Hi everyone, I'm pretty new to the site, and F-bodies in general. I'm not overly knowledgeable about cars, but I know a bit. I have my father-in-law's car stereo shop to use to do whatever I need to do to the car, with all the necessary tools.


Okay, so here's the story:

I bought a '91 Firebird in horrible condition on October 18, 2007. On January 18, 2008, I hit a curb going between 30-40 mph. I bent the ball joint, broke the rotator hub center piece thingy in half, tore one of the bolts holding the strut off, and destroyed the subframe.

So the question:

Is it worth it to fix this thing? Should I get it up on a chassis jig and see whats up and try to fix it? I have a '86 or '87 IROC-Z that I can use for parts, including a good subframe. Also, what is the likelihood that the body itself is bent?

Thanks in advance guys, and thanks for letting me join your awesome board.

 

If your car does indeed have a V6, I wouldn't look twice at it. Maybe you can swap some of the drivetrain parts over to the IROC and start collecting stuff for that. An IROC will always be better and a better investment than a V6 car, unless it's a 89 TransAm TTA

 

The problem with the IROC is that the rear end is smashed all to hell. The car itself is only good from the windshield forward.

So really, just trash the V6 and get a new F-body?

 

Yes, new car is in order

V6 or V8, it makes no difference, heavy repairs force a decision
If it doesnt have a big sentimental value then drop them both

 

I may not have made myself as clear as I could, so here's a bit of clarification.
The Firebird will not necessarily be big repairs - the problem is finding that out. Basically the only thing still wrong with it at this point is that we do not know if the frame is bent. The IROC is not repairable, the whole back end and right side is torn up (it was plowed into by a truck while sitting), but it means an intact subframe to replace ours, as well as any other parts. The real question is how to find out whether or not that will fix our problems, as that depends on whether or not the body is straight.
A big fix is not a problem, the goal is finding out cost. Would it be more feasible to buy a new one, or would it be cheaper to repair the one we have, and how much does that depend upon the body being straight?
To put it up on a chassis jig is $140, to get the body straightened if it is bent is over $300, to get the IROC for parts is $250, but to get a new one in poor condition is over $1000. Which is a better idea?

 

So I got it up on four jackstands, and looked around. It looks like the part of the frame that curves under the firewall is "wrinkled" I guess. Best word to described it. Also, the passenger side subframe is about an inch shorter than the driver's side. Does anyone know how much it will cost to straighten everything out or weld in a new piece of the frame?

 

I think that unless you have some REALLY good pictures & there is a REALLY good expert on here you're better off taking somewhere locally & having it checked out.. If you can get the car fixed for $4-700 or so (probably requiring some of your own labor to keep cost reasonable) I would definately say go for it. (In my opinion it being a '91 its worth it.) Also depending on the condition of the rest of the car... Engines are easy to do so the 6-cyl. thing is no biggy... stock F-body V8s get replaced most of the time anyway. Of course this is only an opinion.