Okay, I see a bunch of cars for about 1000 and i know they will need work… and lots of it…
But just curious… how much would it cost to fix the frame… and i mean fix it so it can hold a SR without falling apart!!
and what exactly does fixing the frame mean… cutting… sanding it down until you get good metal and then reweld another piece or metal to brace it??
I know how to weld myself… and i dont really care if im putting another 50lbs of metal underneath aslong as its struture is sturdy.
Thanks
Of course it all depends on how badly the frame is rotten.
If there is still good metal around the rust, just grind it all away and plate over top of it. If there’s no good metal right to the floor of the car - you’re SOL.
To get it done professionally, pricewise you are looking anywhere from $500 to $2000 depending on how bad the rust is, and how cheaply/expertly you want it done… big range, really it is up to you.
okay lets just say it will cost like 2G’s
fine… so you got the car for 1… and you spent 2 to make the frame perfect. and study as a mofo… thats only 3G’s… Still probably cheaper/better then buying a car for 3G’s that has minor rust…
body panels are cheap… its just the frame im concerned about.
am i looking at this wrong??
Well it’s not quite that simple… sure your frame will be ok, in the one spot you fixed it. I should revise my estimate because in most cases the frame goes out on the front rails just behind the wheels… but next to go is behind the rear wheels, and if you need to plate that, you have to drop out the entire subframe, plus the gas tank… so you are looking at least double to start. It’s not cheap.
Not only that, but if you buy a rust bucket, expect other parts to be all rusty as well - various suspension parts, other non exterior body panels and of course the floor. If you are going to spend several grand welding up your car… just go buy one from the US or BC and you will still be ahead. Or find a rust free one here.
Bottom line - a little rust is ok, just make sure you know what you’re getting in to.
I will be checking out a car well checking it out again probably tomorrow or friday… and i need to know specific problem areas to check out…
pictures are worth a thousand words… so if anyone has pics of a rusted out car… and tell me the difference between doable… okay… bad… and lost cause…
that would help me a lot in my searches!!
Thanks.
I dont know that anyone has the pics you’re looking for.
Try to take some pics of the car you’re looking at, post and we will tell you. Take pics of the front frame rails, floor, strut towers, rocker panels and if you can, take the rear wheel off and take a pic of the frame behind it.
I heard my name…
Axlerod has it right, it get’s expensive REALLY quick. I have an estimated 150 hours into fixing the rust spots on my car, likely more but I just have no way of counting. Doing the math on that at $60/hr you are looking at 9 grand. For your two grand, that is about 33 hours of fixing, barely anything when you look at it. The good news is they are pretty straight forward to fix, remove all parts that look rusty, plus 6 inches or so on each side, weld in. It just becomes a bitch to get all the seam sealer out and bare metal to weld to, most of it is out of position too, can be tricky, ie not just welding two clean flat plates together on a bench.
Basically anything can be fixed, if you saw my car before you would have sent it to the wrekers. But at this point it is one of the strongest frames out there.
Key issues:
front frame rails: easiest to fix, when the engine is out, there is 3 hours to get it all out so you can weld properly and do a good job, 5 to put it in
Rear frame rails, right where it bends behind the tire: PITA, take out the whole rear end (not too difficult), about 1-2 hours, gastank too
Trunk, very rear lower corner: takes time, oh behind the bumper too
Rockers: If there is slight rust might be able to patch, if there is a hole you will likely be putting on new rockers to fix it all properly, you have to custom fab the quarter to rocker transition, thats a PITA
Floor: various places, can be hard
Overall I used a FULL 4x8 sheet on my car, fixing more then I feel like typing, but with the above key points there is close to 20 hours to get it READY to fix, let alone fix it. SO, if you plan on doing it yourself, not a problem, all you need is time. If you have to pay someone it becomes exponentially unpractical with small increases in the amount of rust.
If you could find someone to fix it for a decent rate, not a shop rate of 60/hr, then you would be much better off. If you are looking at a car, post pics, I will do my best to look at them, but this info should give most a good idea of the problem. Unless it is kinked in two they can all be fixed. (even kinked I guess, but start measuring)
Unless you’re a masochist (like Nave) it’s probably not worth fooling around with rust repair. Take Axle’s advice of buying a 240 in the US, somewhere nice, like Florida, Texas, etc. Make sure it was produced at least 15 years ago (or less than 10) as Transport Canada will not allow importation any other way.
I see many advantages to the US-import solution. Firstly, the car market is much greater down there so the car will be very cheap. If it’s not running (i.e. dead engine) it will obviously be even cheaper. The only setback is the transport to Canada. Your best bet is to look for a small-time dealer/body shop type of operation and get them to go through all of the hassle for you. You’ll end up with a really, really good shell for maybe $1000.
Been there done that! Twice completely (everything that Nave mentioned), and once partially… I’ve sworn never to do it again.
I have all sorts of pictures but they aren’t hosted anywhere so I can’t post them. Now I think about it most of them aren’t even digital 
-Martin.
yah thats what people have been telling me to do… get a shell from texas LOL!!
but umm… thats pretty far… its going to cost a LOT to get it shipped to toronto!!!
oh well… ill always leave options open.