So, come springtime, the start of the complete overhaul on my car is going to begin. It needs a fair bit of work, so I figure I might as well just do everything, even if it means its off the road for the entire summer. My question to you guys is should I put in the effort to try and get rid of all the rust in the body/frame, or find another rust free car to swap everything into? Each situation has its pros and cons. I’d much rather get a rust free car and swap everything, but the astronomical prices around here (ontario) for a rust free stock S-13 will probably prevent that unless I get one from BC or something. Anyways, some pictures of the rust issues I have to deal with so you can better give your opinion. I’m also looking to be pointed in the direction of a good, hounest bodyman to maybe get a quote/do the work in the spring and a place where I can buy body parts such as rockers, fenders, etc…
Sorry about the pic sizes. I’m figuring both rockers are going to have to be replaced completely, some work done behind the rear wheels, and some work done on the front framerails. Theres also a few small holes in the floor, one in the trunk, and I’d like to get the old antenna hole filled…
The body looks pretty bad, but from what i can see the frame and floor look decently solid and thats what matters. If your going to do the body work yourself, I say go ahead with it, if your going to pay to get it done, you might as well find a better platform.
if you take your time…and do it properly with a lot of patience. you can save yourself a lot of money.
myself…i am just going to pay someone professional to do my entire car.
1 because i have no patience 2 because i simply do not have the time. and 3 because they usually do a 100x’s better job then you or myself can.
i say give it a shot. cut out all the rust. get some sheet metal and start shaping. if your entire rocker is not rotted…why replace it?
ite. it’s your choice. got patients? do it. if you questioning it already, don’t bother, sell the car to someone that will.
Wow u have major rust, am not sure if any body shop will even touch it!, I say keep this car for parts and find a decent rust free project. After all it will be worth keep this rust car for parts, it will also save u time and money. This way u wont need run around after stock parts.
I’d attempt the bodywork myself, but I’ve never welded in my life, nor do I have a welder or anyone to teach me how to weld.
There is a hole in the one frame rail as seen in the last picture, so it needs to be fixed.
I’d much prefer to get a rust free car and strip the one I have now. Problem is everyone in southern ontario thinks these cars are made of gold for some reason, and the prices are through the roof for a good condition stock one. My uncle phoned me from BC one day to ask advice on a 240 he was looking at. Said it was completely mint with no rust selling for 1500. I think the only way to get a rust free car for cheap is to a: either import one from out west or the states, or b: by some miracle, I find one around here that isnt priced out of this world.
My plans have kind of changed from when I got it. I drove it from August till november, and had suspected for a while that the turbo was failing due to how much it was smoking. I was ending up with oil in the intercooler piping also, something I never figured out. The SR in it has 150xxxkm on it and there are a couple funny noises, so its gotta come out and either be replaced or rebuilt. My ultimate goal is a clean, legal, reliable, streetable car with 250-300whp that I can occasionaly track, both on a road course and at the strip. Nothing stupid fast, handling is more important to me than speed.
I have alot of stuff I’d like to do, but the main thing right now is do I keep this car and work on it or do I start from scratch with another car…
ps- take a look at some restoration projects on vintage cars if you think this rust is bad, this rust is nothing. Those guys also spend tens of thousands of dollars on bodywork though, you can get anything restored if you have the cash…
If you have no welding experience or ability to do it, then your best bet is going to be to pick out a rust free one.
If you have the welding, and metal work experience, all the rust damage on that could be fixed with a sheet of 18g. metal.
The big problem is, after you repair everything that has rusted, you need to go throught the rest of the car and get rid of the sources for the rust. The salt is only half the problem cars rust. They rust when the salt sits around. you need to try to coat as much of the car as you can (underbody/interior/behind sheetmetal) with a rust inhibitor such as Rustbullet, POR15 or at the very least tremclad.
Biggest thign to be aware of, if its rusted that bad in some spots ,theres elsewhere rust is starting.
I know camaro’s are of no relation, but i have the most experience with them, i bought a '85 Z28, seemed like a mint car, tore the interior out, to find the car was swiss cheese. Common problem for any unibody car is rot. I found it to be in my best interest to drive down to NYC and pick myself up another car that was rust free. I was out $1500 in the costs of the old car ending up at the scrappers, but it was far easier then trying to repair all the rust work.
i think it owuld be cheaper to grab this guys car, and just part yours out so that way ull have money to put towards a paint job, or watever u want. and ull have spare parts to fix anything that may need fixing on his car. by the way i dont know this guy but 1000 dollars is a fair price for car that doesnt have alot of rust.
On my car, the front strut towers are clean. I found a new hole in the back when I had to put my car cover back on after it blew off. Rear subframe is in need of new bushings, but it came with the front-clip my friend bought when he did the swap.
^there’s nothing that can’t be fixed if you have the time, patience, money, and will to do so.
Ultimately, it’s up to you whether you want to fix it or buy another car. For all we know this car has some sort of sentimental value to you.
If you’ve already invested enough money into it, it may be better to fix it. If all the parts are transferable it may be better to get another shell…
This is my $0.02
Holes in the frame are fixable… but when you think about everything as a whole, its better to just grab a clean chassis. Think about this, if you start fresh, you can take the first procedures to keeping it fresh. Rip ALL the interior, find anything that needs to be fixed, rust proof, oil spray, acid dip, w.e it is you want. Then maybe go a step further and paint? In the end, you will save tons of cash now, and down the road when things do start to rust (if they ever do), and it will be a shit load easier to fix.
But as stated before, if you really want to get down and dirty, try it out. Never welded? Either start now on your car, or just grab a new chassis and practise on scrap metal. So many pro’s and con’s. But in the end, it’s just like picking a certain motor. It’s all up to the owner.
Btw, if this car has sentimental value to you, just take whatever incentives you have that you may cherish (shit knob, seats, stickers, etc) and just swap them over to your new car. It hurts, but we all have to eventually move on to better things. You dont sleep in the same bed as you used to when you were 8 ( lol, I JUST got rid of mine), so it may be time to say goodbye.
ahahhaa lmao love the boondocks
still it all depends on how much money and time you have
if you have the time and patience you might as well try to fix this shell
but if you would rather be done with it sooner rather than later in my experience its just easier to buy another shell and start fresh
good luck
