I have an 87 iroc-z that has a 305 TPI 700r4 etcetc. The bad is it has rust and rot.

The kinda bad: Small pea sized rot holes can be found on the A pillars. Surface rust all over the t-top area, hatch and floor pans.

The real bad: Big nasty rot hole in floor pan where the drivers side kick panel is. Rot hole where you unlock the trunk. The spare tire well is completely rotted out. The rear quarters have rot along the wheel wells and where the ground effects are. The rear bumper bar is rotted out and needs replacement.

This seems like it would cost me about 500ish in panels and who knows what else in other body repairs I find along the way. So do I keep my iroc or do I find another with a better body?

 

If it were me, I'd snag another car - even just a roller and use the best of both cars.

 

Unless you can weld and paint you may want to snag another car. Of course this is entirely based on logic, if you have an emotional attachment to the car you can still fix it (I think another car may be more cost effective).

 

If it runs well then find another shell and transfer things, fixing the rust will nickel and dime you to death.

 

That's what I was thinking guys. The only problem is that with me living in New England there are VERY few thirdgens that have good bodies still. I've looked at a few, people saying the body is in "mint" condition and have it be an absolute lie when you poke your head underneath the car. It kind of sucks TBH. I do have an emotional attachment to the car since it is an 87 and thats my birth year. It has the EXACT paint job I want on a camaro BUT yet again you can do that with almost any third gen, hahaha.

 

You could gut the interior and bring it to a body shop and ask them how much to repair the rust if time isn't a concern. This is assuming you have another car as a DD (god I hope your only car isn't an 87 IROC). A lot of places will cut you a deal if your not going to be hassling them about when its gonna be done. I'm leaving mine at a shop all next winter to have all the body work done, they're gonna have four months to repair two quarters and a few other misc body issues I have. I told them to use it as a filler when they are slow.

 

I thought about bringing it to a body shop, talked to a couple places around me and they all gave me the same answer of "I don't want to steal your money like that, just find another camaro". No my IROC is off the road right now. My DD is a 99 pontiac grand prix GTP.

 

Find another body in my opinion there is enough people in the south on here that could help you find one and there are plenty of cross country towing for reasonable prices. I am from the north and know how hard it is to find a clean car.

 

That doesnt sound like an estimate to me. If you like the car enough and cant afford a shop to do it I say you go about here figuring out how to repair the rust. Try going to a local yard and cutting out body panels and replacing them or you could bondo but I hear that stuff never really lasts. So really keeping the car depends on if you have a deep enough wallet or if you have the know how. I hate to say it but you might be better off scrapping it and getting a better body. I love my 87 Iroc and I would try to fix it but there is always that cost involved.