EllisUFC

So I bought this project car a few months back. A 1984 z28 with the l69 HO motor, 90k miles I paid $1100 for. It is my first ever car project, and before it the most advanced thing I ever did on a car was replace spark plugs and radiator hoses.

I drove this car home, about 18 miles, and the steering had a some slop/play in it. I thought it was just because the suspension was shot and it needed an alignment.

Anyway as I've done some learning and work on the car, rebuilding the steering components and all around shocks and springs, then I pulled the seats and carpet out to check for hidden rust , I noticed a few things.

1. The drivers front wheel hub sat lower and required more pumps of the jack to get a stand under that side of frame and the steering box seemed to have newer looking welds around it

2. The rear passenger wheel was lower and required more pumps to get a stand under the frame and there was a crack in the sub frame behind the wheel. This side also had a damaged spring that was bent and had three spacers placed above it in the body.

3. After pulling the carpets and finding some rust likely from leaky T-Tops, I found a crinkle in the middle of the body around the back seat area.



The red is the tires that are measurably lower, blue are the higher tires.
A= steering box welds
B= mid frame crumple
C= crack in sub frame



^ This is picture of the little body wrinkle area near the back seats



and here is a picture of the crack in the subframe near gas tank, behind rear passenger wheel well



Spring on the left came from passenger side rear, bent at the top, and had 3 spacers added to the top portion.



1. It's not twisted my garage floor is and I'm a noob2

or

2. it is twisted , its probably not cost feasible to get to straightened vs the price I paid since it holds no sentimental value for me.

So what do you guys think?

If it is twisted I should just probably keep it as a parts car since, I can't in good conscious sell a twisted one to someone without telling them? I'll save up some over this peak season and i'll look for a new one come the new year.

jharrison5

If I was in the same situation I would take it to a frame shop and have it looked at. Then you would be 100% on what's going on and it wouldn't cost too much.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

Looks like the car was hit.
looks like the exhaust hanger is welded rigidly to the frame too? Classy
Only way to know what shape its in is to put it on a body rack and see.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, that's been hit, or bottomed REAL hard. (drove into a ditch type thing)

Cracks around the steering box are par for the course on these cars.

That car doesn't look like a good foundation for a "project". More of a, strip it down and keep the good pieces and throw away the chassis, kind of a one.