the hood release cable broke. The side marker socket, day running light socket and low beam connectors got destroyed. So far I’ve soldered a new low beam connector, wedged the head lamp into place, and got the day light socket in. Side marker socket is harder to find online but it’s part 9007560077. The wheel well liner fell off, bumper retainer was destroyed. Front liner is broken now. I won’t be able to find the bumper inserts in the same color. Has anyone installed hauling hooks where the inserts go?
All of that is definitely DIY doable... I had a similar accident in my 2012, leaving me with very similar damage. My passenger side support arm as you referred to it was somewhat mangled and it is indeed spot welded in place, but RockAuto did have the support arms by themselves... I drilled two small holes and screwed it back together utilizing a piece of metal to act as a joiner. I even had some light frame damage, which I was able to fix in my driveway with a winch and a couple of hydraulic car jacks... My bumper/ front nose was broken into six pieces, I was able to get that back together by following a procedure I found on YouTube, where you piece it back together and stitch up Frankenstein style with zip ties, then flip upside down and pour epoxy resin onto the inner side, let cure totally and then sand away. then sand away the zip tie stitches, saved a fortune by being able to reuse that piece. Don't go to a body shop, they will remove from you any value that you could have retained.
In my industry the supply chain issues have subsided for the most part. It’s all just blood sucking inflation now.
don’t think I could do what you mentioned with the bumper. Would rather pay 350 for a newly painted one.
I “think” that’s in a separate book which I don’t have, specific to body repair, not in Repair Manual. Will take a look though
Found stuff. Funny thing, I go to save that section to a smaller pdf, and see I'd already done it, God knows when.
the drivers side door install was finished yesterday. Gotta tighten hinge bolts to torque specs today. does anyone have the service manual procedure for replacing the driver side front fender? @Mendel Leisk I don’t recall whether the cover that’s near the door hinges was on the fender before or after I removed the fender. for the radiator support and extension, I marked it’s original position on the wheel well landing before removing it. A new support extension from rockauto was painted and clear coated. I’ve fitted the new part in place but see it’s about a 1/2” closer to the cabin than the original which indicates the radiator support needs to be Bent outward opposite the cabin. Plan is to use two 1/4” x 1” stainless machine bolts with lock washers and nuts to fasten in lieu of welding. I don’t have anything to pull on where the car is now so I’ve been using a wrecking bar to pry between the inverter battery bracket and the radiator support(BAD IDEA!). Got a painted replacement bumper and new fender liners. Looks like those are the last parts to install.
Two stainless steel machine bolts with lock washers and nuts. New-to-me fender in. Gotta put New fender liners and bumper now. Turn signal is full of water so need new assembly
There was a piece of rubber weatherstripping on the fender where it butts up to the windshield cowl. Any recommendation on what to use to stick it on the new fender? Butyl tape? Some kind of Adhesive in a tube? Any recommendations on what to use to stick the hybrid emblem on the fender?
looks like this is something I can use for the hybrid sign 3m plastic emblem and trim adhesive. https://www.autozone.com/sealants-glues-adhesives-and-tape/adhesive/p/3m-plastic-vinly-metal-emblem-trim-adhesive-1-oz/316901_0_0?spps.s=6177&cmpid=LIA:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:GEN:19502231967&&CATARGETID=120054150001286543&CADevice=m&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADkcoVuSK62yXqaAq5cgn-ky0JJ5_&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqoynmJW_ggMVmUNHAR2PCwszEAQYAiABEgKJFvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds