Hey Guys.... I'm thinkin about buying another 3rd gen! It's 5.0L '88 Firebird Formula. It runs really well but the only bad thing is the body. It looks like it has a lot of rust and will need a lot of work. The guy only wants $800 for the car.... should I go for it? How much work am I in for? Let me know... here's a pic or 2 that kinda show how bad the body looks!! Thanx guys!!

 

Here's another.... Should I Buy this car and fix the body? Or not?

 

I would definitely not... that body looks horrible. Unless you've got like a 40k mile engine or a 500 horse engine under there or something. Might make a good parts car or something but I would definitely pass this one up.... your car would be more Bondo than metal.

 

What kind of shape is the interior and underbody in?

 

Then again... From what the outside looks like thats probably what the underbody looks like. I think you'd be getting yourself into more then you want. By the time your resurrecting that piece you would have had enough money to buy a Iroc or GTA in halfway decent condition with a 5.7L.

 

how is the other side? if it's just that one side thats bad i would do it.. because all you have to do is buy a door. no? then fix the quarter panel. or is the other side is on the door also get the other door. it's a car you can fix up for sure. 800 might be alittle too much. i'd say try to talk him down to at least 600-500. here is a picture of my car when i first got it. ran excellent. NO rust, perfect interior. and i got it for 600. just had to bolt the front end down... light the lights and the bumper and the fender and hood.

 

im with the others , the car is a ball of rust , the only reason to buy it is to get it for parts.

 

Yeah, you're gonna be paying more than 800 bucks getting it looking good, thats for sure. You can always replace the doors and fenders for relatively cheap, but like said above, if the undercarriage looks like the top side, ya might want to reconsider.