The joy of rally car projects, smashed flat pinch welds

So I need to do some maintenance on the Miata and figure out an electric issue on my OBS, but I really want to work on my rally replica Subaru project.  Finding the right combination of body parts to make a convincing GD sedan rally replica of Subaru WRC fame isn't as easy as it would seem.  A lot of parts are just obnoxiously priced so when you finally find a bargain, you jump on it.  Due to parts availability and pricing I've decided on making a GD blobeye WRC replica that will be pretty convincing, and will get better as time goes by.  The original Subaru rally cars were prepped by Prodrive and Prodrive bits are pricey, rare and usually come from the UK or Japan so shipping is high too.  Some JDM importers get some parts sometimes.  If anyone finds a JDM Spec C Impreza OEM Subaru roof scoop, I'm very interested by the way.  Right now they Brits have them for $1500 to $1800 or so, and that's way beyond what I will pay (at least I think so). 

So anyway I have an actual GD 2003 Subaru US built rally car.  It has all the chassis and drivetrain bits to get the job done (although I question the shock and spring package).  I have a lot of the body parts currently including the correct setback rally spec rear wing.  It's obnoxious and I love it.  I also have most of the front bits (hood, fenders, bumper etc) to have a convincing look although it's not as wide as the real rally cars.  They are from a JDM STI car.  I have the graphics, which I will install once all the body panels are screwed on and some other minor changes occur.

So I finally after a long time, find a set of Prodrive side skirts for the car!  They are so wide compared to factory Subaru offerings, so distinctive, and I found them in the UK with eBay shipping which was reasonable.  They are half the price of sets I've seen otherwise.  I get them thinking they may never arrive.  Arrive they did and they look very nice for my intended use!  They are used but all the clips and holes are intact with no major damage.  Minor cosmetic stuff on a rally car just looks right IMO.  So I unwrap the first one and go to line it up on the car.  And lo and behold the entire pinchweld / jacking seem is buggered.  It's all mangled and nearly smashed flat (rally car).  This car has done some stage rallies and it shows.  I looked quickly online for GD chassis jacking rail reinforcments and no one makes them.  I may need to find a local fab shop to make some. 

In the meantime, I need to get this rail / pinchweld back into a reasonable shape so that the side skirts can even be attached.  The inner edge of the side skirts fits up to the this rail.  Any tips ideas or hints how to do this?  I'm thinking its going to be lots of manual labor with vice grips a hammer and dolly.  The good news is I don't think there is any chassis issue since the cage was fully welded in before these rails got smashed flat.  I'm in for long hours with vice grips, dolley and hammer?  Or anyone ever tackle a similar mess?  I know once I get one end reasonably vertical again, I can continue working from that end.  Is there any kind of tool or clamp designed for this job that anyone has seen? 

Do I need to get my own Mig welder, practice lots more and make my own jacking rail reinforcements because rally car?  I figure this car will need welding from time to time to address different things that will come up 

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:

Do I need to get my own Mig welder, practice lots more and make my own jacking rail reinforcements because rally car?

Short answer here is yes. I have angle iron stitch welded to the pinch welds on my rally car to keep this from happening, and if you're going to enter any stage rallies with it the welder will be a maintenance item.

What's this suspension you're unsure about?

It took the weight of the car plus the inertia of the impact to mold them into the current shape.  Stands to reason it is going to take an equivalent or greater force to move them back?  I'd consider stitch welding some angle iron in there to attach the side skirts to.  

I've taken a few half-hearted swings at some damaged jacking points in the past with vice grips and sledgehammers and decided to leave them alone.  I'm in for suggestions.  

Maybe tack a chain link on in strategic places and use a hydraulic puller?  Then you have to have the body secured to something so you don't just pull the whole car sideways?

Edit:  This looks pretty cool, depending on how crushed they are.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRoXzKREhts

In reply to Tyler H :

This is what I fear.  But yes some reinforcement will be needed once I get this sorted, and yes a welder is looking more and more like a necessity.

In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :

If it's any consolation the pinch welds on my Datsun are beat to hell...................from my flying the car over the kerbs.

More than once I've over done it (observers opinions not mine) and landed the car on the following kerb in a chicane.

Tom1200 said:

In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :

If it's any consolation the pinch welds on my Datsun are beat to hell...................from my flying the car over the kerbs.

More than once I've over done it (observers opinions not mine) and landed the car on the following kerb in a chicane.

The car still looks really good overall too.  I guess I'm just gonna have to see what I can do.  I'm looking at MIG welding classes at the local community college right now.  I guess I'm going to need to learn this skill for real. 

I've done my time with the hammer and dolly straightening those pinch welds, but only because prior owners and their hack mechanics were unkind with the jack wielding and not because stage rally. I'll second fabricating some reinforced jack points.

Try these from the Hammer Store for fewer tooth/tool marks:

Nockenwelle said:

I've done my time with the hammer and dolly straightening those pinch welds, but only because prior owners and their hack mechanics were unkind with the jack wielding and not because stage rally. I'll second fabricating some reinforced jack points.

Try these from the Hammer Store for fewer tooth/tool marks:

I currently have these in my amazon cart.  I can of course head to the hammer store and get them in person too.  I was thinking these might get things to where I could work them with a hammer and dolly.  Then I can weld in some reinforcment and then install the side skirts; yippee!