Watch a Wrecked 7 Series Come Back to Life in 10 Minutes
Australian shop has some seriously skilled craftsmen. BMW 7 Series rise from the dead thanks to precision, skill and a little TLC.
There are bad days, and then there are bad days. A bad day may have serious gridlock on the commute, or worse, a flat. But a bad day involves something like, say, totaling the 7 Series that cost you a cool $120K a few years back. In this video posted by Brisbane, Australia-based shop StreetFX Motorsport & Graphics, the white 7 Series they have featured looks like it’s bought a one-way ticket to the shredder. Then, over the course of a nine-minute time-lapse video, it nearly returns to its original, stately self.
At the outset (there’s no talking here, just music), the roof and, well, the whole left side of the car, look like crumpled paper. A come-along is attached to the rear door frame, and the magic starts to happen. The shop methodically attaches the winch to points within the door frame, and it begins to take shape. Then come the wheel wells (with help from a hammer), trunk, and front inner fender. The roof, roof rails, and worst of the front and rear damage are cut out, and the front frame is readjusted.
The Old World goes Down Under
What can be salvaged is repaired using some seriously old school methods: hammers and forms. It brings a bit of old-world craftsmanship into the 21st century. Then, slowly but surely, the shop starts putting the car back together. Measurements lead to more come-along work on the driver’s door, then sheetmetal slowly starts to be welded back on. First the roof rails, then the left rear inner fender, and finally, body panels from donor cars are bolted on.
The video is certainly impressive. And the final walk-around shows that the panel gaps look pretty close to factory. But as many people pointed out in the comment section, a modern car with safety features and crumple zones is likely nowhere near as safe as it was before the accident. We have to agree with the general consensus here: Don’t put this one back on the road.
For anyone who had a car totaled, this video is a dream come true. And we’re so glad to see this F01 saved from the crusher. But we’re hoping that this car is kept as a showcase for the shop instead of being sold to a new owner. This 7 Series has been through enough. It deserves the show car life.
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