hi I am thinking of buying the red 82 TA which is on ebay at the moment. now I now of the biggest rust spot on the car threw the seller as he kindly told me and sent me a picture of it. now he sais it is only on the surface but as the jerk I am , I will just asume that the rust is totaly threw. now how much would you think it would cost to proparly fix that?! just by juging from the pic? The car is located in clearwater florida incase anyone would be willing to co check it out for me. I faxed my mechanic from st.pete but he isn't responding! but anyway I am in switzerland right now and have no way to look at it and the auction is ending in 2 days and I really would like to own that car. can anyone tell me how much it might cost and if it is worth it?! Is anyone a mechanic or a bodyshop man?! help plz ASAP!!!! I am looking to fofill my dream so plz help me!!

the pic is attached below!! plz help me fast!!! thank you!!!!
I would pay the person who would go look at it of course! if you are a mecanic even better!!

thanks

cedric

 

Hi there.


This rust is fixable but it will cost you a pretty penny.


I would wait on a rust free or close to bird to come around.

Bondo is not something you want alot of.

Sorry I could not be of more help to you.


-Jensen

 

that does not look too bad it does look like surface rust from the hinge mounting location. it could go through in pin hole fashion but nothing i would worry about, should be a cheap fix if all surface. if it goes through which i doubt it would be very costly to fix. how is the rest of the body? if that is all the rust i would not worry about buying it.

Jeff

 

looks all surface to me too, cant REALLY tell unless you can get up on it. but it does look like surface, to me, hopefully you find someone that can take a look at it for ya

 

how are you going to get the car from florida to switzerland? or do you live in the florida area? either way, i would keep looking, you should be able to find a nice rust free car.

 

It looks deper than surface rust to me.

Point is rust isn't something you should mess with unless your an expert bodyman or have alot of money. Rust free cars are out there. Keep looking.

 

well I live part year in florida and part year in switzerland. so I have a place for the car over there thats no problem. well still hoping to find someone to go look at it. thanks alot up till now.

 

dont buy that car.

if theres one spot like that, there are probly more like it all over the car.

if you're exporting the car, you are open to the option of getting a car anywhere in the USA... start looking around in texas, AZ,NV,cali, ect... the southern states... most southern states have rust free cars..... florida is kind of the exception because of the amount of salt water in the air around there..... it would have to be inland a good ways.....


there are TONS of them out there. i come across them on a weekly basis...

heck i know of a PERFECT just repainted (and not over anything bad) 91 RS convertible... no rust or anything for sale..... i think he wants several thousand for it though.

 

well I am looking for a specific car, not just any third gen, it has to be

1982 Trans AM
Cowl Hood
T-Tops
Automatic
¨
All original

PMD seats preferd.

color doesn't matter.

so you see I know what I want :-) tell me if you find something

 

http://www.cars.com/search/used/cc/s...onal&src=&cid=

(hope that link works)


start calling and emailin

 

that rust is not just surface rust. maybe 8 years ago, it was. if you start sanding on that, you're gonna find lots of little holes, i guarantee it. that doesn't look like the easiest area to be cutting and welding body panels. and considering that's where the doors mount and how heavy they are, that's a real bad spot to have rust.

 

DONT **** WITH THAT CAR! SIMPLE, as i spend 10 hours a day in my body shop, dont do it.

 

Hi Charged,

Just curious...

IF (and this is a big IF) you were able to look at the car up close and personal, and IF that really was the only rust spot on the car, what do you figure to fix (I'm thinking about $500-700 to do it right), would you consider the car if the price were right?

Reason I ask is that that looks like a weird place for rust, and there may be a reason it's there. Actually the more I think about it, there may be rust in other places that's been painted over, but anyway, like I said, just curious, not trying to contradict you.

Oh, PS, Blackknight, maybe you are more knowledgeable than I am, but I can tell you this for sure; my '92 is no show car, but I have some pictures of it that would make you think so. If I were willing to BS a little and risk a pissed-off buyer, I could sell my car on eBay as "MINT" in a heartbeat, and who knows, get $3500 for it. Be REAL careful about buying a car sight unseen from a private seller at a distance. Just my 2c.

 

Yes I agree that there is another problem that caused that rust ..Most of the time it is the pillars that have rusted out and water is entering behind the windsheild .It is the rust you can't see that is the problem and being that it is in a structural part of the car I would definetly think twice about it .Although it is fixable how much work do you want to do to it and how much are you willing to spend?? I could see that if the car were.lets say a 1969 yenko s/c camaro with that kind of rot id say buy it in a heart beat but there are still plenty of 82 recarro ta's out there just be patient and look around .. If I were to estimate that job From what I have seen I would say well over $1000 because the proper way to fix it would be to pull the windsheild and pull off the door and then actually find out where the water is getting in ..And then to cut out all of the contaminated metal and prep with acid and por 15 then reweld in the new pieces and blend and paint .It looks like a fairly simple job but believe me there is alot more work involved .I would say pass on that one and keep looking..Just my opinon .I have been doing auto body work for well over 20 years ..But if you are just looking for a daily driver or a winter beater then buy ..But I would'nt restore that particular car .Good luck dude ........

 

Hi Are you the one Ive been talking to lately?(basket)or whatever Ive got a 83 t/a. automatic t tops. But I dunno about shipping it to switzerland...As Ive said before. If you got a place in FL you could have it shipped to Id feel more comfortable with that. You said you live down there part of the year?

Nate

 

Yipe, what's everyone getting all upset about?

1. Find similar car in junkyard
2. Remove junkyard car's door
3. Slice out that piece from the junkyard car.
4. Remove your car's door
5. Cut out the rusted spot
6. Weld in the junkyard piece.

That's all! Yeah the measuring would be a bit tricky because you'd be taking holes for the hinges out, but I doubt it's a $600 job.

Now if there's Other rust spots... well, I have to agree with everyone that you should look the car over first, in person, before buying it. The inner fender might just be missing, and water was always getting thrown there.

I bet the cut could be made a few inches down from the a-pillar.

Or, hell, remove the door, take a grinder to the rust first. See if the supporting sheetmetal is still thick (you can't poke a screwdriver thru). Drill a hole to see how thick the metal still is. If there's just some pinholes after grinding, weld them shut. POR-15 and put the door back on.

I doubt the door will fall off! If you're worried, just remember to wear your seatbelt! I wear mine all the time, always have, always will.

[edit] Heck, you could even add subframe connectors to help reinforce the car. The doors are somewhat structural to our cars, since they help against body flex (and that's why our hinges go to crap). If you added subframe connectors (bolt-in for $200 from our TopDownSolutions sponsor at the top of this message, or weld-in from our Spohn sponsor at the top), you'd reduce the car's dependency on the strength of the door for frame-flex. All the frame-flexing would be prevented by the subframe connectors.

If this rust was somewhere extremely structural, like where a lower frame rail met the rear control arm, then that's an expensive repair- or a repair to be worried about. But since adding subframe connectors would take care of all worries, why bother welding in a new piece?

 

Blackknight we have a 90 GTA less engine/trans and few others parts missing for sale if you still need a Fbody!