PLEASE HELP! Best way to tackle accident damage :(

[DAmatt]

I was trying to sort the strange starting habbits of the car, sometimes it wouldn't start from the key, only from the relay. I thought the relay had a lockout feature that stops you from starting the car when the lever was in Drive, well, either that isn't true, or mine isn't working.  I don't know why, but I forgot the shift lever in Drive, as I started the engine from the side, at the relay. Car immediately started moving, and hit the concrete pillar of our garage.

Without further ado....

Most damage is to the door. The quarter panel that follows has the skin sunked in, which looke redeemable, but the paint, and primer cracked. Also there is paint damage on the body underneath the door.

Please help me with advice on how it would be best to fix this. Judging by the way the door looks, especially where the door handle has been ripped off, is it repairable, or must I order a new skin, with all its complications? What approach should I use for the quarter panel, and the body underneath the door?

Many thanks...

[70 sublime]

Ouch
As long as no one got hurt

Looks like a fair amount of body filler in your door already
Could try to fix it if it is solid door along the edges
Maybe get a new AMD door and swap all the parts over then you can see what will need to be done to the quarter panel to make it line up again ?

[green69rt]

As for the car moving when starting.  Auto or sounds like a manual trany?  In either case there should be a neutral lock out which prevents starting when not in neutral or park..  Is yours hooked up?  Did you change the wiring?  

[70 sublime]

As for the car moving when starting.  Auto or sounds like a manual trany?  In either case there should be a neutral lock out which prevents starting when not in neutral or park..  Is yours hooked up?  Did you change the wiring?  

Pretty sure the lock out feature only stops the key from tripping the relay to start the car
In park or not the ignition part will still be turned on when the key is in run position

Jumping the relay with a screw driver will by pass the lock out feature and well we see what can happen if the car is not in park 

[DAmatt]

Jumping the relay with a screw driver will by pass the lock out feature and well we see what can happen if the car is not in park

It seems that bypassing the safety features by taking a screwdriver to the relay will bypass the safety feature of not letting the car kill you... I got pinned between the car body, door, and the garage's concrete pillar when dashing to stomp the brakes (by the way, should anybody wish to quickly stop the motor from the engine bay, pulling the positive wire from the battery does not work, ask me how I know. If you can, stretch a bit to the ignition coil and pull that wire). Luckily the damage is not irreversible, but I nearly got a Darwin award, I was so smart.


What do you guys think, can the door skin be repaired? If I have to import one from the US, it's not only the shipping cost, but the customs bureaucracy I'd rather avoid. Of course, if the results would be sub-par, I'll suck it up and deal with the wonderful Transylvanian customs, which sucks the life out of you.

[70 sublime]

I think your door is full of body filler now to level it out
If it looked good before the bo bo I would think it could be leveled off again

Did not realize how much joy it would be for you to find some more parts 

[JB400]

The dent looks like it might.  Won't really know until you try.  The door handle area looks like you might have to weld in a new piece, and recut the hole.

[Kern Dog]

I'd replace the door. Used ones are not that hard to find and they fit better than a reproduction.
For future reference, you can stall an engine by pulling a wire to the ballast resistor.

[hemi-hampton]

I'd replace the door. Used ones are not that hard to find and they fit better than a reproduction.
For future reference, you can stall an engine by pulling a wire to the ballast resistor.

BUT, Finding a used Rust Free Door not as easy. If Stephens has one he'd probably want $1000.00+

[70 sublime]

Did you guys catch where the car lives ?

Transylvanian

[Kern Dog]

I'd replace the door. Used ones are not that hard to find and they fit better than a reproduction.
For future reference, you can stall an engine by pulling a wire to the ballast resistor.

BUT, Finding a used Rust Free Door not as easy. If Stephens has one he'd probably want $1000.00+

Shoot, I have 4 of them.....They sell for $1000 each

[Mike DC]

   
I've never been into re-skinning doors just because the whole thing can be replaced. 


But if you're ever going to re-skin any door, this case seems like a good candidate for it.  It's not rusty.  The accident probably didn't reach the inner structure.  The outer skin is pretty fragged with the door handle area torn out.     

[Kern Dog]

I'd be a bit worried about the rest of the paint on the car. Paint should not peel up like it did on the quarter panel.

[Lennard]

I would just replace the outer door skin.

[hemi-hampton]

I'd replace the door. Used ones are not that hard to find and they fit better than a reproduction.
For future reference, you can stall an engine by pulling a wire to the ballast resistor.

BUT, Finding a used Rust Free Door not as easy. If Stephens has one he'd probably want $1000.00+

Shoot, I have 4 of them.....They sell for $1000 each

You never heard of how high his prices are? NO, They don't sell for that much, that's why he still has them

[Kern Dog]

Yeah....my jokes are hard to get sometimes. I am aware that they are not worth that much.

[Mike DC]

           
Stephens fills a niche.  He's not only selling the part, he's also selling convenience.   
             

[JimShine]

I would change the door. But i would be patient and go to the next decent sized Mopar swap meet within a couple hours drive. Bring a truck (or rent one) and you should have several to choose from. 2nd gen Charger doors and taillights are plentiful.